The most exciting thing we did in the month of October was
to come to Utah for some Area Auditor training and visit with family and
friends. It was also a good opportunity
to deliver Christmas gifts. This must be the earliest we have ever finished
Christmas shopping. We enjoyed visiting with Brent and
Sharlene Gardner and Norman and Becky McClellan and then with Renee Holding and her daughter, Sherry
Beck. We have had a fun time visiting with the Russons and the Kamauus and were
grateful that Crystal, Eric, Marsha, Ian, Jonah, Hayley, Tyler L., Nicole,
Katelyn, Jackson, Stefani and Brent Willie were all able to be in Salt Lake for
a while. We also went with Allise’s
family to Sugar City and see Tamara and Glenn and family. A tender mercy was that Jordan’s birthday was
the Sunday we were there and Spencer was ordained to the Aaronic
Priesthood. It was fun, but also a
little weird in that we are still missionaries, but here we are having a good
time with family who live far away from our mission area.
Nicole Lloyd and son Jacson. Granddaughter and great grandson.
We made a couple of shopping sprees to Walmart and Walgreens
and I have been impressed with how much we take our affluence for granted. These stores are loaded with so many luxuries
and great variety of every item whether it be bread, candy or clothing. We were tempted to stock up on some things,
but then remembered that we only had one suitcase a piece and a weight limit at
that. We did buy a few packages of
chocolate chips and 5 lbs of powdered lemonade that should last us a few
months.
The training was helpful too. We learned more about how to work with the
assistant area auditors and received some new tools such as encryption for our
emails and a web library resource for documents, letters and such that will be
helpful. The auditing department had us
do part of the training in breakout sessions.
It was a good model for what web can do when we bring the assistants
together for their annual training.
We enjoyed the football game with Oregon State, even though
BYU lost. We got to watch a soccer game
as well. We didn’t go until after a good
meal at Chuck-A-Rama, so arrived about half time and there was standing room
only. We stood near the end and saw BYU
make three goals. Cosmo also came by and
Tiffany and Allise got photos of the children with Cosmo. I think they are on facebook.
Tiffany, Craig, Aaron, Allise and Ammon at Chuck A Rama
Rachel Matswagothata is a sister from Botswana who works in the temple and rides with us to church. She came to our flat this afternoon to let us know the
good news that her son, Clement, was selected today as the first stake
president in Botswana. He had been the
bishop of the YSA ward there in Gaborone.
She was very happy, and contributed her temple work as having a good
influence on her family.
We served in the temple Friday afternoon and evening. The temple people seem happy to have us
there. Then Saturday morning we attended
the session when Genet Ramokgola received her own endowments. She is a member of our temple preparation
class. After the session she and Prince
(our Elders Quorum president) were sealed by Elder Green for time and
eternity. Tom was grateful to have that
opportunity. He can’t marry anyone as he
would have to be licensed by the state, but he can do sealings. The Ramokgolas were married a couple of months ago in
Ethiopia where she is from. Prince had met her while on his mission there three
years ago. Prince is his first name, not his title.
Prince and Genet outside Johannesburg Temple
Jacaranda trees are now in bloom.
Saturday afternoon there was an open house at the new
Rabie Ridge chapel. The Rabie Ridge ward
had been meeting with the Tembisa Ward (the one we attend) while their building was being
renovated. I was able to accompany the opening hymn. We were impressed with the building. It is designed to hold four wards and has a
chapel big enough to hold a stake conference.
Now there is only one ward meeting there, but they are expecting growth
in the area. The chapel and the
furnishings are as nice as any we have seen in Africa. There was a new keyboard
and hymn books. (Tembisa inherited all
their old hymnals). The keyboard is nicer than the one in Tembisa in
that it has a built-in cabinet and a volume pedal. There are hardly any true organs in the
chapels here.
