18 April 2010 – Sunday
It was very strange day because we did not have to rush around getting ready by 6:45 so we could be in Esikhawini by 7:30. Instead we had a leisurely morning but with a little excitement when the power went out while I was ironing my shirt. We supposed it was one of the normal shut downs that happens fairly regularly but for some reason I had the feeling that I should check our breakers. It is a good thing I did because it was just our house that had lost power and until I flipped the main breaker nothing was going to happen.
We got to RB early so we could say hello to everyone. It turned out a number of people were not there. The De Klerks did not come in because one of their sons was bitten by a very dangerous snake. President Baldwin and president Vezi were in Kosi Bay for a visit and the Duplooys were at Engwelezane so Mark could speak there.
Everything went well until just before Mary was to speak and then the power went off. This time it was not just the chapel but the whole area and it stayed off for the rest of the meeting and beyond. But we both are able to speak loud enough that everyone could hear us – except a couple of the young men who slept through the meeting. Mary’s talk was excellent and I thought mine was OK. At least it felt good and a couple of the members were nodding in agreement at the right time. Freddy came up after the meeting and said that he could hear and understand everything we said. This is not always true for him because he has to use a hearing aid and sometimes they speak so softly he can not hear.
Before the meeting I introduced myself to a woman I did not know and found that she had just came back from New Zealand where she has lived for 4 years. She said the area she lived in had about 20,000 people from South Africa and when she went to church she found out the bishop there had been one of her bishops here. She hopes to go back in a year or so with a new work visa.
I had planned to meet with Calwyn Baldwin and get some records straightened out but with the power off we could not use the computers so we changed it to Wednesday night before the meeting. Mary and sister Khumalo were going to meet with Jackie Duplooy so they could give her some training but she must have decided to go to Engwelezane with her husband.
When we drove up to the library in Enseleni we knew there was a problem because the elder’s car was parked outside the gate. It turned out that due to the municipal strike the library could not be used and we could not even meet on the grounds. So I suggested we meet at a member’s home and the elders went out and got permission to meet in the Gumede’s garage. We just held sacrament with two short talks – there were 38 members –including 5 investigators – present which is pretty good since a number of members had heard there would be no meetings today. They had the same problem in Engwelezane so they met at President Moloi’s house. They had 63 in attendance.  It shows how faithful many of the saints are in these two branches. Hopefully the strike will be settled by next week or we will not be able to show conference in those branches.
In the evening we had the elders over for dinner. I am not sure how excited some of the African elders were with roast beef – it is something they never have had before. I noticed that one did not even try it. But there was plenty of mashed potatoes – well there should have been plenty – corn, fruit salad, rolls, chocolate cake, and ice cream so I do not think anyone went home hungry.
So it was an interesting Sabbath day here in Richards Bay. There were problems but it did not stop the work from going forward.