Monday, January 25, 2010

Cape Town Mission Map


The gray shows the area of the Cape Town Mission.

Hello!

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings from Cape Town! I had just typed all of what I was going to say and tried to put pictures on and it deleted it. I'm very mad! So I'll type a short one and more details will come next week. I'm sorry!

Its so beautiful here! I love it. President Probst is not what I pictured him to be like he is a great man. They picked up us 4 elders from the MTC and then we went to the office and met Sister Herbert, great lady. Then we went to the mission home. We went to signal pint and looked out over the ocean and table mountain and lions head. and Green Point Stadium! ITs huge!! haha.

Comp/trainer is Elder Heydenrych from Joburg. He is white and can speak African very well haha advantage for me!! We're supposed to teach in English anyway but its good to learn a few of the 7 languages that are here- just to break the ice with the investigators. I like him a lot; he's already a good missionary.

Thank you for praying for me. I have been doing much better. Still get homesick in the mornings when I wake up and during my studies but it goes away when we go out at 10. P-days are Monday obviously haha. We are going to see penguins today!!! Yes there are some here! so Mark I'll try to catch one for you haha.

Meadowridge is the area where we are serving at this point in mission. One ward very small tho. Gave prayer in sacrament meeting and had a very warm welcome by the members. My comp has been here for 2 transfers now so he is just part of it haha. Coloured and whites and blacks are here in this area. A community known as Retreat is where most coloured folks live. Then Hout Bay is where the wealthy whites live. Capricorn is a township that consists of foreigners and locals. Very poor community. We have a few investigators there and its sad to go into that area we both don't like it but we want to bring the people closer to Christ. Its what its all about!! :)

Well I'm sorry I deleted the original email it was a lot longer. I'll get more details next week! I love you all!!

Your Missionary,
Elder Robert S Rigby (CTM)

*Note from Krista: my uncle Mark asked Rob to bring him home a penguin- it's become a family joke.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Hello Capetown


Cape Town Missionaries

Elder Rigby with President and Sister Probst

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Week 2

Dear family and friends,

Hello!! To my fellow mates in cold freezing temperatures! HAHA Its so warm here I'm loving it! We go outside for sports about every day and I about die of heat haha no just kidding. Its fun. Soccer and volleyball mostly and now we're into around the world ping-pong haha. Brother Maucke, who is the MTC manager, is the ping pong champion here and Elder Kunz has come close to beating him. I hope he does. haha

This week I've learned so much more. Monday we were in class obviously, and my teaching skills have improved so much. My talking skills as well. It's all about talking to people and helping them get salvation to come unto Christ.

Tuesday we had class then went to the Temple- another spiritual experience. We sat in on a sealing session for one of the sisters here in the MTC. She got sealed to her parents who are now deceased. It was awesome. The temple has just 2 rooms. About 25 people in one session -very small.

Wednesday more class and class and class. getting tired of it. Sit Sit Sit and Sit some more. But learning and growing. Same stuff Thursday and Friday. We have discussed how to begin teaching and how to introduce the Book of Mormon and I gave my teacher, Brother Kafula a hard time cause he says Books of Mormon or Book of Mormons so I told him COPIES of the Book of Mormon. haha it was funny.

Its mountains and lots of trees over here. Misty sky a lot as well and rain too. It rains about everyday. I am missing my Dew too. They don't have Dew over here- the closest to it is THE BEAT its a mix of dew, sprite, 7-up and vault. Its alright. We went to the mall today and I got some pictures developed so I'll send some home soon. I think I'll just try to post them on emails or just send my cards home cause its kind of expensive to develop. The exchange rate is 7-1 so your right. We have exchanged with Sister Cannon cause she has a bunch and won't need Rand when they leave Monday. The New President is Christensens. They get here today sometime so I'll know more about them later. We are the Cannons last MTC group. They're sad about it.

There are 5 rooms here in the MTC 4 are for the Elders. There is 6-8 beds in each room. Its just my comp and me in our room.

Elder Hawke is from BC just 3 hours from Courdelane, ID. Elder Stevens is from Alpine and Elder Kunz from Sandy, UT. They are going to Kenya and Uganda. We leave this coming Wednesday. Cape Town flight is at 8 so we have to get up at 4:30. Not cool. Kenya and Uganda flights aren't till afternoon so they get to wait for a while.

I'm so excited to leave the MTC and go into the field. I want to serve and not just sit. I get so bored and my mind starts to wander sometimes. But I'm good. I love this gospel. Its really what the Lord wants for each of us in this life. It brings so much happiness :) I love the Book of Mormon it truly testifies of Jesus Christ. You should all be reading and praying! if not i'll haunt you! haha Well I don't know what else to say so have a wonderful week in the COLD :)

LOVE YOU ALL
Your Missionary,
Elder Robert S. Rigby (CTM)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Answers!

Dear family and friends,

So it's really warm here!! haha suckers!! So here are the answers to your questions. I have more time today at lunch so I'm using it haha. Just got back from going tracting with the Joburg missionaries. That was cool. Nice to have been out doing something instead of being in class all the time. I hate sitting all day.

So New Years was boring. We didn't celebrate it at all. We had class and more class. Teachers were tired cause they got to "party all night" or so Brother Gasa said. Which isn't fair I think, but oh well.

