11/7/2010

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT HOME NOVEMBER 7, 2010,

 

GOOD THINGS TO REPORT FROM THE MISSION FIELD THIS WEEK SUCH AS WE NOW HAVE THE INTERNET THROUGH OUR LAND LINE SO WE CAN JUST GO WILD AND STAY ON IT AS LONG AS WE WANT.  OF COURSE WE NEED TO LIMIT OURSELVES AS WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE WORK, BUT WE STILL WANT TO SHARE THE WONDERFUL THINGS WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN THIS LAND THAT WE HAVE COME TO LOVE AND THE PEOPLE WE SERVE.  WE HAD A DRIVE UP TO JOHANNESBURG THURSDAY AND I LOVE THE OPENNESS OF THE COUNTRY AS YOU CAN SEE THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR MILES AND MILES OF JUST ROLLING HILLS WHICH ARE NOW SPRING GREEN.  THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE THREE AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE WAS THE UNDEVIDED FREEWAY AT ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY KILOMETERS (0.62 MILES TO THE KILOMETER) AND ONLY THREE PAINTED STRIPS OF PROTECTION FROM THE ONCOMEING TRAFFIC, NOT MUCH TIME TO LOOK AT THE SCENERY, BUT NO COWS, GOATS OR CHICKEN TO SLOW US DOWN AND ONLY THE OCCASIONAL WALKER.  WE HAVE A GPS WHICH WE HAVE LEARN HOW TO USE WITH OUT THE GRANDCHILDREN THERE TO HELP (WHO SAID YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.) AND THE NEXT NEW CAR WILL HAVE ONE.  THE TRAVEL WAS GOOD UNTIL WE GOT RIGHT IN TOWN WHERE IT WAS SHADES OF SEATTLE, L.A., AND SOFORTH, GIVE ME LADYSMITH ANYDAY.  WE HAD A NICE VISIT WITH MY NEPHEW AND HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER, I TOLD SISTER HUDSON THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO HOLD A BABY AGAIN BECAUSE IN THE MISSION WE CAN'T SHOW AFFECTION TO THE CHILDREN AND HOLD THEM BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A LAWSUIT, SAD BUT TRUE.  WELL I TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME AND ENJOYED WINNING HER OVER AND BY THE TIME WE LEFT WE WERE SORT OF FRIENDS.  IT WAS WONDERFUL BEING IN WITH FAMILY AND WE FELT SO WELCOME.

THE REASON WE WENT TO JOBURG WAS TO GO TO THE TEMPLE WITH OUR BRANCH MEMBERS, AND FOR YOU WHO ARE NOT OF OUR FAITH SOME OF THIS YOU MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT HOPE YOU FEEL THE SPIRIT OF THE DAY WE SPENT THERE.  OUR TEMPLE IS RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE CITY, BUT IS IN A DIFFERENT WORLD WHILE ON THE GROUNDS.  IT IS WELL LANDSCAPED SO YOU DON'T KNOW OF THINGS GOING ON OUTSIDE.  WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME FAMILY HISTORY FOR SOME MEMBERS OF THR BRANCH WHICH IS RIGHT ON THE TEMPLE COMPLEX ALONG WITH A BOOKSTORE AND WE STAYED IN PATRON HOUSEING FOR 50 RAND WHICH IS ABOUT $40 US.  THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES THERE, IT WAS A WONDERFUL TIME JUST BEING THERE.  THERE WAS A GREAT NEED FOR SECURITY, BUT THAT IS TRUE FOR ALL OF JOBURG.  WE HAD SOME TIME TO WALK THE TEMPLE GROUNGS SATURDAY MORNING AS THE BUS WAS NOT TO ARRIVE UNTIL NINE. SO WE TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME.  JUST AS WE WERE GOING BACK TO OUR ROOM THE BUS SHOWED UP EARLY AND IT WAS MOST WONDERFUL GREETING THE MEMBERS AS THEY GOT OFF THE BUS AND THEY WERE GLAD TO SEE US TOO.  THERE WERE 32 YOUTH AND HALF AS MANY ADULTS AND WE SO ENJOYED BEING WITH THEM, HELPING AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS THEY HAD.  WE HAD THREE THAT WERE THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SISTER HUDSON WAS ABLE TO HELP THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE.  THE BUS TOOK THEM BACK TO LADYSMITH ARRIVING AT SIX IN THE EVENING.  I MUST SAY THAT OUR YOUTH WERE ON THERE BEST BEHAVIOR AS ALWAYS EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A LOT OF WAITING AROUND BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE TEMPLE.  THERE WAS SUCH A STRONG SPIRIT AT THE TEMPLE AND THAT CARRIED OVER AT OUR TESTIMONY MEETING TODAY.

YOU KNOW THE WEDDING WE WENT TO SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, WELL WE ARE GOING OVER THERE TONIGHT AND TALKING WITH THEM.  NO PROBLEMS JUST A VISIT AS THEY LOVE THE SENIOR COUPLES AND I HOPE THEY HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND I HOPE WE CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES.  WE LOVE IT HERE AND ARE ASKED ALL THE TIME IF WE MISS HOME AND OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND WE DO.  THANKS FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND FAMILY LOVE AND SUPPORT, IT IS WONDERFUL THE TIME WE ARE HAVING HERE AND THANKS FOR SHARING US WITH THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA.  WE SEND OUR LOVE TO EACH OF YOU AND WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT OUR TIME IS WELL SPENT HERE.

 

WARM REGARDS,

 

ELDER AND SISTER HUDSON 

 

PS

The day before we went to Joburg, we had a lot of things to take care of.  Elder Ward came down from Newcastle to do some interviews.  President Holder called and asked us to meet him at the church at 8am.  We were there just a few minutes before he arrived.  He brought a new sound system for the Ezakheni Branch.  Then we found out that no one was going to be interviewed.  The Ward's had come for not.  We did need Elder Ward to sign a check, so that was good.  We then were called by the Elder who was going on a mission and he wanted the Temple Classes.  We meet him at the church and gave the Temple class to him.  The missionaries were having their distric development meeting so we join them for this meeting.  We do attend this meeting every week.  The elders from Ezakheni had the tithing money and gave it to Elder Hudson.  He then had to inter the tithing into the computor and prepare the bank deposit.  We were hungry by now and we ran down town and bought a pizza.  They had a special so we got too, and called one set of missionaries to meet us at the house to help us eat pizza.  The two cost just a little more than one.  We then had to go teach piano lessons.  Elder Hudson took one of the missionaries to the bank with him and left the other one with me.  He stood in line for over thirty minutes.  When we got back home Elder Hudson said we need to get another signature on the check so he could give it to the President.  We proceeded to get a hold of the young man going on a mission and he said he could take us to the house we needed the signature from.  We drove at to Ezakheni and he wasn't home.  We finally reached him by phone and he was staying close to Ladysmith.  We then went back to town and he meet us along the side of the road.  We then took the young man back to Ezakheni.  We were suppose to go to the President's house at 6 but we didn't get there until 7.  We stayed until 8.  We had to give the cash so he could go buy food for sack lunch to go on the bus.  We do get reinbursed anytime we spend our money.  We got home after 8 and just fell into bed.  I was too tired to pack to go to Joburg.  We don't have everyday like this thank goodness, but we do get one every once in awhile.  I feel like it is hurry up and wait.  Time means nothing to these people.  We do love them.  Elder Hudson wanted me to tell you what a good driver he is.  He is a very safe driver so don't worry.