Art is telling...

When Notambiaque came to clean our flat this Friday, she brought these two notes from her daughter Bussi.  Bussi has Eczema.  Severe.  We have made several trips to the doctor/hospital with her to see if anything can be done.  If you are on government assisted medical coverage here, let me just say that it is sub-par and she still struggles.  I posted these pictures because (1)  Look at the color of President Wheeler.  We love that she sees us as one of them.  And he has quite a bit of hair!!!(2) I am not sure what she sees me as.  Maybe Roger Rabbit?

This is our poor little Bussi the day we took her to the hospital.  Be grateful.  Be very grateful for good medical coverage.

It's only $0.03...

Just returned from a trip to the local grocery store.  We have two (that I trust).  Spar and Pick and Pay.  See these three bags that my groceries are in.  I have to pay for them.  It is only $0.03, but it makes me crazy.  Yes, I do have re-usable bags that are great if I remember to take them with me. I even usually fold a few of these disposable bags up (thank you Pinterest) and carry them with me in my purse.  Today I forgot my bags.  So the first question the checker always asks is "would you like plastic?"  I would like to say to her one time…"No thank you.  I will carry my 50 items of groceries out to my car one at a time.  Would you mind waiting?"  I never do.  I just think it.  And I know it is only $0.03, but REALLY!!!

Africa's version of Meadow Valley Contractors / Road Construction.

Sometimes I just want to post something that I think is interesting and I don't want to forget.  This is one of those posts, so just skip it if it does not interest you.  The roads here in Port Alfred are…well…can I just say POTHOLES!!!!    President Wheeler said that when they pave the roads here they only put down one inch of asphalt.  Thus the holes.  Now, my Father was a road builder, my brothers worked summers with him, and my son Jed is also a road builder, along Ryan who is very familiar with the road-building process.  I guess roads interest me.   We often see new roads being put down with these paving stones.  When finished, they have the look of a cobblestone road.  It is a thing of beauty to watch as they lay these brick.  They prep the surface and then form a line of workers and throw these pavers down the line and set them in place.  There is a rhythm to it.  I wish someone set music to it.  It really is beautiful to watch.  And it is beautiful when it is completed and lovely to drive on!

Preping the road using wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels and sweat…

The Paving Bricks all ready to go...

THE PAVERS….

Shall the Youth of Zion Falter…

Our Youth Sunday School Teacher was not able to be to church this Sunday, so I was able to fill in for her.  This is the group of kids I got to teach.  They are also my seminary students.   Each of these youth are 1st generation Mormons.  I wish I could magically transport all of you who are reading this blog to our building on a Sunday.  I get to sit on the stand during the sacrament meeting since I am now the branch organist.  There is a clock in our chapel.  It is so reverent during the sacrament that you can hear the ticking of the clock.  They are so very humble.

Most of you reading this are what they call here in South Africa, "from the factory".  Most of us are 3rd, 4th, 5th generation Mormon's.  I asked these kids today how many students were in their high school.  Some of them go to different schools.  Sonwambile (the boy in the red shirt) said there are 2000 students at his school.  Four of them are members of the church.  I read an interesting statistic on LDS.org.  In 2006, 64% of the members of the church were First Generation Mormons.  It is such an honor to rub shoulders with these modern-day Mormon Pioneers.  I would love to come back to Africa in ten years and see these very youth leading the church.  It will happen.  They truly our my heroes.  Their faith is strong.  Their hope in the Savior is bright.  They bare strong testimonies of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and of the Savior Jesus Christ.  They ARE "True to The Faith".

Service Project!

This is our beautiful Motambiaque with two of her daughters.  Balli is the smallest and Busi is the tallest.  She has one more daughter that is 10 months old.  Baby Lilly.  She is a single Mommy raising these girls and doing a great job.  The Priesthood did a service project at her home.  They added a door to the outhouse in the back and also some much needed work on her electrical in her home.

This is a view of her home from the street!

 Brother Hola is working on the new door to her outhouse.

Meeting Mosiah!

Meet Mosiah…and his family.  Who knew.  Joshua Mosiah, his lovely wife Selenah and their two beautiful daughters came to stay with us in Port Alfred Saturday, January 18th.  Joshua is on the High Council in the Port Elizabeth Stake.  He has been a member of the church for eight years.  President Wheeler had asked him to come and speak in our ward.  We had a lovely dinner prepared and then went for a walk on the beach.  The girls gathered seashells and said they were going to make jewelry out of them. I also got to do some "Art" with the girls.  It made me homesick for Jara and Tessa.   TheMosiah's have been members of the church for 10 years.  She is from the Xhosa Tribe here in Africa and he is aXuXutu (or was).  In his tribe his father and grandfather still practiced sacrificing animals.  He asked them both why they did animal sacrifices and neither of them could give a good reason.  It was confusing to him.  When he found the church he was relieved to find the "why" behind everything.  They were baptized and soon began working towards a temple marriage.  He sold his only means of transportation to fund the trip and they created an eternal family.  He spoke on that in our Sacrament meeting.  The spirit was VERY strong and tears were flowing.  I was sitting on the stand and could see in to the faces of the members.  

I was showing Tracy and Gloria some things on LDS.org.  Their mother, Selenah, has gone to college and received her degree in Sociology.  To help supplement their income she crochets shoes and handbags.  I have ordered some from her.  

Zion is growing!

This is the logo for our mission.  SACTM.  South Africa Cape Town Mission.  Or, Serving Always Christ The Master.  When we were in East London with our friends the Blatters, she shared this story with us.  They are receiving a new couple missionary that has been assigned to the Motherwell Branch that is very close to East London.  The Motherwell Branch was formed in August with only eight members.  Today, that branch has 80 members.  The Blatters are PEF & Employment Missionaries.  THEY ARE BUSY!!!  They also supervise 16 missionaries.  They had an assignment in Motherwell and attended the new brach there.  She was chatting with one of the sisters there who was newly baptized.  Their conversation went something like this…

"Sister______, do you have a calling in the branch."

"Yes, Sister Blatter, I think I do."

"Can you tell me what it is?"  

"Well, I think I am a counselor."

"A counselor.  That is lovely.  Of what"

She looked at Sister Blatter with pleading eyes.  Sister Blatter started naming auxiliaries.  She got to the Relief Society and the Sister exclaimed…"Yes!  That is it.  It is the Relief Society."

These saints are humble, faithful, and loving.  They have so much to learn.  Everything is  new to them.  We love them all dearly.