A Trackhoe Miracle

Elder Van Sickle and I have been stationed in East London the last

few days. We drive into the township of Mdantsane and work there

everyday helping people get employed. The Bishop of Mdantsane

3rd ward asked Elder Van Sickle about moving a huge rock in the

middle of soccer field on the church grounds. Because of the rock

they weren't able to use the field for church activites. So the Bishop and Elder Van Sickle planned a service project with the young men to meet on Saturday and they planned to jackhammer

the rock to break it up and move the pieces.

     Saturday arrived and the bishop and Elder Van Sickle was really excited for this project to begin. The sad thing was none of

the young men showed up for the project. There was Bishop, Elder

Van sickle and six young missionaries. They all took turns using the Jack Hammer. The rock was huge and very stubborn. It would not break up. After about 3 hours of Jack Hammering and not getting anywhere the bishop and the missionaries were ready to

give up besides it had started raining. Elder Van Sickle told me

about then he wished he had a trackhoe with a breaker on it ( Like

the ones back home in our business) He happened to look out

toward the street and saw a big rig with a trailer hauling a trackhoe

with a breaker on it. It turned into the road to the church by the new

hospital that was being built. Elder Van Sickle ran over to talk to the

guy and asked him if he could get him to come by maybe next week. He said he was a week behind schedule and he would see

when he could fit them in. Elder Van Sickle came back to the field

thinking that they wouldn't be able to finish the project today. When

it wasn't 5 minutes later. He heard a trackhoe and looked up. The

guy was driving the trackhoe into the church parking lot. Then down to the field. He pulled the rock out and rolled it with the breaker off the field not only that he came back with a backhoe and filled up the hole. Elder Van Sickle and I thought this to be a

big miracle of the lord. One of his tender mercies. You do all you

can ( your part ) and the lord will see you through. We thank the

lord for all his help each day of our mission. We love you Mom and

dad and Grandpa and Grandma, Elder and Sister Van Sickle

August 2012

Today was a very eventful day. We got up this morning and it was just freezing in the flat. We

couldn't turn on our little heater  because we were out of propane. It was blowing today and the cold goes right through your body and chills your bones. We have discovered here that

when you are out in the cold and you go in a building or some ones house thinking you can warm up. There is no relief because the houses and all the buildings have no heat. So we

have learned if you want to get warm you hope in your car and turn up the heat full blast.

Thank goodness for car heaters.

     We got a call from Vuyo to day who is a cop and told us about his non member friend

who works in the crisis center. She is in a bad way. Her power is shut off. She has no food.

She needs help could we help her. So we agreed to meet Vuyo and his friend at the crisis center. Sandra works at the crisis center. She has worked there for 12 years. She only gets money if she gives them  information on a case. She is an informat. She hasn't been

getting any money lately. She needs another job. We got there and talked about all the options she had and of her skills and what she needed to do. Elder Van Sickle asked her what religion she was. She said she was apostaholic. We started talking about prayer and our

believe in god. Then Elder Van Sickle tells her about the geat apostascy and all about the

Book of Mormon. She said she would love to read it. Elder Van Sickle gave her a pass along card and told her if she would call this number. The missionaries would bring her a video of Christ. She looked so happy and told us the story of how her son last Saturday wanted to watch a video on Christ and she didn't have one. She told him God will provide. Then she

prayed for one. She said 3 days later and here is the opportunity to get the video. We

left feeling really happy we were able to give the Book of Mormon to someone and bare our

testimony. It always happens when we least expect it.

    We went to the orphanage and had family home evening. Here are three kids from the

orphanage

7/2012

We have been staying in a guest flat in Gonubie by East London. We rent it for 110R a night. Which is about 13.00

 in American money. Sunday morning we drove to a ward in Sada. Which is about 21/2 hours from East London.

The ward is held in a small red brick building. When we got there it was so cold. The front doors had 21/2 inch gap at

the bottom of the door to the floor where you could see the outside. The men's restroom was outside. The electricity had gone off the night before so the

church was so cold and dark.There was 25 faithful members there that had walked along ways in the cold. The ladies  carry there small children and babies on there back the whole way. Because it was so cold most of the members stayed home. The members spoke in xhosa the large part of sacrament meeting. So we couldn't understand it. . It was just above freezing. Our feet and hands were so cold. In sunday school it was all in xhosa too. So

Elder Van Sickle and I decided that when he went to priesthood and I went to Relief Society we were going to both tell them to please speak in english. It worked. Relief Society was all in english. Finally the electricity came back on and

we all stood by the heaters to warm our hands and feet. We went to ward council after church. Sada has alot of unemployment. It was my turn to teach the ward council how to get there members employed and self reliant. when we

discovered there were people in the ward council unemployed so we spent two hours teaching these two how to get

employment. They had been unemployed for six years. The amazing thing was they didn't know the basic skills of getting

a job. They had plenty of skills. They just plain didn't what or how to go about getting a job. One was an accountant and

the other was a code 14 truck driver. There is jobs here for both those skills. The Lord loves these people he wants

them to be employed and successful. Love Elder and Sister Van Sickle