On the planes I had pretzels and cookies and then on the big plane I had a meal that was okay. It was chicken and rice and then in the morning they gave us pizza. haha. Very long flight. I was in the middle of 2 people. A vegetarian lady and Marcus who is black visiting his daughter in Durban.

That's what our Gospel is all about. Families that can be together forever. As I mentioned earlier we went to the Joburg Temple which was awesome. Tuesday we get to see what sealings are like. I already know! :) Special time huh MOM :)

People are poor here but they are all happy and want to talk to us. Especially since I'm a white guy. They don't see very many here in Joburg.

Food here in the MTC is wonderful. Practically the same stuff back home. Little different ways of cooking it but tastes wonderful. :) I'll miss the food when I leave haha. Yes I'm writing in my journal! So don't worry mom.

Money goes from U.S. Dollars to South Africa Rand. I got $20 converted last week and it came back to 140 Rand so Krista do the math or Melissa :) I'm not smart enough haha. I went to the Distribution center by the Temple and they have African Scripture cases. I want a Zebra or Giraffe Skin case.

I've been taking pictures. or at least some. So no worries. Oh and send my camera cord! I could use it to upload pictures on emails! My comp is shorter than me obviously haha. He is dark African that's for sure but we get along well and teach well. Like comps should. :)

Well I love you!!! Hope you have an awesome week! I know I will!! :) :) I know that this is where I should be and that the Lord wants me here. I bear testimony that the Atonement is real and that God loves each of us, cause we are His children. I can't even imagine what this Gospel would be like without Jesus Christ. Probably wouldn't have it. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God! It testifies of my Savior on the Americas. I love you all! Peace out! :)

Your Missionary,
Elder Robert S Rigby (CTM)

Long Days

Dear Family and Friends,

Well we just work, work, work oh and then we work some more. Very tiring days. Especially when you don't sleep very well at night. Keep waking up I'm not liking it. but oh well i get busy and I'm fine. Its like the quote "just loose yourself in the work" been getting homesick a bit but it passes as all of us joke around and have fun. We've been having good times :)

I don't have much time to write today, so i just printed off your email and I'll answer questions next week alrighty?? Today isn't an actual P day but next week will be closer to a real P day. We're going tracting with the Joburg missionaries today till noon or so. How exciting is that!! haha get out of this building and do something! I'm so bored but learning a lot. Its all about teaching to "their needs" not just teaching lessons but teaching people.

Went to the Joburg Temple on Tuesday! What an awesome amazing experience! its a mini temple so small rooms but its pretty! like temples should be :) we go again Tuesday and then the Tuesday before we head out! Its going by so fast I feel like I just got here like 2 days ago. crazy.

We had a teaching experience last night. It was fun. we taught the Cannon family. Our group is President Cannon's last MTC group they are going home next week so their family is here. My comp and I taught about the Plan of Salvation. The Spirit was so strong! It was amazing how well the Spirit just takes over if you let it. Our teachers all said we did a good job. We can still improve tho of course haha. That's why we're here right! TO LEARN :)

Well I hope everything is going well at home I'll read your email and look forward to next week! I love you all! Miss you.

Loves Always and Your Missionary,
Elder Robert S Rigby (CTM) :)

Work Begins

Dear family and friends,

Well the work has begun!! And Hello from South Africa! :) I think I'm getting the hang of the 9 hour time change haha. I've been sleeping better each night. So we have class in the morning from 9 to 12:30 then lunch and then class again from 1:30 to 5 then class again from 6 to 9. Long days haha but very informative. I've learned lots already about teaching and how to apply it to the peoples needs. Its been hard these first couple days but its getting better. This MTC is small but gets down to the point.

My comp in Elder Bagenzi from Tanzania. He has humor to him as well as the other elders and the 5 sisters here in the MTC. Total of 15 missionaries here. 3 U.S. including me and one from Canada -Elder Hawke. And the rest are African Elders and Sisters. We are all getting along very well. We have good laughs. Our teachers are fun to listen to and have all served missions.

This really is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings so much happiness to our lives. Everywhere you go the members are very kind and loving. I bear testimony of that.

All of you read your scriptures! I mean it. Yeah weird coming from me i know. It'll make your day go so much better and pray as well. I've already felt the effects of that and I've only been here 4 days.

I love you all! P day is Saturday if you didn't already gather that info. :) so I'll get to write more next week. I'm looking forward to the learning and teaching :) its what its all about. Bringing others to know of the true doctrine of Jesus Christ. He is our Savior and redeemer. Loves again and i shall talk next week! :)

Your missionary,
Elder Robert S Rigby

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

I'm Here!

I'm here!! Finally! Ha ha oh my gosh that was the longest flight ever! Not to mention being on three planes in one day. I slept horrible. I was very bored. I chatted with Marcus who is going to visit his daughter in Durban. He's a black. Not a member, but friendly. I traveled with two other missionaries from Atlanta. Elder Kunz is from Sandy, Utah and is going to Kenya. And the other elder is from Alpine, Utah. We didn't get to sit by each other though. Elder Kunz lost his bag so hopefully he'll get it tomorrow.
MTC president is President Cannon and his wife. They are from the Salt Lake area. There are four of us here right now. An elder from Madagascar- I can't pronounce his name or spell it. The rest of the elders and the five sisters we'll get here tomorrow. Small MTC but doesn't need to be big.
How are things going? I'll be able to email again Saturday. So I will ttyl!
Love you guys!

Your missionary,
Elder Robert S. Rigby

*Note ttyl means talk to you later