Monthly Archives: August 2015

Report – Party

We reported on our mission on Sunday the 30th. I am afraid I was a little preachy about the need for couple missionaries. I would have been kinder but I did not have enough time left to really do it properly so I just bore in. A number of parents of some of the elders we served with in South Africa, Joburg mission, the Roberts who we served with in Indonesia, the Bartholomews who we served with in Richards Bay, the Nuzmans who followed us in Richards Bay, our dear friend Fran Anderson and Frank Knowles who was our trainer in Potch all came to our sacrament meeting. There was also a good number of FFL RMs there.

After the meeting we came home where the family and some of the great FFL RMs gathered to have some lunch, have a good time talking about what has been going on in their lives, and just to say welcome home to us. It was a great time.

IMG_1974 IMG_1976 IMG_1977 IMG_1978 IMG_1981 IMG_1982 IMG_1983 IMG_1984 IMG_1985 IMG_1986 IMG_1988 IMG_1989 IMG_1990 IMG_1991 IMG_1995 IMG_1997 IMG_1998 IMG_2001 IMG_2002 IMG_2003 IMG_2006 IMG_2008 IMG_2009 IMG_2010 IMG_2012 IMG_2014 IMG_2015 IMG_2017



Saturday – The Family Gathers – Twice

IMG_1918 IMG_1920 IMG_1922 IMG_1923 IMG_1924 IMG_1925 IMG_1930 IMG_1931 IMG_1934 IMG_1935 IMG_1942 IMG_1943 IMG_1944 IMG_1947 IMG_1950 IMG_1951 IMG_1952 IMG_1954 IMG_1957 IMG_1960 IMG_1961 IMG_1962 IMG_1965 IMG_1966 IMG_1967 IMG_1971



Thursday – We Get to See the Twins

IMG_1911 IMG_1912 IMG_1913 IMG_1914 IMG_1916



Angels We Met Along the Way

I am sorry that I am so far behind in putting words to the pictures I have posted since we have returned home. I thought I should comment on these photos and tell the stories behind them. On Monday August 24th elder Allred arrived at our flat to pick up all the furniture and other things that belong to the mission. For some unknown reason I did not take any photos of the packing of the trailer and truck. The job was made easy by the help of these four Angels and elder Allred. President Kwaikwai and his wife came to help as did elders Wild and Hentunen. We took final photos with them. They – and elder Allred – were the first Angels to help us on our journey home.

IMG_1793 IMG_1798

On Tuesday evening sister Dunn took us to the airport where two more ‘angels’ appeared just as we parked. Once again I failed to take any pictures of these un-named helpers who took all our luggage from the van and then escorted us and the luggage through all the ins and outs of getting it on the plane. This included getting it wrapped, showing where I needed to pay for the extra bag, and escorting us to our gate. Without them it would have been a real struggle to get through the check-in process. I gave them each a pass-along card and a nice tip. Even angels need to eat and take care of their families.

IMG_1905 IMG_1903

The young man on in the photo on the left is Karhk Radhakrishnan. As we got off the plane in LA we had to board buses. We got to the loading area the first bus had just been filled so we got on the second bus. Mary went to the back so she could sit down but I decided to stand with our carry-on bags so I did not have to haul them up and down the platform. As I standing waiting for the bus to fill this young man introduced himself as a returned missionary from India on his way to Salt Lake to go to LDS Business College. For the next two hours he took care of us and our luggage while we worked our way through the maze that is LAX. Once again I do not know how we would have got through without him.  Why we know that he was sent to us by the Lord is that he was traveling with his friend who lives in Salt Lake and goes to LDSBC but he traveled on our plane from Dubai to LAX and on to SL because it was much cheaper than the flight his friend took. That is the reason we met him on the bus. If he had flown with his friend as they had planned we would probably never met him.

The next angel the Lord provided was Andrew Jackson – really that was his name – who saw Mary sitting waiting for Karhik and I to return from clearing our bags for the flight to LA. He got her a wheelchair and then escorted us through the maze of LAX to our gate.

