27 May 2010 – Thursday

Our morning was filled with Rob fixing our gate so it would open automatically and Martin fixing our garage door so it would open all the way. Both of these men are great people to know and I felt good when I said goodbye to Rob and mentioned that there would be another couple coming soon after we leave. He said that is fine but what if they were not as friendly as I was. I told them I was sure they would be.

We went to DDM at Richards Bay but I spent most of my time getting up to talk to people who came in or on the phone. A young white returned missionary who lives in Kloof but is trying to get a job at a college in Empangeni came by with his mother and we had a nice talk about the district. He wants to live in Empangeni and go to the Engwelezane branch. That would be a great help to the branch and president Mngadi could have a counselor who was raised in the church and knows how it should work. I am certainly going to try and pray him into the job.

President Vezi came by and I needed to talk to him about Port Durnford’s material order for next year. I had written a suggested one and asked him to look it over and make any adjustments he felt was needed. I also gave him a stack of Sacrament Meeting agendas because they were out.

From what I did take part in, I thought  elder Dimene did an excellent job as DL. It was well planned and informative. He is a fine and humble elder who is doing all he can to get the missionary work moving in Enseleni. Elder Webster seems to be coming right along and is gaining confidence each day.

After lunch we headed for Port Durnford with a short stop in Esikhawini to drop off some white baptism forms for the elders to pick up at the Mthalanes. Elder Lerios sounds much better today and hopefully is on the mend.

We picked up two of Mary’s English students and so she had a full house at the Nzamas. While she taught I tried to find the rattle that is bugging me greatly. I thought I had found it earlier when I discovered a loose bracket but tightening it did not solve the problem. I have one more place to look and if I do not discover the problem there I will probably just give up and live with for the next 6 weeks.

We had four of our 6 young people for Youth. We had a short lesson on reading the scriptures – Thandi Nzama could not be there – worked on memorizing the theme and then we played some games related to the theme and the Book of Mormon. Lugani once again did not show up for Youth or piano – he said that he has been staying late at school for music. I need to ask him if he is in the band.

I called President Mann to ask him about a couple of meetings and what was going on in the mission. I caught him at one of those rare times when he could talk. He said that he had seen Elder Nare – now brother Nare – and that he had lost almost 70 pounds. The president asked the Allreds to take him to a good doctor and it was discovered that he has TB with his lungs almost filled. Hopefully he will recover his health but there is a question if he can ever sing as well as he did.

After youth we drove to the waterfront and had dinner with the Bs at the Thai restaurant. We had a good meal and talked about a lot of things that are going on in the district and about some of the people who are trying hard to live the gospel in areas and a culture that make it very hard. It is really good to have them here even for just 10 days.  Not only are they good friends, they also give us insight to the people that we have not and will not develop.

While we were at home, Cindy called and just chatted with us for a while. We really enjoy calls from family and friends.

26 May 2010 – Wednesday

We were just about to leave for DDM in Empangeni when we got a call from the Davises saying that they were on their way to meet the Swazi Wilsons at the petroport to exchange a young lady who is about to leave on her mission. They asked if they could meet with us and give us some registrations for a couple of  the elder’s car.

We met them at the RB Chapel and they gave us the registration and we gave them a report on the extra keys we have. They also asked us about going to the game park on the way back and we told them what we thought was the best part to see in the time they had.

DDM was good – elder Reeves is still trying to figure out just what he wants to do as a district leader. We talked about planning and how to improve it. Elder Lerios is still not feeling very well and I am a little worried about his fever. If it does not break soon I will insist he sees a doctor.

After DDM we had our usual Wednesday lunch at KFC. I called president Mngadi to see if we could meet with him but found that he had the flu and sounded terrible. Earlier I had called president Vilane and he sounded great. Hopefully he is no the way to full recovery.

We then went to Esikhawini where Mary taught English to sister Ndlovu and I went to see brother Machaka. I did not have a chance to talk to him on Sunday about his release and wanted to see how he felt about it. He mentioned that now he could go to Zimbabwe for his new passport because he did not have to be here each Sunday. Hopefully he can soon do this so he can finally get married.

I spent the rest of the time going through my phone and changing the names so they would make sense to the new couple. We will leave both phones for them – actually we will take them home so we can give the phones to the them while they are in the MTC.

