Here are a few shots that really do not fit into other posts but show part of mission experiences.

If you look carefully past the right side of this pile of trash you will see a piece of playground equipment. Piles of trash is something you just get use to in townships as often they do not have trash pickup or people can not afford to pay for it. So they just pile it up in areas and then often they burn it so on any given day you will see lots of columns of smoke rising up over the houses. I took this picture of a great looking fence. Often you fences like this protecting very humble homes. However here the house was neat and clean.

Another picture of the birds gathering at our feeder. We have counted as many as 15 birds in our yard at one time as they seek out the feed we spread around. The last picture shows a house in progress. Notice there is a fence already in place. That is because they tore down an older house to build this one.

Wow am I behind in writing about our experiences and commenting on the pictures. I wish I could say that it was because I was so busy but the truth is that I just grow lazy at times. On the 28th we went to do apartment inspections up/over to Ennerdale where two companionships live in different apartments in the same complex. It is a good 90 minute drive and none of it is very interesting. But meeting with the missionaries – we see them only two or three times a transfer – and getting to know them at least a little is one of the tender mercies of a senior mission.

On the way back to Potchefstroom we stopped in Parys and had a nice visit with sister Bobbi who we helped move to a new flat just a week ago. She loves her new flat and I think it is much nicer than her old one. After our visit we took the long way home by going on a route we had never traveled before and probably will not take again. I will have to take some pictures of the views along the way but if you have ever driven across Kansas you have a pretty good idea of what it is like. What is funny about that is I mentioned this to Mary as we were traveling and she told me that it was exactly what she was thinking at that time. I guess 58 years together – 56

The next day – Friday the 29th – we went to district meeting. Since this was the last one before transfers we kept up our tradition of taking the missionaries to McDonalds for lunch. Elder and Sister Dummer are now part of the tradition and shared the cost.

While we were inspecting the Ennerdale elder’s flat, the Zone Leaders dropped in on their way to the mission office to pick up supplies and mail. So I got a picture of elders Pedersen and Stilgoe bookending elders Flynn and Menendez. A few days later elders Pedersen and Flynn were transferred to new areas so it is kind of like the last picture of the 4 of them together. The Orange Farm elders – Dutson and Puis – also got a last picture as elder Puis was transferred.

On the board behind elder Otieno is the prediction squares – at the last district meeting the elders often make predictions about who is going to be transferred and where they will be serving. I predicted that no one was going to be transferred because all the companionships had only been together for a single transfer. It turned out I was wrong. Elder Lohmann is comfortably watching the predictions. You will notice he has his coat on because it is colder inside the building than it is outside.

Smiles all around – Mary, Elders Perez, a little piece of elder Larsen, Fidel, Graham and Lohmann. Then it was off to McDonalds for lunch with E/S Dummer and the missionaries.

Elders Fidel and Otieno with elder Larsen once again hidden. Finally I got a picture of elder Larsen with his famous smile. He was sitting next to a young lady who I approached and gave a passalong card. I then mentioned to elder Larsen that she lived in his area and he should get her name and phone number.