Elder Kaleb Martin in Cape Town: Back in the Windy City (aka Port Elizabeth)

Well its cool to be back in PE. I haven’t had a chance to visit any people in Cleary, but I will in the coming weeks and I am very excited. One thing I have noticed by being back, is when I was here the first time I thought PE was so big! I mean its a good size city, but not really as big as my little greenie mind remembered it as.

Leaving Fish Hoek was pretty bittersweet. I was there for a long time and got pretty close to a lot of people. But leaving also helped me to see that I had helped some people there, or at least was well liked. Alastair especially said some very kind things, and even sent me an SMS the night before I left saying that he would be proud to have me as a son. I guess I did something right. He is doing very well and is very close to setting a date for baptism. I also felt bad for Sipho, I guess I hadn’t really mentioned to him I might be leaving soon so Tuesday night we just kind of dropped that I was leaving the next day. I think it kind of surprised him quite a lot. I think they will be fine though.

So I live with Elder Zarbock and Elder Cossey. Elder Cossey is in his 2nd transfer and from Utah. Elder Zarbock is stepping down from being an AP and is finishing Elder Cossey’s training, both he and Elder Washburn are in their final transfers. In 5 weeks there will be only 8 missionaries older then me out. Elder Wolfgramm and Elder Hama both went home on Thursday.

Elder Washburn is cool. He is kinda funny. It is nice to be a junior companion again, and have the opportunity to learn from a more experienced missionary.

My new ward I think is struggling a little. They had like 80 people at church on Sunday. Seems like some pretty cool members though. The new Elders Quorum President is American. He and his wife have been here for a couple months and will be working here for 2 or 3 years. He is a convert, his wife served a mission in Puerto Rico and was companions with someone who grew up in my home ward. Its a small Mormon world.

I live in Walmer, just down street from our chapel. As a PE zone leader I get to go to George and Knysna, which are supposed to be sweet, so I am most excited about that. I also found out that taking home a zebra pelt is probably out of the question, they are like at least 9000 rand [~$950]! I did end up buying a cheap little 60 rand [~$6] back pack.

Anyway, still getting me feet under me a little bit with the new area and stuff. We teach a fair number of students at the University here, which is cool. I already have met a couple of members here who’s families were in East London. I like our flat, its small but nice and has a washer and dryer. Well, love you all!

-Elder Martin

P.S. Oh funny story. So on Sunday we were picking up Elder Zarbock and Cossey in the township. While we were waiting for my companion to use the bathroom in a members house, a really drunk lady started talking to us through the passenger window (it was rolled down). Well, when Elder Washburn came out we kinda told her we needed to go but she was still kinda leaning in the window. So I just slowly started to drive forward thinking she was get the hint, but no, she was still like leaning inside the car, even after I had driven a good 50 meters. At this point we were all like dying from laughter. So then I started to role the window up, but she still had like an arm in the door. Eventually she took it out and Elder Washburn hoped in the car and we drove off. We got a good laugh.