Elder Kaden Smith: November 21, 2016

Man this week has been a crazy and very good one.

We began the week by going to a place in our are called Coffee Bay to see "Hole in the Rock" It's a large piece of land that sticks out of the bay with an arch or hole in the bottom where the waves shoot through. This was probably the most beautiful place I've been in my life. The bay is all rocks and the water crashes hard against and it sprays everywhere, it's amazing. We hiked to the top of the split rock and boy was it a view. I've seen and tasted (from the spray, which was everywhere) the indian ocean now.

It's crazy how close the ocean is (only about a 40 min drive) and the fact that it is in our area... That must explain the 5 continuous days of rain this week haha. The lightning here is also very crazy, the clouds are extremely low during rain and there is lightning everywhere. When I was filming it out our window this week, the lightning shocked my hand and the camera through the bars in front of the window, I think that was a little too close for me. I have video proof when I get back haha.

Wednesday I went to Queenstown and I was on exchanges with the Zone Leader Elder Chaparadza, also from zimbabwe where elder zongoro is from. He is such a loving missionary and I learned so much about leading an area, about the work, and gained so much from the exchange. Queenstown reminds me a lot of St. George, reddish dirt, hot, cactuses and brush with little grass. To be honest I prefer Mthatha haha. But the exchange was great!!!!

Saturday we went to Ugie again but this time instead of going to the town we went to the township and found much more success. We got many contacts and return appointments from people there. The funniest people were Mama Virgina and Cecilia because they were very excited about the fact that we don't pay our "ministers" and how we know why there are so many churches. They are SOOO enthusiastic about Jesus Christ haha. Those ladies...

Many people were asking if we had a place there to meet on Sundays because they want us to preach so we talked with our branch president to see if he could talk to the stake president about finding a place there that we can start a group. It'd be wonderful to get people there that can be baptized eventually and become members of the fold.

We've been involved a lot with the branch council because we're trying to get Mthatha branch to ward status. We have the numbers we just need continual activity and tithing payers. We increased last weeks 100 in attendance to 107, my first sunday in the branch was in the 70's I think so we're making great progress and I hope it sustains. We really need help from the members with the retention because they are very reliant on the missionaries so we're trying to find ways they can help with the missionary work.

We confirmed Msi, the other bikitsha boy so it is good to finally have the family all members. Albert is doing very well and really likes the idea of branch missionary work so we gave him some pamphlets and pass along cards and he's doing a great job getting us referrals and such.

I've gotten a few questions that I'm sure many of you may ask

How am I doing with/learning the language?

I know Kancici (small/a little) It's a hard language but I'm trying, I have the basics, hello's, thank yous, etc. I can pronounce and read decently. I've also been brushing up on my portuguese as some of the members we visit are from Mozambique where they speak it so I've been talking to my friend Josh Hafen (serving in Brazil) about that haha. O livro de mormon (Portuguese) is easier to read than Incwadi Kamormoni (Xhosa) by far.

What is the branch building like/do you baptize in the river?

The church meeting we meet in is an old motel deal that the church renovated to be a branch meetinghouse (if we ever become a ward they'll build a chapel) it's also pink so that's interesting.

We dont baptize in the river, we have a swimming pool in a "baptism room" at the chapel that we fill and drain with a hose pipe. It's really cold though. The old members were baptized at the river, which is quite nasty, so people are lucky now we have a pool.

The work is going well here and it wouldn't be the same without the prayers and support from back home. The saviour's atonement is for all of us in any situation. Learn how to apply every aspect of the atonement in your life and it will change you for sure. The gospel is powerful and I've found much help and blessings from studying the scriptures. I would encourage you all to read EVERY day. I was terrible at it before mission but I can tell you that now that I do read EVERY day, I am a completely different person. The gospel changes lives and is here for our benefit. We just need to act. I like what Elder Hernandez says about our lives here,

"We are not here [on earth] to be acted upon, we are here to take action!"

If we don't ever put any effort in, if we don't do our part, we won't improve, and no one is going to force us because we have our agency. But as we turn to Jesus Christ and take action in our lives the lord will bless us and we will see his hand more in our lives.

Until next week

Elder Smith