12/4/2010

DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS DEC 4, 2010,

 

WE ARE ENGAGED IN MISSIONARY WORK AND LOVE IT.  AS SENIORS WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN OUR SCHEDULE AND CAN CHANGE  AT A MOMENTS NOTICE, FOR EXAMPLE I WAS CALLED BY THE MISSION PRESIDENT AND ASKED IF SISTER HUDSON AND I WOULD TAKE A MISSIONARY FROM OUR AREA TO HIS NEW ASSIGNMENT, WHICH FIT INTO OUR SCHEDULE SO WE AGREED.  I SHOULD SAY THAT EVEN IF IT DIDN'T FIT WE WOULD DO THE TRANSFER.   THEN GOT ANOTHER CALL SAYING THAT THEY MADE DIFFERENT PLANS FOR THE TRANSFER.  THEN WE WERE GOING TO WORK AT THE CHURCH CLEANING UP THE YARD, BUT IT RAINED SO THAT CHANGED.  WE ARE SCHEDULED TO BE AT LADYSMITH BRANCH TOMORROW BUT WERE CALLED BY THE DISTRICT PRESIDENT AND ASKED TO GO TO EZAKHENI FOR SOME LEADERSHIP HELP, SO ANOTHER CHANGE.  THIS WEEK WE HAVE MEETINGS UP AT NEWCASTLE TWO DAYS ONE BEING A CHRISTMAS DINNER WHICH THE SENIOR COUPLES WERE GOING TO COOK, BUT NOW THAT IS GOING TO BE DONE BY SOMEONE ELSE.  IT IS NICE TO BE ABLE TO FILL IN WHERE NEEDED AND HELP THE WORK HERE IN THIS AREA.  KEY BOARD IS STILL AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE WORK AND THE YOUTH STILL SURPRISE US AT HOW WELL THEY CAN DO WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM US.  MOST OF THE STUDENTS ARE PLAYING A NUMBER FOR SHOW IN DECEMBER, AND I'M TRYING TO CHANGE AND GET MY NUMBER DROPPED, BUT I'M NOT SURE I'LL GET THAT BY SISTER HUDSON.  THE WEATHER HAS EVEN CHANGED AND WE GET THESE GREAT THUNDER STORMS THAT JUST OPEN UP AND POUR.  WE GOT CAUGHT TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT SAT IT OUT IN THE HOUSE WHERE WE WERE TEACHING KEY BOARD AND STAYED DRY.

 

WE SEEM TO GET DISCOUNTS AT ALOT OF THE STORES WHEN WE BUY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THEN FOOD.  I THINK THE MISSIONARY NAME TAG WE WARE HAS ALOT TO DO WITH THAT.  WE HAD A PICTURE FRAMED AND THEY JUST ROUNDED DOWN WHICH WAS NICE OF THEM THEN NEXT DOOR TO THAT STORE WE DID SOME SHOPPING AND AGAIN WE RECEIVED A DISCOUNT.  WHEN WALKING DOWNTOWN EVERYBODY LOOKS AT OUR MISSIONARY TAGS.  THIS IS EVEN BETTER AT ONE STORE THAT WE HAVE MADE FRIENDS WITH SISTER HUDSON WANTED TO BUY SOME PLACE MATS AND THE LADY JUST SENT US TO THE LADY THAT MAKES THEM AND SHE SAID WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THE MARK-UP SO WE DID AND SHE SAID IF WE BUY FIVE SETS SHE WOULD GIVE US A SET FREE.  WE KNOW THAT THE SENIOR COUPLES WILL BUY THE FIVE SO WE MADE OUT BIG TIME THERE.

 

TODAY WAS A WARM DAY SO WE DID SOME SHOPPING FOR FOOD THEN TOOK A DRIVE DOWN TO THE DRAKENSBERG MOUNTAINS WHICH ARE ABOUT 40 MILES FROM LADYSMITH AND THE DRIVE WAS SPECTACULAR, BUT WILL HAVE TO GO BACK AGAIN.  WE STOPPED AT A WEAVER SHOP WHERE THEY WEAVE RUGS BY HAND AND YOU CAN EVEN SEE THEM WORK.  WILL SEND A PICTURE OR TWO.  SISTER HUDSON BOUGHT A RUG FOR THE BOARDING WHICH SHE SAYS SHE IS TAKING HOME WITH US.  THIS AREA IS FARMLAND AND THEY DO IRRIGATION AND WILL HAVE SWEET CORN BY THE END OF SUMMER, CAN'T WAIT.  THERE ARE A LOT OF SPECIALITY SHOPS THERE SO NEXT TIME WILL TAKE MORE TIME AND LOOK AROUND.

 

THIS WILL BE A BUSY WEEK WITH MEETINGS AND THE CHRISTMAS DINNER AND THE MISSION PRESIDENT GOT TIES FOR ALL THE MISSIONARIES AND WE SPENT SOME TIME PUTTING CHRISTMAS PAPER ON THEM SO IT'S BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS WHICH MEANS WE WANT TO BE UP FRONT WISING ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.  WE GOT AN EMAIL FROM OUR FRIEND KEN BEAN IN THE FORM OF A CHRISTMAS POEM AND IT WAS NICE.  IT IS A WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR AND DOWN HERE THE SCHOOL IS OUT FOR SUMMER BREAK AND THINGS SHUT DOWN AND PEOPLE TAKE OFF FOR THE HOLIDAY'S.  WE WILL BE GOING UP TO SWAZILAND FOR OUR SENIORS CONFERENCE THE WEEK OF CHRISTMAS SO DON'T WANT TO FORGET ALL OF YOU AT THIS WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR.  WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR OUR BLESSINGS AND THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD TO US.  WE THANK HIM DAILY FOR OUR BLESSINGS AND OUR TIME TOGETHER.  MAY YOU ALSO FEEL HIS BLESSINGS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR AND THROUGH THE NEXT AS WELL.

 

WE SEND OUR LOVE AND BEST WISHES,

 

ELDER AND SISTER HUDSON