After English we drove to Port Durnford and spent some time talking to Bongumusa’s mother to give her a copy of the book on running a small business. Mary then gave her a copy of the Proclamation on families and told her how important families are in the church. She tried to convince her that Bongumusa should be allowed to attend the Monday evening YSA meetings so he could have a social life.

Our last stop was at the Chirwas where we gave her the new lock and keys we bought yesterday so she can lock up her house and everyone could have a key. We talked to her about how Sandile’s mission application was coming. We then took the new short cut back to Esikhawini and home. There is an interesting section that I would not try if it was really wet but it cuts about 5 minutes and a K or two off the trip.

In the evening I went to the RB chapel to pick up some certificates that President Nyawo really wanted for members. President VanThiel was busy teaching a Seminary lesson on being a missionary so I sat in and added a few thoughts.  It was good to sit and listen to the president teach and to share the time with some of the RB members.

After the class President VanThiel found out that the certificates were not there for him to sign. In the past I would have probably been unhappy about this but I guess I am learning some patience because I told him I understood and we made arrangements to get them tomorrow. This obviously counts as a tender mercy.

Later I called the Mickelsens and surprised them by being the first call on their new phone. They had sent us the number earlier in the day via email. It sounds like they are settling in well and will keep busy.

25 May 2010 – Tuesday

We were busy all day but we did not really do much as far as the mission is concerned.

Early in the morning I got the car washed and had another opportunity to make a good contact with a working father who has a wife and three children. I gave him an Article of Faith card and my phone number. Maybe something will come of it. I really think that the car wash is one of the best places to meet fathers with jobs and a car. I think 80% of the time I get into a gospel discussion with someone like that. I imagine my gray hair and name tag help a lot. They see Jesus Christ and are often immediately interested in starting a conversation.

Some of the other things I got done was to get my hair cut so my collars stay cleaner, have 100 copies of the sacrament agenda printed for the branches, and buy a lock with four keys for a member’s house. Mary started on the task of putting together all the hospital and doctor bills from her operation.

As she went through she found that she was missing the bills for the last two stays in the hospital and there were no bills for the surgeon. We decided we really needed to get that straightened out so while we were doing other things we stopped into the hospital.

She got the hospital to give her copies of the bills and made sure they were sent to the mission to be paid. We have plenty of money in our mission account to cover them. She then went up to see the doctor and when she asked them for copies of the bill she was told Dr. Kelling had told the nurses not to bill us anything for his work. She was dumbfounded – we guess that the fact that we were Christian Missionaries touched him and he kindly gave us a gift of a few thousand dollars. We doubt if that would happen in the US – even in Provo with an LDS doctor. It is just another of the blessings we have received as missionaries.

In the evening we went to dinner with the B’s. They are having a wonderful time and really needed this visit to let them kind of let go. I imagine they will always have contact with some of the people here but I would guess that the hole in sister B’s heart has started to heal. They are just plain good people.

24 May 2010 – Monday

We had a wonderful day with part of it being with the Bartholomews and part helping Sandile Chirwa work on his application to go on a mission.

The morning and early afternoon was spent going to Umfolozi game reserve with the Bs. It was another gorgeous day and while we did not see lots of animals we did have a couple of experiences that we had not had before.

The most interesting was watching a team of game wardens tranquilize a huge rhino so they could work on a wound that he had on his back. It appeared to me to have had to have either been caused by a gunshot or in a terrible battle with another rhino. It was an interesting experience to see the men edge their way to a point where one could shoot a tranquilizer dart in the resting rhino. As soon as it was hit, it stood up and I got a good picture of the dart sticking out of its rump. It took perhaps 5 minutes for the drug to take effect and then the wardens came out to clean and take care of the wound. We left before they were finished and when we came back a couple of hours later they and the rhino were gone. It was good to see that they take care of the animals and try to keep them healthy.

The second experience was watching a good size group of vultures eat a dead animal. It did not seem to be anything very large but the birds gathered around and at times fought over it. Nothing goes to waste in nature. What the vultures do not clean up the crows will and then the ants will take over. While some of the birds ate, one big vulture sat in the top of the tree watching. We were not sure if he was just a sentinel – he did not make any noise or fly away when we approached – or king of hill.

