1/12/2015

Hello everyone,                                                                                                     January 12th 2015

So I had a pretty good last week. Last Monday we went down to the waterfront in Cape Town and took some pictures by the sea. The ocean is so beautiful as the waves crash against the rocks. There are some really amazing things to see in the city. Yesterday was my first baptism. It was this guy that we have been teaching. His name is Robert Arendse and he was a detective during Apartheid. So he has a very troubled past and he spent some time in a mental institution because of what he saw and did. When we met him for the first time he expressed a desire to forget the past and change his life. I can tell that when I baptized him he was very happy and it was an amazing experience for me. 

Last Friday was a Elder Dangerfield's birthday so I bought him a cake as a birthday present for him. We had a braai (barbecue) with the YSA at a members home it was a lot of fun. We played some SA board games and the food was delicious especially the meat. They really like to eat pork down here. 

Saturday was exchanges with the Zone leaders so it was me and my companion plus one of the ZLs working in the area the whole day. Imagine three tall white guys walking around in a crowded all black township. As we are walking around this township a group of  Xhosa girls approached us and begged us for our phone numbers and for us to marry them. We politely declined. After we left we laughed about it for awhile afterwards. 

We are have been teaching this really awesome couple from Ghana for awhile and they have been making some huge progress. Their names are Chris and Naomi. They are super friendly people and they live in extremely humble conditions. Their home is literally a few tin walls nailed together with the roof held down by some cinder blocks. Poor people back in the U.S are quite rich compared to the poor people here. It makes me think of how blessed to have been born back in Nebraska where things like clean clothes and running water are taken for granted. 

Everyday here is a new adventure and its a adventure that I know that will change me forever. I know that the church is true. I wouldn't travel to the far side of the world for something that wasn't true. I am so happy that I am here and I can make a difference in the lives of others.

Sincerely,

Elder Sean Herrick,