Dear Family and Friends
This is the Sabbath before transfers and I am sure after yesterdays calls from the Assistants and the President many will be baring their last testimonies in many wards and branches. We are losing both of our Botswana East zone leaders today because one is going home the 1st of December and the other one that has only been here for one transfer is becoming one of the assistants to the president. It is fun because of my position as councilor and most like because of my immigration work here in Botswana I get to find these things out early. In fact President Poulsen talked to me and asked my opinion about white washing an area because he wants Elder Rodrigues to be one of his assistants. I told him that if the Lord wants him to be an assistant then white washing an area is nothing to worry about. As we ended the phone call he didn’t say what he would do but the e-mail I got later let me know it was happening.
We lose two wonderful sister missionaries this transfer as they are heading home. We get four to replace them and President Poulsen has given me liberty of putting them in the area I feel they will be of the most service here in Botswana. We will keep 2 sets in Francistown and 2 sets here in Gaborone. The two new ones coming in are brand new and the two going to Francistown. I would send them by bus but the two going home have both been serving in Francistown and will be bringing a car down and Mom and I will need to help the two new ones make the trip to Francistown. It is a five hour trip and they will follow us in their car.
We are still having problems with immigration as we haven’t heard anything on the group we applied for on the 9th of September but hopefully Stix our immigration man will be able to take care of it for us. I am beginning to think that President Poulsen is beginning to understand the complexity of what we go through every transfer. We are still praying that with Stix helping it will go easier and hopefully get residence permits much quicker. We will see.
Yesterday was the graduation program from the institute that is run here in Botswana. Last year they had 9 that graduated and this year 112 graduated. That is a large increase. Bishop Matswagothata is really a big fan of the institute program. He would like for investigators to be signed up even before they are baptized. It was wonderful except every meeting starts late here in Botswana and it was suppose to start at 4:00 Saturday afternoon and it was after 4:30 with a handful of people that Bishop Matswagothata finally started the meeting. After 10 to 15 minutes later we had a fair size group. Less than half got their diplomas’ because most had left the University the day before to go back to their villages or countries where they were from. It only took an hour and then we headed back to our flat.
Today we visited Lobatse branch and it was the primary program. It was fun and the children did a great job. After class the branch president invited me into his office where we spent an hour helping him iron out some member problems. I could only suggest as my authority does not cover branch or ward business hat fall under the Roodepoort Stake. I can only have authority in mission branches and the missionaries. He thanked me for my suggestions and I think he will get things worked out because of his calling. After the block we stayed for the baptism of a young man that I was blessed to have a second interview with during the past week. He is ready and is now baptized. He is a great young man and could be future leadership in the branch. He needs to find a wonderful member to marry.
Today we are feeding four with three of them being transferred either home of back into South Africa. Monday evening we are feeding 4 sisters two of which are going home after fulfilling great missions.
The above was written this morning and it is now 9:30 PM here in Botswana and we have had a good day. It was great to be in Lobatse and attend church and witness the baptism. Before we left we took a turkey out of the freezer that we bought a couple months ago and got it ready and cooked it on low for the 4 hours we were in Lobatse. We had 4 elders that were excited about a Thanksgiving Dinner at the Morgan’s. We also had a couple named Zulu. He lives here in Gaborone and she came to visit him from Zimbabwe. They are married and she and the children have all joined the church (she the mother has recently joined) the father living here in Gaborone hasn’t joined yet and may not. They enjoyed the Thanksgiving Dinner as well even if they don’t understand what Thanksgiving really is.
Well I will close expressing my love for each of you. Thank you for your letters and calls. You are the greatest. Those that don’t write please do so.
Love Out Of Botswana, DAD and MOM
No comments:
Post a Comment