We saw our share of impalas, zebras, lots of warthogs, some wildebeests, three elephants – they were mainly hidden in the bush –a couple of Cape buffalo, and a good selection of giraffes. Sister B said she did not care what we saw, she just wanted to go through the park one last time so she could take the memory home with her. They are a great couple who love to do good. Hopefully they will be able to go on another mission so they can have the experience of another country.

As soon as we got home and saw them off we hopped back in our very dirty car and headed for Port Durnford where we picked up Sandile and brought him back to RB so he could have his TB test check. Since he had no reaction at all, we were sure he was fine but the hospital has to check themselves.

We then went over to the doctor in hopes that we could get the results of his blood test put on his records but after a half hour of looking they could not find our file so we asked them to call when they did and we took Sandile to the taxi rink so he could head home. Just as we did of course the office called to say they found the misfiled file and so we went back. Unfortunately all the report was not back so we will have to wait a little longer to get it done.

We then got a call from the PD elders saying they needed to see us and so we arranged to meet them at the mall. Elder Lerios had bright red cheeks and had almost every piece of clothing he owned. I told him I was worried about him having a fever and strongly suggested he go to the pharmacy for a free check-up. He is much too valuable to the zone to be down for a week.

By the time we got home I was pretty much worn out so we had a quiet evening. I did start to work on pictures but even that seemed to take more effort than I could muster so I stopped and went to bed. It was a good day for us. A nice combination of adventure and service.

Elder Hill got to meet and have his picture taken with the YW of Port Durnford who were having class under their usual tree. Elder Hill asked what they did if it rained and I told him they all have to meet in the one room chapel. At Enseleni brother Larry Bartholomew passed out hats while elders Dimene and Webster changed his flat tire. Soon everyone had a hat – except it seems elder Webster.

I noticed I did not show any of the YW with hats. Nonhlahla got a great looking red one but it seems Thandi could not find one she liked.

23 May 2010 – Sunday

 We had a very nice and for the most part unplanned first part of the Sabbath. Everything started fairly normal as we picked up the Nyawos and brother Nkosi for PEC. Then things started to change as the elders were 15 minutes late getting to PEC. Then I got a call from President Baldwin saying that Elder Hill had a flat tire and would be late for Esikhawini’s sacrament meeting. Because of this, President Baldwin went directly to Port Durnford to make a change in the branch presidency.

We stayed at Esikhawini for sacrament and were surprised when Elder Hill arrived about 40 minutes into the meeting. He came just in time to be the last speaker.  He told how he had borrowed his son’s car to come to Esikhawini because he did not want to drive his double cab into the township. Along the N2 he drove over something and got a flat. When he went to change the tire he found that he had no jack so he did a U-turn and hoped that he could get to a town he had recently passed on what was left in the tire. However this was not to be but he found a man with a bakkie who had a jack and a spanner that would work on his lug nuts so he could change the tire. Back on the road he tried to hurry to still make the meeting and of course got pulled over for speeding. He explained his problem to the police and they let him go without a ticket – which was why he made the meeting at all.

After the meeting I introduced us and asked if he would like visit Port Durnford or maybe go to Enseleni for their sacrament meeting. I told him a little about Port Durnford and he asked us to lead him there. We tried to call President Baldwin to tell him we were coming but he had his phone turned off during the meeting.

We got to Port Durnford – we went on one of the sand roads – soon after President Baldwin left for Esikhawini and they were just breaking into classes. The primary was setting up under one tree, the young women under another and the RS and PH were still inside. Elder Hill said hello to each group and I elder Hill was asked to talk to the adults for a few minutes until it was time for us to leave for Enseleni.

As he started that President  Baldwin called and I told him where we were and we were sorry to have missed him. He was in Esikhawini to interview and call a new branch clerk. Before I went back in to the chapel I stopped and told the YW just who Elder Hill was – they did not realize he was a general authority. They made me promise to take a picture of them with him.

Elder Hill gave a completely different talk to the group in Port Durnford from the one he gave in Esikhawini. He told of when he and his family were baptized in Zambia and were the members for quite some time. Now there is 3 wards and a branch in the town where they lived. He said that Port Durnford could be the same if the members have faith and live the gospel. After the meeting he kindly stood with the YW for a photo and then we left for Enseleni.

