Warren 4:24 "And my branch meets in a tent"

Something very interesting about my new area, Motherwell, is they got kicked out of the school they were meeting in about a month and a half ago.  Something like that.  And so right now we meet in a tent in the front yard of the elder's quorum president's house.  Yeah, I know you're all jealous and wish you could meet in a tent.  

And now its story time with Elder Tucker

Story #1:  The branch had a dog.

One of our constant fellow shippers I met on Wednesday when I got to Port Elizabeth.  This guy is crazy, and super funny. When I met him he told me a story for about ten minutes about how Motherwell Branch had a dog, and everyone fed this dog.  The missionaries even bought it dog food.  Then he just said, "Now I am the dog, and Elder you owe me lunch!" So somehow I owe this guy lunch.

Story #2:  We don't find.

Because our branch meets in a tent and its in just la random kind of area.  We were told by the branch president and by our president to not openly find people, but we can teach if they are referrals.  So I was super shocked, but in the short time I have been here I have noticed something.  Member referrals are golden investigators.  All of the referrals that have been given to us actually came to us and asked to be baptized.  It was awesome.  They even read the book of Mormon, everyday after we introduced it.  Fantastic!  But there is one experience I would like to share about this, we were teaching a girl about the Book of Mormon and just answering questions; and she had some awesome questions! Then at the end of the lesson, she said.  What would I need to do to be baptized? We told her and set a date.  When we gave this girl a baptism date, she was so happy she was smiling from ear to ear and it was incredible.  SO GIVE YOUR MISSIONARIES REFERRALS!

That's what I have for you this week.  Cheers from Port Elizabeth

Elder Tucker

Ingugubeki iqana. Indoni? Iquanda.

So dear friends and family, my time in Gugulethu has finally come to an end.  I will be going the Eastern Cape to learn isiXhosa in Mother well area in Port Elizabeth.  I am stoked! Let's see what I can remember.

Story number one: Who is that? OHHH that's Nomsi.

We met a powerful family the other day and have begun teaching them, it's been absolutely wonderful! When we went to share the Plan of Salvation pamphlet with them. The family just kept telling us how awesome they felt when we were in their home. We taught and the spirit testified and also taught them, very powerful! We asked what they thought at the end of the lesson. The family answered "that they wouldn't be scared if anyone died because they would see them again".  Then the family came to church on Sunday and it was just awesome!  They are set for a baptismal date!

Story number two:

One of our recent converts, bless her heart, is one of the most honest ladies I know.  This Sunday we were recuperating from the "soldier" sized meal that mama J. prepared for us, and my companions were speaking in Tongan. She then told them "that she heard somewhere that it was rude to speak in a different language when others can't understand it". I almost couldn't hold in my laughter, because we cannot understand Xhosa, but hey if it's rude it's rude.

To explain the subject lien, this is a song/game that Xhosa children play. It is kind of like a rap and it it's really quite fun. I means "A chicken laid an egg! A what?  An egg". Then you repeat as long as you want to, but you have to make sure they can do the click in it or it sounds bad. 

I am so excited for this transfer. I got transfer news and I will fly to Port Elizabeth on Wednesday. I will be a follow up trainer for Elder W. in Mother Well. I hear it is on fire for baptisms so we are going to put some wood on that fire!

Love to all,

Elder Tucker 

Well we didn't find who we were looking for, but we found YOU!

So whilst looking for less actives to teach one day we went to a house and didn't find the guy.  That did not stop our Branch President from telling this guy he needs to come to our church; Exhorting him with a mighty voice and pointing his finger!  Our branch president is a very interesting man.

Story #1:  "Well If you want to share some thing we can just"...(gestures his hand around the corner)

We were told this when going to teach the man I shared about in the subject explanation.  We were very confused and a little uneasy about it, but we went around the corner of the house into the garage.  Come to find out this man has a church in his garage and that's why were were asked to go there.  We ended up teaching these five evangelists about the Restoration. It was really fun and kind of strange.  But five possible priesthood holders, so no complaints!

Story #2:  You're not a real priest until...you have messed up the sacrament prayer.

I told this to a young man that I just baptized, he recently became a priest.  This week was his first time blessing the sacrament.  We recently had a branch split we were a little short on young men so we the Elders passed the sacrament.  When he was saying the prayer he made a little mistake and then went back and said it again, this time perfectly.  It was awesome, after that he was sitting near me and asked, "Am I a real priest now?"  I  of course said "yes".

