A Time of Service

 This week has been a time of service for our children.  Rod has been so busy meeting needs with Jenn's family in preparation for Mark's funeral Thursday and then Edith's funeral on Friday.  He has run to the airport in Calgary to bring back family members, and many other errands of mercy.  He drove up to Calgary with Michelle and Spencer to be at the graveside of Grandma Holt's burial.  Spencer and Michelle were so kind to be diligent in sending back pictures and video of Mark's funeral and then Grandma Holt's funeral and viewing.  How we did appreciate being kept a part of all that was going on from half way around the world.  Then Rod spoke on Wayne's behalf at Grandma's funeral, expressing Wayne's memories of his mother.  I understand that he did a great job.  We so appreciate all that you did in our stead and absence.

Spencer, Rod and Michelle

 I think the kids enjoyed being together.  Inge very kindly invited them to stay at her home.  Jolayne had also come up this week to spend time with Mother and so she was able to attend the viewings and funerals.  Inge, in spite of being so busy with the first week of school and the first week back at her Masters program managed to sneak away and spend time with the family as well. 

Jenn, Rod and Michelle after the funeral

Michelle got to serve Grandma by going with Evelyn, Marlene and Marie to dress her for the funeral.

All of Grandma Holt's grandchildren were able to be there at the funeral.  That is a real tribute to her.  I am sure that Grandma was so pleased.

After the funeral luncheon they drove to Calgary where Grandma was interred beside Grandpa Holt.  Then everyone went to Ed and LeAnne's where they were served a supper.  They had a great time looking at pictures, laughing, reminiscing and just enjoying good cousin time.

Angela, Spencer and Michelle picking Inge's apple off her tree in preparation for winter ahead.

Saturday morning Spencer and Michelle headed over to Marilyn Ellingson's to help Rod and the Ellingson family bring in the garden and get it ready for winter.  I understand there were others there doing some painting and other work on Marilyn's house as well.  Then they headed back over to Inge's and went out to work in her yard helping to get her garden and yard ready for winter.  Jolayne had also been out helping to bring in the harvest of apples etc. 

It was a very hard decision to stay in South Africa during this time.  But, after prayerful consideration the decision was made.  We feel great gratitude to our family for representing us well in our absence.  Thank you all.  We were also grateful for the phone calls, e-mails, pictures, videos and thoughts and prayers in our behalf.

We had a busy week doing all the things that we do each week.  It seems the longer we are here the more involved we become.  I know that is how it is supposed to be.  We had ZDM on Tuesday and so that meant that I had to prepare lunch for them.  We also celebrated Elder Dube's birthday at this time.  The Branch President from Maseru happened to be at the church  and he came in and joined the Elders in their lunch.  The relationship between the Elders and the branch President has been quite strained and I felt that over a little lunch and good conversation, the relationship improved and perhaps some fences were mended.  I also was asked by the Branch President to help him with his wife's birthday on Thursday by providing some of those delicious cowboy cookies for her.  I am not sure that the present was as much for him as for her, but anyway.....  Then we met with the landlord of the prospective new flat for the Elders in Maseru.  Hopefully we have that problem solved, we are just awaiting approval on the contract from the area office. 

Wednesday was a very very windy and cloudy day as we headed to Bethlehem to take an elder to the Dentist.  He is an Elder from Zimbabwe and he had quite a bit of dental work to be done.  We had received a quote on the work the week before and when we actually got it done, the dentist gave him a discount and actually charged less than the quoted amount.  What a blessing for the church as they were having to pay for it. 

After we finished with the missionaries (we bought them pizza for lunch while they waited for Elder Daniel to finish at the dentist). We headed to Ficksburg to teach Norma Kwezi the next discussion.  She had read what we had asked her to in the Book of Mormon and had even made notes on it.  She was very eager for the next discussion and we taught her part of the Plan of Salvation.  She is so anxious to be baptized, but until she can attend church we cannot encourage that to happen.  She said she has sent money to her Mom to apply for a passport so she can attend church in Maseru. 
While we were teaching her this discussion it started to thunder and lightening and the skies opened up and it absolutely poured.  The rain came so hard and loud that we could hardly hear each other during the discussion.  When we left about an hour later it was still pouring and the water was running in the streets. 

We left Norma's home and went to visit with Sister Kato (a member in Ficksburg) and about an hour later we left to head home.  It was still raining very hard.  It was about 5:30 by this time and starting to get dark.  I was very nervous about driving in the heavy rain and with the coming on of night.  We pulled over and had another prayer asking for protection.  Once we got on the road heading home, the rain stopped and we could see clear sky ahead of us.  We did arrive home safely and we were grateful again for the Lord's protection.

Thursday we woke with Jolayne's birthday on our mind.  I thought about calling her and wishing her happy birthday - when we get up in the morning, she is often getting ready to go to bed, but as she was at Inge's I didn't want to wake Inge.  I was busy baking cowboy cookies and ginger snaps to put together a pretty package for the Branch President's wife.  On top of the box of cookies I added a pretty necklace that I thought she might enjoy for her birthday (I felt the cookies were something President Monesa wanted, not his wife).  We met the President at the church and delivered the package.  We then went out to Masianokeng to meet with the elders there.  They wanted us to go with them to teach a young girl a discussion out in southern Lesotho.  While we were waiting for the Elders to show up this was a sight we saw in the field where we were waiting.

His father was the shepherd for a herd of sheep.  He was helping him.  Obviously it was raining a little and so the dad was soaking wet, but the son was nice and dry under the umbrella.  He had his stick in his hand to help keep the sheep in line.

We finally met up with the Elders and drove about 45 minutes to a town where there is a training hospital for nurses.  One of the nurses there is from Masianokeng and wants to join the church.  Her name is Hopealong.  She is anxious to join the church, but is unable to attend church because she is required to attend church where she is training to be a nurse as it is an Evangelical church school.  This is a requirement of their attending the school.  We enjoyed being at the discussion as the Elders taught her about the 10 commandments.  Because the elders were a little late and the discussion went very long, we were then late for our next appointment with the Teboho family.  We were able to attend last weeks discussion with them and thoroughly enjoyed meeting his wife (who speaks no English) and their son and little baby girl.  Even though we were about an hour and a half late, Teboho welcomed us and we had a great discussion with their family about tithing.  They commited to being willing to pay tithing.  They want to be baptized later this month.  Because it was so late when we were finished, we were driving back home in the dark. 

Friday, we met with the Wyatt's in Bloemfontein to learn more about the Perpetual Education fund.  I guess we will be responsible to have firesides in all of our areas to introduce the program to potential PEF students and then to get the 4 classes organized for them to process their applications and then get them enrolled in the program.  This is going to entail and lot of work and travel. 

We stayed overnight in Bloemfontein at the Shumway's as Dad had to speak on Saturday morning at the district Priesthood meeting on Family History.  He then had district council meetings until about 4:30 in the afternoon.  All in all he was in about 7 hours of meetings Saturday.  There was nothing for it but for Sister Shumway and I to get out on the town and explore Bloemfontein and get some groceries, etc. that I can't get here in Ladybrand.

Sunday morning Wayne had to speak as the district councilor in Maseru on tithing.  Of course he did a great job.  They had their branch council meeting after and so it was after 3:00 before we were finished in Maseru. 

Each morning we are awakened to the crowing of a rooster.  As we look out our window at the field behind our house we see a herder with his cows going through the field.  A few hours later we see him again heading back the other way.

The herder with his faithful dog.

This morning there were two herders tending the cows.

As Dad was out running this morning he saw this rock.  He thought it looked like a face. 

Spring is here, but we still get some very cool mornings and evenings.  It has also been very rainy this week.

We are very grateful that everyone made it home safely from their weeks travels.  In closing I would just like to give all my children a little quote by Elder Tom Perry.

"Parents must bring light and truth into their homes by one family prayer, one scripture study session, one family home evening, one book read aloud, one song, and one family meal at a time.  They know that the influence of righteous, conscientious, persistent, daily parenting is among the most powerful and sustained forces for good in the world."

Thanks for being such good parents to our grandchildren.  We love you all.  We are proud of the good you are doing, the service you are providing, and the love you are showing to your families.  We miss you so much and are grateful for the wonders of technology.  Again, thanks for the picture, e-mails, videos, facetime, skype, etc.

Love Mom, Dad