The events are upside down but I felt the most important event should be shown first. Our granddaughter Gentry Bartholomew and her husband Devan became the proud parents of Cooper Batholomew who was born at 8:00 a.m. Utah time and weighed in at a hefty 8 pounds 11 Ounces. Welcome to the family Cooper!

  Earlier in the Sabbath day the Potchefstroom branch enjoyed the beautiful sunshine of middle fall when the temperature is not too hot or too cold but just right.  The lucky brothers Kenny and Tinashe have the lovely Kea and Meisie between them.

Sisters Georgina and Merriam are probably discussing  Primary. While sisters Thato and Shavonne are checking out some pictures.

Renny Motha poses for my camera while brother Omphile talks in the background.

I take lost of pictures – this shows me taking a quick snapshot and then a better posed one. President Kwaikwai is in the background.

Due to a funeral that took many members away for the day, president Kwaikwai taught Sunday School while Bill later got to teach Relief Society. Somehow brother Kenny got involved with a real set of police handcuffs and it took him a while to get anyone to let him out of them.

After the block is over the Priesthood help the elders return the chapel to a school room. Here brother Philip has his arms full of odds and ends as the last items are on their way to the storage room.

Saturday Mary had four students for her Seminary class on the D&C and afterwards they made bracelets using rubber bands. The activity took some time to master but by the end they were are fairly proficient. We let them take the left over bands and the looms home with them.

      

As I have mentioned before the water hole is shrinking and I believe that most of the watering places in the Tembe park are drying up. It seems that no matter what time of the day I look at the webcam, there are elephants drinking. Friday and Saturday produced these photos. I especially like the one where the young elephant is rolling in the muddy water – kids will be kids.   Â Some how I got on a quilt page at Facebook and now they keep plugging ads for them in my home line. When I saw this pattern I told Mary that I would really like to have it for home – there was also a pink version that also would look great in our bedroom. Maybe in my old age I will take up quilting…but do not hold your breath.

My excuse for not posting about the YSA FHE on the 12th is that I was so busy with the transfer pictures I just plain forgot! That is my story and I am going to stick to it….

This was the first district meeting of this transfer and the first for elder Barton as district leader. We welcomed two new missionaries – well new to the district – elders Dye and Turauskis. We knew elder Turauskis because  he was already serving in the Vaal zone  so we had met him at zone meetings.

     

We drove up to Parys to vist sister Bobbi Swanepoel. We usually take the elders but today we took branch president Kwaikwai. He is an old friend of sister Swanepoel and they had a good time discussing some joint memories. Of course nothing goes on in that household with out Louis being involved and Mary made him very happy by finding just the right place to scratch his back.

 

There are lots of photos taken at transfer meeting. Sister Allred is the semi-official photographer for the mission. She takes the pictures of the new missionaries with their companions, with president and sister Dunn, and lots more. I borrowed these from her website…http://allredsinafrica.blogspot.com…where you can see these and a lot more from this transfer…Thanks Sister Allred!

I am not sure why I have my mouth open – but some say I should keep it closed more. This is president and sister Dunn with all the new missionaries. Brother and sister Anderson came to South Africa to pick up their son before returning to West Bountiful Utah. Sister Allred got elder Todd to smile – something I do not have a lot of success doing.

13 Amazing missionaries left the Johannesburg mission today – only 12 of them were at transfer meeting because elder Kalani had a very early flight out to get home to Kenya. There is a small ceremony where each missionary receives a mission pin from sister Dunn, a framed picture of their areas and companion as if put up on the screen and then hugs from both Dunns. I am sorry that the pictures of elders Pius and Raymond getting pinned were just too blurry to post.

        

After the pinning ceremony ends each missionary is given a chance to add some words of wisdom that they want to share with the other missionaries…some of them are very spiritual and moving and some are just young men talking.

Elders Anderson – in the famous going home suit – and elder Andritiana, Elders Haynes – who is from Brisbane where our friends the Mickelsens are serving – and elder Kairu.

 Elders Magrangga – who became a great-grandfather today – and Majozi. Elders Mead and Musaka

Elder O’Riordan – who never complained when I mispronounced his name many times.

Elder Raymond – I was almost through taking pictures of the speakers when I realized I could take a picture of them with their mission history slide in the background. Elder Ryan was the last of the returning missionaries to speak.

  The transfer meeting ended with Sister and President Dunn giving word of encouragement and counsel to the missionaries.

And then 100 plus missionaries stood and sang the mission song. Many of the departing missionaries take videos or pictures of the singing. To be there and sing with them is one of the many blessings we experience as senior missionaries.

So here are the 9 new missionaries in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission. They spend a couple of hours in the morning being quickly trained in some mission policies, how to use their debit cards, auto safety and rules, etc. In transfer meeting they are given a few minutes to introduce themselves, tell where they are from and bear a quick testimony. After that they are introduced to their trainers. Some how I missed getting a picture of elder Ngilazi as he introduced himself but he is being trained by elder Reese who served as an Assistant to the President for a number of months so he should be well prepared to serve after his training period.

 

After the meeting the fellowshipping goes on for hours. But there is also the moving of luggage from one car to the one from the new area. Here are the pictures I took after the meeting and before we headed back to Potchefstroom.

