Chapter 24: No pictures...sorrrrryyyy Just plain ol' writing

Today, Tuesday at this writing, Calisto, our investigator from Lydenburg, sent us the following: “Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he is the cheaf conerstone of our gospel. We are blessed to have such a great restored gospel through prpht J Smith. Amen” 

We love this man! He is such an amazingly spiritual person who desires to be baptized. He just has to get off on Sundays more. We really love this man. I know I keep saying that but it’s just so true.

So the week has disappeared again. I am again writing on Sunday afternoon.

Church was great and moderately well attended. The Weitsz family was sick so that meant that Diane was not able to teach Gospel Doctrine so I got to do that today. I had everyone who wasn’t in Primary in my class including my own youth class. The lesson was easily adaptable as it was on the birth of the Savior. We had some less-actives attend, an entire family of investigators and a young woman from Swaziland. It was great—as it should be every week! Except for me teaching Gospel Doctrine that is.

ES and I are starting diets tomorrow so today we are having the “I’m going to feast on everything I cannot eat ever again feast” for dinner. I’ve just put the chocolate cake in the oven and I have rolls rising. We are having shepherd’s pie even though it is super-hot today. The weather has been so pleasant and the humidity has dropped to very livable and now the heat has returned. But, Oh Well! I have my A/C on right now but I will turn it off because we are expecting Debbie to come over for a lesson and she loves to be hot.

The last few days have been filled with absolutely great experiences! We had our scripture study class and 13 attended! Wow… 3 of those were children but I’m still counting them. Then on Thursday we went to visit the Bethel’s who live in Sabie and own the second-hand store. Then on Friday while I worked on my Seminary lesson, the Elders went to visit a family of mostly members (one daughter was not ready to be baptized when the rest were) who live an hour away from Nelspruit. They cannot come to church as they do not have a car and there are no buses that run on Sundays. The son wants to be ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood and the daughter is now ready to join. Problem is how to get them to church????? There are no other members who live around them.

On Saturday we drove to Lydenburg to teach Calisto and to visit with the Sagauke family. They actually moved out of Nelspruit Branch the second Sunday we arrived…they moved to Johannesburg for a change of school but 2 weeks ago they moved back. They felt they had not accomplished what they needed to do in Nelspruit. I believe they have been directed to come back because this Branch needs them. They are incredible movers and shakers. Already they are out visiting the less-actives, calling members during the week, making plans to grow Nelspruit. He was the Branch President before and his wife was YW President. They will make a huge difference now that they are back. He works in the mine in Lydenburg and has for 10 years. They said they are here to stay. Great people. We need 10 more families.

And we think we have found one. Ben and Tulie and family of three. They came to church yesterday (Monday today) and are great people. Tulie really enjoyed all of the meetings. Ben is a little less expressive but he had a lot of questions about things which ES spent a few minutes discussing with him. The Jrs. found this family and have been teaching them for a while…ES joins them most lessons. They are what is called Progressing Investigators. They were warmly welcomed and fellowshipped the minute Sacrament meeting ended and all through the meeting.

Today is “P” day. We have lots of shopping to do and Jrs. hair to cut. I have to make a mock throne chair—Yes, Christy, I am stealing your idea but not so wonderful as I have no access to wood (yours looks magnificent, by the way)—for the New Beginnings I am working on for this Saturday. We did decide what we are doing and I’ll be busy this week as well as my normal doing.

Oh, we did see Baboons on the road to Lydenburg. None of us were ready with cameras and at 80kilometers it is hard to stop and take a snap. Beautiful creatures. But I’m glad they or any of their cousins are not in my kitchen