10/18/2010

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS 18 OCTOBER 2010,

WE HAVE BEEN OUT OF TOWN AND THE COMPUTER AND INTERNET CONNECTION HAS BEEN GIVING US FITS AND STARTS SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY.  I HOPE YOU ENJOY READING OUR E-MAIL WHEN WE SEND THEM AS MUCH AS WE ENJOY SHARING OUR EXPERIENCES WITH EACH OF YOU.  MUSIC LESSONS ARE STILL GOING ON AND I AM STILL ONE PAGE AHEAD OF THOSE SISTER HUDSON WANTS ME TO WORK WITH.  THE WEATHER IS STILL GRAND AND WE HAVE HAD SOME RAIN AT NIGHT BUT NONE DURING THE DAY. WE DID GO DOWN TO DURBAN FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND IT RAINED EVERY DAY, WHICH KEEPS THE VEGETATION LUSH AND GREEN.  I WAS SO GLAD TO GET BACK HOME WHERE IT IS MORE LIKE THE DESERT THAT I LOVE AND WE CAN SEE FOREVER.  WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER OUR TEMPLE TRIP UP TO JOHANNESBURG IN NOVEMBER BUT THE GEARS MOVE SLOW IN THE BRANCHES GETTING READY SO WE CAN PASS THE INFORMATION ON TO THE TEMPLE.  YOU WOULD THINK THAT A TEMPLE TRIP ONCE A YEAR MEMBERS WOULD WANT TO BE FIRST IN LINE, BUT NOT SO HERE.  WE ALSO HAVE INSPECTED THE ELDERS BOARDINGS AND WILL HAVE TO DO SOME SHOPPING THIS WEEK TO UP-DATE THEIR LIVING ARRANGEMENTS.  WE WILL MOVE OUR FURNITURE TO THEIR BOARDING AND GET SOME NEW FOR OUR PLACE, IT’S JUST THE WAY THEY DO IT HERE.  IT IS FUN WORKING WITH THE ELDERS AND THEY SEEM TO ENJOY THE COUPLES FUSSING OVER THEM.

I GUESS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK WAS GOING TO DURBAN AND BEING TRAINED BY ELDER HOLLAND.  I HAD FOUR MEETINGS WITH HIM AND ENJOYED THEM VERY MUCH WE HAD PICTURES TAKEN SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE ELDER HOLLAND MET WITH THE MISSIONARIES AND I SAT NEXT TO HIM IN THE PICTURE, ONLY TWO CAN DO THAT AND THE MISSION PRESIDENT SAT ON THE OTHER SIDE.  THE NEW WAY THAT THE GA’S MEET MORE LEADERS IS TO GROUP ALL THE LEADERS IN AN AREA ON SATURDAY FOR TRAINING AND THEN HOLD A CONFERENCE WITH ONE OF THE STAKES ON SUNDAY

WE ALSO SPENT TIME WITH SOME OF THE OTHER SENIOR COUPLES AND DID GET DOWN TOWN DURBAN.  WE WENT TO A BOOK BINDER SHOP AND ONE OF THE COUPLES HAD A BOOK COVERED WITH SPRING BOK HIDE, THEN WE WENT TO A PLACE THAT YOU CAN BUY LEATHER FROM ELEPHANT TO OSTRICH AND BEYOND THE CHOICE IS ENDLESS.  HE MAKES A HOST OF THINGS BUT YOU CAN JUST BUY THE HIDE AND THEN DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH IT LIKE BIND A BOOK IN ELEPHANT HIDE.  I GOT SOME GOOD IDEAS OF THINGS I MIGHT DO.  WE STAYED IN A B&B AND THE MONKEYS WERE OUT IN THE MORNING WITH THEIR BABIES AND WAS FUN TO WATCH THEM ON THE HOUSE TOPS AND SOME IN TREES.  WE DON’T HAVE THEM WHERE WE LIVE SO IT WAS ENTERTAINING.

TALK ABOUT THINGS MOVING SLOW, WE JUST GOT OUR LANDLINE IN TODAY AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE INTERNET BY PHONE SOON AND WE CAN STOP USING THE SATELLITE CONNECTION WHICH IS A BIT PRICEY.

WE MISS ALL OF YOU, BUT ARE ENJOYING THE WORK AND TIME HERE AND ENJOY BEING TOGETHER.  WE SEND OUR LOVE AND BLESSING AND THANKS FOR BEING THERE FOR US.

ELDER AND SISTER HUDSON