A Whirlwind Week

This week has gone by so fast.  We hardly have had time to catch our breaths.  We have had some very warm beautiful days and some very cool rainy ones.  Welcome to South Africa in the springtime.

This is our picture of the week!

This was the site on the way to Phuda yesterday morning.

Okay, I couldn't just choose one - this is another beautiful sight as South Africa starts to green up for summer.

On Monday morning we were up very early and we headed  into Maseru to pick up 6 elders to take them up to Leribe to meet up with two more Elders from our district and then head up to Northern Lesotho to a cave where there are cave paintings that have been there for centuries.  Very cool.  We packed a huge lunch for the Elders.  Elder and Sister Shumway came along so that the Elders did not have to take their Bakkies and so saved on kilometers and gas.  A good time was had by all.  The three Elders in our Bakkie played punch bug (VW's and Jeeps) on poor Elder Dube who had to sit in the middle.  Then we played Phase 10 all the way up to Northern Lesotho.  Needless to say I did not win.  They wouldn't let Elder Holt play cause he had to drive.

These are our Elders from Lesotho.  They are great Elders and this was our last activity together as transfers happen this week.  We will loose 4 of these young men to other districts.

The Shumways and us.

The Elders loved the lunch. 

Elder Gideme had been very sick all week, but he was not going to be left behind.  He was a great sport and had a good time.

They had some roundevelle huts like the early Africans lived in.  This was what they slept on - the hard floor with animal skins for a mattress and blanket

We served potato salad, fix your own sandwiches with different fillings, egg salad, ham, chicken, etc. fresh vegetables, chips, fruit, cookies, brownies and birthday cake for Elder Signorelli.

As you can see the Elders had a good time on the way down to the caves.

This is a sample of some of the painting in the cave

This little boy was a herder just across the way from where we had lunch.  I took him some cookies and a brownie.  I am sure he had a sugar high like he has never had before that night.

The San's people used this area to come to be healed centuries ago.

 We had a great day but were very tired by the time we got everybody back home that evening.  On Tuesday we were to go to Ficksburg to teach Norma another lesson, but she phoned and said that she had to go to the hospital.  She has has a lump on her breast and she had to have a biopsy done.  She has gone back to her Mom's in Durban for a few weeks, but will call us when she gets back and wants more lessons.

Tuesday evening we had company for supper.  The Gunderson's (a PEF couple from Durban who took us around Durban when we first arrived) called a week ago and said that before they left to go home Nov. 1st they wanted to see Lesotho, would we take them around.  Of course we said yes, and then they called and told us another couple - the Wilding's were coming too.  The Wilding's have only been out 2 1/2 months - nice to know there is someone greener than we are.  Then, I got a call from Jessee - the PFR fellow for our area was coming through that night.  So..... they all came for dinner.  We had a great evening and we did so enjoy everyones company.

Wednesday morning, we were up bright and early and headed into Maseru to deliver mail to the Elders that the Gunderson's brought from Durban.  They are always so happy to get mail as it only happens about once every six weeks.  A few of the Elders had served in Durban and knew the Gunderson's well and were so happy to see them again.  Sister Gunderson is a delightful, outgoing personality - everybody loves her.  Anyway after we dropped off mail we headed up to the non-school that we had visited about two months ago with the Murdock's.  We had been buying garden seed, garden tools, balls (soccer, volleyball and net balls) and 34 meters of fabric for uniforms for this non-school and Wednesday was the day we were taking it up to them.

In order to get into this school you have to have a bakkie.  So the Gunderson's and Wilding's climbed into our Bakkie once we had to leave the highway and I climbed into the back of the Bakkie with all of the stuff for delivery.  Along the road we met the director of the non-school and so she climbed in the back with me as well.

This is Mathakeng & I in the back of the Bakkie on the way to the non-school. The other lady is a helper at the centre.

We went up to the school and the children were just getting out for the day.  They stayed and sang and danced for us.  We took their pictures and they loved it.  After they sang for us, we sang for them.  Then Sister Gunderson had them do "There was a little house in the middle of the woods."  Most of these children are orphans and do not speak English.  A few of them speak a little English.  It was an amazing feeling to feel like you are doing something to help these children.  We are trying to get books to bring to this non-school as well.  LeAnne and Inge are trying to find a way to get books shipped over.  If not, I will have to try to find a source here in Africa to purchase these books.  We will purchase them and donate them in Shauna's name.  We feel that this would be appropriate and that she would approve of that.

Sister Gunderson with some of the children. 

These young men are doing a dance for us.  They each have a stick as part of the dance.

From L - R - One of the instructors, Sister Wilding, Two more of the workers, Mathakeng, and myself

We went for lunch in TY and then took the Wilding's and Gunderson's to the weavers where they picked out some beautiful wall hangings to take home.  Next we took them to Kome Cave.  This is a cave that was first used by the San people two generations ago.  People live there still today. 

This woman lives in this room behind her.  There are two other homes (one room dwellings).  One home has three people living in it.  They are very small inside.  There is no electricity, water is hauled from a stream a distance away and they live very simply.

I don't know if this young girl lives here or not, but she followed us around while we toured and then walked the 10 minutes back to our car.  She wanted sweets, which of course we gave her.

This was a view that we had as we drove back to Maseru that evening.

 We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the Gunderson's and the Wilding's that day and they loved the beauties of Lesotho. 

Thursday we took Elder Signorelli (one of our zone leaders) to Bloemfontein in a terrible rain storm.  Elder Signorelli has been called to be the new AP and so he was flying to Durban to his new assignment.  It was late and dark by the time we got back home.

We spent Friday and Saturday doing flat and bakkie checks in all our areas, as transfers take place on Tuesday.  We have also been busy getting materials to the teachers for the PEF classes that will take place the first week in October.

Sunday morning we were up and gone by 6:30 to go to Phuda for church.  We also had to teach a temple prep class and then I had to do a PEF fireside to perspective PEF students.  During Sacrament meeting one of the Branch Presidency came down and asked Wayne if he would speak after the next speaker was finished.  I guess one of their speakers did not show.  So, of course he got up and gave a great talk.  We don't go anywhere without a talk in our pocket.

All in all it has been a great week.  We have accomplished quite a bit and we are grateful for the blessings of our Heavenly Father.  We are grateful for his protection and care.  Driving in Lesotho is an adventure everytime.  You have no idea how close we come to being hit or run over or whatever.  It seems that weekends and the end and beginning of the month are the worst.  We never leave our flat without prayer asking for protection and we are grateful for the protection we receive.

We sent out an e-mail a week ago asking for family members to write some elders in the mission that do not get any mail.  Yesterday Annie read me two of the letters that she has written to the elders here.  I am so proud of you Annie - you did a great job.  I know they will love getting your letters.  I hope some of the rest of you will take a Sunday afternoon or a FHE and write some letters to these young Elders.  Mail and encouragement is so essential to missionaries.  Today, we got mail!!!!  Thank you! - to the friends who sent cards to us on Edith's passing.   It was good to know that mail does get to us here in Ladybrand.  We were so excited to actually find something in our mail box.  We love you all and continue to miss you.  May the Lord continue to bless you too.

Love
us.