"Elder its cold." "Elder it is not that cold." "YOU CAN SEE YOUR BREATH!" "True"-Companionship

"Elder it's cold." "Elder it is not that cold." YOU CAN SEE YOUR BREATHE!" " True" Companionship

July 30,2018 

Hello everyone

Winter finally hit this week.  It was quite nice. My companion finds it cold though (he's from Arizona). This was the conversation we had while standing outside the church scouting for investigators.  He will get used to it though, then summer will hit. HAHAHAHA!  Anywho onto stories

Storie Number 1:  MAN I JUST SHINED THESE!

This week I have shined my shoes I think four times. This is because something always happens that gets them dirty again.  The first time all of our appointments had to be dropped due to rioting. Rioting includes burning tries and putting rocks in the road. 

 We went to a members home and helped shovel some dirt so they can build and extension to their house.  Mom asked if the members do better financially in our church. Yes, yes they do. Our members work together help each other with service. Missionaries help as well. Also they have a church clan which helps them to network for jobs.The members also participate in the self reliance classes that our church does. 

 The other times I ruin my shoes is when it gets dark, its hard to see areas with mud, or its just muddy.  I have been quite tired of shining my shoes.  Gotta look my best though. I represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Story Number 2: IT'S TRUE OR NOT!

This week I have been studying in Preach My Gospel a lot.  Specifically in chapter three.  As I was studying there was a sentence that stuck out to me.  The Message of the Restoration is either true or its not.  And I thought, "Wow, that is so simple."

A lot of times I have heard on my mission that people believe that God and Jesus Christ could appear to Joseph Smith, but the church is not the only true church. Just silly things like that, and it goes to show that there is no partial truth in this message. It's either all true or all false.

 I would like to share my testimony that the Message of the Restoration is true, God and Jesus Christ showed themselves to Joseph Smith, and that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God, as well that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's true church established on the face of this  earth.  I say these things in the name of  Jesus Christ, Amen

Love you all.  Have a great week.

Elder Tucker

Transfers.

Transfers

July 24,2018

This week was transfers, I am staying in my area and I am training a new Elder!  He is from Arizona and talks really fast.  I am training Elder PlXXX.  He has a desire to learn IsiXhosa though so that has been really fun!  I am working on my Afrikaans, to be more multilingual.  That has been very fun.  Afrikaans is a lot different though. 

My companion is a farmer, also is a cross country runner, so we have a lot to talk about. He is super fun to be with and it will be awesome to train him.  I have realized though, I either talk really slow and sound like a hippy, or he just talks fast.  Since I have been told hippies smell bad, I like to think he talks fast.  Anywho Lets move on to stories.

Story Number 1:Timkhulu

This was the clan name given to my companion after an act of good doings.  This act was going to a house to take a fellow shippper.  The mama of the house said, "Hey your timing is right, we need your help."  We helped.  What they needed was to move about twenty bags of cement into their home.  The cement bags were about 110 lbs.  My comp was just like "okay no problem"

, grabbed a bag like a sack of potatoes, threw it on his shoulder and was in and out in less than a minute.  I did not want to test that. I had one of the other scronny guys help me carry them. Figured out he can do that because he used to do it with 150 lb hay bails everyday.  Really was not expecting that at all. Don't judge strength by looks!

Story Number 2: Elder is this the street? Maybe, not sure, its more of a path than a street though. 

This week we have gotten quite a few referrals!  Some of the street names are really hard to find though because they are super small streets in this maze of houses.  We were trying to find this house address.  Could not find the street, or even a path for that matter. There was a point though that we were trying to get back to the car using a short cut.  It was not a short cut, but a dead end.  My comp said to me before we went, if there is no path it means we were sent to this door to find someone.  So we found someone! Unfortunately he is not in our area, just watching over the house.  However he was in some other elders area and they can visit him.  It was not at all a waste of time or energy.  But we were lost in the maze for a few minutes.  Truly it was a blast,  white people speaking IsiXhosa is always a shocker for kids.

Well that is all I have for this week.  Love you all.

Elder Tucker

View of our area

PE?! AGAIN?!-Me

PE?! AGAIN?! Me

This week I made four trips to Port Elizabeth, which is about forty five minutes away.  I was really sick of driving there.  Really just tired of driving.  The cars are going next week anyways though, so I guess there will be a break for the next few months.  From those experiences though I learned some things which I will share with you in stories.  Without further adieu, stories.

Story number 1: BEFORE YOU MOVE, CHECK THE WEATHER - Me

On one of our excursions to PE we were helping a family move.  It was down pouring.  We got to the old house and we were moving things then putting stuff on the trailer.  Most of it was soaking, like beds and random boxes filled with random boxes.  That actually was not too bad, but then we found out where we were moving it too.  A farm area! IT WAS MUDDY!! Wet and muddy. These guys were prepared at their new house though because one of their walls opened up.  THE WHOLE WALL!  IT made things so much easier to do.  It was really nice but they had no beds that night.  Moral of the story when you move check the weather.

