Immigration in BOTSWANA!!!

Dear Family,

We do appreciate all the prayers that have gone up in our behalf, but today we found out that we lost the battle. Yesterday was our missonaries last legal day in the country and for 2 days we've been hearing that everything was probably going to fine and to not worry. The 2nd in command told us that the head lady was too busy to meet with us but that it wouldn't be right for them to make our Elder's leave as they hadn't done anything wrong and they had discovered they actually had a copy of the Constitution of the Church here in Botswana and that is what they said we didn't produce. So last night we decided not to worry even though we wished we had something in our hands that made our missionaries legal in the country. We knew if they got picked up for a traffic ticket or anything else, they would be deported but we talked to each of them and told them be extremely careful and we would probably be able to get new paperwork for them soon which would extend their stay here.

But this morning we got the phone call that the committee had met and we have to bring all four of the Elders in to Gaborone on Friday to appear before the committee and they would grant them 10 days to be out of the country. We were in shock and so are our Elders tonight, but we called President Poulsen and he is preparing an emergency transfer and.....................................

We've been on the road all day with the guy from the Physical Facilities from JoBurg assessing the needs for our Branches in Lobatse (1 hour SW of here) and then to Kanye (1 1/2 hours from there) and then to Molepolole (1 hour from there) and then on to Mochudi about 1 1/2 hours again.) All of them are meeting in homes or in schools and their conditions aren't the best so hopefully he will see what they need and get them in better shape. Kanye just moved into a building that the church has remodeled, however it still doesn't have a ceiling or any air conditioning and none of the doors shut, little lone lock and the toilets leak so bad that all the doors are swollen and won't shut. This is a NEW remodel job; so needless to say he wasn't happy there but the land lady came and she said she would get the things fixed soon. Mochudi has outgrown their house and we have found a school that is willing to try letting us use their big hall and 3 classrooms on Sunday. They would only contract for 5 months so we just have to try to make them happy and hopefully they will let us stay longer. Molepolole also meets in a school but they only let us use their hall and we have no classrooms so everyone but the Adult Sunday School class and the RS meets outside in the heat and it's not the best, but.............The Elders live next door so some of the classes have been going over to their place for class but that is not really according to the rules, so we've got to find them something.

So, everyone apprecaite your buildings, even if they are several years old and the ball park isn't very green or as large as you would like. When we came home from Ukraine I thought our building was so beautiful and I wished we could send it to Ukraine. Now I have the same feelings about the Branches here and just wish we could transport it over here! We love you, we love America and we are thankful for everything we have; especially each of you!

THanks again for all of your prayers. We can always use them!

Love,

Mom and Dad, Granny and PaPa Lynn, President & Sister Morgan