IMG_1908

Our grandson Shane Webb took over the gathering and hauling our luggage when we arrived at SLC. We have always thought he was an angel. But the story does not end there. It turned out that the friend that Karhk was traveling with and who he will be living with has been going to LDSBC with Shane and he had even been over to our son Bob’s house recently.

If you believe in a mass of coincidences than there was nothing special about our trip home, but  we know that the Lord watched over us every step of the way and provided the right person at the right time to get two of His senior missionaries home with minimum struggles and worries.



Goodbye Joburg, Dubai, LAX and Finally home to Salt Lake

IMG_1892 IMG_1894 IMG_1896 IMG_1898 IMG_1904 IMG_1907 IMG_1909



Tuesday – A Last Zone Conference and Then Goodbye to SAJM

IMG_1833 IMG_1834_2 IMG_1835_2 IMG_1843 IMG_1844 IMG_1846 IMG_1848 IMG_1849 IMG_1851 IMG_1853 IMG_1857 IMG_1859 IMG_5316  IMG_1864 IMG_1865 IMG_1868 IMG_1869 IMG_1871 IMG_1875 IMG_1880 IMG_1881 IMG_1884 IMG_1885 IMG_1886 IMG_1887 IMG_1888 IMG_1889 IMG_1891  IMG_5346



Monday – Clear Out the Flat – Party Time

IMG_1794 IMG_1795 IMG_1805 IMG_1806 IMG_1787 IMG_1793_2 IMG_1807 IMG_1808 IMG_1814 IMG_1816 IMG_1817 IMG_1818 IMG_1820 IMG_1821 IMG_1823 IMG_1827 IMG_1828 IMG_1829 IMG_1832 IMG_5291



We Finally Meet Elder Widdison

I have lots of pictures to post about our last days in South Africa and our trip home. I will post them next Monday when I should have time. But I wanted to post this picture of us and elder Widdison who I do not think we met during the 18 months of our mission until the last day we were there. We went to Zone Conference and there met up with him and Mary said his mother has been following our blog for a year and never saw any pictures of him…so this post is for sister Widdison!

IMG_1873

 

It turns out that we actually met elder Widdison on the day he came into the mission. There is a picture of him and his trainer elder Compton at http://www.pierfamily.com/wordpress/2014/06/11/transfer-day/

It was a special new companionship for us because elder Compton was the district leader when we first came to Potchefstroom,



Our Last Sabbath with the Potchefstroom Branch…Lets Have a Party!

Today was our last Sunday to share the Sabbath with the great saints and friends in the Potchefstroom branch. It was also Branch Conference so President and Sister Dunn were here for the Sacrament meeting and stayed over to take part in the not so surprising, surprise party that the wonderful sisters in the branch – with some strong PH support – held to say goodbye to us. I will write lots more when we get home – right now I am about to close down this computer so it can be packed for the trip home.

IMG_1702 IMG_1703 IMG_1704 IMG_1705 IMG_1706 IMG_1709 IMG_1711 IMG_1712 IMG_1714 IMG_1715 IMG_1716 IMG_1717 IMG_1724 IMG_1725 IMG_1726 IMG_1727 IMG_1728 IMG_1730 IMG_1733 IMG_1735 IMG_1738 IMG_1746 IMG_1747 IMG_1748 IMG_1750 IMG_1752 IMG_1757 IMG_1758 IMG_1759 IMG_1761 IMG_1764 IMG_1766 IMG_1769 IMG_1770 IMG_1772 IMG_1774 IMG_1775 IMG_1776 IMG_1777

IMG_1778 IMG_1779



A Very Busy Last Saturday…

IMG_1675 IMG_1677 IMG_1678 IMG_1680 IMG_1682 IMG_1685 IMG_1688 IMG_1689 IMG_1690 IMG_1691 IMG_1692 IMG_1693 IMG_1694 IMG_1695 IMG_1696 IMG_1697 IMG_1699 IMG_1700