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.

27 August 2012 - Plugs, Texas Spur, 125 Members

Where did August go?

Plugs in South Africa

This week is pretty busy in terms of teaching and visiting and uplifting. I am aware that most of what I talk about is places I go or things I do and not much about missionary work itself.

Rest assured it does happen, but most of the details are an issue of privacy.

So because I didn't do anything "interesting" this week, I am going to tell you about plugs.
When I first got here in South Africa I was awfully confused. They have 2 different kinds of plugs here. 2-prong and 3-prong. See the picture. Almost all of the wall outlets are 3 prong and you need an adapter like the one in my hand to plug in a smaller appliance with 2. So you see it can get complicated. In addition on every wall outlet is a switch that can turn on or off that outlet. To the left of my hand is a switch that actually turns on or off the (electric) water heater. It took us a while to figure out that was what it did. Electricity! (I know nothing about electricity.)

Spur's restaurants are North American themed.
I found Texas Spur

Yesterday there were more people at Sacrament Meeting than ever before. About 125. Thanks in the more part to people inviting their friends and us visiting and encouraging less-active members.

I did also get grandma and grandpa's package. There was so much stuff in there, thanks!
Well, next week is another week.
-Elder Tekulve
 

20 August 2012 - Helping Hands Day, Marks, You never know who is watching

What?

Where did August go?! Every month seems to go by faster.
As for this week, Elder Mamaia went home to Samoa on Wednesday so now it's just me and Elder Musimwa in Fish Hoek. Work goes on as normal.
Another problem with disasters in Masiphumelele this morning. There was a flood in one of the members homes, as well as many of her neighbors. We went there but couldn't do anything about it but call the Deptartment of Roads and Stormwater.

John asked if I planned to attend BYU when I got home. Yes, that is the plan but who knows what may pan out.

On Saturday was the annual All Africa Helping Hands day. The whole branch worked at a creche (daycare) in Oceanview, getting it fixed up. We planted a garden, made a small patio, replaced windows, put in security bars, fixed electrical problems, and donated food. Several years ago this area of Oceanview had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the world; there are a lot of children that need extra support and care.

Everybody at Helping Hands Day

When I first got here in Fish Hoek there was an investigator named Marks. He did not seem interested in keeping appointments or commitments so we stopped visiting him. But last week a member named Rose showed us a letter from Marks. He says how impressed he is with how happy their family is and how much they really live what they believe. He said that he wanted to start hearing about the gospel again and this time he will take it more seriously. We saw him on Friday and he is excited to change his life.

So remember to let your light shine. Don't be ashamed of what you believe. You never know who is watching and whose life you may change.

The garden at the creche.
This is where I worked most of the time on Helping Hands Day

-Elder Brennan Tekulve




This penguin was naughty. He tried to bite my leg as I walked past.

14 August 2012 - Masiphumelele Fire, Benny & Bob's Baptism, Boulders Beach

Hello family and everybody.

Carlos Spencer, Former New
Zealand Rugby player for
the All Blacks Team

I completely forgot to e-mail yesterday. Sorry. I have a lot of pictures but unfortunately I can't send them this week due to technical difficulties. :(

I forgot to tell you last week we met former New Zealand "All Blacks" (a rugby team) player Carlos Spencer. That was cool. Also in the vein of famous people: in Fish Hoek branch is Sister Mavis Hutchinson. She was (at 53!) the first woman to run across America and has run several times across South Africa and Great Britain. She currently holds the world record for Women over 80 (she is 87) for the 100, 200, 400, and 800 meter runs. That's pretty neat.



Mavis Hutchison, fondly known as South
Africa’s Galloping Granny and resident
of Fish Hoek is, at 87, still competing in
major athletics events.

On Tuesday there was a fire in Masiphumelele. 10 shacks burned down and one of the Branch members lived close by. We went in and helped her move furniture out but luckily her shack was not damaged.



Masiphumelele Township after a fire, August 2012 

On Sunday 2 new members were baptized from Masiphumelele. Benny and Bob.

On Monday (yesterday) we went to Boulders Beach in Simons Town and saw some wild African Penguins. That was cool as well.
Well, that's about it for today as I'm running out of time. Talk to you next week!
-Elder Tekulve

06 August 2012 - Masiphumelele Township

Hello family.

The Future Elder Brennan A. Tekulve

Oh yes, it's transfer week again. Did I include the news in my last e-mail? I'm not sure. Anyway, I am staying in Fish Hoek. Now instead of 2 areas and 4 Elders there is one area and 3 Elders. That means I'm a lot more busy now working in town and the township. On the 15th Elder Mamaia from Samoa will be going home then for the next 4 weeks it's just Elder Musimwa from Zimbabwe and me. Then it's transfer day again! Yay!

This week has mostly been me trying to get the layout of the township Masiphumelele. I haven't worked in a township area for 12 weeks and I'm starting to get back in the hang of Xhosa. Wish me luck. I'm not sure really what's lined up for this coming week but we may have a couple of baptisms next Sunday if all goes according to plan.

I can bear my testimony that mission has been the most rewarding way to spend my time that I've ever experienced. I have received countless blessings. Not only me but those around me and my family as well. I really know that this work and this Church is true!

Love,
-Elder Tekulve