The Knotheads in SLC

The work here is extremely busy. In addition to elder support--which is a piece of cake with only 16 elders instead of 34--we have several other things which we are working on almost every day. We are coordinating the upgrading of the Katutura Branch building. Many of the financial transactions here in Namibia are done with cash, others are done with checks or credit cards. The church physical facilities group, however, require that all payments be made by electronic transfer of funds. In order to do this, we have to get a vendor information form filled out which gives bank information. This then has to be approved by Cape Town and the area office in Johannesburg. We can see where this system works wonderfully in the US, but here it is very difficult and time consuming. Some knothead in Salt Lake City decided that this form had to include a postal zip code. Well, Namibia DOES NOT YET HAVE ZIP CODES! So someone made up the number 9000 just to fill in the blank so the computer program would accept the form. Now they want to know why all vendors have the same zip code!

Another project which is taking a considerable amount of time is working with the area legal counsel office in Joburg regarding a new building site for a chapel. This has been in progress for some time and they are about ready to move forward on it. It is a beautiful site, but we will not see the end result because the expected planning, approvals, and construction time will be at least 4 years.

The other thing we are working on with the legal office is getting our two branch presidents approved to perform marriages which are acceptable by the laws of Namibia. We have had marriages 3 of the last 5 Saturdays and there is not a latter-day saint in the whole country who is approved to perform marriages. In one case, a magistrate (judge) came into our chapel and performed the marriage. In another case the couple was married by a magistrate in his office several weeks prior to their church wedding, so Dad was able to perform the church ceremony. In the third case the groom's family, who are non members, insisted that a Lutheran minister perform the marriage and the bride's family insisted that it should be done in the LDS chapel. The minister performed the ceremony in Afrikaans and he put on quite a performance walking up and down the aisle and making comments which the congregation laughed at. We were most uncomfortable because we could not understand what he was saying. We know he speaks English because Dad had a conversation with him before the wedding began. Most of the people in Windhoek know English (the official language of the country), Afrikaans, as well as at least 1 native African language.

We are also helping with a humanitarian aid service project scheduled for Sept 20. This day is designated as "Hands Across Africa Day" in which organizations, churches, etc. are encouraged to perform community service projects. Last year over 100 members from both branches participated in painting projects at 2 hospitals. With the committee members, we have visited 6 or 7 facilities to identify possible projects that we can do. This year it looks like we are going to do a project at a facility for handicapped children and young adults painting the kitchen and putting down tiles on the floor of an office. We have also identified a children's home (orphanage) which needs an outside area cleaned up and their playground equipment painted. Tomorrow we will be visiting an old age home to see if there is something we can do there.

Mom is helping with Primary in both branches, and we have both been asked to assist in the teaching of a dating and marriage fireside series for the next few weeks.

We are healthy, happy, and enjoying missionary work. We pray for you each day. Love to all.