A week of service

This week has been a week of the unexpected.  I have decided that the only reason you have a planner, and that you fill it in with a program is so that life can change it for you.  This was the week before transfers for our missionaries, which means we have to go to 5 flats to check their apartments and their vehicles to make sure everything is in good order.  So, we had each of our days planned with a flat check for each day as our area is so spread out.  We were on our way to Leribe to do their flat check and do a piano lesson, when just before we crossed the border into Lesotho, we got a phone call from the Elders in Maseru asking us to bring the extra key for the bakki as they had locked their key in the vehicle.  I told them we would come right away, but we were more than an hour away from our flat and then we still had to drive into Maseru and cross the border to get to where they were.  So almost two hours later we were able to bring them the extra key (we have extra keys to almost all our missionaries vehicles - safety precaution) and get their bakki unlocked.  However, we didn't get what we needed to get done that day - oh well, just meant a fuller day later in the week. 

Tuesday morning we were up and on the road by 6:30 AM as we had to drive to Phuda (3 hours away) to do their flat check.  While we were there we got a phone call from the area PEF person, (Jesse) asking us to help him find a new rental for the church in Phuda.  He wanted us to put him in touch with a realtor in the area.  We immediately phoned the branch president and tried to get the networking in motion.  After we did the flat check we were at the mall getting a few things for the upcoming Helping Hands on Saturday and ran into President Thusi and got the ball rolling for brother Jesse.  All in all a pretty productive morning.  On the way home we made a stop in the Golden Gate Park at a Bosotho village and took the tour.  This is village that has been set up to show what their villages looked like through the years and to teach us about their culture and traditions.  It was a very enjoyable stop.

This man sits at the highest point and plays an instrument that warns the village of strangers approaching.

Before you can approach the chief (on the left) and his advisor (right) you must be invited into his yard.  The hat on the chief's head is the counseling hat and is the hat he wears as he counsels his village people. They offered us some of their own brewed beer for refreshment.  Of course we declined and he told us that they accepted other religious beliefs.

Our next stop was at the village healers hut.  He has a bag of bones, wooden dominoes, coins, dice, etc. that he pours into your hands, has you shake up, blow on and then pour out onto a mat.  From the way that these fall he will tell you your future, past, health problems, etc.  I did not pay to have my diagnosis read.

this is the national plant of Lesotho.  It is like a cactus and the plant growing from left to right represents the women and from right to left represents the men.

Next we stopped at the chief's living quarters.  They dressed Dad up in his clothes ready for war.  The hat on the bottom left is the hat the chief wears to counsel his tribe.  He looks pretty fierce don't you think?

Next we went onto the first wives hut.  They believe that the chief can have more than one wife.  The first wife is chosen by the village - for the chief.  The first male child born from that union becomes the next chief.  The next wife is chosen by the first wife.  The third wife is chosen by the chief himself and is called the love marriage.  Each wife has their own living quarters consisting of three huts.  One hut is for cooking, one is for sleeping and one is for receiving guests.

This is the first wife's hut.  She dressed me in about five layers of clothes.  This is just the first layer.

This is the 2nd wife's hut.  We are in the cooking hut.  She is preparing the maize.  This is made from roasted corn, in the bowl on the left.  She sprinkles some kernels on the stone in front of her and then she takes another stone and grinds the kernels of corn by grinding the two stones together.  She then adds some salt and sugar to the flour contained at the bottom of the stone in the front of the picture.  They gave us a taste (the men are always served first in their culture and you must receive anything that they give you in your left hand).  I thought it was quite tasty.  They use this flour mixture when they travel because it is easy to transport, very light and very filling.  In the third wife's hut they gave us a taste of the corn that is not roasted. 

This was the inside of a hut that was much more modern - probably within the last 40 years.  Notice how colorful it is.  There was a coal stove, an ice box and many more kitchen utensils.

We stopped in Ficksburg on the way back and visited with a member there who wanted us to stop by and get to know her.  She is a single woman (widowed) and she would like us to rent her house I think, but we are not too interested.  She has been a member of the church for a long time and is a strong sister in the gospel.  She served us Robioos tea and we had a great visit.

Got home and had to bake one of our Elders a birthday cake for his birthday the next day.

We were to do flat checks on Wednesday in Maseru, however, again a change in plans as there was an important delivery coming from Bloemfontein for us (church credit card) and so I got to stay home while Elder Holt went into take a young man preparing to go on a mission to get his medical form signed by the Doctor.  He had hoped to get that done in the morning, however, typical African time schedule - it took all day.  He did the flat check and bakki check in Maseru and then spent the rest of the day toting this young perspective Elder all over the countryside.  Because of the lateness of his return Elder Paulo had to wait till the next day to get his birthday cake.  However, these elders had a problem with their washer that day and it was shorting out and tripping the electrical box.  So,,,,another problem to solve the next day.  Meanwhile I stayed home and baked 3 batches of cookies, did laundry and cleaned house.  A very productive day for me.

Elder Moffamere returning from the Cape Town mission to Masianokeng branch.  Our first full time missionary from the branch.

