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.
