14 March 2010 – Sunday

We woke up to a rainy Sabbath Day. It was our early Sunday of the cycle because the zone leaders are up in Kozi Bay so we picked up the Esikhawini elders at 7:00 and then dropped them off  at the chapel before picking up President Nyawo and his family for PEC. A month before we leave I will stop picking him up so he gets use to getting to PEC himself but for now it is a gives me some time with him to talk about the day ahead. PEC was pretty good but there is still much room for improvement.  Just the fact that they have it and presidency meeting is a big step for the presidency. They are also now always talking about home teaching even if they are not all doing it is another step.  While we were in the meeting it the rain increased and that is never good for attendance.

After PEC we headed for Port Durnford. Mark Duplooy was assigned to be the District Council speaker he was supposed to meet me at the Esikhawini chapel and follow us to PD. However when I called to find out where he was, he said that he had forgotten our arrangements but was in and while we were Port Durnford and was getting instructions to the chapel. They must have been good ones because when we got to the chapel he and his wife was there.

The rain may have kept a few people at home, but for the main part the stalwarts came. Many of them were dripping wet after walking 2 kilometers or more in the rain to get to church. Fufu arrived soaked to the skin as did one other young man. The smart ones had umbrellas. Sister Chirwa and Thandi Nzama gave good talks and so did Mark. Mark talk on D&C 1 gave me some ideas for my own talk I would be giving later in Enseleni.  By the time they finish straggling in, there was 26 present.

When we got to Enseleni it was again raining and there was  just a handful of members present.  When president Vilane started the meeting about 15 after noon, there was less than 20 and it ended up at 37 because instead of 20 primary children there were only 5.

I felt good about some of my talk and not so good about some. I did notice that some of the audience was following in their scriptures and marking some verses that I was discussing. Khulekani taught the youth and I joined them. I think we had a good lesson and I tried to add some thoughts without taking over the teaching. All of the YM joined in at one time or another which is why I like the fact that they are dividing the YM and the older group.

After the meeting I talked to President Vilane about any who needed to be interviewed for receiving the MP and he said there were at least two. One of them is Thokozani Zikhal who Elder B introduced to me back in October as one who should be made an elder in the future. President Vilane feels he is now ready so he will be interviewed on Thursday.

Before leaving Enseleni we drove over to Mama Zulus to tell her we missed her at church. She had a couple of excuses but still said she was sorry she did not come. She showed us a nice coffee table book that the B’s had sent her for Christmas.

By the time we got home we were both quite tired. We had left the house at about 6:30 and it was after 2:30 before we got home. I hope we had done some good in the world today.