The next morning we were at the Masianokeng Elders flat bright and early to do the checks, deliver the birthday cake and to see what we could do about their washer. The washer was a bust and so we needed a little miracle to try to find the right size of washer to fit in a specific space (and in Maseru too), an almost impossible job.  After we met this handsome elder shown above and had taken him home to meet his mother, brother and cousin we were off to find a washer with a prayer in our heart.  We went to the store we went to to purchase the 400 blankets and they had the perfect washer.  The clerk that helped us in the store asked us about our name tags.  I explained what they were and asked if she wanted to know more about our church.  She said she did, so I asked her if we could have the missionaries come and talk with her.  She gave us her name and phone number and we passed the information onto the Elders.  A double blessing that day!  We had the elders pick it up in their bakki and take it to their flat.  It was the only one in the store in stock the right size.  The Lord was watching out for us that day for sure - ready to bless these elders lives. 
The Shumways had come to Maseru to officially release Elder Moffamere (as a member of the district presidency) and so once we had delivered him safely home, purchased the washer and had the Elders take it home - we headed back to Ladybrand for a well deserved very late lunch at a darling restaurant called "Living Life". 

Friday, we were up and away early to get to Bethlehem to do flat checks there.  This would be a sad day for us because most of the elders from this district (4 elders) would be being transferred out this coming Tuesday.  They would be closing one set of elders out of this area because there were only a couple of new elders coming into the mission and more elders heading home this time.  So, we will be down to just 14 missionaries to take care of for the next six weeks.  I am sure we will be back up to 16 with the next transfer.  We got business taken care of there and then headed back to Maseru to take the six elders from that area for a farewell dinner as Elder Rose was going home and Elder Shaw and Ashaba were being transferred to other areas of the mission. 

Saturday morning was helping hands.  What a delightful day.  We had about 170 branch members all gather in Leribe for a community clean-up project and then a visit to the hospital to clean up the grounds and to take used clothing and some new blankets (the group sisters had made) for the new babies there.  After the work was done we gathered at the church to feed the 170 workers a lunch.  The Elders in Leribe had made the lunch for them and did an amazing job.  We had come in on the tail end of their project for their flat check, rolled up our sleeves and helped them put the finishing touches on it.  I was so impressed with these two young Elders and two young men from the group who came to help them.

Elder Gedeme on right, Solomon, another group member, Elder Manning and myself chopping onions. 

170 members from Masianokeng, Maseru and Leribe showed up to help clean up trash in the town of Leribe.  Young, old, and inbetween.

These young men worked hard to help improve the look of Leribe.

We ended up being the "ambulance driver/gophers".  We picked up the old, tired of walking, the young who ran out of steam and ran for more garbage bags and lunch serving supplies, picked up filled trash bags, etc.

The streets are looking so much better once our group had been down to remove all the trash.

A group went to the hospital to visit the childrens ward.  This young man had fallen into a river and his eyes were so swollen and bruised.  They think his head must have hit rocks in the river.

 The Leribe group had also made three little tied blankets which were presented to the staff at the hospital to be distributed to the new babies that had a need.

The group was served "semp".  It is like a bean/maize base topped with a "stew like sauce".  We ran out of spoons by the time Dad ate, so they told him to eat like the Africans do - "with your fingers", which he did.

That day I watched Elder Lowry teach two discussions as he was picking up trash with community members asking about what we were doing.  I had the opportunity to get a referral from one of the community members who also was curious about what was going on with all these yellow vests.  So much work was accomplished that day.

Sunday morning we left very early to drive to to Bethlehem to attend church there.  We were so glad to be there to hear three of our missionaries who were leaving on Tuesday speak in church.  They did  such a good job.  The Branch will truly miss these missionaries.  There will be one Elder from the original group stay and one new elder coming in on Tuesday that will remain in Bethlehem. 

There was only 39 members there on Sunday, but it was a very close, loving group of members.  It was probably the best conducted church meeting that I have been to here in South Africa, which says a lot for the very young Branch President.  The Relief Society President was also a very good president and the whole Sunday was very enjoyable. 

We hurried home to get a lunch packed for the 2 Elders that had to head out for Bethlehem that evening.  The other Elders were supposed to bring the two Elders to our flat in Ladybrand.  When we got home we had no power, so anything we did had to be done without electricity.  We managed. About the time the Elders were to be arriving we got a phone call from the Elder that was driving them to our place and he said he had forgotten his passport and so couldn't cross the border, so could we possibly come and pick up the other two elders and take them across the border to our house?  So Elder Holt headed out to get them and I stayed and put the lunches together.  Once again - the best laid plans - always get changed.

We feel truly blessed to be here in South Africa serving the Lord at this time.  The work is moving forward and great growth is taking place.  There is much to be done and a lot of growth that still needs to happen, but I am learning that the American way is not necessarily the African way and as long as the ordinances and the basic gospel principals are followed and not changed, we need to allow for the African way of life.  Punctuality is completely foreign to them.  No one is in a hurry to leave and get on with the next event - they just enjoy being together.  I think we could all learn a little from these wonderful people.

We love you and again miss you.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Signing off --- Elder and Sister Holt, Grandma & Granpda, Mom and Dad, friends, etc.