Best Day Ever!

 Today was one of the best days ever!  Makhotso and Teboho Sehlabo were baptized after church today.  We were asked to speak at their baptism.  This is the man that Dad met about six weeks ago at church.  He invited him to the investigators class and then asked if he wanted to come to Priesthood.  Then Dad asked him if he wanted to meet with the missionaries and learn about the gospel.  He said yes to all those questions and so the missionaries began to teach this family the gospel.  At first his wife would not join in the discussions.  She speaks almost no English.  Teboho is an elementary school teacher and his English is quite good.  The missionaries invited us to join them for a few of the discussions and we just love this little family.  They will be a great asset to this branch and I am sure that Teboho will be a strong priesthood leader.

Elder Daines (L) Elder Paulo (right) front row

on the back row is myself, Brother Majara (the man who baptized them, and a friend, the woman holding the baby is Makhotso and then Teboho is standing next to Dad.

Friend of Brother and sister Sehlabo.  Makhotso is holding her baby and then Teboho.  In front of Teboho is his son (7 years old) and then a newphew of Teboho's that lives with them.

After the baptism Brother and Sister Sehlabo stood up and bore their testimony.  Brother Sehlabo said that before the missionaries came, there was a lot of fighting and quarreling in their family.  Now that they have learned about the gospel and understand the importance of family the fighting has stopped.  They are now a happy family. 

The Primary Sacrament Meeting presentation was also held today at the Masianokeng branch.  The children and primary leaders did a great job.  After this was all over, the block of meetings, and the baptism then I taught a piano lesson.  We then hurried home because the Shumway's were coming for Sunday dinner.  We cooked a delicious roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Homemade rolls were mighty fine too.  For desert we served cake with lemon icing and icing cream with homemade chocolate sauce.  It was a great day!

Last Monday we had the Elders here in Ladybrand for their Zone P-day activity, they played soccer and football.  Then they had their ZTM and then we fed them supper.  We made them a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings.  We made lots and lots.  As a matter of fact, we went out and bought a new bigger kettle so we could cook enough potatoes to feed them all.  I could not believe how much they ate.  There was nothing left.  They ate 3 dozen homemade rolls, 8 lbs. of roast beef, carrots, broccoli and cheese sauce, a huge kettle full of mashed potatoes and gravy and desert.  Wayne and I did not even eat  - there was nothing left.  They did have a good time though and we were glad to have them in our home.  This was the first time that we had all of our elders to our home.  It is quite a distance for some of the elders to come and they had to get special permission from the President to do it.

As we were driving into Maseru to take birthday cupcakes to Elder Lowry, we passed this scene.  This was a group of school children out in this field having a Physd class with their teacher.  They had these pylons set up for them to run through.  Right next to them in the same field you can see there is a herd of cows with their herder.

This is a scene we often pass in Maseru.  This is the local laundry mat.  There is a riverbed right next to this clothes line where many women meet to wash their clothes.  They then set up a temporary clothes line to dry them.

This is the local day care centre established as their mothers do their laundry.  The children just play with each other while their mothers do the wash.

Again the socializing that goes on at the waterhole while the clothes are washed.

Sitting down on the job as she washes her clothes.

This is the local sheep auction mart.  These two are haggling over the price of the sheep.  One is the buyer and one is the seller.  This takes place right along the road, a main thorough fare in Masianokeng.

Dad saw this site on Saturday as he went to Masianokeng to take "new member kits" to the Elders for their upcoming baptism.  This cow herder and his dog were walking along in front of the church and all of his cows were "dutifully" following along behind.  He has them well trained.

We have had a busy week.  Taking a sick elder to the doctor on Wednesday in Ficksburg before we taught Norma Kwezi another missionary discussion,  arranging for the lease for new flats for the Maseru elders, then a trip to Phuda to assess their flat to decide what renovations need to take place to make their living arrangements better, meetings to arrange for PEF teachers etc.  The time is going very quickly, I cannot believe that September is practically over.  We will head back up to Phuda this coming Sunday to teach another temple preparation class (Dad will do that) while I do a PEF fireside for those wanting to learn more about how to apply. 

We are learning so much, the Lord is blessing us abundantly and we are anxiously engaged.  It is very late and morning will come very early.  We are taking the elders to a P-day district activity tomorrow and so I have to be up very early to get the lunch put together to take along.  It is also Elder Signorelli's birthday tomorrow so we have to have cake to celebrate that.  It seems that the President gave our district all the Elders with birthdays in the last two months.  This week has lots of exciting activities planned which I will tell you about next week.  Good night to you all.  Say your prayers, stand for truth and righteousness and choose good friends.  We love you all.
Mom and Dad