New Mission Home Address

Q:  Well, how was your week? 

A:  It was cold. it just keeps getting colder. but its good. we had to do a couple days of walking so the other elders could use the car.

Q:  Did you get to teach many discussions?

A:  Nope. loads of bunks tho haha

Q:  Did you have any spiritual experiences this week? 

A:  Hmmmmm. not really. Sunday i guess. we were teaching a girl manana and her bother joined us and he definitly felt the spirit.

Q:  How were transfers?

A:  They are fine. 

Q:  Did you stay the same or did one of you go somewhere else?

A:  Im staying here. im getting a new comp(idk his name). and hes younger on mission than me, so im a senior companion..... eish.

Q:  Still as cold?

A:  Like a freezer haha

Q:  How are the people treating you?

A:  ALOT better as far as members. investigators are still bums but im dropping most of them and getting some fresh ppl.

Q:  Anyone as nice as MaZuane?

A:  NO WAYS. LOVE HER.

Q:  What are your plans for this next week?

A:  Introduce my new comp to the area and then tract/find.  Other than teaching?  Not much. probably have to go shopping for my comp. doubt he has clothes for the weather.

Q:  Do you have any fun plans for your P-day?

A:  Basketball. maybe some football or rugby.

Q:  What kind of food are you eating now?

A:  Same.... 

Q:  Still mainly chicken, rice and fruit?

A:   i think thats just all the africans eat.

Q:  Is this area any safer?

A:  HAHAHA ill be safe regardless haha. so its all good.

The Mission Home has a new address so please send any mail (which Scooter LOVES) to:

PO Box 1741

Wandsbeck

Durban

South Africa

3631

Mission Experiences

Soooooo this week i have my thoughts together slightly. Crazy i know.

Weekly update:

-this week was Lame.

-We have 2 Baptisms lined up for next sunday. ill send pics.

-OOOHHHHH there was an end of the world prediction for May 21 and that was fun. ppl were freakin out and were walking around talking about how dumb the prediction was. haha one of our investigators dug a hole big enough for his whole family. i asked if he was planning to use it as a grave or a bbq pit. hahah he didnt think that was funny ha. and yea.

Sooo i also thought maybe id give you some crazy things that have happened to me since on mission sooo yea, like maybe you'll get what this mission is about.

Last area

-I've had drunk guys throw beer bottles at me and my companion. Gift of tounges i chewed one of them out in zulu and that whole street loved me after that.

-I've prayed for the rain to stop so i could ride to my next appointment and right after I said amen it stopped till we got to ma zwanes then it started again.

-I've had a car roll while im in it and walked out virtually unharmed.

-I walked thru streets at night that the next day we find out some chick or guy had been mugged or killed. haha

-I had a fully automatic weapon pulled on me and held at my nose.(funny story, I started laughing and told the guy he needs to smile more and kept walking. my comp almost wet his pants haha I'll tell you the rest when I'm home)

- I've had lighting strike within feet of me and my comp.

-I've also taught powerfull lessons that ppl can feel the spirit.

-One lady asked me if I was a prophet hahahaha NO WAYS MAN.

-Guys have said that me and my comp walk with angels.

-Its been amazing.

LOve

elder shipp

Pictures

Elder Shipp has not been very good about sending pictures so I took these from his current companion Elder Magoffin.  Looks like the two So. Cali Elders are having a good time together!

It is REAALLLY cold!!

My  area is reaaallllyyyyy cold, but no snow yet. It is freakin cold!!!  The area is flat, dry and cold…more like tundra.  The people speak Sutu Or Xhosa. I speak neither.... haahahaha and the language and area is soooo hard to learn because it all looks the same and the roads are windy. Foods the same.  I do most of the cooking. My specialty is BBQ and my companions is steamed bread!  The church buildings look similar to the ones in the State’s but smaller.  I’m getting to know the members. They like Cali boys.  The YSA ladies are great for referrals.  Weird enough,.   Annnnd yea I’m really tired of RSA and there stupid holidays. There like always on a Monday and I haven’t gotten a good email day in like 3 weeks because of it.  I’m like out of groceries too because of it. eish.

I had an experience this past week where I was teaching a lady, whom I thought was a member, a lesson, but it turns out she was not and know she wants to be baptized!  Weird, but great experience. 


Love
Elder Scoot./ Elder Shipp

Feed us please!

We have had weather in the 90's the last couple of days.  It is suppose to go down to the upper 60's this week.  It will get cold eventually, very cold, might snow.

My companion is Elder Magoffin from San Diego.  We are the only two Elder's in Rocklands. Our apartment is like a small house.  It is very nice with 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, kitchen and dining/sitting room.  We have a car (White Chevrolet Aveo). 

This area is more Westernized and there are enough members to have a church building.  The people speak Basutu so I am learning another new language!  The members do not have us over for dinner much...no invite for Easter dinner yet. 

Elder Shipp

On a side note...Elder Shipp was asked this question by someone in an email...here is the dialogue:

Q- Do they celebrate Easter over there?  
A- I don't know...is Jesus' resurrection just an American thing??? Hahaha  yes of course!

Love that he still has his fun/sarcastic personality!!

College town and So. Cal Companion

How is your new area? 

Pretty flippin sweet. It's a college town so tons of young people. Easy to get along with.

Who is your new companion and what is his name?

Elder Magoffin 

Where is he from?

San Diego, Cali :)

Does the area look the same or is it greener or browner?

 Ummmm browner and theres actually like sky scrapers. Kinda like LA.

Have you met very members yet?

Ummmmm a few. There's like 143 that come to church so idk if i'll know them all.

Do they feed you?

No not much...

Have you found any one to teach?

Yea. hahaha theres investigators from before hahaha

How far away from Ladysmith is it?

Ummm well I took a 7 hour bus ride to here... idk the distance tho.

How do you get from one place to another?

A car, and some gas.

Do you have the same kind of food in your new area?

Yea very similar. A little more westernized here tho.

Is the weather the same as it was in Ladysmith?

No wayyyyy colder hahahaha

Do you need anything? 

-hahahahahahaha my 6 month/ easter package :)

-Pics of fam friends and such                                    -

-Anything you feel like sending. ha love you guys!

Transfers!!! Rockland, Bloemfontein, RSA

Sooooooooo lets start with the good news. haha Last Sunday we baptised 2 people. Was supposed to be 3 but unfortunaly baba is a jdub and doesnt like the bible..... idk haha and that was the one that I was going to be performing. but I was a witness for the other 2. It was a good day.

Now the bad news. I'm leaving the cozy home I've know and loved to go to Rocklands. Thats right my first transfer. I'm going to be serving in rockland. new Zone new companion. new people even. I've been with zulu's my entire mission and now im going to a sutho. New language and new customs hahaha fuuuunnnn....

So this transfer has been fun. Loads of work but loads of good times and joking around. We doubled the states from my transfer before and we expanded the area about 50% and also got the branch large enough for a chapel which is coming soon. Sooo I'm really bummed that im leaving but life goes on.

Thanks for all the support and mail. I'm really trying to get back to everyone. Just haven't had any free time. Hopefully next area. :)


Elder Shipp

Here are some recent pictures:

My comp and Nozibosiso before he baptised her:

Molio and his future wife before he baptised her:

Me eating Amasi. Wiki it if you want to know my expressions meaning or what it is.

Elder Kekana and I holding a kudu head.... or whats left hahaha:

Elder Mokena and I at the quagma senior primary school covering books. haha I was tired: