Pictures!

HI!

Larry sent a wonderful letter to everyone on Sunday but I thought I would share our neighborhood news and a few pics if I can attach them.

These are pictures from the places we work (except the view picture from our P-Day).   These are typical hair salons, hair cuts, etc. businesses right on the main street.   The last picture is a new outhouse someone has just installed at their home.

Love from Us

Typical hair salons.   They are either cinder block or metal shipping containers.

Nicest Outhouse!

Cinder Block homes are the most popular.

This is a view on one of our daily drives.

Knock! Knock! It's a Croc!!

May 19, 2015

We have been blessed with so many wonderful opportunities this past week.   We feel like the Lord has been guiding us the last few days. We are trying to follow his promptings.

KNOCK, KNOCK IT'S A CROC!

Our land lady just brought us an article from our local newspaper.   The title was:   "Knock, knock, it's a Croc!" The accompanying picture   caught our attention.  This incident occurred 1/2 mile from our home, in the next "neighborhood".   During load shedding (power outage), a couple returned to their home.   Because everything was pitch black (no lights in the home or on the street), they couldn't see anything.   But they were alerted to a problem by their  dogs barking wildly.  The couple discovered a 10 foot Crocodile on the front lawn next to their driveway.   Without the warning of their dogs, the story could have had a different ending.   They called the Wildlife Department to capture the croc and release in into the nearby lake.    This event was unusual because the croc was quite a distance from the nearest water AND it had to cross a busy street to get to the home.    Just another day in our area !

Hand of the Lord

Early Tuesday morning we received a phone call from the elders in Port Dunford.   They wanted to know if we could take some members of their branch to the hospital to visit a relative.   This family was distraught wondering about a nephew who had been shot 3 times in the chest and a sister who suffered a heart attack.    They had no news about how they were doing and they have no transportation.   They live way out in a rural area.   We were so happy to be able to help them, but as usual, we were blessed even more.     We drove them to the Nguelezane Hospital.  It is the Regional Hospital and is HUGE.   We had a hard time finding a place to park---literally the area was a mass of cars parked everywhere.     But parking ended up to be the easy part.   The hospital is one story, open air corridors connecting different buildings, temporary buildings, trailers, and all sorts of structures.   There is no rhyme or reason to anything and no Map or directory.   We wandered around for a while and then I suggested we find the Reception Desk or Help Desk.   Eventually we did.   We waited in line and finally were able to ask the receptionist the room numbers of our patients.   We were referred to ask the lady at Window 8.   We went to window 8 and waited.    When we got up to the front and asked for so-and-so, they opened a large ledger with blue pages and started looking down each column, name by name, then page by page.     I couldn't believe it.    This register contained many pages, but we waited patiently.   Then the clerk, walked over to 5 more ledgers!   I was thinking, you mean you have to look through each giant book to find our patient?   This will take forever.    It did. There was not a computer in sight....only pages of names recorded by date. (There were no computers at nursing stations or anywhere we could see.   We did realize they have computers in billing and finance departments.)    Eventually  she told us, our patients weren't listed.   but she thought they might have checked in at the emergency area.    So she told us to go to Emergency which was at the other end of all these winding corridors.    When we arrived at the emergency area we were told to take a seat and wait.   Eventually, we repeated the same thing as before.   But as we were leaving, a doctor came out and asked if he could help.  We explained what type of injury it was and he directed us to a location back near our original starting point.  We still couldn't find the location until an employee walked us to A-2 (the ward) and showed us.   We NEVER could have found this sideways alley without a personal guide.  There we found the relative who had had a heart attack   For some reason, I walked back to see this heart attack victim that I didn't know.   There sitting in the ward was an investigator who stopped coming to church and wouldn't return calls.  She greeted us, we discussed the gospel, resolved a concern, and she agreed to come to church!!!    Isn't that so exciting????    The Lord guided us to this very room...it was no coincidence.   Then the heart attack victim, who is not a member, asked me to pray for her.   Everyone in the area joined hands (this is an open area with 10 beds lined up side by side and no privacy) and I prayed.   She thanked me profusely.

