March 28, 2011

Hello everyone,

Sthembele got married on Saturday which was amazing! It was a very small service only me my companion her kids and the two witnesses.It was great though and they are very happy. I had a ton of pictures to send this week but I forgot my camera so it's going to have to wait until next time.

Today we went to a zoo thing called Crocworld, it was pretty cool, I got bit by a parrot. The crocodiles were huge! One of them,named Henry, was over 120 years old. I have lots of pictures of that too that are going to need to wait.

The week went by particularly fast because we had a Zone Conference, I played my guitar for a musical number. It went over well I think. I'm never telling anyone I even remotely know how to play the piano again though. Somehow the first councilor in the branch found out and asked me to fill in for the pianist at Branch Conference on Sunday. Lets just say it didn't go as well as it could have. The best part was when I played "While these Emblems we Partake" Hymn 173 and everyone else was singing "While these Emblems we Partake" Hymn 174.... same words different tunes. So that was a disaster. On the bright side I don't think they're going to ask me to play again.

Other than that everything has been pretty good, the weather is cooling down a little bit. so that's been nice.

Cheers,

Elder Brazee

March 21, 2011

Hello Family and Friends,

This was a killer week, I feel TIRED lots and lots of work. Things are going generally really well. Mom, the thing that I mistakenly omitted from my last emails was in fact monkeys... Sometimes I forget I'm in Africa and as soon as I do I see a monkey swinging across the power lines. Monkey's are everywhere.

Sthembele and her family are still not baptized but Coach is coming to church every week and we're trying to plan the wedding for as soon as possible. They would get married tomorrow if we could find someone to marry them, they are so excited. Coach found a job where he works everyday but Sunday. You have no Idea how much of a blessing that is here. Even the elders quorum president cant come to church because of work sometimes. It's tough.

I spoke in church this week. I didn't have a whole lot of time so I reformatted the farewell talk on Moroni 7 I gave for your (my) ward in Utah. I would tell you it was exactly the same but I actually had to add in about 20 minutes on account of me being the closing speaker and the young man before me speaking for about 5. It went over really well, on top of Moroni 7 I also spoke about the origins of the term "Redeemer" and what it means to "take upon you in the name of Christ". I learned this from Institute, I'll give you a short summary in case you haven't heard this. There is an ancient Hebrew custom wherein if I could not pay my depts, say I had a bad season, my sheep died, etc. If there was some on in my community who felt for me they could pay my dept for expecting no money in return. The only thing they would ask in return would be for me to take upon me their name. So say for instance I went into to dept and I could't pay it and my neighbor was Devon Zangger. I would change my name to Scott Brazee Zangger. So that when I went into to market the next time and someone asks my name and I said "Scott Brazee Zangger" they would say "I didn't know you were related?" I would say " We're not, She is my redeemer and I owe my life to her, out of the kindness of her heart she has adopted me." It's a beautiful concept when you think about it. Think about that next time you hear the part in the sacrament prayer that asks to take upon you the name of Christ.

Also I listen to a talk this week ( I think it might also be a book) entitled "Believing Christ" many times we believe IN Christ, we believe he was real we believe he exsists. BUt many times we fail to BELIEVE Christ, take him seriously when he says that through his Grace we can be cleansed. That it's true we must keep all the commandments, but when we screw up, and we will. No amount of our effort can cleanse us. We get caught up in thinking we have to be perfect in order for the Atonement to work for us, that is opposite logic. anyways that could be a whole nother paragraph and a half just know you are all awesome no matter what you think.

We have Zone conference this week and I was asked to do a musical number, I hope it goes over well, I'll let you know what happens. Also my bed has become quit slumped in which is like sleeping in a metal hammock, I have become quit stiff necked as a result. I'm looking for a pad that I can put on it.

Other than that I am happy and healthy and only a little bit sunburned.

Love,

Elder Scott Milton Brazee

Africa #3

Hello Family & Friends

Well another week has past. This one went really quick. I suspect part of that has to do with going on exchanges on Tuesday. I served for a day in Umlazie BB which is a section in the second largest township in South Africa. Not a whole lot different than Gahmalke (the township I serve in regularly on Thursdays). But the size of it was pretty impressive. I can't even imagine what it would have been like back when it was a real township, before apartheid. I've been learning a bit about the history of the country and it is ALL over the place. Colonies and civil wars between countries and tribes and etc. etc. So far its been hard to wrap my head around. Mostly its sounds like America's history taking place about 150 years later.

Things are going great between my companion and I, we get along really well. Everyone thinks we're brothers, I guess we look and sound pretty similar. Then again one of the kids the other day said I look like Wayne Rooney and I don't really see that at all. The cricket world cup is going on South Africa beat India the other night which is huge. Cricket is India's sport. Sthembele's family is doing very well. We're still working on getting everything worked out for her marriage. Her kids are some of the cutest on the planet. They caught me drawing at church and so I spent about an hour drawing pictures for them at our next visit.

I've had a couple Zulu dishes in the last week or two. I have no clue how to pronounce any of them so I wont try. For the most part it was nothing very shocking, mostly the same ingredients as anything else just prepared and served a different way. Very tasty though all of them. Oh and I've just barely met our Branch President for the first time. He's away on business a lot so I haven't even gotten the chance to shake his hand until a few hours ago. He's a great guy, very charismatic... just basically imagine Gob from Arrested Development with a South African accent and you've met President John-Peare. He promised to take us to a game park one of these Mondays, so that's exciting.

So yep, nothing too exciting this week, I'm eating well, I'm healthy, and I'm happy. I'm learning so much about everything. It's crazy, as soon as you forget your in Africa you see a (monkey) swinging across a telephone line. I'll try and snap some more pictures this week.

I love you all!!!!

Elder Scott Brazee

Week #2 in Africa

Hello Family and Friends,

I hope everyone is doing well, this week was pretty tough. Almost everyone of our appointments bunked us. So we did a lot of less active finding, but even then either no one was home or they had moved etc. I'm up loading some more pictures mostly of the MTC and one of my kitchen. My boardings got three rooms, one to sleep in one to eat in and one to study in, and a small bathroom. Its cozy and susceptible to cat attacks (little ones not big ones).

We teaching a power family though. The mom's name is Sthembele she's Zulu and her and her family stay in the back of someones summer home. She takes care of it and they give her boarding and just enough money for groceries. They've got two awesome little boys. We got to go to there swimming gala at school. It was a lot of fun. Her fiance Coach (he's a soccer coach and his real name is to hard to pronounce for us malungu's) just found a job though so things are looking up. She's been investigating the church for almost a year, she's been just waiting to get married before she gets baptized but our branch pres wouldn't let her get baptized unless coach started coming to church as well. It was really hard for him because he doesn't really speak english. But he saw how important it was to his wife so he's been making a big effort and now he asks us for homework from the scriptures for him to learn and then read to us so he can learn english better. They're living off so much faith right now its awesome.

The pictures I sent are of My MTC district, me and Sis. Debore pointing at the map. My Aussie friend Elder Gribn, and my last American Meal enjoy.

I hope everyone of you has an amazing week!!!

Cheers,

Elder Scott Brazee