I have mentioned before how Ennerdale is "the frosting on our week".
Saturday morning we spent the day in the temple with a wonderful couple. I was Sister Norma's escort as she went through the temple for her first time. Later Sister Norma and Brother Richard were sealed for time and all eternity to their sweet family of three little boys: Ayanda Gift was just recently baptized and turning 9 next month. Lisani is five years old and the third little boy is a sweet angel who had died a couple of years ago. It is beyond words to describe the feelings as one witnesses such a sacred moment. Little boys who are normally busy, wiggly and noisy walk into the room dressed in white looking and behaving like angels. As they look in to the faces of their mommy and daddy there is such a look of love and trust. They KNOW that what they are doing is right! This is what the restoration of the Gospel is all about!
Then we were off to Ennerdale for a YSA activity. However, this is the first time that the activity fell through. The YSA young man representative had asked one of the sisters in the branch to teach the YSAs how to cook. She was all ready and had prepared special cakes but only two YSAs showed up. Elder H and I were very surprised! We reconnoitered and decided to do a mini lesson after our YSA Sunday School class.
In this picture are the two Ennerdale Elders, Sister Jillian and Barry the parents of Sister Laura (who is the cook for the activity), Laura's son Valentino and then two YSAs, Pride and Ntkozo with the phone at his ear.
This is Sister Jillian's mother and Valentino's great grandmother.She is 81 years old and is in charge of the vegetable stand. Her daughter calls her "The Commissioner of Finance".
We used our extra time to go visit a less active YSA and track down a "missing" sister.
Then on to Pimville in Soweto. It is now getting dark and the traffic is wild and crazy with taxis(which are actually vans) loaded to the gills hooting their horns, zipping in and out, stopping any old place. The doors open and the passengers take to the streets. This is scary and very disconcerting because the streets are not well lit and there are black skinned people mostly wearing black walking in the dark.....in front of you! We have a goal to make it home from our mission without being the cause of injury to one of these wonderful but unconcerned and perhaps imprudent people. Maybe they'd be more cautious if they knew there were two crazy Americans behind the wheel.
The reason we went to Pimville was for Elder H to do a baptismal second interview. When the President is out of town and his counselors are unavailable President has asked Elder H to conduct the interviews. This is the fourth one he has done and he feels it is a privilege and a sacred responsibility.
We arrived home about 8:30 safe and sound and feeling warmed by The Spirit.
It is good for us to be here.
Elder Watts is the Car Czar here in the mission. He has a great sense of humor and loves to joke and tease with the elders. They LOVE him! But this morning one of the assistants decided it was pay back time! When the time was just right Elder Gustin sneaked into Elder Watts' office and attacked him with silly string!
Ahhhhhhhhhh! Sweet Revenge! But look out Elder Gustin for Elder Watts' comeback. You can be sure it's going to be bigger and better!
In this picture are the two Ennerdale Elders, Sister Jillian and Barry the parents of Sister Laura (who is the cook for the activity), Laura's son Valentino and then two YSAs, Pride and Ntkozo with the phone at his ear.
This is Sister Jillian's mother and Valentino's great grandmother.She is 81 years old and is in charge of the vegetable stand. Her daughter calls her "The Commissioner of Finance".
Here I am all ready to go to the office and brushing my teeth by the heater. I'll shed the bathrobe at the last possible minute for my winter coat, gloves and scarf!