The Bartholomews were at Enseleni when we got there. Khulekani and Nonhlahla were working on getting a program organized.  They asked the Bs to speak and then Elder Hill. By the time brother Chiliza arrived the program was set and when enough PH finally arrived they were able to start only about 8 minutes late. When we sang the opening hymn there was hardly anyone in the audience but by the time sacrament was over there were about 50.

The Bs gave great talks about their love for the people and gave some council about being an example to others. Elder Hill gave another great talk that was perfect for the branch. He talked about tithing and then about helping each other be strong. That if they would stand shoulder to shoulder that they could be kept safe like the 2060 stripling warriors. He also told a story about how a call from his wife probably saved his life as he had fallen asleep at night on the freeway.

After the meeting Elder Hill talked to many of the members. I introduced him to Khulekani and told the story of how he was able to go on a mission when it did not seem possible. When we went out to the cars Elder Hill said goodbye and headed back to Durban.  The Bs had a tire that they knew was going flat and by the time the meeting was over it definitely was. But the Elders and others pitched in and soon got it replaced so they could be on their way.

In the evening the Bs came over for dinner and we spent 2 delightful hours talking about our missions, the wonderful people, and how much they mean to us. I said that it did not seem like they have been gone for 6 months. It just felt natural to be with them. They mentioned that it felt different to them because they no longer could wear their name tags. They brought them with them but were not going to put them on because they were no longer missionaries.

On the great news side, President Vilane was released from the hospital in Durban. They found that the medicine that the public hospital was giving him was causing most of the problems. They cleared out most of the accumulated liquids and gave him a new prescription that should solve his problem. Now if Sister Vilane can just get a job as a nurse they can have both a good income and real health care.

It was a wonderful day. To see and hear the way Elder Hill was able to give just the right talk to three very different groups of members without really knowing anything about them testified to me of how the spirit leads his chosen servants. I know he was called of God by revelation to serve as an Area Authority 70 for Southwest Africa.

The two lions puzzle was the hardest we have had here. Mary was a true champ and got it done with little help from me. I took this picture of the van because they managed to fit four seats across the back of a standard size van conversion. Those people really have to be friendly or will become friendly by the time they get out. These rooms at Khulekani’s home in Enseleni caught my eye. Notice how the window is almost identical to the one out at the Chirwas that is shown below. Only this one has had a couple of ‘repairs’ done.

This picture does not capture the true beauty of the white tree in Khulekani’s yard. Notice how part of it still has the green leaves while the rest if covered with small white flowers. Over the rooms above is a large naartjes tree. The fruit when it ripens is almost identical to what we know as tangerines and is just as tasty.

Mary finished this puzzle last night. It is by far the hardest puzzle we have bought. I was almost no help except for dividing out colors and even there I did not do much. Mary said that the only way she could do most of it was to look at the shape of the pieces because the colors changed so quickly and were so close to being the same it was almost impossible to know what color the next piece would be.

22 May 2010 – Saturday

When I got up this morning I noticed for the first time that there was a coolness in the air. Winter continues to slide over Richards Bay. The second surprise of the morning was that the internet was down. If it does not come up soon, I will call and see what can be done.

We got an early call saying that our Saturday appointment to teach had been cancelled so we decided instead to go to Enseleni where Mary would teach piano to Mbali and I would go around with Khulekani and put some more member’s homes on the map for the new couple. Before we left I took some pictures of where Khulekani lives to show how it is not where you live but how you live that is important. We managed to visit five homes before going back to get Mary at the Seokas.

We just had time for some lunch before going to Esikhawini for piano lessons. Actually we got there early enough to go visit sweet sister Tembe where we found that she had fully recovered from her fall but her daughter had to have an operation because of some internal problems.

While Mary was teaching piano, the Relief Society sisters started coming to have a meeting. There was a problem with one of the sisters not getting a ride so I went and picked her up. She was very important for the meeting because she was giving the demonstration.

Mary had four of her five students show up – she has not had all five come on the same day for a long time. By the time she was done we needed to leave to hook up with the Barts and the Griesmers for  dinner. We decided  to  eat at Mugg and Bean  which was a good choice because it was quiet so there was no hurry to stop talking. We spent the better part of two hours talking about our missions, the people and why more couples did not go on missions.  I was encouraged when elder  Griesmer  said that he was over  73 when they came out. If we stay home for a year before going again, that is how old I will be when we leave.

