Anniversary

  The day we left Nambeti was our real anniversary, but Kent apparently set us up the night before with the anniversary package.  This is what our tent/room looked like when we got back from the animal drive.  Those are candles floating in my tub with rose petals in the water and geraniums around the tub.

We had candy and Grapetizer on ice (sparkling grape juice) a gift of truffles and wow it was such a surprise.

   We slept in and then had breakfast with the group and then a short meeting.  We then left for our boardings to fight the good fight again for another day, re-energized. We ran into these guys on the way out, though the hippos could have cared less!

Jonathon our Nambiti Driver/Ranger

We invited the Roberts over to spend the night and to show us how to work the Wise CES program.  We thought we were on it but alas only part access was given and it would be 2 more weeks before we were on it.  The Roberts were dead tired because they did not sleep in like we did.  We let them to take a nap and then took them to a nice restaurant that night.The next morning we awoke to a flood in our (their) bathroom (our boarding)where the tub was.  It was definately something we could not fix.  We had to call Dick (HOA Pres.) and plumbers to find the broken pipe.  They had to cut through the roof to fix it.   The Roberts  had breakfast and left for home to take showers.  I felt badly that it ended so abruptly but it was time to start our work.  

   We had several African missionaries that were getting their calls on Friday.  We would sit around 2 hours waiting for the delivery service to deliver a big envelope with 2 envelopes from Salt Lake.  We knew it was for an  Ezekeni Sister  and a Dundee Elder.  We continue the delivery service to those places and watch as they open it with family and friends.  It's always at the church and very exciting for them just like it is for our Elders and Sisters.    

    I also had 2 missionaries that needed more medical done on paperwork.  I had to study the paperwork of other African missionaries to find out what they were missing and why the one's paperwork had been stopped in Joburg.  I learned a lot from that sitting, especially for what was coming up.  Saturday we delivered our Sister missionary's call and gave our first Missionary prep class with 3 attending. The class was doomed from the start because our little sister was so distracted by her call.  It started late and we got done late.  It was getting dark and raining while leaving Ezekeni which is dangerous.  They've had Taxi Wars where people have died -- like gang wars and it is really dark out there.

Sister Sillingile V. Manqele (going to Uganda) ,family and Pres Ngcobo

Pres De Klerk and Mhelengi Nxumalo-- going to Botswana-Namibia

 Mhelengi is our wisdom teeth guy and mini-missionary that we got to know well.We had such a fun visit with the DeKlerks and made cheese-cake for lunch.  It's easier than making cookies because there are so few ingredients. We took the Ladysmith Elders with us for the occasion.

   Kent spent that Sunday morning setting up conference for Ladysmith.  If he had not spent time downloading and explaining and delivering Conference none of our Branches would have had conference at all.  They show it in different time blocks.  Some show 4 hours at a time on a Sunday.  Some show it for 6 hours with Priesthood and RS being shown at the same time with lunch in between.  It is difficult with no transport, and a lack of knowledge of technology.  I wish I was better at it --thank goodness for Kent --my better half.  We do feel that we are equal to 1 person sometimes.

   

The GA tour starts on Thursday and this next week is going to be a blur because we will start  Wednesday night  with the Browns spending the night and helping us.  We have the lunch to prepare, set up and take down.  We planned and purchased the next 2 days after we had P day and cleaned and washed and did our shopping on Monday.

Penny Brown in a previous life was a School Principal and very organized.  Her husband and herself had been on a previous mission to Nigeria.  They were office missionaries and wanted to go as MLS(member,leadership support) missionaries for their next mission and then were called to S. Africa which they were excited about.  (if you are counting that's 2 missions to Africa) They were a  great help with our hamburger Braai at the church.  Elder Palmer was our visiting GA for Zone Conference for 24 Elders and 9 adults.  The food went well and clean-up went well though we barely had enough because of the added mini-missionaries(guys that are waiting for real missions and are waiting for transfers and in-coming missionaries to fill the vacancy). 

  

Pres. Thompson and Elder Palmer of the Seventy

Sister Thompson and my shoulder

   In the middle of all of this - we sent off our first African Sister's  papers and waited on Friday for 3 hours for Elder Xaba's call to come with that same delivery service.  We delivered Sat    

 and were supposed to have Missionary prep with our 4 missionaries and they were no-shows.

Sthabiso Xaba and Pres Ngcobo. 

Going to Ghana-Acra

Sunday was 4 straight hours of General Conference with 10 min break.  Monday was elders and pancake feed.  We need to find a way to get them off our computers.  Tues. was Red letter day.  They finally after 2 and 1/2 months got us fully on the Wise program.  This is the program that helps us with Seminary and Institute.  We are busy now hunting and gathering and entering attendance information to finish out their school year which ended the second week of October.  We can't find some of these teachers, and those that have sent us their attendance have very hard to read records that are sent from their phones.  It's been a bit frustrating because we have a hard time understanding many of the teachers on the phone when we can talk to them .  Seminary Graduation is next with the printed certificates that we print when all the info is in the computer correctly in the Wise program.  Help!