Elders Compton and Harris were serving in the Ikageng district when we came to Potch some 14 months ago. Elder Compton has just one more transfer before he is released. Elder McAllister was transferred from our district last transfer and elder Oldroyd heads to Witbank to be DL after serving in Jouberton.

Elders Smith and Allen – not the new elder Allen – pose for me. The picture on the right is a rare photo of four generations of elders. Elder Magrangqaon the right – who is being released – trained elder Dube who trained elder Pickup who will be training our new elder Gwaka.

Elder McAllister is laughing with an elder I do not know – Elder Ramiliarijaona – who is always just called elder Rami – stopped to have his photo taken. He served in our district.

Elder Togiatomai – who was transferred from the Vaal Zone shows some pictures to elder Andritiana who also served in the Vaal zone but is heading home. Elder Stilgoe points out elder Olseon

Elder McAllister managed to find another elder who I do not know. Elder Menendez was released as an AP and will spend the next two transfers training.

Two former companions as ZLs in the Vaal Zone get together. Elder Bryner with a friend.

Elder Larsen who served in our district back at the turn of the year with his new companion elder Nelson. Elder Todd with his new companion elder Turauskis and elder Peterson

Elders Tekurio, Melese, Adjin and Holmquist were happy to have their picture taken. Here are some photos of the transfer of luggage – some have neat stacks and some look like they are moving everything but the kitchen sink.

Sister Dunn has a few words with elder Anderson. Elder Anderson’s parents came to pick him up and got to experience a transfer meeting. Elders Rushton and Graham got together.

As did elders Taylor and Smith…for my last photo of the transfer! See you all in 6 weeks or so.

We arrived at the mission office about an hour before the transfer meeting started. We thought we were 90 minutes early but they moved the starting time up 30 minutes because so many elders were going home and they needed time for them to give their parting thoughts. I took over 180 pictures – some before, some after and of course most during. It takes a lot of time to edit and put names on that many pictures so I am going to post them in sections. First just as pictures and then I will go back and write something about them. The mothers and others who follow our blog will just be happy to see a current picture of their elders. I must confess that I tend to take more pictures of elders we have served with or who we bump into regularly at conferences and transfer meetings. Also I try to take pictures of those elders who’s mothers take regular looks at our blog even if we have not served with them. It is a real blessing to be able to go to transfer meeting and interact with these great elders and senior couples. It is special to sit or stand in the chapel and join with over 100 voices singing  hymns. So here are the pictures I took before the meeting…hope you enjoy them.

Elder Liera talks to Mary while elders Oldroyd and Todd stand by – I think that is elder Taylor in the back ground. Elder Liera with elder O’Riordan and friends in the background.

Elder Andritiana has two name tags so he does not forget who he is…this was his last day in the mission and we are sorry to see him go.

Elder Todd’s latest camera – it is a Samsung and it communicates by wi-fi so you can send pictures right to e-mail or social networks. He finally found a spot near the mission office where he could tie into the Church wi-fi.

Elder Oldroyd with elder Anderson who trained him. Elder Anderson is wearing the famous departure coat with that is signed by departing missionaries who are privileged to wear it to transfer meeting.

Elders Rushton and Di Ruscio pose for a photo. It was elder Raymond’s last day in the mission so I got a photo with him. We served in the Vaal Zone with him and he seemed to turn up at many of the group meetings we held since we have been in South Africa.

 

Elder Rodgers was transferred back to the Vaal zone after being away for just one transfer. I guess this is his home away from home. Elder Kankkunen has been serving in Sunnyside as DL and received a new companion at the transfer.

Elder Perkins with a great smile and a really short hair cut – he was serving in the district when we came in 15 months ago. Elder Larsen with elder Guencia – still the only real Mexico Mexican in the mission.

Elders Anderson, Larsen, Pickup and Guencia with two friends who tags I can not read. Elder Pickup is the brother of a sister we served with in the Florida Fort Lauderdale mission. This was the first time we really got to meet him as he just finished his training and will train another missionary. He served 3 months in the states while waiting for his visa so he is a seasoned missionary.

I went in to watch the new elders getting instruction about mission rules, how to use their debit card, etc. I was just in time to hear sister Dunn wrap up the meeting and then she took a picture of me with the new missionaries – timing is everything.

Two of the new missionaries seem comfortable striking a pose for a photo – elders Allen from Texas and elder Ngialzi from Zimbabwe. It would not be a transfer meeting without elder Sigel who I caught with elder Yates who serves as DL out in Orange Farm.

   

Although we have never served with him – not even in the same zone, Elder Cummings is another missionary who is always around. Elder Turauskis, our only elder from Lithuania, talking with elder Yates…I just noticed that elder Anderson is in the background.

One more picture of elder Cummings. Elders Oldroyd, Bryner and Wilkinson buddy up for a photo

As does elders Carter and Bua – elder Carter was transferred out of the zone. As was elder Togiatomai who is with elder Thompson.

Elder Oldroyd turned up in many pictures – here he is with elder Stilgoe and Olson. I was surprised that elder Alvial showed up as neither he nor his companion elder Barton were being transferred but they had to see elder Thompson about something,

Elder Neuenschwander gets the last photo before we had to round everyone up for the meeting. He and his companion, elder Savage, are not being transferred but had to drive some of the other elders to the meeting and take the new missionaries back.