As we were getting in the car we noticed that a row of dark clouds accented by the soft sunrise looked like a row of trees or mountains behind the actual tree line. Later at the Chirwa’s homestead I took this picture of a neighbor’s group of houses somewhat shrouded by the morning fog. The morning was perfect, soft and cool and very quiet. We will miss this beauty when we leave South Africa.

I noticed the contrast between the traditional round house with the thatched roof and the modern concrete toilet that is provided each homestead no matter how rural. The rising sun pulled out the details of the construction of the main house. Notice how almost anything is used as fill. I also noticed one of the windows and its simple details. It was probably used when it was installed in the house.

But from this humble house five children of different ages leave for school each morning in clean neat clothes with their faces shining. They are the hope of the future.

21 May 2010 – Friday

We were up very early because we had to be out in Port Durnford by 7:00 to pick up Sandile Chirwa so he could have his medical and dental exams for his mission application. As we drove there, there were pockets of fog hanging over the land. Sometimes it was quite thick but it never went on for long. It was a gorgeous morning – cool and calm and clear.

As we drove along the back road towards Esikhawini, we came across Blessing walking with his brother to school. Blessing did not need a ride because he was almost to his turn-off but we gave his brother a ride to the Esikhawini mall.

Sandile came through his physical and dental exams with flying colors. Between them we went to the mall and had his passport pictures taken. We now know what needs to be done and this will save some time. We talked to the Port Durnford elders and they are going to help him get his application in for a police clearance. We also need to get him started towards a passport.

While we were doing this, the Bs picked up president and sister Vilane and took them to the doctor. We stopped in to give them some things and found president Vilane even weaker than he was yesterday. Later they called to say that the doctor said that it seems the valve they put in his heart a couple of years ago is not working properly and that if it is not fixed he would die.

The Bs took him and sister Vilane to the hospital in Durban where he had the original operation and somehow talked them into admitting him so the surgeon who did the operation could see him. They think that he will be transferred to a government hospital and be operated on. I believe the Bs were prompted to come so that they could save this humble man’s life. We did not have time to do this and I doubt if I could have got him into that hospital in Durban. They really are special people with very large hearts.

After dropping Sandile at the taxi rink with money to get some lunch and transport home, we came back to our boarding so Martin could get the opener back on. This time everything worked perfectly. It will be nice to not have to struggle with opening the doors manually.

During the morning we found out that the library in Enseleni wanted to cancel our Sunday services because some political group wanted to have a luncheon. We decided to see if we could not at least have the room until 1:00 so we could hold sacrament meeting. When I talked to man who seemed to be in charge, he said that he thought that would be OK since they were going to be at the sport complex until 1:30 or 2:00. Later he called and said that would be fine as long as we were completely out no later than 1:30.

We then drove to Esikhawini for Youth. Because the problem of the library was solved so quickly, we got to the chapel early. After talking to Sister Mathe – she was of course working on one of her many garden plots – we went to visit Sister Tembe and deliver some books we have been carrying around for a few weeks. She is a lovely lady and really has great faith in the Lord.

To make the next couple of hours shorter than they seemed to me, we found that the youth were going to work on cleaning up the chapel. What was interesting about this project was about a dozen young men showed up and except for sister Nyawo, no young women.

I got to make three trips to while Mary stayed and gave encouragement. First I went to see president Nyawo at his house and told him he really needed to call president Baldwin. They had not been able to contact each other because president Nyawo’s new phone had stopped working.

Then I took Solo Mthalane to his PO Box to see if an important letter from the area office about his mission had arrived and it had not. So we called the area office and found they had mailed it to his street address and they do not deliver to homes here.  Solo gave him the PO Box number and hopefully it will arrive early next week.

My third trip was to the mall to get some window cleaner. The windows were a mess and they only had about an inch left in their bottle. I think I must have put on 30Ks and never left  J section.

By the time we got home it was growing dark. How nice it was to just push a button and see the garage door go up. I pretty much walked into the house and immediately laid down for a nap. It seemed like I had been running all day. But it is good to be tired from doing service in the Kingdom.

