We got to the mission office about an hour before the transfer meeting started and spent the time taking care of some business and talking to the gathering elders. It was going to be an unusual meeting because there were no missionaries leaving and the three elders who were joining the mission would be coming in over the next week or so. That meant there for the first time there was no traditional volleyball game.

Mary got some supplies from and certificates for her seminary class while I got some cleaning supplies. I also found out that the branch organ that was brought in for repair was beyond repair and that they were trying to get us a new one. Until then we will just use the keyboard that we have.

When we arrived there were a few elders standing around under the trees to get out of the sun. Then the cars started flowing in at an increasing pace. We got to see a number of missionaries that had served in the Ikageng district including elder Mayende who posed with Mary. I wrote sister Pier at first because it is what I call her when we are on missions. In fact after our first mission it took a couple of months before I stopped calling her that even when we were among friends who had known her for 20 years.

Elders Otieno, Mayende, Watenda, Mukasa are from East Africa. We have served with all of them except elder Watenda. Elder Perkins was here in the Ikageng district when we arrived in February 2014. He got a new companion today.

\Elders Rogers and Whitesides have had a rough few weeks. First they were robbed and then they were in an auto accident. I am sure that is not why the Lord moved elder Whitesides to a new area and hopefully they will not have any more interesting things to write home about – at least not like the other two. Elder Kolditz is another elder who seems to always be at gatherings when we are. For the Christmas gathering he was dressed as Santa…today he was just wearing a beaded tie featuring the flags of South Africa and America.

Speaking of ties, I kidded elder Segil that I almost did not recognize him because he was not wearing his Segil tie. Here he is with companion elder Mead – neither were being transferred but they came to be part of the gathering. Elder Mukasa is the only elder being transferred from the Ikageng district. He will be serving in Kwa-Guga 2 with elder Jackson.

Elder Stilgoe gives a big British thumbs up. Elder Harris arrived late because of a big mess on the freeway but he was still able to smile.

Elders Down and Bryner have been serving together up in the hot part of the mission. Elder Bryner will still be there while elder Down will get to spend most of the summer where it is a little cooler but no where is really cool during the summer. We did not see elders Perez, Graham and Rushton before the meeting so we were please to see them as they came into the chapel. All of them would receive new companions during the meeting.

Elder Dutson who was serving in Orange Farms played for the meeting. He and his companion elder Thompson were both transferred so the area was whitewashed. Elder Stephens conducted his last meeting as an AP. He will get to spend his last 6 weeks in Lenyenye as a senior companion. Both president and sister Dunn spoke about how much they loved him and the great work he has done for the last 6 months as an assistant to the president.

When the meeting started, I realized I had not seen our red-headed friend elder Johnson. I had often kidded him that I did not think there was any group meeting that we had been to when he was not there. I figured that I had jinxed us and this would be the first time. But 20 minutes after the meeting started he came into the foyer. I got up and asked him what happened since I never knew him to be late. It turned out that they had a late start and then ran into a huge mess on the freeway and then they had to go onto side streets. When the meeting was over elder Olson came up and asked if we knew an elder from the FFLM whose first name was Christian but he did not know the last name. Why he wondered was that elder Olson’s sister will be marrying him later in the spring. I remember some FFLM RM writing me on FB and asking me if I knew an elder Olson but for the life of me I can not remember who it was. I posted a note on FB about this and hope that I get an answer.

Elders Bryner and Holmquist after the meeting. This was the neatest boot that I saw – I am sorry that I did not take some pictures of other boots that were crammed with luggage and other things. The elders can pack an amazing about of stuff in a boot.

Elder Graham with elder Dutson. Elder Graham served with us and we had a number of opportunities to inspect the flat of elder Dutson as he served in Orange Farm. Elder Dutson with elder Lyon – another elder that has been to most gathering with us.

Elders Johnson and Holmquist are new companions as are elders Stilgoe and Otieno. 

 

Elder Tekurio has finished his training and will now serve with elder Whitesides. Elder Tekurio had very little English when came into the mission, but it has much improved over the last 3 months.

We had a number of reasons to go up to Johannesburg, but the main reason was experience another transfer meeting. As I have mentioned before there is a special spirit that is there when a large number of missionaries get together.

But before that we went to the distribution center near the temple. When we drove up we saw lots of members – young and old – dressed to go to the temple. There were so many together it was obvious that this was a special organized visit. As we parked an senior elder – I am kicking myself for not taking his picture or remembering his name – told us that the group had flown in from Kenya. The youth were going to do baptisms, many were going through for their own endowment, and one couple was to be sealed. He and his wife had extended their mission a week so they could share this experience. It is about 1800 miles from Nairobi to Johannesburg and take about 4 hours. The members who made the trip had to pay their own way and some saved for years to come to the temple. 

I thought about how blessed we are to have easy access to a temple. At home in Provo we are a mile from the temple – soon to be 15 mintues from another – and here we are less then 2 hours from the Johannesburg temple.

The next group we met was some elders from Mozambique on the way to their missions. Some of them had spent as long as 4 months serving in their country because of visa problems  and were very happy to finally being able to go where they were called. I felt that the smiles on their faces came from the depth of their spirit.

So you can see that we were spiritually blessed even before we got to the mission office and transfer meeting.