Chapter 12... Missionary Work and Other Fun Things!

Part 12 Missionary Work and other things!

I read my last blog post to ES and he said: “You didn’t tell them about all my missionary work.”

So, this blog will be dedicated to all of ES’s missionary contacts. The first one: We are going to have Chinese food at a restaurant where we gave the waitress a Book of Mormon. She is very nice and interested but she lives in KaNeymazane and works every weekend from 10:15 – 9:30 pm. Long hours and very little income, I imagine. So she cannot go to church. This is a wide spread problem for SA among the blacks. They do all the labor around here so they work, work, work and cannot go to church. But, we will take her a couple of pamphlets to read hoping that she will become converted and find a better job that will allow her to go to church as she desires.

Our investigator, Combi, who just walked into church one day, has moved to a small township near KaNeymazane and is going to their branch. Their missionaries are teaching her and she is scheduled to be baptized on November 23. That is super good news. She lost her job as a domestic /day care provider because she wanted to go to church. I’m not sure what will happen when she does get another job. I hope her testimony will be strong enough to withstand. But, she is an undocumented visitor from Swaziland and cannot be too choosy in where she works. Undocumented workers are a big problem here as well.

Its P day and we have shopping, grocery and otherwise, to accomplish today. I broke down a few weeks ago and bought a printer—I wasn’t going to out of principle that I have to leave it here and yet I sort of need it to do our work and the mission doesn’t pay for it—but I did anyway and now I need a printer stand. We will go to a store called, “Richman Poorman” which is a used and new furniture store located next to our Branch building to look for the perfect printer stand. What we found is far from perfect but it will be quite serviceable. We were kinda tired after errand running so we just frogged for the rest of the evening and went to bed early.

I have to report about our server at the Chinese restaurant. Her name is Hilda Bathesile… pronounced Bat-C-lay… and I can’t even spell her last name… agreed to meet us at church in Nelspruit. She will take a taxi to our building then after church, ES and someone (I will be teaching SS class) will drive her to work so she won’t be late. She was very excited that we were able to work out the logistics of getting her to our meeting. Who knows, except for Heavenly Father, what this might bring about but I’m hoping she will continue reading and studying and coming and that she can change her life and get a better job with Sunday’s off so she can attend church. I don’t ask for much.

Those who know me well will be amazed that we both go to bed early and get up early… ES about 5:ish and me about 7:ish… And, yes, that is A.M.  ES goes to the gym and then comes home to work on his PMG scripture memorization and me to getting out emails, bank balances and FB inquiries. Then we plan out our day and get on the road. Sometimes, as in today since it is Tuesday, I was up before 7 and ready for Martha to come over.

The Jr. Elders and us went over all our missionary plans and then went to President Manjate’s home for a planning meeting. We discussed lots of things regarding those we are working with, hope to be teaching and the less-actives that we wish we could teach. The Elders have been working very hard so after our meeting we took them to a place called the Mug and Brew. Which is as you might have guessed a coffee place on the vain of Starbucks with food… REALLY great food. While there, I began reading all the signs about the place and although I thought Mug referred to a coffee mug and Brew referred to the black stuff inside the cup (and I bet you did too!) I was wrong. This place (if we can believe the sign) began in 1880 something in San Francisco CA and the proprietors were something, something Mug and Jacob Bean. No kidding. The food is really good and ES was able to get a real live Cobb Salad complete with bleu cheese dressing. Something almost unheard of here. Don’t get me wrong they have a lot of South African dishes like lamb and curry pot pie and peri-peri chicken which can get so hot it might challenge my sons-in-laws threshold.

Now, as promised, back to missionary work. I stayed home and baked this really great cake I discovered that ES has fallen in love with (chocolate cake with white frosting) and some really labor intensive cookies called Carmelitas while ES went with the Jr. Elders to do a bit of tracting and then off to an appointment with a mother-led family. They are teaching her the God-head and Prayer since during their last appointment the family kept saying, “amen,” “praise the Lord” and other common interjections. Like I said, the people here have testimonies of Jesus Christ they just need to be guided to His church and His ways.

The Jrs. knocked into several families that are interested in hearing more. It is a bit difficult to actual tract and knock on doors because almost everyone here, including us, live in large complexes with gates, electric fences, and razor wire on top. If they live in stand-alone houses the house is surrounded with fences, electric wires and razor wire on top complete with wrought-iron security doors and window coverings. They take security to an entirely new level. Seems it is necessary in Joburg but Nelspruit has one of the lowest crime levels in the country. Even though, everyone is highly security conscious at every public and private venue. All the stores have security guards…most armed… and every bank has several. The parking lots are guarded and your cars watched over by the parkers. Actually, I feel quite safe around here. It’s quite beautiful and peaceful and I’ve yet to have any monkey’s invade my flat let alone the kitchen.

My early Christmas cards!

I just had the cutest thing happen! I was busy writing away on this blog when I heard giggling coming from my front staircase and suddenly two pieces of papers came flying underneath my front door. My wooden door was open but my security door was shut and locked but there is a huge gap underneath. I went to the door and there on the stairs were two little neighbor girls about 10 years old trying to hide but giggling with all their souls. I asked them what they were up to and they said they were delivering Christmas cards. The cards are folded pieces of computer paper with hearts on the front, the words “Chrismes Card” written on the top and inside one it says, “I love you God bless you have the best Chrismes”  then signed “From 91 with love” and the other says, “I love you if you want to find out were in my house you must go down to 95” and then in big letters, “Love You.” I talked to them for a while and #91 is Tristan and #95 is Shadu.  Really cute girls. Guess I’ll have to make some more cookies and take their families a plate… So, do I miss my grandchildren???? You bet!!! More than words can say!!!

Now, it is Sunday. The week has whizzed by…again. Sadly, none of our investigators came to church. ES had no one to teach.

ES has been out several days doing missionary work. We even had one lesson here in our home with a girl named Leroy. She’s scheduled to be baptized on the 23^rd of November. The flat she lives in is quite hectic so we volunteered our home for teaching.

Friday, I went Seminary teaching in Sabie and ES and the Jrs. Continued on to Lydenburg to help the Sibonyoni’s move their printing shop. I was teaching the iceberg principle about conversion.

We ran more errands on Saturday and then that night ES went to Barberton with the Jrs. to teach a couple of interested people. We haven’t had any more contact with Chrystal and Obert since our last visit. Scheduling seems to be the biggest problem.

I’ve been asked to work along with a less-active member on the approaching Young Women in Excellence program. She and I are doing the decorating. We met and planned out all our ideas, decided who would do what and got so excited about doing it all. On Thursday, ES and I went to Valencia Wholesale and bought lots and lots of fabrics and such. I’ll take pix of the event when it happens. It’s going to be lovely and elegant.



ES is trying on his new glasses! His eyes literally bugged out!

It was Halloween on Friday which was the day of our District meeting. We have one Elder from Zambia and one from Madagascar where Halloween just isn’t done… So I decorated for them mostly and for our two Elders… Although, Elder Ah Wong from New Zealand said they don’t celebrate with monsters and costumes and such… He did like the candy idea however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next week will be a very busy week for both ES and I. The days are already filled but we’re starting off the week with a trip to Kruger National Park, one of 14 of the largest game reserves in the world. There are 60 known mammals and 238 birds that inhabit the area and what is known as the big 5 as well: Lion, Elephant, Hippo, Rhino, and Giraffe. I’m really looking forward to this trip even though we must leave early in the morning and drive all day. I’ll take as many pix as I can.

So farewell for now. No monkey’s but who knows after tomorrow…maybe I’ll want one or two.