Go Bokke!

-These last two weeks have been busy. South Africa won the Rugby World Cup, go Springboks! Too bad we didn't get to watch, lol. 

-I had to figure out and set up a new phone since my phone was stolen. That took way too long. Also, I haven't been able to drive since my driver's license was stolen too, lol. 

-Members here in Elsies have been awesome. It's been interesting to try a lot of Congolese food, since a lot of our members in the branch are from Congo. I have had a lot of fish, pondu pap, and cassava. It's really nice. 

-Brother Abraham, a recent covert who we've been working on getting him to come back to church, finally came last week.  It was in big part to 2 members. We'd been trying since I got here to have him come without any success. Last week while going to his place we felt inspired to see if 2 of our ysa Khanyisa and Abongile would be able to share their testimonies of what the sacrament means to them over the phone. They agreed and testified powerfully, so much that Abraham actually came. Which was a sweet tender mercy for us. We were so excited when he walked in the doors. Also, grateful for powerful members who are willing to share what they know. Hearing testimony can truly influence us to have a change of heart. 

-Last Monday we hiked Lions Head in Cape Town. Super cool hike. We had to climb up long metal ladders to get to the top. Super windy, but really pretty. The pollen level here is apparently the highest it's even been recorded, so I've been perishing from my allergies. But the work goes forward allergies or not, lol. 

-Our friends Charlene and Michael are progressing well with the lessons and their understanding. However, they're struggling to get to church. So, pray they can have motivation to do so. Same goes for our friend Emmanuel. 

-We visit sister Mbanza and her family every week. She has a 6 yr. old daughter with special needs who is awesome. She makes me laugh though. We had spaghetti this last week and as we're eating she reaches out and grabs a fist full of spaghetti off my plate, we died laughing. Also, she always comes up and just grabs your cheeks. She's a sweetheart. Always snatching phones, cards, & spaghetti.

-We helped Sister Phumeza move apartments. She lives on the top floor and loadshedding hit so we had to carry all the big stuff down the stairs. Gotta love loadshedding. 

-3 Nephi:15-18 are a few verses I've been thinking about. How the people willfully rebled against God really stuck out to me. Our Father in Heaven sent us to earth knowing we have never dealt with the temptations that comes from the physical body. However, He still commands us to control our mortal bodies and to make them subject to our spirits. This is a place for our spirits to learn how to master the physical temptations. The devil knows that when we sin we separate ourselves from God and the Savior. Therefore, he attacks our greatest weakness and tries to destroy our strengths. But the devil and they who follow him knowingly or unknowingly can't offer true happiness, all they offer are the vain things of the world. The promises and pleasures of the devil are short lived deceptions. True the temptation of the devil is strong, but within our physical bodies we have a powerful spirit. God, because he loves us and wants us to return to him, has given us a conscience that tells us when we are making righteous choices or when we are not. When we follow our spiritual-self, that which is eternal and not the moral-self, we will be able to resist the temptations of the evil one. 

"15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world. 

16 And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity; therefore they had enjoyed peace but a few years.

 17 And thus, in the commencement of the thirtieth year—the people having been delivered up for the space of a long time to be carried about by the temptations of the devil whithersoever he desired to carry them, and to do whatsoever iniquity he desired they should—and thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness. 

18 Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God." 

-Elder Quick