Week 72 - Oct 11th - 17th, 2015

Sunday, October 11th - Saturday, October 17th, 2015

Another week that was unusual but yet typical of our mission life here.  The usual tons of phone messages, emails, calls, etc. to deal with.  A lost cell phone to replace in Tzaneen, a front door lock to have replaced in Pretoria, a car not properly serviced by the Elders (oil was like sludge in the engine) that needs a new crankshaft.  Weather from extremely hot to quite cool with a powerful storm that took out electricity.  Some good times with visits and with our weekly basketball.  Concluded the week with our final quarterly Zone Conference over the mountain in Tzaneen.

Batsurai Chitewe with her son Lucky and daughter Khutsai.   Nice to see her at church again.  She has to sacrifice much for transport to get to church.  Her husband has left her alone and destitute to fend for herself and her children.  A tough life and situation for them.

Voting day this Tuesday in South Africa, by absentee ballot.  Had to support Cody in his campaign for Riverale City Council.  Mail delivery varies from unreliable to non-existent so we had to have these sent back and forth with DHL courier's.

Sheets on the line, just like old times.  Melanie took this picture because it reminded her of her mother's laundry.  Many people use clotheslines to dry things, some because they lack options, some because it helps keep the heat out of the flat.

During our scripture reading one morning this week the kitchen timer buzzer went off so I went out back of our flat to change the water.  While I was hurrying and trying to avoid getting sprayed I crashed into a window that was tilted wide open.   Hurt pretty much and then turned into a shiner.  Don't call them black eyes over here in South Africa, it just doesn't translate the same way.

While out walking after it had rained we saw a gazillion centepedes of all sizes.  This was a Grandpa one so we took his picture with Melanie's hand to show his size.  You can tell the males from the females by the thingie on the end.  Well, maybe, just seemed like it to me.

President Wilson presides and teaches at the Tzaneen Zone Conference.  Tzaneen is one of the three Zones he has here in the South Africa part of his Botswana/Namibia Mission.  Senior couples on the front row are the Campbell's (he serves as a Branch President in Tzaneen), the Wilson's, the Butler's (from West Haven, they serve as an MLS couple for the Motupa village group), and us.  Bottom right are the AP's, Elder Hunt a poly, and Elder Lawson from Arkansas, both helping the Wilson's out very much.

Elders always get excited when it's lunch time at Zone Conference.  Today the Butler's and the Campbell's fixed a tasty lunch, chicken enchaladas, with rice and salad.

Melanie made the Zone Conference break treats, gingerbread Elders and Sisters along with some apples.  Very, very good and everyone liked them and gobbled them right up.

After all the Zones had their conferences and Sister Wilson forwarded the pictures from the other zones I compiled them onto this collage of our five zones in the whole Botswana/Namiba Mission.   This is us, all of us!