NEW ADDRESS

The Mission office has moved! so please dont send anything to 8 Windsor anymore the new address is!

Po Box 1741
Wandsbeck
Durban
South Africa
3631.

June 27, 2011

Well we got transfer calls last night and there are going to be some changes. Elder Tidwell is leaving me and heading to Bethlehem which is right near Lesotho, it snows there soooo he's going to be cold. I'm going to miss him a lot he was an awesome companion but at the same time I'm excited to move forward and see whats next for me. My new companion is going to be Elder Magoffin, I havn't met him yet but he was Elder Tidwells companion in the MTC and he's from San Diego, so this should be exciting. In church movie news theres a new version of Joseph Smith Prophet of the restoration out, it is suppossed to be 40% new. I havn't seen it yet but we might be able to have it here which will be awesome. Also apperantly there's a new movie coming out about the Martin Handcart company called "17 Miracles" Elder Tidwells mom sent him a picture of the poster it looks really cool, and I think its going to theateres so keep an eye out for it. Things in the area are going well, Sithembile's husband Coach is still moving towards baptism and so is Sister Carolines husband Baba Kabane, they just need to come to church now! I don't really know what else to say I'm so excited to be here. I learn everyday. Its amazing the people you meet when you open your mouth to meet them instead of living a life inside your own little bubble. The church is true, and testimonies make hard times easier and easytimes happier. I love you all thanks for all the support.

Elder Scott M. Brazee

June 20, 2011

This was a great week,

This is most likely my last week with Elder Tidwell, transfer calls are next week already! This transfer has flown. The other day I pulled up two tree stumps and mixed cement by hand. Tiring work but it was a lot of fun, especially because I'm learning how to do a lot of these things that I really wasn't sure how to do. We were also very blessed with a new investigator. His name is Baba Kabane he's the husband to a sister who's family has been coming to church for close to 30 years. The husband never seemed very interested and a car accident had left his right arm and leg almost unusable, which made difficult for him to come to church altogether. He had always been very nice to us just never really wanted to hear the lessons (again, he'd heard them quite a few time before). Our branch is very small and there was not a home teaching program instituted, it just began this month and as a result of home teachers visiting the Kabane home the Father told them that he had some interest in being baptized. They let us know and we went over to see them. For some reason this time something clicked for him, especially about divine authority. He became very excited and we've taught him the first three lessons last week and have an appointment to teach the forth tomorrow. The spirit is so strong in our lessons I know that is the only way the age, culture, and language barriers are being leaped over so easily. I love this country and its people.

Hope every one is well,

Love,

Elder Scott Brazee

June 13, 2011

Hello Everyone,

Zone Conference was this week, it was good and I got my mail, which consisted of a single letter from Hermana Gebera! so if you read this thank you. We learned a lot about reaching our potential and all that. Sithembile and Thabiso were confirmed yesterday which was awesome. Church was very small yesterday almost half the congregation was missing including our entire Branch Presidency AND the Youth Leaders and half the youth. I guess its just the time of year or something. IT IS COLD, I never thought I would be this cold in Africa. apparently this was the hottest summer and coldest winter anyone can remember so kind of a crazy year to land on the Continent. Other than that things are going well, me and Elder Tidwell are working hard on working harder if that makes sense.
I love you all, have wonderful weeks!

Elder Scott Brazee

June 6, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

What an amazing weekend! I don't think I can really write out all the wonderful things that happened to us these last few days but I'll try. Yesterday was the baptism of Sithembile and Thabiso, and I was given the opportunity to baptize them both. What an amazing feeling. I was a little nervous because their last names are Nxamalo and the 'X' in Zulu is a click, you make it with the middle of your tongue sort of like the click you make when your calling a horse. But everything went perfectly, they were so excited. There was a special sweet spirit there the whole time, especially when they bore there testimonies afterwords. They are so very strong, and Coach, Sithembile's husband afterwords told us that he wanted to be baptized as well and would work hard to make it happen. I don't know it's hard to explain the feelings I felt during that time, and what it meant to me to say that I had been "commissioned of Jesus Christ" to baptize them. It was something I will never ever forget. I know this work is true, and when I see the way it's changing peoples lives right in front of me, I mean temporally as well as spiritually it astounds me. I also know that I have very little to do with it, as long as I do my best to invite the spirit in my teaching thats all I can do, the rest is up to the communication between the Lord and the people through the Holy Ghost. And we deserve no credit, I know it seems cliche to say but I can't feel embarrassed for saying it because I'm watching it happen. Right before my eyes. There's so much more I'd like to say but I'm out of time. I love you all and love to hear from you,

Love Elder Scott Brazee