Watermelon and Halloween

 

    Sanibonani!  On the 28th of October, we were asked to pick up a returning missionary from Capetown mission.  The bus stop was 20 minutes away on the Durban road and then we were to pass the Elder off to the Ezakheni Elders to take home on their way to Ezakheni.  As usual we left early but the bus was 1 hour late and our 1 hour deal was about 2 1/2.  After all the wait, the Elder did not get off the bus.  We walked around the Gas station thinking he got off without us seeing.  They looked ready to leave so Kent walked up to the stewardess and asked if anyone on the bus had a suit and tie with a badge like his and she said yes.  The Elder was watching a movie and said he was waiting for the Ladysmith stop.   He was kind of shocked that his stop was on the freeway in the middle of nowhere far away from Ladysmith.
   We went to church that Sunday in Ezakheni and heard the Elder speak at his homecoming.  He was impressive and very well spoken.  When we mentioned this to the Branch Pres. he said that all the missionaries  come back with better English than they left with and stronger church knowledge.

   The 40 day fast was set up on this day and 40 people signed up for a 24 hour each fast for the Branch.  They need leadership and families to move in.  The Branch Pres is single and 26 and about the oldest adult in the Branch.  There are only 4 cars in the parking lot on Sunday with the Elders included.  (The chapel is filled to capacity). They have a young 17 year-old running Primary with about 60 kids.  The Second Counselor in the Branch Pres. is leaving for his mission on the 8th of Dec.  and the President is feeling the crunch with 9 missionaries out and 5 kids in different stages of leaving for missions.  Money is worse than tight and he feels inspired to do this fast.  We will help with this but he's right he needs to see miracles.  (update our Elders are teaching 2 families already)
 

Our pictures say it all --Since it's not too Fallish here, there are no pumpkins to be found.  Our Elders asked if they could have a Halloween dinner and carve watermelons if they bought them and we thought it sounded like fun.  We had a braai (BBQ)with watermelon punch.  They wanted to have a contest but only 4 out of 8 participated so we just enjoyed the mess and were glad we could set up a table and hose up afterwards outside.
   Tues -Sat. was the most frustrating days of our mission to date.  Salt Lake hasn't put me on the Wise program and so we both  get on the program at the same time.  It sputters, stops, locks us out and generally has a wheezing fit.  We need to print S and I Certificates for graduation and participation for the previous year.  January starts the new year and we will start fresh but for now we are finishing old business.  We go to Madadeni on the 12th and need those certificates done!  Of course all teachers need to report in and give us their rolls so that the program will print those certificates.  Since there is no transport, hardly, they take pictures with their phones, of the rolls, and text the pics to us.  Then we can't make out the names and have to call them about their 4 months work anyway.  The next week is crunch time to get the data and put it in the program and print.
   We also had boarding checks, (off to Dundee), and phone calls to Jo Burg Temple.  We are trying to arrange the Brother and Sister-in-law of our Branch Pres.'s,  first time temple trip.  The problem is, is that they want to arrange and input  the names of 2 brothers and a sister for work to be done when the Branch goes on the trip in December.  Everything is to be done in one day because there is a holiday on the Friday before and even the Temple and housing is closed.  I'm hoping we can talk them out of so much in one day, but they usually only go once a year.  Transport again!  We'll have them over soon to work on our computer to  get their LDS account and scan documents.  We pray that we won't need signatures from living husbands  or wives.  Everything is so hard for these people but they have so much faith.

   We took our Dundee "white-out Elders" out to dinner before they get transferred on Saturday.  (White-out means both in the companionship leave at the same time and they don't do it often.)  They were our zone leaders and so good, we will miss them.  (Dehl and Martin).  The one Elder was being plagued by little girls from the Branch and spreading gossip about him.  He asked to leave, and the Pres. agreed.  We haven't even seen the new Elders yet, but will in a few days.
   This last Saturday was 1/2 of our big District Conference leadership meeting.  It was our goal to get the Certificates printed and in the hands of Branch Presidents.  We got Seminary done, which was the biggest group, but not Institute.  I was up till midnight inputting and got done, but we could not get the Institute certificates to print.  We still have time for it but at least Seminary graduations can go on.
  We were slated to give an S and I presentation for Saturday and we had so little time to prepare, but it went well. (miracle #2--#1 was finding Madadeni Chapel since I lost everything in our GPS).
   The big thing was from the night before on Friday at 11:00 pm we got an email from the District Pres asking Sister Brown and Sister Rhodes to do training for the Young Women.  I went to bed at 12:30 and didn't worry about it.  The spirit didn't forget us all day but especially with the Young Women.  I had met the new YW President because she was a Seminary teacher and so we had a bit of a rapport.  We talked to them about them and their calling.  They opened up and we then could address some of their concerns.  We showed a 4 min video Kent so sweetly downloaded(thinking I might need to fill time) and the Pres and her counselor left feeling better.  We were not left alone that day because we had no clue what we were going to do for an hour when we went into that room.  Time is so valuable when you get anyone to a meeting in this country.

   Sunday was a practice for Primary sacrament meeting program with me on the piano.  The Primary  President was there and it went great because she is also the music person. We'll do it next Sunday with our cute, good 10 kids.  They know their "Scripture Power" with the best of them!
   Today is Monday, November 14, and we are caught-up. Yeah!  In 2 days we will have been in Africa for 3 months!   (It only took me 3 months to get caught up on this blog!)