November

 

November saw us carving the pumpkin we found the first of October but didn't have time to carve.  We asked Christian if we could borrow his kids Nathan and Christina and I think they thought it was very weird but fun! Christina likes to design.

Perhaps the only jack o lantern in SA

   Zone conference with Newcastle in Ladysmith was our responsibility this time. had an area authority, Elder Hamilton ,the President of the Seventy, he spoke in General Conference this time.

Elders Brown and Rhodes at the Braii

  He lives for 5 years in Joburg and is over Southeast Africa with his 2 councilors.     He and his wife were the main attraction and speakers at our conference and we decided to have a hamburger braii for lunch with chips and American type potatoe salad.

Mangum bars topped it off! When some dignitary comes like this they work him to death and invite the 2 districts to come for a fireside.  Our conference ended about 5:00 and at about 5:30 they tried to start the Fireside at Ladysmith Chapel.  Transport is an issue but President DeKlerk over Ladysmith decided to spend the money for taxis for Dundee and Ezakheni to come.  Newcastle decided they could not afford it and only missionaries attended.  We had 3 taxis arrive and the crowd eventually did not disappoint.   Elder Hamilton talked about not breaking the chain of activity in the church and always being mindful of our families that come after us, here in Africa.  He gave the example of his own convert mother and how many family members were members of the church at her age of 89 because she stayed faithful.  It was good and very needed message for our area.
   It was a big day with food prep, serving, meetings, singing in the fireside with Kent's guitar, and clean up.  We were there from 9:15AM-8:15 at night and only went home once to get something. During all this I had a sick Elder that insisted he needed to go to the Dr. and would not be there for the festivities.  He had been battling a cold for a month and we gave him cold meds and ibuprofen but he decided that Thursday he needed to be seen and he was sure he had strep throat.  We always have to take Elders to the Dr. so that we can pay cash but what a bad day and how inconvienent!  I did not see blood and I was a little mad that he did not give us a heads up before this busy day.  The up shot was that he wasn't getting better and he had to have mega shots of antibiotics that didn't seem to work for his severe tonsilitis. He insisted on going to the hospital and I'm glad he did, but now it was Friday and he would not get out of the hospital till Monday.   We had an S&I conference that we had to travel about 5 hours for, that day!  He improved a lot by Sunday with IV's of antibotics and we let the other Elders take him home from the hospital on Monday.  My sensitivity towards this Elder  seemed really bad .  I will never be friended on his Facebook page I'm sure, but we all lived through it and he's home now telling a good South African hospital missionary story.

Street festival in Winterton

   That Friday took us to the Winterton Festival,  sort of like the Apple Festival without the

Can you guess what candy floss is?

apples.  This is a small town that they close to traffic and put booths of homemade goodies .  We got lunch and bought stuff with our neighbor Uticka .
   That Sunday we were in Ezakheni and practiced music and stayed for 5 babtisms and played for singing.
 

Monday we took off for our S&I Retreat out of Kimberley in Free State in Mokula National Park.  Why they make these so remote we will never know.

No wifi or internet service and ify phone service.  We did get another cool encounter with a giraffe, though!  It may be my favorite picture of all time. 

I think this is my favorite pic of the trip because it is rare to see giraffes drink.  

Giraffes will fall over when drinking if they don't do the splits. This guy got to the watering hole about the time we drove up in our Backi.  I thought he would bolt, but he was too thirsty.  He can go over 2 weeks without water so when he drinks it can be as much as 12 gallons.  (that's longer than a camel)

Had a hard time concentrating on our teacher because of...

Warthogs kneel when eating.
Go Pumba!

 






 Started for home on Thursday and stopped at the Big Hole in Kimberly and spent the night and had dinner with the Hicks in Bloemfontein.