That is what happened this week in Gugulethu area.  I hope you all wished your mothers a happy mother's day.  To all the moms that read this, Especially my mother. Happy Mother's Day

Elder Tucker

We attended the most wonderful Homecoming talk Mother's Day by a senior couple who was called to a Member Leadership Service mission in Eastern Cape Town. This couple talked about each of our boys as Stripling warriors and mentioned each of your boys by name!! They said "they were amazed at the spirituality, maturity and excellence of the Elders called to the Cape Town missions". They spoke of adapting to chapels that had been robbed of everything, computers, copier and a keyboard anything worth anything! Of teaching the people run a branch, getting them manuals and teaching them how it all works. Of the poverty of the people, yet they are humble, willing to learn and grateful for everything!  They said they helped many people with learning how to backyard garden so they could have food; then the gardens caused a ripple affect uniting neighborhoods.

The Senior couple said, now it is winter the people have to wear hoodies or coats and beanies in their houses. I thought it was always moderate, I didn't realize it even got cold. Elder Tucker said "he just bought a hoody" when we talked with him. So wonderful to see and speak with him on Mother's day. When our first son went out on a mission we were only able to call! That call to Bulgaria cost $400 so the internet is better all the way around!! Mom 

Weekly planning? We don't need to do weekly planning. We just put the standards of excellence, and WE HIT THEM!!

So its been an awesome week this week.  We have had some powerful lessons and super funny stories. I have come to learn some Tongan because both of my companions are from there! It's really fun.  Oh and we also hit the Standards of Excellence which I was quite excited about. Remember "putting the standards of excellence as our goals, and asking Heavenly Father for specific numbers or people to find".  Now stories:

Story number one: Where's my companion? Over there. No the other companion.

Its been really fun being a tripanionship, it was pretty hard to get the teaching flow down the first few days.
There has been a lot of exchanges this week because people need a companion and I have one to spare.  It was really interesting yesterday because we didn't really tell the ward we were getting another missionary. It was a surprise, and so everyone was coming to meet him and then asking for things. We were pretty much running around like chickens with our heads cut off.  It was fun.

Story number two:  Where is Victoria Mxenge?

So whilst helping the assistants my companion Elder F. was testing the promises of the Lord at the airport.( And as they were doing so, they met a man who has been looking for Elders for quite a while. He is a driver and he met a man.  My companions talked to him, got his details, and set up an appointment.  He said, "he lives in Victoria Mxenge".  Which on the map is near Kylitsha.  So we go there and cannot find his street.  Then we learn there is a Victoria Mxenge near Clairemont, he says "it's near Phillipi".  So we go to Victoria Mxenge Rd. and were told it's not what were looking for.  But the people we asked they knew how to get there.  They all told us "to go through the robots and then your there".  Well you can't go through the robots because they direct you to only turn right or left.  So we go right, talk to some people and finally figure out where to go!  We get there and this guy has been prepared by the Lord!  My goodness he accepted the baptismal invite and so did his family! It was absolutely incredible!

So that's the stories I have for you today. 

Love Elder Tucker

"YOU GET A CALLING, YOU GET A CALLING, YOU GET A CALLING, EVERYBODY GETS A CALLING!!!"

So with the branch split one of the Branches had about forty or so people there when doing Branch business. Just about everyone was standing when they were giving callings.  It was like ten minutes of just so and so is called to, and so and so will have this calling. I was afraid he was going to say my name. Luckily he didn't and I am still just a missionary.

I would also like to say Thank you for the birthday wishes. It was very nice to read them. Now on to the good parts.

Story One:  Elder, do you know what you are eating?

So yesterday it was a farewell for a young man.  So mama Joyce was going all out and wanted to do something different.  So she made ox tongue.  It was really good, except really soft, which was kind of weird, but tasty.  Tastes like beef.

Story Two: Missionary train.

So this week we had zone conference in Belville. Even though I got lost there I still did not know how to get there, so we followed the AP's.  Which was fun and our whole zone followed us so we had about five cars that were all following each other going along the road. Zone conference was awesome and we found out were getting a greenie for three weeks.

So my new companion's name is Elder Latu.  Yes there will be three of us working in Gugs.  He is from Tonga.  "One of these Elders is not like the others".  But it will be fun for the next few weeks.

I will most likely be transferred on the 23rd. In answer to mom's question we speak alot of Xhosa-the clicking language and very little Afrikaans but I can say hello how are you. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week

Elder Jeron Tucker