Sunday, August 31, 2014

Week 13 - Aug 24th - 30th, 2014


Sunday, August 24th - Saturday, August 30th

A welcome Sabbath Day again to start our week with Sacrament Meeting at the Roodepoort Ward across the street.  Our second YSA lesson today, we doubled our attendance from 2 to 4 this week!  

One of our YSA young women, Yo-yo as she is called by her nickname got accepted to study medicine in Cuba and she'll be leaving us soon.  This afternoon the ward held a refreshments-type open house farewell for her.  Their buffet table was covered with some great looking dishes some of which we tried, but we had already eaten so we didn't eat much.  We did have a nice visit with those there though.

Monday was our first 'set-up' of a new flat for Elders.  This flat will be used on Tuesday, September 2nd's transfer day.  It is one that the other Senior's arranged before we got involved.  Not a place I would have leased, but oh well.  We made the best of it.  Had four Elders close by help us load, unload and arrange the heavy things.  I actually helped hang curtains for the first time in my life, in their bedroom and their study room (actually a 2nd bedroom).  It was fun to pull everything together so it will be ready.


New flat helpers Elder Nicotra - Italy, Elder Dzowa - Malawi, Elder Xalabile - S. Africa, and Elder Dthembu - Durban, S. Africa

My pals that help with the heavy lifting.

Got home after dark to find our power was out and my cell phone didn't work so I couldn't call or message the landlord.  Had to go next door and borrow a phone from the other senior couple.  The landlord told me of a 'third' breaker box and I went and found it and fortunately got things reset okay.  No power, no phone, and I'm the one over utilities and phones, ouch!

Tuesday I went to a Muslim Dr. IM Essack, a dermatologist and had him examine and freeze an unwelcome little friend that has been growing on my beautiful bald head.  Liquid nitrogen just like home.  But had to pay cash because they don't take credit cards in his office.

A couple of CES senior Elders Cloward and Davie helped me out with some handyman repairs this week on some long-standing work in some Elders flats, one a plumbing problem and the other and Elders problem (pulling the shower head so hard it broke off and pulled off some tile with it).  Need to find a way to communicate some common sense training I guess until it sinks in.

Wednesday we arranged for a Branch President to come in with a helper and a truck to pick up a load of household furnishings, furniture, etc that Melanie and I were not going to reuse with our missionaries.  They are so very happy to get anything, good, bad, working or not they load it up and are glad to make use of it.  These two drove two hours each way for what we would throw away at home.  By the way, there are actually scavengers who go through everyone's garbage cans each week to see what they can take out and make use of.  They pull along a large container with wheels that is about the size of a pallet cubed up.

Aside from our regular issues during the week this Thursday evening we got to go to an appointment with the Elders, our AP's actually.  They are teaching a woman about 45-50 who has a baptism date in September.  She is a professional interior designer/decorator who has contracted with the church for temples, churches, etc. for many years and is now ready to get baptized.  She was ill so I assisted the Elders in administering to her.  Melanie gave a nice prayer along with the visit as well.  It was a good experience.

Friday we had the coldest day since we've been on our mission here.  The wind blew in from the south and was such a cold, cold, steady and strong wind.  It blows right through the office door and makes a loud whistle sound all day long.  Felt bad for the poor construction workers who were out in it all day.

Saturday we had some furnishings work and furniture moving work to take care of in the morning then we got some weekly chores done and did a little shopping.  I made a trip to my Muslim barber friend, Ishmael.  He made quick work of the item the Dr. had frozen by knocking it off with his clippers.   Probably should have gone to him first and saved myself some money.  He's really friendly to me now because it's a great deal for him with my mostly bald head and it works well for me too.

Later we met up with Elder Ben and Jill Jones for dinner at a nice little Italian place in Joburg along with the Meldrums, a senior couple in our mission who were down to the temple from Tzaneen up north about a five-hour drive.  Good food and a good visit.


Meldrums - left, Jones - center with us at Tortelline De'Oro in Joburg.





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