Sunday letter (written on Monday morning, November 9).

We woke up this morning to thunder and pouring rain. Normally that would be something I love to see and hear but today is the Wright’s farewell that we have been preparing for and plans for our outside dinner party are looking grim. We have a couple of general authorities in town who will be attending with the area presidency and have arranged for nicer table decorations and food and really wanted it to be on the area office white house grounds, but it looks like it will be in the patron housing canteen instead. Oh Well.

It’s been a busy week for us trying to learn how to make a slide show with music to show at the party. Several calls to Jed who had to try to figure out how to counsel us on our PC when he is a Mac specialist, but he kept patient and helpful. Then on Friday when we were desperate about the music problem, I asked a young woman in the office who spent a couple of hours with me and worked it out, attaching the music to the pictures. Hooray! I keep going over it and changing out pictures, and each time I add one I have to delete one to make sure the timing it right. If it works, it is really nice, ending with a great shot from Elder Wright of a black sky and a crescent moon and the angel Moroni on the temple spire. Nice. Now if it will just work when we get it hooked up to the projector and push play.

Since the Wrights are leaving we have been trying to do some final things together and Dawn and I have been on several short week day outings on some final shopping trips as she picks up last minute things. Through all my flittings and our slide show fussing,  Elder Wells continues to write to missionaries, phone them in the evenings and mornings, and counsel with local members who are continually being referred by their bishops and stake presidents.  Also, it is not at all uncommon for one of the employees  in the Area Office to drop by and ask to talk.  He is such a good listener and counselor.

On Friday night we attended a dance performance with the Wrights which included dinner before the show. It was very authentic and well done. The dancing and drumming were amazing. They leave on Thursday, the same day we go to Mozambique so we can’t take them to the airport. It has been a nice friendship and we will miss them. Their replacements are already here and will move in while we are gone over the weekend. It won’t be the same without the Wrights next door, though, so it’s probably good that we are soon to depart as well.

A sadness last Sunday. After primary I discovered that my camera was missing. We went back into the primary room looking, but it was not to be found. I went to the bishop’s office and found Fredrick who was so upset as well, and then we just left. Knowing that one of the children had taken it was so devastating for me. We talked to Fredrick later on in the evening and he assured us he would track it down. Monday evening he called and said he had the camera and would bring it to the office the next day. He sat with us and told us about his experience with the young culprit and we are grateful for his handling of the situation. He was very firm but gentle with her and wants to teach her and protect her from future trouble. (It seems she also took the camera of one of the Elders a week or so ago and it was also discovered and returned). The little girl didn’t come to primary yesterday, but I hope she will come back in the future. One comical aspect is that she took a picture of herself so I have that on the camera. Funny but sad.

We love Fredrick. He conducted the baptisms yesterday and did such a nice job. One of my primary children, Nomatemba, who is about 10, maybe, and her mother were baptized along with 3 young men.

I had baked cookies but didn’t know about the young men (or the mother) who were to be baptized and was surprised to find many people attending the service. (Did I have enough cookies???)
A young men’s chorus sang, and family members of the candidates were gathered as well. In fact it was most interesting to hear the non members chanting and witnessing (Yes! Amen! Holy Jesus! ) as the testimonies were given after the baptism. Fredrick is so gentle and insightful and asked the newly baptized members to share their feelings and also their plans for the future, especially the future mission plans of the young men. Then he called little Nomatemba up and asked her what she would like to say to her mother. She thanked her and told her that she loved her and assured her that they would remain faithful together. In her testimony she said that she would follow the teachings of the gospel and prophets and not go astray. (Could I have helped with that by teaching that song?) More sweet things were said that I wish I had written down, but there were many tears, especially when the tough and joking young men became very serious and thanked their grandmothers or mothers for their lives of service to them and recognized publically what coming into the church really meant to them. Fredrick was there to stand beside them and hand them strips of toilet paper to wipe their eyes.
The meeting was very nice and very long and we didn’t get home till about 3:30. I was up at 5:30 to put cookies in the oven and was blessed by a great visit with Carrie and Eric on Skype before leaving the flat at 8:00 am. The primary president was there and we are trying to learn to work together. I need to pull out and she seems to be ready to get back into the program. Anyway, we were tired when we got home but have the feeling that Tembisa Ward is making progress. We have gotten ourselves in for a little trouble, though, offering help for a Christmas activity on the 12th of December, the day after Matt arrives. We were supposed to orient the newly called activities chairman (they have never before had one) but she was not there. We need to just teach her and let her handle it, but can that happen? We don’t know.

Well, since I have been sitting here writing, the rain has stopped and the sun is shining. A little hope for a pleasant outside event has sprung up again. Also, Dad is now ready to leave and I am not at all ready.  But what a good feeling to get this written down. Our days are short now, but as always we are grateful to be here in Africa. So glad we came.