10/24/2010

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO READ THE NEWS FROM THE SOUTH AFRICA DURBAN MISSION,

FIRST OF ALL THANKS TO KERIN AND DICK, DALE AND SYLVIA, KEN, GEORGE PAPAS, JACKIE, MARY GUZMAN, SHAUNE, MARK AND KEELY THAT DROPPED US A LINE, ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR FROM HOME.

I MUST TELL YOU ALL ABOUT TODAY WHICH STARTED AT 8 AM WITH A PHONE CALL TELLING US OF A FUNERAL THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT 10 AM AND THE BRANCH PRESIDENT AT EZAKHENI BRANCH, WHICH IS A TOWNSHIP WITH LOTS OF TRIBAL TRIDITIONS, ASKED US TO BE THERE.  WANTING TO BE ON TIME WE ARRIVED AT 9:30 AND WERE THE FIRST AND ONLY ONES THERE.  THE FUNERAL STARTED AT 10:40 AND LASTED TWO HOURS AT THE CHAPEL AND THEN TO THE CEMETERY FOR THE BURIAL.  I WAS ASKED TO GIVE THE OPENING PRAYER AND AFTER THE SERVICE AT THE CHAPEL WAS ASKED TO DEDICATE THE GRAVE AT THE CEMETERY.  OTHER THEN THE PRAYER AND THE DEDICATION EVERYTHING WAS IN ZULU WITH SEVEN HYMNS AND AN ALTER CALL BY A NEIGHBOR WHO WAS A PASTOR, MIXED IN.  AT THE SAME TIME THE LADYSMITH BRANCH WAS HAVING A BRAAI OR BAR-B-Q STARTING AT 11 AM THAT WAS CHANGED TO 12 BUT FOUND OUT LATER THAT NO ONE SHOWED UP UNTIL 12:30 PM.  WE ARRIVED FROM THE GRAVESIDE SERVICE AT 1:30 WANTING TO HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT AND AFTER A PROGRAM WITH ANOTHER TWO HYMNS (THEY DO LIKE TO SING) WE ATE AT 3:10.  WELL THE DROUGHT IS OVER WITH A DISPLAY OF CONTINUOUS LIGHTNING AND A REAL DOWN-POUR OF RAIN THAT WE DROVE IN TO GET BACK TO LADYSMITH FOR THE BRAAI.  IT WAS A BUSY DAY AND IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME FOR THE NIGHT.  I’LL TRY TO SEND A PICTUE OF THE CEMETERY, MOST INTERESTING TO A OLD FUNERAL DIRECTOR!

AN OTHER PICTURE I WILL TRY TO SEND IS ME TEACHING A KEYBOARD LESSON IN A HALLWAY USING A BATTERY OPERATED KEYBOARD USING A FLASHLIGHT, WE  WORK IN HUMBLE CONDITIONS SOMETIMES.  DRIVING TO THE HOUSE WE DROVE BY A WATER SPIGOT WHERE PEOPLE LINE UP FOR A TURN TO DRAW WATER AND CARRY IT BACK TO THEIR HOMES, WHICH ARE SOMETIMES MADE OF MUD BRICKS.  SOME BRING WHEELBARROWS TO CART IT HOME, THEN THEY CAN CARRY TWO FIVE GALLON JUGS AT THE SAME TIME.  I JUST COULDN’T TAKE A PICTURE OF THAT WITH THE PEOPLE JUST STANDING THERE WAITING THEIR TURN.  I WANT TO CRY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THOSE CONDITIONS, BUT THEY SEEM TO EXCEPT THE LIFE STYLE AND SEEM HAPPY AND LOVING TO EACH OTHER.  IT IS GREAT TO WORK WITH THE KIDS WHO JUST WOULD NEVER HAVE A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE A MUSIC LESSON LITTLE ALONE SOME ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION IN THEIR LIFE.  WHEN WE ARRIVED THERE THE MISSIONARIES WERE JUST LEAVING AND I GOT THE CAMERA OUT AND BOY DO THEY LIKE TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE TAKEN AND TO LOOK AT IT, I WAS MOBBED.  I’LL SEND THAT PICTURE TOO.  THIS IS A TEXT MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT TO SISTER HUDSON WITH THE HYMNS FOR SUNDAY FOR HER TO PLAY THEN SHE SENDS THIS “KEEP WELL AND WE MISS U LIKE CRAZY,PLS BE WITH US THIS SUNDAY. I’M BEGGING U!”.  CAN YOU SEE WHY WE LOVE IT HERE AND WHY WE LOVE THE PEOPLE SO MUCH.  THE BOYS IN DANNHAUSER ARE DOING WELL ON THE KEYBOARD AND WE WILL TAKE SOME CANDY BY NEXT TIME, SOMETHING I LEARNED FROM KERILYNN MY DAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS TEACHING PIANO, REWARD FOR PREFORMANCE.

I DID GET A PICTURE OF A GOAT BY OUR CHAPEL IN EZAKHENI AND ONE OF AN OSTRICH THAT I THINK IS NESTING IN THE FIELD.  I AM SENDING THESE TO MCKENNA BECAUSE SHE LAUGHED AT THE STORY ABOUT THE MONKEYS LAST WEEK.

ALL IS WELL HERE AND WE LOVE IT.  WE HAVE GAINED SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND RECOMMEND A TRIP HERE TO EVERYONE.  IT IS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND WE ARE HAVING A LIGHTING AND THUNDER STORM THAT IS BREATHTAKING.  THE TUNDER ROLLS FOR UP TO 20 SECONDS AND THE FLASHES ARE SOMETHING TO BEHOLD.

WE SEND OUR LOVE TO ALL,

ELDER AND SISTER HUDSON