Monday, August 28, 2017

August 29, 2017

I’m really trying to learn xosha because the people here get offended if you don’t know it, especially the older generation. I try to use it as much as i can like in church lessons and just talking to people but i still don’t know very much!

I’m going to use my card for a little so don’t freak out I’m just using my birthday money that i didn’t use to get some thing and to make up for the past 2 months.

I exercise almost everyday for about a year now.

 The geography of our zone its like a 4 hour drive from one side to the other.... roughly.

This week was good. We had AP exchanges and that’s always fun. I went with the new ap and he didn’t know to much i could tell that he was nervous about making a good impression. haha i already know he’s awesome, his dad is a 70 lol. We taught a lot of lessons this week and are preparing for a baptism next week. I love my companion, cant get enough of him. I just think why cant i get along with all my companion like this and trying to discern what i can do differently. Love reading the Infinite Atonement. It gives a good analogy about things we learn about with the atonement.... we think that were about to open that last curtain on what we understand but just to find out that there is another curtain. You cant stop learning about the atonement. There is so much to learn and to apply in your life. I’m trying harder to apply the scriptures more into my life cause sometimes i feel that i haven’t even changed enough from what i was in high school haha but love you!!!

elder shaw



Thursday, August 24, 2017

August 21, 2017

This letter is going to be short cause i have to drive to East London in a little while. It’s a pday ruiner. This week was short cause of transfers and lots of driving. I didn’t really get to our area till Friday.  Oh let me tell you, elder lane is awesome!!!! Its’ so fun talking to him. When he came through the airport, we gave each other a big hug. It’s really weird to talk about home and stories and things, but so fun.. He even started calling me Caleb and i was weirded out! I haven’t heard that name in a long time
  
Speaking about my comp. He’s from Guatemala and is the humblest guy ever! We get along great. He’s about 14 months on mission so like a transfer before elder lane.

Got my card BTW!!!

We have a few people on date and 3 of them are looking very promising for the 3rd of September. Our goal is 6 for this transfer. Ah its nice being in a good area. i really don’t want to leave this place! Also I’m learning the language a lot more and kinda understand probably 60% at church but can only speak like 20%. ahha It’s fun and hard to get the clicks down.

The members don’t really feed us but they’re are like 2 families who invite us over ever week which is nice. I’m pretty sure my favorite food here is steamed breat of amaguenyas which is like Indian fried bread or sweeter. You just eat it plan or with some mince. It’s really nice. Also I kinda like amaquenya which is chicken feet. hahaha

It was very cold this week and we even got some snow in the hills surrounding the town. I wanted to go play in it this pday but we have to drive to the airport.

love you


elder shaw

Sunday, August 20, 2017

August 14, 2017

This week was pretty awesome cause we had another baptism of a family (mama tyulu and siya tyulu) who have been investigating the church for over a year. Oh man we were sooo happy for their baptism because at some points they were like less active who would kinda progress and then we would go back and see them but never really progress.  I don’t know what clicked but I am super glad we never gave up. We were still kinda scared on how they would do in the baptismal interview and Elder Reed said that was one of the best he has ever done. Yo we were sooooo happy! Now to the baptism, haha our ward mission leader wasn’t there, and the auxiliaries were having a meeting so we really didn’t have a presiding person, but all went well. Also I confirmed mihlali landa and mbasa. It is very hard to pronounce people’s names here especially last names. Oh it was a disaster cause there are a few clicks in it and I had to say it in front of the ward. I like practiced the week in advance so I could get it right but elder palavi slaughtered his and i nailed mine hahaha. It was sooooo funny but all went well. The Lord knows who they are. It was the last week with Elder Palavi and im sad he is going but my new comp is elder orosco lopez. He’s from Guatemala, lol i don’t know how to spell that but he’s super humble and way nice. Also Elder Lane is coming to our zone!!!! I’m super excited to serve around him.

This week was really good though. I’m so sad though because my comp said his goodbyes and that means next transfer i will have to say goodbye to this place. It’s going to be really hard, i have a feeling. i love this place!!!

Love ya,

Elder shaw

Monday, August 7, 2017

August 7, 2017


It sounds like a hectic summer with a lot of fun activities!

Well this is our last week together and transfers will be next week Wednesday. It will be a big one i think cause we have all been in this area for a long time!!!! Yo my comp will probably go but who knows what will happen. I had MLC with our president for the first time and wow he is so energetic and fun to be around. He motivates everyone and its awesome!!! i love it.

We had to take our car in cause it was making some weird noises hahah so we had to walk for the day and we were on exchanges.  I was with Elder Ivan oh man he’s the coolest guy.  We got to walk for the day and talk a lot..... to each other mostly cause no one wanted to listen to us but we're like the same people. He loves basketball and skiing and boating and rock climbing so we talked a bunch. Too bad nobody else wanted to talk to us. 

The highlight of the week though was our baptism yesterday!!! it was so nice! Landa and Mihlali and Mbasa got baptized and it has been a journey for them. It was amazing to see them reject us and not want us to come back to getting baptized. It was awesome! They really had a change of heart. Because of sacrificing a lot of things this transfer and trying to be exact in obedient, miracles happen and they are one of them! Ill try to send pictures but they are on my companions camera. Our ward mission leader was not there and we realized after sacrament so we had to do a last minute scramble to get everything organized and ask people to give talks. I got to conduct it, I don’t get nervous in front of people any more, so glad. The baptism was really great!

One thing i have really enjoyed this week is my studies! i love personal study so much. I love to try and find what your investigators need and study about it. Somehow it always relates back to me in something I can work on. I wish i could study for longer than an hour hahaha!

It wasn’t a super exciting week but it ended really good!

love you, i have the best family ever!!!

elder shaw

Thursday, August 3, 2017

July 31, 2017

Yo i feel like this letter is going to be super long!

Well this week started off super long. On Tuesday we had zone training and President Lebethoa came down and it was awesome. For our portion of the conference, we gave a talk on how can we teach more by the Spirit and it was really nice because many people participated! That’s always good when your giving a training but when we started President pulled out my comp for interviews first so i was just up there by myself haha kinda scary but once we got going it all went well! Then right after training we did an exchange with Elder Tshwane (elder lanes trainer) and oh man that guy is amazing. Seriously the best missionary i have run into! It felt like i was on exchanges with him instead of the other way around hahaha. He’s only a convert of about 3 years and knows soooo much! The exchange lasted a bit longer and we changed back on Thursday. Then from Thursday to Sunday, yo it was a blur. We taught about 25 lessons within those days and have some baptismal date set. We are going to have 3 baptism this coming Sunday and oh man that story is a miracle which i will tell in a little and then another like 5 on the 13!!! So exciting.

So we have this momma and son and they have been investigating the church for over a year now and i don’t even know what happened but something just clicked and they are always coming to church and committed to be baptized. .Ahh it was amazing and they are seriously the best. On Saturday we went to the sons high school rugby game and it made me miss organized sports so much! i wished i was on the field the whole time haha. i cant wait to get back and play with Jamo and Braiden when he’s done with basketball!!!! 

Hahah funny story, so are still teaching this lady Sanele and she always commits to come to church and never does. Anyway we were really sad she didn’t come today and then randomly she sent us an sms and said sorry i couldn’t make it, I’m in labor at the pioneer hospital hahaha,, First of all how are you even suppose to respond to that, good luck! hahaha We were dying laughing but its going to be hard for her to come to church now with a new child so we will see how that goes.

love you!!


elder shaw