Shopping -gfh

I hesitated to do this post but here it goes.........There's some great shopping here in South Africa!

About every other month Sister Poulsen, the mission president's wife, arranges a girls day out and we all go shopping! It doesn't matter if one NEEDs to buy something one NEEDs to go shopping! Elder H and I love the saying "Somethings are NEED to have, somethings are NICE to have and somethings are NUTS to have." Well, it seems like one NEEDS to go shopping ever so often. It helps keep one from going NUTS here in the office even if one doesn't find something NICE to have.

Hope you enjoy the few pictures of our outtings:Sister Poulsen and I ended up wearing the same skirt one day when we went shopping together. We didn't know that we had both previously bought the same skirt. After that I was careful not to wear the skirt if I knew she would be at the activity or meeting.This is a shopping trip to Cinda's in July 2010, one of our favorite places.Sister Christensen, the MTC President's wife is on the left. Sister Koelliker, the Africa South East Area President's wife is next. Then Sister Stonehocker one of our senior sisters. All selecting their favorite South Africa bead necklaces and braclets from Bret's.Sister Stonehocker tried on a bridal headdress but decided it wasn't her. This is at Sela's warehouse.

Sela is an African Dealer who travels all over Africa gathering "treasures". He is a wholesale supplier for African markets and shops. Several years ago the Area President's wife at that time came in contact with him and he has been selling to the senior sisters by appointment ever since. It is a real treat because we have found some of his things in other shops for 4 or 5 times the price he charges us. He is only at his warehouse in Jo'burg twice a year. I'll have one for chance to shop before going home. I always seem to find a "NEED" to have at Sela's.

Just Some Random Stuff -gfh

April Transfer: Elder Jones from Utah in the Traveling Transfer Day Brown Suit:

Brother Shoko has been serving as a ward missionary and being a full-time companion to one of our "odd men out" elders. His official mission call came while here. It was fun to be part of the excitement! His call was to the Zimbabwe Harare Mission. (he's from Zim but has been living here) Also, the name tag he is wearing is a ward missonary name tag in a plastic pin on badge. Looks real, neh?




A few Ennerdale Priesthood holders hangin' out and lookin' cool:

January Transfer: Elder Rodrigues from San Jose Californa in the Traveling Transfer Day Brown Suit:

This grandfather type white man can be seen carrying this little black African boy on his shoulders walking to and fro around our flat complex. One day he was without the little boy and I asked where his little friend was. He said that he had checked next door and he was still asleep. Not sure what the relationship is. Maybe just a kindly neighbor being a grandpa to this young boy. They were out walking one day and I asked if I could take their picture. The man asked why? I told him they would be part of my warm memories of South Africa.

AKA -gfh

The morning of Transfer Day each new missionary gets his picture taken with President and Sister Poulsen. One is sent in a "safe arrival" letter to his parents and he gets a copy. Right before pictures were going to be taken the morning of the April Transfer, Sister Poulsen discovered that she had lost her name tag somewhere between the Mission Home and the Mission Office. We quickly took mine off and clipped it on thinking that no one would be able to read the name anyway but they would notice if she didn't have one on..
Oops! When one of the new elders came in to the office a week later and received his picture, he looked at it and instantly said "What is Sister Poulsen doing wearing Sister Henrichsen's name tag? Who knows but maybe that picture will become a collectors item. Hmmmm.

Munsiville U-Nite -gfh

We love doing U-Nites! This is our fourth one.We were asked by Elder Samoela from Madagascar and Elder Ngcobo(that is pronounced with a click in it. Tricky to do) from Durban. We are pictured above during refreshments at the end of the evening. The cups of tea are Rooibos tea. Very popular here in ZA. It is the bush tea that Mma Ramotswe loves in the books "#1 Ladies Detective Agency". Elder Samoela from Madagascar made chocolate crepes that his mother used to make. Simple but delicious! He made the crepes and while hot he put on Cadbury chocolate bar pieces and rolled them up. The chocolate melted and the result was fantastic! A little bit about Elder Samoela. He knew almost no English when he arrived in ZA. Not too long ago there was a family that needed to be taught in French and he realized he couldn't do it!

After Elder H did his presentation on budgeting and home finance, we had them divide in to teams and do a financial word search I had put together.The picture below shows Elder Samoela helping with the word search game.



Below is a picture of the host family. He has been a member about a month and his wife is being taught.
At the end of the activity I asked if they had any questions or concerns about what we had talked about. One of the women said "We have a problem with budgeting in our culture." I wondered what she meant by that. She went on to explain that they can have their food storage and the food budget for the family but then someone knocks on their door who is hungry and needs a place to live and they take them in. Usually the person does not have the funds to contribute towards the food. The woman asked "What do we do then?" I turned it to the group and asked "What DO you do?" It was decided that if we are careful with our means we are better prepared to care for others which is what the Lord would have us do.
I have added below some more pictures of our U-nite:

Horses -rh

In our transfer meeting yesterday, President Poulsen told of his experience with three of his horses. They would ride up in the mountains of Utah where there are cougars and bears. The horses sense that there is potential danger around them and adapt to their particular roles as they ride. He found that the lead horse would have his ears cocked forward at all times to listen for sounds of danger. The last horse in line would have his/her ears turned as far back as they could go to listen for something trying to sneak up on them. the middle horse in the procession would have his ears constantly moving to listen for things coming at them from the sides. He told us that no matter which horse was in the lead, the ears would be the same - cocked forward. He also said that no matter what order the horses were in the procession they always assumed the role required of their position in the line.

He likened this to the different roles the missionaries play in the mission. Some are junior companions, some senior. Some are district leaders, others are zone leaders while still others are assistants to the president. Each has a role to play and a job to do and we should all be able to adapt as did the horses. Sometimes they are called to be trainers, or zone leaders and then assigned to be a senior companion, even though they have done that job previously. Some would say that we should always be moving to a "higher" position and not going back and doing something that has been done before - but that is not always the case. We accept the call and then adapt to the role assigned, just as the three horses did on the trail high in the mountains.

I am examining the various roles in my life and trying to determine how the Lord would have me play them. I can buck the system and try to be something I am not, or I can make the best of my particular assignment. I have learned that the position of stoker on a tandem bike is not to steer or brake - it is to give my all to making the bike go forward and assisting the captain as asked. If I try to decide where and when to turn, I may be leaning right when the captain wants to go straight or even left. If we don't work together, we can crash and be delayed in our progress or even suffer injuries. It is best to keep within the role assigned - then be the best and most cooperative stoker possible - let the captain decide where to go and when to stop.

I really believe that President Poulsen, although he was likening the horses to the missionaries, was giving us a life lesson to be used every day, in every situation we may find ourselves.