Story Number 2: "Are you finding people to teach?" "Yes, yes I am."

I did. This was a conversation that me and my companion had yesterday.  My companions mind at that time was mostly on figuring out the news and highlights of the FIFA World Cup final.  I had not had a teaching appointment that day and really wanted one!  I felt inspired to go to see this family that we contacted.  We went, and it was powerful.  We taught this family The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was absolutely incredible to see how prepared they were for that lesson.  They had questions, that we had answers to!  Concerns that we were able to help with.  Near to the end of the lesson, just as we were about to close, the father of the home turned to us and said, "I really want to go back to how I used to be, and feel what I used to feel."  He was previously a member who had back tracked on his spiritual journey, and now he wants to center his life more on God!

To that comment we could immediately testify that the Gospel was to the way to do that.  Then there was a glow from this man.  We had brought hope into his family.  It was a lesson I won't ever forget.  They were so excited for us to come again, and we are excited to go there!

Well ladies and gents, that is all from me and my side.  Love you all, have a lovely week.

Elder Tucker

P.S. FYI South Africa is having a postal strike. Jeron thinks maybe 2 months now but he's not sure. I know I have a package somewhere.  

"Mr. Mosly, are you just gonna ski the rest of your life?" "Psht, yeah."

This is actually a quote from a ski movie called Playground, but we were at a house that was playing America Ninja Warrior, and the host for the show was "Mr. Mosly".  This is one of my favorite quotes, so when I saw him, it immediately brought me some joy from that quote.  I feel it defines me and my family a lot.  Any who onto Stories.

Story Number 1:  We need a fellow shipper.

One of our rules here on mission is that when we teach a sister we need another brother 16 years or older to be with us.  For some legality thingamajigs.  Now a lot of our fellowshippers this week were gone, either on holiday, studying, or working.  Now there came a point in the day where we really needed a fellow shipper.  We had called or tried just about everyone.  Then we got to the last number, we had been told he was in Kwanobuhle.  Which is outside of our area.  We called him anyways, usually his phone doesn't go through.  This time it did, and he was able to come with us.  HALLELUJAH!  Later discussing when we were traveling to the appointment. It turns out he was back from Kwano only for today and only got his phone this morning.  Just goes to show that the Lord's hand is all over his work.  Must be a pretty big hand.

Story Number 2: Two new investigators

Every Friday we have district meeting, where by I try and study to figure out a mediocre training to give to my district.  Not that I try and make them mediocre, they just kind of feel that way, still working on the pizzazz.  This week was a bit different though, because as we walked out of the chapel, there were two people at the gate.  So we greeted them, and it turns out they have been looking for the church for about a week and a half.  Finally they found it.  So we set up a time to meet them and exchanged details.  When we went there it was absolutely amazing to meet with these to two people.  One because they had questions and we had answers!  I will share only one of their questions that they asked.  Now in preparation for this lesson I was wondering what to share.  I felt impressed to share the Plan of Salvation, and it was interesting to note that one of their biggest questions was, "Is there life after death?" This lady had believed there was, and was in fact ridiculed for believing that by her friends and family.  When she asked us this we simply said, "Yes there is."  At that point she gave us some of her life story which, I will not relate at this time, but it shows that the simple truths found in the gospel can bring so much joy and happiness to peoples lives.

Well That is all I have for this week.  The gospel is true, the book is blue.  Love you all. Have a great week.

Elder J. Tucker

Mom,

     Seeing as it is the ninth. Happy Birthday MOM! I would not be at this point in time of mission or my testimony or really anything at this point if you weren't there.  One I guess, is that you physically gave birth to us, but more importantly your testimony, actions, and teachings brought us to this point of our lives.  Mom, I love you very much and I am excited to see you soon.  It really just gets me going the more I think about the end of mission; I always think, well I don't have much time left.  So I need to do more and better so that I when I finish I will be ready to finish.  Any ways thank you for all that you do. Love you lots.

Well isn't that a pretty good incentive to exercise in the morning-me.

This quote comes from our zone conference this week.  We found out that all of the cars in the mission will be going away (yes mom we will be safe).  Any way as we were being told this, our mission president was telling us how we can attract curiosity.  He said our best tool was the name tag.  Everyone loves to read the tag, so when we

see someone looking at us, always pose and look good. Thus comes the quote above.

Story Number 1: Well, we are in the wrong area.  I am glad I brought the map.

