Daily Archives: February 2, 2010

01 Ferburay 2010

01 February 2010 – Monday

I woke very early so I could meet the Elders at the RB chapel and then take them to the Umfolozi  game park. They almost all arrived on time and we were on our way by 6:10. It took just about an hour to get there and after some maneuvering by the great staff,  I got them all in for only R225 and our Gold Rhino Card.

Once I saw them safely through the gates, I turned around and came back home. Along the way I stopped to answer the cell and found a text message from Mary saying that she felt I should stay with the elders and I had to write back that it was too late. Later in the day when I talked to her she said she had a bad dream during the night that something was going to happen if they were left on their own and so she had the nurse text me. I was able to report to her that they had all returned safely with no losses.

On arriving back in RB (the initials for Richards Bay is the same for Redondo Beach where we lived for some 15 years or so and I served as a bishop for 8 of them) I stopped and treated myself to breakfast at McDonalds. If I take the strange – to me – ham off the egg  McMuffin it tastes like home.

I then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing some errands, laundry, and house cleaning with breaks for e-mailing and reading along the way.

Shortly after they got back from the game park, Elders Kekana and Ketili come over to use internet so  Elder Ketili could work on his application for BYU and Elder Kekana could check his mail. I asked Elder Ketili about his chances of getting into BYU and he said he did not know but if he did get accepted he would find some way to go. I find many of the elders realize the need for a good education if they are going to have a life where they can support a family and serve in the Kingdom.

In the afternoon when I went to see Mary, I found her sitting in a chair. She had been unplugged from all her monitors and tubes and was able to walk to the bathroom, take a shower, etc. She only has to drag along the bottle from her drain. The wonderful thing is that even without the epidural she does not have any pain.

I did not stay very long because Carrie and Vanessa Baldwin came to visit and they were soon followed by sister Khumalo. This certainly brightened her day.

Between trips to the hospital the Esikhawini elders come over so the Zone Leaders could view and pring the graphs for the week. They all looked very tired – especially elder Nkosi. It turned out they got up at 4:30 to get ready to be at RB by 6:00. As I bid them goodbye I suggested they all get to bed early tonight.

My evening visit is not too long. I took her the newspapers so she could do the puzzles. She is now eating semi – solid food. Some she says is quite good but some is typical hospital food.  She is reading in the Book of Mormon and fellowshipping one of the nurses who has had contact with the missionaries in the past.