Highs and Lows

Dear Family:

We experienced the highs and lows of proselyting work this week! We were disappointed when a new convert failed to meet us for an appointment to discuss being confirmed. She was baptized shortly after we got here and bore a sincere testimony at the baptismal service. The next day (Sunday) she was sick and could not come to church to be confirmed in Sacrament Meeting. She has not been back to church since. Apparently she is not listening to her mother who was baptized on the same day and has remained faithful. The missionaries have talked to her when they happen to catch her because she seems to be avoiding them. The Bishop was going to talk with her, but we're not sure if he has or not. So the elders asked for our help. We dropped by the house last week and she was there. When we mentioned we needed to talk to her about her confirmation, she said yes she would like to have a conversation with us because she has "fallen off the wagon, so to speak"--whatever that means. We made an appointment to come back a few days later and were hopeful that we could teach her the importance of being confirmed and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We want to help her understand how much the Holy Ghost can help her be strong to deal with and overcome her problems that are stopping her from progressing in the gospel. But she stood us up. Undoubtedly all of you had similar experiences on your missions. Anyway, we will keep trying, and Dad did have the opportunity to teach her mom the beginnings of family history work, which she is extremely interested in doing.

General Conference was outstanding! What a privilege to participate in a Solumn Assembly to sustain a new Prophet and President of the Church. It was interesting to contemplate that while you were watching the Saturday morning session live, half way around the world we were watching the Saturday morning session live at 6:00 in the evening via the church's satellite system! That's all the conference we had on Saturday. Our Sunday schedule was: 11am - 1pm, General Priesthood session (delayed broadcast) in East London. Mom sat in the RS room and worked on the Institute lesson for next week. 2-4pm, Saturday afternoon session (delayed broadcast) in Mdantsane. 5:30-6pm, Music and the Spoken Word then 6-8pm Sunday morning session live back in East London. 10-midnight Sunday afternoon session live--we did not stay for this one! We'll have to read all about it in the Ensign! All the broadcasts were in both EL and MD but we rotated between the two buildings so we could spend time with the elders from both zones.

We had our own little humanitarian aid effort going on in Mdantsane. The last time we visited Preacher Cecil, of the outdoor church, he told us that he was "suffering" and was praying to God three and four times a day but felt God was not listening to him nor answering his prayers and he didn't know why. We later learned that his suffering was because he had no food at all in his house. We decided to take him a box of food which included maize meal, rice, cooking oil, canned beans, canned milk, canned fruit, and canned meat. We don't think he has a frig so we didn't take anything perishable. He was very, very appreciative. Maybe he will think we were the answer to his prayers, but whether so or not, we felt it was the right thing to do.

Except for another bike issue, not much else has happened in the elders' support part of our work. No sooner had the Elders Hadley and Cobia rode their bikes home, luckily not far from the bike shop, than they had trouble with them again. They called us, Dad said to take the bikes back to the shop and we would meet them there when they were fixed to pay the bill. We did, they rode the bikes home, all was well we thought. Next morning they called again and said that the brakes went out even before they got to their boarding. Dad said that the bike shop should fix the brakes for free since they were just in the day before for a brake job. As of now, the bikes are still in the shop. The bicycle saga is coming to an end, however, because either the bikes are fixed and can be used or they are beyond permanent fixing and will be put back in the shed never to see the light of day again! After all, four visits to the bike shop is enough, already! What seemed like a good thing has turned out to be a money pit! One blessing of this whole bike ordeal is that while the elders were waiting for their bikes to be fixed the second to last time, they went tracting to the few houses that were in the area of the bike shop. Since it is mostly just businesses there, they didn't realize there were some homes, too, and would never have thought to tract there. They found a father-led family who has been taking the lessons, reading everything the elders leave for them, and keeping commitments. What would be called a golden family in the "old days". God does move in mysterious ways!

We appreciate your letters and blogs. Thank you for going to Uncle Lynn's memorial and burial services in Lewiston in our stead and for the all the other things you did in regard to his passing.

We love you all very much.
MOM/DAD, Grandma/Grandpa