This is what I told my temporary companion when we were walking the other day.  Some background to the story is some elders were joining us for the day to be ready for zone conference the following day because they live very far away.  We were on splits.  Whilst walking for about fifteen to twenty minutes looking for Shrew St in the area where I met this contact.  I figured I should probably check the map.  Turns out the lady was just in that area and does not live too close to where we were.  Luckily it was close enough that we could make it there and share a little bit about what we do before we had to meet the other Elders to pick us up.  Very nice family, No boys in the home though, all daughters.  What's up with that?

Story Number 2:  The Lord will let you fast

This Sunday, as it was Fast Sunday, I was fasting.  Now I started my fast late on Saturday night and wanted to do a full and complete fast.  We found out though that three different families were supposed to or wanted to feed us yesterday.  One of them rescheduled from six to two.  I was fasting at that time still.  Luckily she said I could take in a Tupperware, so that one worked out.  Then the second Lunch appointment that we had rescheduled to our last appointment that night.  I was like, whooohoo!  I can finish my fast without offending every body.  Then I remembered, oh man we still have another DA in two hours.  Well we went there we got there, and I am pretty sure the Lord wanted me to continue fasting because this lady just comes to the door and hands us a lasagna and a bag of fruit.  Then says, cook this when you get home and we will see you on Wednesday.  I was stoked.   So when fasting, there is always temptations to break it, but the Lord will always provide ways and means to help you in your purpose.

Also this week we had the baptism of the family that I talked about last week.  Included are pictures of them, me, and my companion.  It was an amazing day.

Love you all, Have a fantastic week

Elder Tucker

Where's my water just became very real.

I say this because from Sunday, we have had no water to our community of Scheepershoogte.  I really can't explain how to say that over a message, so good luck on saying that.  What we did though was travel to different Elder's boarding's for showers and washing.  Luckily we have water now, I guess they were fixing a pump going up the hill!  Did not think to give us a notice or any sort of heads up though!  Any who on to stories.

Story Number 1: You should go into radio.

This week we had a really slow week, so we decided to go through the ward list and to find some less active members we could maybe bring back.  Well we went to one family, that was Xhosa.  In my area there are a lot of Afrikaans speakers.  It is pretty fun to learn that but I really love using IsiXhosa.  Any who whilst we were there we were getting to know each other and I was sharing everything in Xhosa.  Fun fact about me is when ever I speak IsiXhosa I drop my voice for some unknown reason.  Just kind of happens.  Back to the story though, we were about to leave and they asked me to pray in IsiXhosa.  I did what I could, I can't say a whole prayer in Xhosa, except when I am blessing food.  I did what I could in what Elder Dlokova called "Xinglish", then the family said, "you have a nice voice, you should go into radio."  I said "I will think about that one".

Story Number 2: Family baptisms

Something else really cool that happened this week was some investigators that are getting baptized this coming Sunday passed their interviews!  This family has been coming to church for many many months and was ready to be baptized a long time ago, in my opinion.  We did not rush them though.  I have taught this family my whole time here in Uitenhage, so it was quite exciting for them to be prepared and ready to be baptized.  I guess when you work hard and give your all, the Lord will give you blessings.

Well I hope you all have a wonderful week. 

Love Elder Tucker

Dad, 

In the words of President Eyring's father "A young girl has gone home". Grandmother was the most amazing Grandmother ever.  I will be excited to see her again one day.  I also agree Linn, Sue and Grandma are having  lovely reunion. 

"That cat just scratched my dog. Learn to fight dang it!"

This quote comes from one of our members.  They have a kitten and a puppy.  The Kitten's name is Max and the Puppy's  name is Kumkane (King). I Thought it was a pretty powerful name. I think you can figure out the rest of the story from that.  It killed me, I was laughing for quite a few minutes.  Anywho on to other stories.

Story #1: Wow mama, you know a lot of people.

This was a comment I made to a new investigator.  The reason we went there was to visit a Recent convert and his family.  When we went there the mama knew our fellowshipper and his family and she knew so many other people in our church.  Honestly I was shocked.  But it makes it all the easier for her to come into the ward.  When she comes to church. It will be awesome! 

Story #2:  Wow I feel like a real Xhosa now.

So on saturday I was kind of bored.  You know mos, when you are bored you get hungry.  So I saw all the ingredients I would need to make Mgqusho.  I decided I would make it.  So on Saturday I started soaking the samp and beans.  Then started cooking them Sunday morning before church so it would be done when we got home.  It wasn't but that was okay.  We had a gap in our appointments that we could check on it again.  That time it was done, so I added in all the other stuff.  I have to say for my first ever attempt at making Mgqusho without the help of a Xhosa man.  It was really amazing. It was a great feeling a sense of accomplishment.  

Happy Fathers day ! Hopefully you all find a sense of accomplishment this week.

Elder Tucker

Dad,

    I really could not ask for a better father. Honestly the things you taught me by your words, but more through your example have really helped me in life.  Especially here on my mission. I know for sure you will continue to be my #1 role model, especially when I have a family of my own. So Thank you Dad!