31 December 2009 – Thursday
Both of us are sick and so we basically do nothing but exchange coughing spells all day. Not what I would call a good way to end 2009 or to start 2010. Happy New Year – Bah, Humbug!
30 December 2009 – Wednesday
I am afraid that I am coming down with Mary’s cold – not a good way to start a new year at all. Hopefully a continuing mega-dose of Vitamin C will at least blunt the effects so we can get on with the work.
Since Mary was still not over her hacking, I went out by myself to get some things done. First I got the latest two checks cashed. I was lucky enough to get the same lady who helped me yesterday and it took even less time today. Then I went to the Empangeni DDM. However do to some things that they needed to do, the Esikhawini elders were over 45 minutes late so after having a nice talk with Elders Kitili and Kekana I decided to get on with the other things I wanted to do.
As we were walking out the other four elders arrived and I spent a few minutes saying goodbye to Elder Maremela and talking about the Church in Kenya. Elder Kitili told us that there are 11 missionaries out from his branch alone. Imagine the priesthood power that will be in that branch when the all return and get married.
From the almost DDM I went to President Mngadi’s business but he was not there so I just dropped off the papers I had for him and bought three of the giant fried dough balls that Mary likes so much. She might as well have a nice surprise.
I then drove down to Esikhawini where I went to President Nyawo’s house to give him the quarterly report forms and to see how he was doing with a disciplinary council he needed to hold. I was greatly surprised that he had already taken care of the council. He said he read the section on councils it the handbook of instructions five times and just to make sure he did it right, he took the manual with him. Although he did make a couple of mistakes, he did what needed to be done. He also stressed to the member that the Church needed them and that the Lord still loved them. It is really a blessing to see a PH leader who is a self starter in action. He told me that he felt that the month off from work that the Lord gave him was so he could do the things the branch needed done right now.
As we were finishing up, President Machaka walked up. He had been to the bank and happened to see me drive by. I gave him a ride back to his tuck shop. We talked about his wedding – still no date set. I gave him the branch quarterly report form and picked up his completed tithing report. One down three to go. By the time I got home I was very tired and my throat was hurting more. For the rest of the day I stuffed myself with Vitamin C and tried to get some rest.
In the evening Elders Weaver and Reeder came over so we could say goodbye to elder Weaver and wish him luck in the new year. He goes home in July a couple of weeks after we do. Speaking of that I think we have nailed down our flights home. We will leave on the 8th of July for London, then on to Chicago where we will hopefully spend the evening and morning with Jim and his family, and then on to SL on the 10th – arriving about 4:00 p.m. Now we can forget about going home until a couple of weeks before we leave.