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| Elder Renlund First Quorum of the Seventies |
Hello family!
This is the last e-mail I'll be sending to anyone who's not my (step)parents, grandparents, or siblings. For further updates ask tekulve@gmail.com for the address of the blog he will set up.
This week we heard Elder Renlund, President of the Southeast Africa Area and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, talk in a tri-zone conference. About a third of our mission was there and we had lots of great instruction from him, his wife, and President and Sister Wood. If you remember Elder Renlund gave a talk in the Sunday Afternoon Session of the October 2009 titles "Preserving the Heart's Mighty Change." He's a heart surgeon, you see. I asked him about his talk and what it was like giving it. He had about a month and a half to prepare and of course there was no set topic. He talked about the very specific inspiration he got while writing it, and about the hardest part in condensing it to the alotted time limit. He had given speeches in front of large audiences before, but this was particularly different because he had never used a teleprompter before and also because of the lights you can only see the first few rows, and then you're talking to a black void. He also described other aspects of Conference that he swore us to secrecy about. He has a really great sense of humor as well. At one Conference he gave a closing prayer and told us that if the speakers are going over or under the time limit, the intermediate hymn and closing prayer are shortened or lengthened. He walked up to the pulpit and the little screen on it said '30 second prayer'. it was very very nice getting to know him.
Another great thing he pointed out was about the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" which when originally written was titled "Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises" and is one of only 4 hymns in the hymnbook sung mostly from the perspective of the Savior. Something I didn't realize that is amazing is in the last verse:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, I'll never no never
I'll never, no never, no never forsake.
I always thought that meant that I myself will never forsake Jesus. Really it's the other way around. The soul that hath leaned on Him for repose He will not and He cannot desert to my foes. My soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, He will never forsake.
The woman I told you about last week this week has moved to Cape Town, so we don't get to baptize her. But she was doing very well and was growing in faith, so that's good. In the meantime we have a new father-led family going to church yesterday and they both loved it. Yay!
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| #4 Buzz Cut |
Last week after e-mailing I did a few interesting things. First I visited the WORLDS LARGEST PINEAPPLE in tiny Bathurst, South Africa. It's a big pineapple-shaped building. Inside is a pineapple museum. About pineapples. Here's a question: do you know how pineapples grow? If you think you do, you're probably wrong. They've very strange, pineapples. I would include a picture but my camera just ran out of batteries. You can look it up on Wikipedia. At least you can have a picture of me in front of THE BIG PINEAPPLE.
And then I got a #4 buzz cut. I have to say, I really like it. So easy to clean and I never have to comb it! Though I can't help but think I look like my cousin Eric. That's the second picture. Obviously.
Love,
-Elder Tekulve
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| World's Largest Pinapple |
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| Spongbob Squarepants - and Elder Tekulve - was here |
1 Peter 1: 3-10
3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9) Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10) Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
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