Kimberley diamond mine hole

   The goal was to get home for Saturday Primary Activity Day in Ezakheni with the side adventure of Primary Sacrament Meeting program practice.  You see the lunch was a way bigger deal to the kids and for the adults.  Sister Mkheze wrote the program but the children had never seen their parts or used the mike before.  We started at 11 and ended at 4 and served 65 children.  Kent helped and did stuff the whole time.  We ran through it 2 times and it went good.  Sister Mkeze had left out 2 songs and I only caught one.   They also only used children that were older because of their English skills.  On Sunday we probably had 50 children which was a lot for any primary.
   I had decided the night before Sunday to teach and give out popcorn balls since they did not know Popcorn Popping and I had a tree I could stick popcorn on.  There were still blank stares  while teaching, but when food is involved they all pay attention. On the way home we had arranged to pick up Sister Nqcoble to do her son's family history work and get his name to be baptised with the Branch that following Saturday at the Temple.  He had died at 12 years of age of an illness and Mom was so excited about his baptism.
    We Took Elder Roman to get his hearing-aid mold fitted on Monday and made Elder Christensen his B cake and had a party that night since he was in the hospital on his birthday.

Birthdaycake for Elder Christensen

   Next 3 days were clean up days and try to finish Wise but could not get onto program.  Kent had to teach Seminary in Ezakheni and we had to prepare for Saturday. 

We did a Dundee Super Saturday and had to be home in time to pick -up Elder Michulse 1/2 way from Durban and take him home to Ezakheni from his mission.

  They were planning a party and dinner for him at about 6 but they left so late from Durban that it was about 8:30 when we got him to his home.  He is the only black African I know that went to England on his mission and his English is great!
    We went back to Dundee on Sunday to watch area Conference with that Branch and I played with special musical number from our old Seminary students--there must have been 12 of them and they sounded good! Sonny loved to conduct the group and confessed he would love to do a big choir.  We have learned that we just do variations of hymns because they are still learning them and they love to learn them and the only ones they really know are programmed into the organs-which is a limited number.   When Kent and I sing for something we just sing a hymn or medley of hymns because it just seems more appropriate. They think the other stuff is strange.
   We had another appointment on Tues. for E. Roman for the mold on his hearing aid.  Monday was more food shopping for Thanksgiving and clean a little and do laundry. 
 

Thanksgiving at the Rhodes house

Thurs at 2 we had the big meal and all the Elders came through!  Ladysmith was last to get their food assignment and I pretty much needed a vegetable .  Something green and well we took a picture of their creation.  Pumpkin pie out of butternut and blue pumpkin was especially good and Elder Vaughn just beamed.
   Friday we met with a cute gal named Nomkhosi, and went with her to buy toys for 42 cerebral Palsy kids for Provincial Hospital's once a year party.  This was our Christmas party to ourselves.  She was delightful and we got into the Christmas Spirit a little, as we sweat in 90 degree weather.
   Made a cake on Friday for Kents final Seminary test and party for Sister Zwane's class on Saturday.  (Remember he had to teach to the test so they could cover material, they were so behind.)
  I stayed home and started the 3 pans of brownies for Sunday.
   

YSA fireside at Laysmith chapel

Sunday was a big day for YSA kids.  President DeKlerk decided that he would taxi all the kids to LSmith for a together showing of Pres. Oaks and Elder Ballard's Face to Face fireside.  In order to make it work he asked me to make lunch for an undetermined amount of kids at the chapel.  We would give them and fix lunch after the block and feed them when they arrived.  The upshot was I was short pork bangers and I was sick!  We had about 8 to 10 Ezakheni Seminary students come in the taxi with the older kids and really throw things off.  The Branch Presidency from E came early for a meeting and did not oversee the transport.  They were goiing to go home on the taxi but it was too full.  Live and learn!  We had about 65 kids which was really exciting to see and for them.
   This is next week is transfer week and it started Tues for some of the couples and we had big stuff on Wednesday--Probably saw 25 Elders coming through and going home.

Transfer day for elders. Lots of luggage!

  Not too much food went flying because they were late in the day.  Saw the Hicks and got to visit with them on Tuesday.  Managed to go do our end of month trip to Madonsela's to see our favorite sisters.  Ivy was tired.  When we asked why she said that her and her friends were putting the roof on this new little round house.  What she really meant to say was that she also had gathered all the grass for the roof also. 

Partially completed round house with thatch roof