I was so filled with the feeling of awe at how the Lord had allowed me to see this sweet lady.    Larry, the family and I, started a new adventure to find the shooting victim.   As we walked along a random hallway, we saw a lady standing in the doorway of an office.   As we got closer, we recognized her.    It was a less active sister who is very difficult to visit.    Here she was!   We greeted her and had a nice visit.    Another tender mercy from the Lord!    By now, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord for his help.

We found the gunshot victim after much effort.   He is 19 years old, shot 3 times in the chest while standing inside his home.   They shot him through the window.

THE BEST DAY OF MY MISSION SO FAR  

The next day we left very early to pick up the elders and drove to Enseleni.   These wonderful missionaries had been able to arrange for us to speak to a high school of 1,300 students.   Just before we were to speak, the principal called us into his office and said we could address the students, but we could not share anything that was specifically Mormon doctrine.   We agreed and then rushed outside where the students were all waiting for us.....they were standing in lines and filled a large courtyard. (They have no large auditorium so they remained standing the entire 20-25 minutes.)    The elders had planned the program and assigned topics.   I spoke first on the value of education, Elder Ikube spoke on choosing friends wisely,  Elder Bryant spoke on Jesus Christ and repentance, and Elder Todd spoke on Sexual Purity.....that's right......Sexual Purity to a group of teens he has never seen and who have not been taught this concept.   Larry spoke in a direct, frank, manner.   There was a ripple of murmuring that went through the audience.  Occasionally there was gasps.   I was scared they might throw paper or boo, etc.    He finished and was unsure how they accepted his remarks.  Then the principal came forward.   He was so gracious and asked us more questions.   Then he told the students that these young men were 20 years old and they are role models.   Larry was still very nervous on how his talk was received.   As soon as they closed the assembly, the students rushed forward and shook our hands.   They hugged us.  They thanked us.  They actually treated us like celebrities.   They continued to mill around and didn't want to leave. No one was offended.   They said sexual purity is not talked about openly and they were shocked, but it was needed.   As were leaving the principal again complimented us.   What a wonderful feeling to feel the love of these students and to be able to share these thoughts from "For the Strength of Youth."   As we drove away, Larry said, This is the best day so far on my mission!

BACK TO EARTH

Friday night I taught seminary.   I had really tried to prepare myself spiritually as well as prepare the lesson.  I was so organized and I thought I had covered all my bases.   Well, I was mistaken.   I felt so disappointed and felt I had not been able to share the message I prepared.    I felt the students deserved better.

BUSY SUNDAY

Sunday at the Enseleni Branch I taught 1/2 of the Primary time and then taught Young Women.   Larry taught the other 1/2 of the Primary time and then he taught the youth Sunday School class.   Larry also spoke in Sacrament meeting.   But a very special part was that he was able to confirm a young woman we have been working with.   She attends our seminary class and is a special youth.   She has a very difficult home life.

We love the blessings the gospel brings to our lives every day.  

We love you so much.   

Elder and Sister Todd

Wonderful Week!

May 17, 2015
 Hi Everyone,

We have enjoyed some wonderful weeks on our mission but this past week has been very special.  

The elders working in a very poor township about 35 minutes from our home were invited to address the students at a high school.  Every morning the students meet in the courtyard of the school for a prayer and to hear religious music. There was 1340 students waiting to here us speak.   This is a public school but they can do that in South Africa, very refreshing.  The elders invited Sister Todd and I to speak with them.  The four of us each talked for three minutes on education, friends, Jesus Christ and sexual purity.  Teen age pregnancy and aids is such a problem that they are very vocal in discussing having sex as teenagers. I was the lucky one to discuss sexual purity, the elders did not want to even try to cover the subject and Sister Todd wanted to talk on education.  When I told them not to have sex before marriage the boys started making some funny noises.  For a minute I thought that they were going to start booing or throw rocks but it went well.  One of the elders is a zone leader working in the area that day.  He is an African-American from Gilbert, Arizona.  He was a member for only one year when he came on his mission and is an outstanding elder and young man.  The kids loved him, to see a black man from the United States that is very articulate, good looking was very impressive.  The Principal got up and asked the students how old they thought he was.  He then said that he is only 20 years old and used him as an example on what they should try to be like.  After we finished they gave us a great ovation and many kids came up and shook our hands and wanted to talk to us.  We were like rock stars the way they treated us.  This is the single greatest experience I have had on my mission.  The missionaries have been recognized walking around the township since this happened and are getting in to teach some people.

The next day we drove 45 minutes and picked up a young man preparing to go on a mission.  We had arranged for him to get a medical physical and dental exam for his mission.  This is such a joy to see these young African men and women wanting to go on missions.  We take the future missionaries to the same doctor and this is the third one we have taken there.  He treats this young people with such respect.  After getting several shots we then went to the dental exam.  Most black Africans do not go to the dentist.  This was his first time for this young man and they found an abscessed tooth and they had to do a root canal.  When he was finished with the dentist, and after the shots that he had received, he was one tired, sore young man but was so happy.

The next day we received a phone call at 7am in morning.  It from the elders in a township and they asked for our help.   We drove back to where the young future missionary lives,  45 minutes away, and picked up the young mans mother and brother to take them to a hospital 30 minutes away.  No one owns a car or has money for transportation so we agreed to do this.  They wanted to see a nephew who had been shot three times in the chest and another friend who suffered a heart attack.  The hospitals here are scary and this one is in a township which makes it double scary.  If you need to go to the hospital you do not want to go to one of these hospitals.  This hospitals does not use computers for admittance or finding out where a person is located.  They pull out big ledgers, hand written, and start going through names to find a person.  When walking around trying to find the patients we were blessed to run into an inactive member and had a great discussion and then into an investigator who had stopped coming to church.  Sister Todd grabbed her and got a commitment from her to come back to church.  We feel that the Lord has worked through us to do his work in very different ways.

On Friday nights we teach seminary in a township about 40 minutes from our home.  We normally have between 6-8 students but this night 13 showed up.  Out of the 13, 9 were  nonmembers.  One of our regular students, a non member, asked some kids in her neighborhood to come with her to seminary and 5 came.  Sister Todd had to work very hard to teach when most did not know anything about the church.  The black African youth love to hear about Jesus Christ. 

On Saturday we attended a baptism for two women.  One is one of our seminary students and the other is a young mother from another branch.  It was such a wonderful service and the spirit was very strong.  Our seminary student, Nqubile Ndlovu, is a junior in high school.  She lives with an aunt because both parents are dead.  The aunt does not take very good care of her but she has no where else to live.  The church has become her family and Sister Todd has become a friend to her and has spent time teaching and helping her.

On Sunday  Elder Todd taught sunday school to the teenagers, Sister Todd taught young womens.  Elder Todd confirmed Nqubile a member of the church and then spoke in sacrament meeting.  Soon as sacrament meeting was over we jumped in the car and raced 30 minutes to another branch and watched another baptism of a young man we had met the week before.  This branch does not have a chapel but meets in a library so there is not a baptismal font close.  They are lucky in that their branch president has a swimming pool at his home so their baptisms are performed there.  This branch is an exception in that their branch president has a nice home with a swimming pool.  Most branch presidents are very poor, without any worldly possessions.

It was an incredibly busy week but was so rewarding.  The gospel changes lives and is such a blessing to the people.   We continue to be amazed with this wonderful country and love the work.

Elder and Sister Todd

Birds of Prey for Brandon

Hi!

This weekend we had a senior couple staying with us.     We mentioned how Brandon is obsessed with Birds of Prey.    They told us that their son, Jon, has been obsessed with birds of prey since Brandon's age.    He is certified (that isn't the word but I can't remember what the official word is).   I think you can become certified at age 13 or 14 and he has been raising birds of prey since then.    He builds the homes that are 8 feet by 8 feet.      They have 3 in their backyard.    

Jon, had trouble reading well until he discovered Birds of Prey, and then he became an avid reader to learn about the birds.    

These are birds of prey he has acquired since returning from his mission 1-2 years ago.    This will be his profession.    He is starting a business in Bird Abatement.    Thought Brandon would be interested.

Love,

Nana and Papa