On the 10th a conference for the Vaal, Benoni and Bedfordview zones was held in the Bedfordview chapel. Since Mary was recovering from a bought of stomach problems I hitched a ride with elders Perez and Lohmann. The Zone conference centered on more effective finding and how to work more closely with the ward or branch where they served. I missed the first hour because the senior elders do car inspections at ZC to find out if the elders are keeping up their vehicles. Most of them do a pretty good job but some just do not get the fact that they are responsible for the Lord’s vehicle. Not even when they know that their car is going to be inspected gets them to make sure they are clean and neat.

Since President Dunn is an expert on media, the visuals are always well done. There were three training sessions. This is elder Stephens teaching the Vaal zone.

Pres Dunn’s presentation was on how to work more closely with the branch or ward to help more missionary work along. After the presentations it was time for lunch. Everything was good but the rolls and cookies were outstanding.

While the missionaries were eating president and sister Dunn walked around talking to them and taking pictures. Then they took the opportunity to enjoy the lasagna, salad, rolls and some of the best cookies I have ever had. Sisters Hansen and Thompson – she was surprise as I took the picture – did yeowoman service in seeing that everyone was fed and then the mess was cleaned up.

After the meeting the missionaries played a game that was somewhat like Battleship. There was a curtain between the two teams and if you were hit by the ball thrown by the other team you were out. Then it was time to leave but everyone had to have a last conversation to catch up with what was going on with old companions and friends. Sister Dummer is about to walk by elder Perez.

The final part of the conference was the zone pictures. Bedfordview zone on the left and Benoni on the right. Since some elders like to get their picture taken they manage to show up in more than one.

Two pictures of the Vaal zone one with elder Perez doing his thing and me helping him, and one for the family album.

I finally got to meet the Allreds. We have been sending emails back and forth for months as they prepared to come to the mission. I tried to help answer their questions about what to bring and what they could expect to find here. They are going to be a powerful influence on the new cluster they will be working with. The final picture is elders Perez and Johnson. I kidded elder Johnson that it seems like he is always at the same meetings as  I am. I think that every transfer and zone meeting that we have attended he has been there and I have taken his picture.

So ends Zone Conference for another 12 weeks or so. The next one may be an All Zone Conference for Christmas!

On Friday the 5th, the branch and missionaries put up a street display. In the past we did it on a Saturday morning but we decided to see if the evening display when people are coming home from work would provide more men who were head of households. The three hours produced about 50 names and hopefully one or two will be baptized in the next month or two.

As usual the booth was set up under the KFC sign on the busiest corner near the chapel. The hope is that those who come by live close enough that they can walk to the chapel in less than 30 minutes. President Kwaikwai and brother Thomas are setting up the display. Brother Thomas is an investigator but from  the way he talked to the people about the Church you would think he had been a member for a long time. He will be baptized in a couple of weeks. One of the others who helped is a recent convert who was just baptized last month. Their testimonies and willingness to serve is powerful.

Elders Perez and Lohmann watch – well they were watching before I started to take a picture – one of the men who came by sign up for a Book of Mormon or a video that the elders will deliver in the next week or two. In the background you can see brother Thomas hard at work as a woman he was talking to walks away with a passalong card.