Thanksgiving in South Africa

Hi Everyone, I am sending you a picture of all the senior missionaries we spent Thanksgiving with. Last year we weren't able

to celebrate Thanksgiving because we were in Johannesburg for training. So we really enjoyed having turkey this year. Turkey is

hard to find here. They are really little so 5 turkeys had to be cooked to have enough for everyone. The mission President and his

wife are on the left second to the end. we love you all. Love Elder and Sister Van Sickle

Inspiring Mission Re-cap 11/12

When we first got here Elder Van Sickle said," I have never been to the grocery store so many times in my life. This is a food mission." We were always going to the grocery

store it seemed to get food for the young elders to fix them dinner or fix dinner for someone else or for the lunch or dinner for zone conferences. The senior missionaries have a joke that no matter what you

feed young Elders they will eat it and no matter how much we cook it will be all gone by the time it is over. They are so appreciated of the food we cook for them. It is very rewarding. Then as time went on we decided that this was a travelling mission

because we traveled so much. But then the first of June was the last time we traveled  Because we felt like we were sprinkling a little water on a big fire and getting no where

as far as employment is concerned. So we decided to centralize our efforts in the township of Kwanobuhle where there are two wards and so many unemployed people. So now we call it a school mission. We have signed up all the people in the ward that have either failed High School or got low marks on there senior year. This is a huge roadblock

that stops them from getting jobs. We have loaded up people in our little missionary car for days on end and taken them to the education department to sign them up to retake their matric. The

Matric is a test they take at the end of there senior year. If they fail the test. They don't pass High School. If they get low marks when they go for a job the

employer always asks for there senior certificate to see how well they did in High School and if they passed there Matric. So a lot of people go year after year with no job

because of the results of this test. So then we started the process of finding a High School that would let us use there teachers and the school rooms after school to teach

the members so they could retake there metric next June. The first High School we went to was in chaos. Oh the principal agreed to work with us in exchange for using

there rooms and teachers we would refinish and fix all there broken desks.There desks were in terrible shape. Each day we came there to work on the school every thing

would change and we knew it wasn't going to work. So we went to what was considered the best High School in Kwanobuhle. We met with the principal and we talked

about how we would fix there desks in exchange for teachers and a class room and they were to register the students. A few days later when we met with the principal everything

changed he wanted us to register the students and who was going to pay the teachers they weren't going to do this for free.So we decided that wasn't going to work either. The lord had something totally different in mind he  wanted it at his church

  and the lord led us to some great teachers that are so excited to give of there time to teach the members. We just got the class rolls made up. There are nine classes

and six teachers. Three of the teachers are members and three  others are of other religions.

We are headed to Cape Town on Tuesday to get the books and supplies for the classes. Once again the lord has showed us the way and what he needs done to help the

members in Kwanobuhle get jobs. The lord answers prayers. We love you Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Sister and Elder Van Sickle

Nov. - 6 new mission calls, the work is spreading!

Hi Everybody, The Lord definetely wants missionaries. He has lead and guided us to all these young missionaries to help then earn money and skills. Now, last Sunday

was an exciting moment because the Stake President brought 6 mission calls to the church for six of the kids we have been working with. After church we

were able to have the opportunity to sit in on them reading their mission calls. The interesting thing is only one of these kids have parents that are members. The

bishop his wife, The stake president and his counselor, The parents of Penny and Elder Van Sickle and I were in the room. It was such wonderful time and so

great to be a part of it all. After it was over Elder Van Sickle wrote the mission President about the experience. The Mission President in turn wrote to Elder Cook

in the Area Presidency and He turned the story and picture over to the Liahona. So the story and picture is going to be in the Liahona. I don't know what issue it will be

in. The kids were so excited they were going to be in the Liahona. It is a great honor for them. I don't know if it will even be in the Ensign. The Liahona is used for the

overseas missions. We know that the savior lives and Heavenly Father lives. The gospel changes people's lives for the better. It's so great to watch that happen. We love

all of you. Elder and Sister Van Sickle