12 July 2009 – Sunday

Up early so I could try to get my talk on tithing organized – it did not work – and then get off to Esikhawini for PEC. I thought at first that once again there would be no PEC meeting but brothers Thusi and Nkhosi showed up just after 8:00 and with the elders we had PEC. They still need more training on what PEC is about and we need to make sure the others who should be there make it but hopefully in a few months it will be fully functioning.

Branch conference at Port Durnford went well. There were lots of people there we did not know, including – so we found out later that night – an investigator couple.  All the talks were good  but President Vesi’s and President Baldwin’s were especially powerful. The only thing that took away from the meeting was a number of crying children. The mothers were pretty good about taking them out but as it seemed that soon after one stopped another one started. Since there is no sound system – there is no electricity – it was difficult to hear all of any of the talks.

Almost as soon as the meeting was over, we said goodbye and headed to Nseleni so that I could speak. We did not know how long it would take so of course we were almost 30 minutes early. However the elders were there starting to set up and we got a chance to say hello to some of the members. President Vilante arrived well in advance and probably could have started on time but he chose to wait for more people to arrive so it started about 15 minutes late.

The branch meets in the local library and today they about filled the largest meeting room. The count was 71 – a large number for them – and it included 15 investigators and their numerous children. What is exciting is that there were at least two babas there with their families. Something that is very much needed in the branch for leadership.

Mary was asked to give a short talk and bear her testimony. I then spoke for about 20 minutes on tithing. I felt that it went well. I tried to explain the great blessings that come from paying tithing and that the Lord could not give us these blessings unless we paid our tithes and offerings. I also tried to keep it simple.

I must mention that the chapel was very quiet and reverent before the meeting and during the sacrament. Since there must have been 30 primary age children in the congregation, that was very much unexpected. When it comes to reverence, the wards in Utah could learn from these branches. I also was glad to see so many young men – 12 to 18 – in the branch. In 3 to 6 years when all of them have been on missions and come home again, the branch will be rolling in priesthood.

We left after sacrament and came home. For some reason I was exhausted and ended up taking a nap in the chair. The afternoon seemed to fly by and it was soon time to leave for the Bartholomews to have the Last Supper of this transfer.

We were the first ones there but soon Elders Torgerson and Meistre arrived and we were able to talk about the Enseleni branch. Elder Thorgerson said that he thought my talk on tithing was perfect because they were going to teach the commandment to one of their families and this laid the groundwork. Earlier I had asked elder B how many were coming to Enseleni when they arrived on their mission and he said they averaged in the 20’s – now they are getting 3 times that many. Much of it has to do with a couple of the missionaries who have served here recently. They got the youth excited about doing missionary work and now they are kept busy with referrals and always have someone to go out with them when they teach. In other words member missionary work is going the way it should.

As always the B’s provided way too much food. After filling themselves up, and sending off their reports, the elders sat around for a while talking about who might get transferred out and where they might go. I have been kidding elder Mbithi that he was going to be transferred to Newcastle. I of course have no idea if he will be transferred and certainly not where he might serve next. It will be interesting to see what happens.

We know elder Schlenker will be gone because he heads home on Friday. It is pretty certain elder Makono will leave but he has only been here 4 ½ months. If he goes it will be the second time we have bid him farewell – he was with us in Swaziland. Because of All Zone Conference they think they will get transfer news on Monday night instead of the usual Tuesday.