We love to go to Port Durnford because it is so peaceful – except for the taxis zooming along the road – and there is just so much to see and love. Small woodlots produce income about every 7 years. This one belongs to the Nzama homestead. We grow to understand piles of debris, stacks of cement blocks, and unfinished buildings as just part of rural Africa. The blocks and unfinished buildings are hopes for a better future. The debris is the result of a successful remodel. But of course what is really important is the people – especially the children. No matter how humble the circumstances the children seem to always be clean and know they are loved by everyone. Everyone are truly brothers and sisters no matter what family they belong to.

Looking across the Mlondo garden at the neighbor’s laundry. Laundry is hung anywhere. We recently went by a fence covered with laundry and it was not near any house. It is almost like someone came out of the trees and hung it there to dry. Thandi Nzama is learning to teach Youth so when we are gone she can continue to teach Seminary and keep the Youth together. Blessing is the young man in the orange T-shirt who told us with a smile on his face about being in jail for 3 months to keep him from testifying in a criminal case. Sister Mlondo heads a household of more people than I can count. She works in the gardens to provide fresh vegetable for the family. It is the gogo – grandmothers – who hold much of Africa together.

We are truly blessed to know and serve here in South Africa in an area where in 30 minutes we can go from a modern mall to a rural community. It reminds me that it is people and family that really make happiness.

20 May 2010 – Thursday

The Bartholomews got to Durban yesterday and stayed at Little Haven. I called them to see if they could take president Vilane to a doctor that president Baldwin suggested but it turned out it would not work for them. Instead the made an appointment for him with Dr. Watson for tomorrow morning.

Martin, the garage door opener man, came by with his crew to finally replace the opener. He had a funeral to attend so he left his crew working and said he would come back later. When they were done we locked things up and got some goodies for the RB DDM. It seems like something is always coming up that keeps us from going to their meeting. Today is was that we had to quickly eat and then get back to our boarding so Martin could finish up with the garage door.

It turned out after they got it all in that it did not work properly. He was really mad because they had wasted about half the day and then had to take it all out. He promised he would have it back in tomorrow.

By the time they had taken everything out we were late getting away for Port Durnford. However thing pretty much worked out and Mary was still able to give her whole lesson before we had to leave for Youth. While she was teaching I got to thinking about the things that have made our mission so special. I considered the small, everyday things that have just become part of who we are. I wrote some of my thoughts down in my notebook and I am going to try to write something each day until we leave.

As we were driving from the Nzama’s to the chapel, we picked up Thobani on his way home from school. When we got to the Chirwa’s road, we were surprised to see Blessing standing there. He had disappeared from our lives months ago and we were told he had moved. It turned out that he was in jail. Not because he had done anything but so he could not testify in a rape case he knew something about.

What is amazing is that he is not bitter about this experience. He is the same old blessing with a smile always on his face. He is not a member but always came to Youth and church when he was here before.

Other than Lindani who does not get out of school until Youth is over and Lugani, all the youth were there and of course we now had Blessing. Thandi had a lesson, we worked on the theme, played some games and then I did a lesson/game about the Book of Mormon. They are really good young men and women and I just hope that Thandi can hold it all together until another couple come to help.

While we were driving to Esikhawini we got a call from the Bs saying they were in Richards Bay and we arranged to have dinner with them after Youth. It was interesting because they were using their US phone which means they would be charged for roaming when they were really only calling less than10 miles.

We had a really nice dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant . When they arrived, they were greeted by our server long lost friends. They said the same thing happened at McDonalds when they stopped for lunch. We talked about a lot of things that had happened since they had left and some ideas they had about helping the Youth in the area. It really was like old times and made me realize how much we miss not having another couple here to get together with from time to time and just talk about our experiences and sharing ideas.

All over Esikhawini and Port Durnford there are huge bushes covered in daisy like yellow flowers. These along the PD road are about 9 feet high and stretch for 40 – 50 meters. There always seems to be some tree or bushes flowering in South Africa.

