September 11, 2012

 I guess I should include a typical week we spend here in Port Alfred, South Africa.  We really spend more time doing the work than we do playing with the Elders and senior couples at game reserves and zip lines.

So our week goes something like this:   

Sunday – The Elders have found it helps if they go early sometimes to one of the investigators homes and walk with them to church. When they do this we will meet them at the church around 7:30 and give them a ride to the investigators home so they don’t leave their car parked in the township very long. That would invite someone to break in. When they don’t walk we will be at the chapel around 8 am to set up and make sure hymn books are out and the bulletin is printed, chairs in each room as needed, hymn numbers are posted, there is also the hope there is enough priesthood from the branch to take care of the sacrament. If not, the missionaries step in as well as Rick’s counselors. He tries not to use them for that if he doesn’t have to, but often at least one of them steps in. Then sacrament meeting, in theory, begins at 9 am.  It is typical over here in all the wards and branches for them to start sometimes 20 late because hardly anyone has shown up yet.  We are trying to break that mindset and start almost on time.  It seems more and more people are making it earlier now.   We also haven’t had our town drunk show up for church in quite some time and we are thankful for that.  We really don’t need that kind of spirit in the meeting. Sacrament usually goes quite well, they try hard, however  sometimes I don’t always understand all that the speakers say  . After sacrament meeting things get a little crazier!  Often there is someone who teaches who just doesn’t show up. I spend most of my time in the primary.  What makes it a little difficult is that most of the younger children (under 7) don’t understand English, let alone speak it.  We do a lot of spur of the moment teaching here.  If we survive the morning, we usually do some visiting and we always have the Elders over for dinner and compare Sunday happenings.

Monday - Our p-day.  Rick takes the tithing to the bank if there is any.  Sometimes no one has turned in anything.  We have gone to a number of game reserves, so far with just our Elders. Once, we went to Tsitsikamma Adventures on their zip line with the senior couples and to the Mercedes Benz factory in East London with a group of Elders.  Often we just catch up on things to be done at home and quite often there are branch needs that need to be taken care of (visits, blessings, and once a funeral).  We don’t schedule appointments on Monday evening, either.

Tuesday – We read scriptures every morning at breakfast, but Tuesdays we also study for the marriage and family lessons we give to member families each Tuesday and Thursdays.  We will be offering these lessons to all of the married members in the next few months. The families we teach now are really liking it and are grateful for the help.  One husband is one of the newest converts but his wife had not much interest in joining the church. When Rick was interviewing him for the priesthood his interview took an entirely different direction than he had planned.  He talked to him about the importance of families in the gospel and how it is the basic unit of the church. As they talked he learned from him that he and his wife were often fighting and things were not going well in the marriage. Rick offered to come and teach the marriage and family relations lessons to him and his wife, which he accepted.  Things are going a lot better for them, they are both so grateful for the lessons that help them do those things that draw them closer to each other and become one. The wife is now taking the lessons from the Elders and is doing very well. She has a baptism date set and with any good luck will be one of our newest members soon.  We also go to a less active member’s home and read the Book of Mormon with her.  She was a member for some time, living in Port Elizabeth,  when her husband got ill and died after months in the hospital. During this time she received little, if any support. Only after his death did she get a visit from the RS president inquiring if there was anything the ward could do to help. That was the last day she attended church. She has been to a number of our service projects, is very caring and helpful to all, but has yet attended services on Sunday. Hopefully, she will start coming again soon.  Tuesday also includes missionary correlation with the Elders and then on to one of the Elders favorite activities, eating lunch with the Stumm’s.

Wednesday – AHH..Seminary night.  I spend time studying for this. It is the Old Testament this year.  We also seem to fill this day with more branch needs that always seem to come up.   The days always seem to fill up.

Thursday – usually is a little lighter since the big stuff happens on Tuesday and Wednesday.  There are always visits to make, however.  The Tunye’s are now taking our marriage lessons and loving them.  They express gratitude for the time we spend and what we teach them. We also go to the Hola home where I help Sister Hola understand English better.  We read from the Book of Mormon and go over each verse so she understands in English what it means.  They do have Xhosa Book of Mormons, however, she has to know English before she can be baptized because everything here is done in English and she has to understand the interviews, etc.  She is progressing very well, according to the Elders.

Friday – Every other week there has been a branch activity.  They can be exhausting.  Friday is also our district meeting and we also feed the Elders after the meeting.  Once a month we take them to a restaurant. This is also the day Rick takes Brother Hola up to the Super Spar grocery store and picks up thrown out produce for his pigs.  Brother Hola has been grateful for this extra help.  Often I am baking something for something either today or Saturday or both. There is either an activity or baptism or birthday to prepare for and most people in the branch do not have the ability to bake anything. (Sometimes I think I am on a food service mission!!)

Saturday – Rick is usually doing service with the missionaries or others today. He also goes back to the grocery store for any more pig food stuffs.  I catch up on things at home and more baking.  Saturday is also baptism day.  Often there is one once a month.  Then more visits in the afternoon then Rick has his branch presidency meeting.