"The Smith Home"

Journal June 27, Zane a young man getting ready to go on mission asked Elder Van Sickle to go with him home teaching.( So seeing how I am Elder Van Sickle's missionary companion that includes me ).

Zane has been asked to home teach 58 families. ( So 3 or 4 at home doesn't seem like that much ) 

     We entered the Smith home today. There was two sick people in the house. One lady there was sick with HIV Positive. She had spots on her face, body

and sores. You could feel the discouragement and poverty in the home. The house was in disarray.There was some clothes on the

couch. one of the children and I started folding them. I started to sing I am a child of God and he has sent me here. Emotion filled my heart because of there awful situation

and knowing that I am a child of god and he did send me to this very house. I couldn't continue singing. My mind is fuzzy what happened after that. I could hear

Zane in the back ground talking in Xhosa. When I was finally able to focus. We were here to give them a message and to give them help. Even when we have made

wrong choices in our lives. God will still send people to help us. He loves his children. When we first came on mission. We went to this house. Later on Elder Van Sickle

came and gave a blessing with the elders. There situation has gotten worst. The lord wants them to come back to his fold. They are his lost sheep.

 

 

June 2013

We have been traveling with the Henderson's We have been bringing the 12 step addiction recovery program to all the Stakes in the Capetown Mission. The Hendersons

flew in from Capetown to Port Elizabeth. We then had a stake meeting with all the bishops, Relief Society Presidents and the Stake Presidency in the Port

Elizabeth Stake. The next Day we travelled to East London and had a Meeting there and then on to  Queenstown. Then back to Port Elizabeth. We

know that Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. He was told none of the churches were true. We know that Joseph Smith did restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. We know

that the book of Mormon is true and if we abide by it's principals and teachings we will be a lot happy people. We love you. Mom and Dad Grandpa and Grandma and

Elder and Sister Van Sickle  

Picture 048. Notice the big flowers behind us. It's a poinsettia  tree. It is beautiful. It is in bloom because its winter here.

Picture 169 This is a funeral procession. All the people walk because they don't have cars except for the car transporting the casket. Mtobelli's brother that passed away

was of a different church. So this funeral was done by another church.

Continued Funeral Procession

Picture 170 The white building is the church they held the funeral in. While we were sitting there on wooden benches. Your dad and I kept looking up at the ceiling and

hoped it wouldn't fall in on us before the funeral was over. We had a hard time setting there and listening knowing what they were teaching was false doctrine. What an

experience. 

Elder Haycock and his companion Elder Alexander and Elder Ramosoeu and Khumalo in Queenstown With Sister Van Sickle (5/13)

Elder Van Sickle is taking the picture. Elder Haycock is Chad's sister's husband's brother. We were able to meet him and his companion and have lunch with them.

Kingwilliamstown LDS Church - Favorite of the mission

South Africa Women Carry Things on Their Heads As A Way of Life (5/13)

A foundation Built of Christ (5/3/13)

Tonight was a cereal night because we got home at 10:00 P.M. We had such a full day. So I am so thank-full to Heavenly

Father for all our experiences this day.After we dropped off Wendiswa and

Chamoni. We went back to the church so Elder Van Sickle could give a young girl

 a blessing. She has been a member for two years.

     My heart is so full tonight for our lord and Savior of the world for his  atonement and repentance. Xolewa had been beaten

up by her boyfriend. She seems to choose the wrong friends to hang out with. She had a big bandage wrapped around her

head. He had put a big cut in her forehead. Elder Van Sickle said to her that she was blessed that she was alive and he did

not kill her. She and her boyfriend had both been drinking. We spoke to her about consequences for our actions. If we make

good choices in our life we get good consequences but, if we make bad choices we get bad consequences. We get to

choose what we will do. We talked to her about building our foundation on a rock. The rock is Jesus Christ and the ten

commandments but if you build your foundation on sand which is bad friends and not following the commandments.

Then you will have a sandy foundation. So when the rains come the floods and the wind which is the devils temptations.

The sandy foundation will cave in. You won't be able to resist the devil. Your sandy foundation will not stand. She was very

repentant and she knew she had done wrong. Elder Van Sickle gave her a blessing to give her strength and

power to be strong in the gospel.

     We then asked her how she was doing in school. She was taken Math Literacy. She is in the 11th grade. She said she was

having a hard time in it. Elder Van Sickle asked if she knew how to subtract and add. We were shocked when she said. Not

very well. She was having a hard time in it. I felt inspired to try a few simple math problems on her. She did not know how

to borrow or add. We practiced with her and showed her how to add and subtract. We told her to go home and practice it. I

don't know why we were so shocked because the schools in the townships in South Africa are such a mess. We love you Dad and Mom and Grandpa and Grandma and Elder and Sister Van Sickle

Critters in South Africa (5/3/13)

Hi Everybody, Missionary life is exciting you never know what's going to happen. I woke up this morning and went into the

lounge to do my scripture reading. I heard this loud crunching noise under the couch. I moved the couch to see what it was.

There was a fat cockroach. About the time I got rid of it. I heard Elder Van Sickle Holler

hey, come look at this. So I ran into the bathroom just in time to see a lizard running up the wall. One morning we woke up and

there was a huge spider on the ceiling. We just live with the critters. I'm okay with it as long as they don't jump in bed with me.