Most of the time we find geckos climbing the walls inside the house, but I noticed this little critter on the outside of the sliding glass door. I put my hand next to it to give an idea of just how small it was. Notice the pretty pink belly. Now if I could train them to eat the ants…

Misc pictures from the month. The nice green bunch of bananas the Mickelsens gave us on Monday. They make an interesting table sculpture. The Blackburns were with us last Thursday and joined us at Port Durnford for Youth where they joined in teaching the gospel. Last Saturday morning I caught this picture of the trees and clouds at sunrise at Little Haven. It was a lovely, cool morning in Durban.

19 May 2010 – Wednesday

From one of the old mission blog posts:

Elder Andersen:
Ordination gives authority. Righteousness gives power.
To increase spirituality in a stake, teach the principle of tithing. Tithing for members is like mission rules for full-time missionaries. If they are obedient, they will have the Spirit.

For some reason this just hit home this morning, especially the first one. However the one about tithing is also so true. Many of the members here do not really understand the blessings that come with paying a full and honest tithe. When they are taught and understand the principle they start paying and then the Lord blesses them.

Out early so we could buy and deliver a food order to Enseleni. While there we took care of a request that president Baldwin called us about earlier and also stopped in to see president Vilane. President Vilane did not look good at all and the hospital at Engwelezane is really not helping at all. I am afraid he is dying.

We went to DDM where they reported their week of 2-mite days. The average was about 2.75 out of 7 which gives them lots of room to improve. As they do, the Lord will bless them and miracles will happen.

After DDM we had some lunch and then found that we would not be able to teach English this afternoon because our student would not be in town.

Instead we ran some errands – including helping the elders try to get a couple of bikes out of – and ended up spending an hour talking to our old landlady (I could not come up with a better term for ‘old’ – sorry Bessie) about birding in the area. She is a wonderful lady and just bubbles with enthusiasm for gardening, birding, and just about everything else she does.

We then came back home, where I finalized what I was going to train on this evening at District Council meeting.  I decided on talking about how the Aaronic PH committee is supposed to work in the district. It is an area that is clearly under the district president and that is not really working as outlined in the handbook of instruction right now.

The meeting was quite good. I think my training helped and president Baldwin made plans to instruct the branch presidencies when they come for training in June. All of the members of the council are good men and just need more training and experience.  We talked about finances, reviewed calendar items, and new branch clerks for a couple of the branches.

So the day did not go quite like we had earlier planned but some good work got done.

18 May 2010 – Tuesday

In the morning we bought the food order and delivered out to Port Durnford. The recent rain made some of the roads quite interesting to say the least. I am still hoping to get through our mission without getting stuck so badly that I have to call the elders to dig us out.

While we were in Port Durnford we talked to Sandile Chirwa about getting his medical and dental check-ups done this week. It is going to take quite a bit of time to get his papers ready – it turns out he does not have his national health immunization card so he will probably have to have all the shots. But what ever it takes to get him ready, it will be well worth it.

We tried to visit Bongamusa’ mother to see how her business is doing but no one is home. We hope that now that we got her a little boast in selling, she will be able to expand it to a point where it helps take care of her family until Bongamusa finishes the university and gets a good job.

We stopped in at president Machaka’s to get some papers signed and he then caught a ride with us back to Richards Bay.

It is the time of the year when they start burning the cane fields and the air quality starts to go downhill. As we drive the roads around Richards Bay and on the way to Durban we see the cloud of smoke and haze over everything. I really did not notice it all that much last year, but for some reason it is really standing out. Since this is the early part of the harvest, there are still not many fields being burned each day. I am not looking forward to the next few weeks when the harvest gets really going.

We spent the afternoon doing what we would have done yesterday if we had not gone to Durban for Zone Conference. I decided to get the car washed and while I was waiting a man sat down and started talking to me. He had seen my name tag with ‘Jesus Christ’ on it and started sharing how he and his family were having a hard time. It had been going on for about a year and seemed to be financial and also family harmony. After we had talked for a while I got his contact information and then put him on the phone with the missionaries in Empangeni.

He told me that he and his family pray three times a day and that he really has been praying about what he might be doing wrong and asking for help from God. As I was leaving I told him that I thought that God had a hand in us meeting at the car wash because I had not planned to get my car washed today but since we had been on so many muddy roads it seemed the things to do. I have had a number of contacts with people that I have turned over to the missionaries. None of them have led to any baptisms but that is OK because everyone has free agency. The important thing is just to keep trying to bring others unto Christ.