24 September 2012 - Fish Hoek & Meadowridge Attendance High, BYU

Well I just spent the whole allotted e-mail time planning my end of mission trip so I'll keep this e-mail short.

The picture is a picture of the Lord's district here in Fish Hoek and "over the mountain" in Meadowridge. From left to right is Elders Tekulve, Dladla, Krieger, and Jokoniya. That was at the first District Meeting I've given. It went quite well considering.

Church attendance in Fish Hoek continues to be record breaking with many people moving into the branch in the next month and also with many people bringing their friends to church. We almost have too many investigators to visit all of them, so the work is going great.

From only very brief and cursory glances at the BYU curriculum and know I want to apply there and also BYU-Idaho. I will also apply to BYU-hawaii but just as a backup. Elder Facer from the MTC said that BYU-Hawaii was the Celestial Kingdom. But he's an avid surfer. If I get into BYU Provo then I will start with a minor in Information Technology while I determine what I want to go on to do as a more advanced degree.

You're in my prayers every night,

-Elder Tekulve

17 September 2012 - District Leader & A New Companion: Elder Krieger

Dear Family,

Elder Tekulve and Elder Krieger

My new companion is Elder Krieger from Draper, Utah. Yes, his name is German but he's not German for 3 or 4 generations. Elder Krieger is very similar to me. To illustrate, he's the first person I've ever met in person that has heard of Dwarf Fortress. He is the youngest of 3 girls and 2 boys, and gets mail from his nieces and nephews. I had forgotten what it was like to be young and green until I met him. Certainly the next 12 weeks will be exciting and different. Did I mention I'm also the District Leader now? There are 4 Elders in this District; the other 2 are in Meadowridge.

A picture of the Testimony meeting at the Young Mens Camp

The area has really started to catch on fire. People are bringing their friends to church left and right. Yesterday almost 10% of the people at church were investigators. I don't think I've been this busy... ever. I may have had a similar amount of appointments in Port Alfred, but at that time I wasn't the senior companion.




Here is what happened on Saturday:

6:30 am - arise and prepare
7:00 am - Be at a Stake Young Mens Camp for Testimony meeting and missionary preparation workshops with President Wood and the Assistants to the President. This goes on until 12:00.
12:00 noon - lunch
12:30 pm - prepare a progress record
1:00 pm - Correlation Meeting with Branch Mission Leader
1:45 pm - Meeting with the Zone Leaders
2:45 pm - Personal Study
3:45 pm - Companion Study
5:00 pm - Appointment with David
5:40 pm - End appointment, drive to Simon's Town
6:00 pm - Appointment with Ronald, drive back to Fish Hoek
7:00 pm - Appointment with Olwethu
8:15 pm - The other hour of companion study
9:15 pm - Plan for the next day
9:45 pm - get reports from Meadowridge Elders over the phone
10:00 pm - Give reports to Zone Leaders
10:30 pm - go to bed

This next week is completely booked until Thursday. Whew.

Love,

-Elder Tekulve

Elder Krieger (Front row, middle) and his transfer at Signal Hill.
20 Elders entered this mission this week!

 

10 September 2012 - New Missionary Coming, Cape Point

Hello family,

Elder Brennan Tekulve standing next
to a sign and the old lighthouse on Cape Point

This past week seemed really short because of the conference I mentioned last Tuesday. But I have transfer news! I don't know all of the details yet but I do know that Elder Musimwa will be leaving Fish Hoek and I will be training a new missionary! This is very exciting and I think the next 3 months are going to be another turning point in my mission. I don't even know who I am training yet but I will find out on Wednesday I think. I'm glad the Lord trusts me enough to give me a new missionary. Believe me when I say that a missionary's first companion really shapes his attitudes and habits for his whole mission. I will always be grateful to Elder Barker for his example to me.


The rocks of Cape Point.
The top of the new lighthouse
can be seen

Last Tuesday I did in fact go to Cape Point. The views were very nice. Did you know that this is the alleged place where the Flying Dutchman sails? One of the stories tell that the captain, trying to pass the Cape in a storm, swore to the devil that he would pass if it took him until the end of time. Well, he's still trying. That's why this is also sometimes called the Cape of Storms. We were lucky that the weather was sunny and clear, but there was still an intense wind blowing constantly. There are 2 lighthouses here. The old one was too high and was sometimes shrouded in mist so they built another one lower on the Point. The whole area is a national park and wildlife reserve. We saw a couple of baboons sitting on the road on our way there.

To the West of Cape Point is the Cape of
Good Hope and the Atlantic Ocean

Know that you are all in my prayers that you may be guided by the Spirit in all of your decisions and be able to endure to the end.

Love,

Elder Tekulve



I was reading an old Church magazine
and I found an article written by
someone in my Stake!

The Flying Dutchman Ghost Ship
at Cape Point






Cape Point sign



04 September 2012 - Book of Blessings, Peer's Cave

E.T.  There were sand dunes near Peer's Cave

Hello everybody.

This week I am e-mailing on Tuesday, because yesterday was Zone Conference. President and Sister Wood spoke on subjects such as tithing, conversion, and teaching commandments. Also present was Elder Carl B. Cook of the Southeast Africa Area Presidency and his wife. They spoke on the "Book of Blessings" or missionary handbook of instructions and establishing the Church. Establishing the Church is especially important in Africa, where the Church is relatively young. The Fish Hoek Branch has a goal to expand into a Ward and the Cape Town Stake has a goal to split into 2 Stakes. (D&C 82:14) The whole conference was truly inspiring and the Spirit was present. Do you remember Elder Felshaw, my 2nd companion? He is currently my Zone Leader but is finishing his mission next week.



Elder Carl B. Cook

Peers Cave, Elder Tekulve in the center

Last Monday (the 27th of August) after e-mailing, Elder Musimwa and I went on a small hike to Peer's Cave. The "cave" itself was more like an overhanging rock but the view was nice. We could see the whole valley. Looking right we could see the Atlantic Ocean and looking left we could see the Indian Ocean.
On Saturday I went on exchanges to Meadowridge with Elder Jokoniya for a day. I met many powerful recent converts and found people that I believe are really ready to hear the message of the restored gospel.
Today in the afternoon I will finally get around to going to Cape Point. I have lived practically on it for 3 months but never been there yet. They say it's the southernmost point of Africa but really it's the southwesternmost point. I will take pictures that you'll see next week. This is the last week of this transfer so you will also hear transfer news.

Love,
Elder Tekulve

Doctrine and Covenants 82:14

14. For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.



Sun Valley from the cave. The chapel has a red arrow above it.
Beyond it you see a swamp, a lake, then the Atlantic Ocean.