DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, WINTER JUNE 26, 2011,
WE JUST HAD THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR HERE, JUNE 21, AND THE LAST ONE WE HAD WAS DEC 21, 2009. THE DAYS ARE WARM AND SUNNY, WITH THE NIGHTS DROPPING INTO THE 40'S. WE DO PUT THE HEATER ON IN THE OFFICE TO KEEP IT WARM IN THERE. THEY HAVE NOW STARTED TO BURN THE TALL GRASS IN THE FIELDS AND SOME RIGHT HERE IN TOWN SO A LOT OF BLACK SPOTS AROUND. THE DRIVE BOTH TO NEWCASTLE AND DUNDEE IS CHANGING WITH EACH DRIVE.
THE WEEKS ACTIVITIES GOES SOMEWHAT THE SAME WITH JUST A FEW ADDITIONS LIKE GET TWO BEDS, TWO DESKS, PILLOWS AND MATTRESS COVERS AND A REFRIGERATOR. TWO MORE ELDERS TO MOVE INTO THE BOARDING AT DUNDEE AND WORK THE AREA. SO WE WILL HAVE EIGHT ELDERS IN THE LADYSMITH DISTRICT NOW TO LOOK AFTER. MOST OF OUR TIME WAS SPENT IN DUNDEE GETTING THINGS READY FOR OUR HAND-OVER CEREMONY, WHICH HAPPENED ON SATURDAY. ELDER AND SISTER NIELSEN CAME ON FRIDAY AND WANTED TO RUN UP AND SEE EACH OF THE SITES, SO AFTER LUNCH WE DROVE THERE AND SPENT THE AFTERNOON. I GUESS FROM THERE OFFICE IN JOBURG IT'S HARD TO SEE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THE GROUND. ELDER NIELSEN TOOK PICTURES AT EACH SITE ALONG WITH PICTURES OF THE KIDS THAT LOVE TO HAVE THERE PICTURES TAKEN AND SEE THEMSELVES WITH MUCH LAUGHTER WITH EACH PICTURE. ON THURSDAY SISTER HUDSON AND I PICKED UP 1200 PACKS OF COOKIES (SIX TO A PACK) FOR THE PROGRAM ON SATURDAY BEFORE TEACHING KEYBOARD. WE STOPPED ON FRIDAY AT ORANGE GROVE DAIRY AND MADE THE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1200 FRUIT DRINKS NEEDED AND ASKED IF A TRUCK COULD STAY THERE UNTIL HANDED OUT. WONDERFUL THE INTEREST IN THE PROJECT AND THE CHURCH THAT WOULD DO THIS AT NO CHARGE TO THE TOWNSHIP. WELL I WAS STRESSED ON SATURDAY TO SAY THE LEAST, WANTING ALL TO GO WELL AND TO HAVE OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD. I HAD EVERYTHING READY AND IN MY MIND HOW IT WAS GOING TO WORK OUT. THE NIELSEN'S WHO STAYED WITH US FRIDAY NIGHT AND WERE DRIVING UP BY THEMSELVES WERE FOLLOWING US AND THEN NO NIELSENS. I WAS RUNNING LATER THEN I WANTED TO SO SOON JUST DROVE ON TO THE SITE. THE NIELSENS PHONED AND SAID THEY WERE TAKING PICTURES OF ROAD SIGNS AND WOULD BE THERE SOON, WHAT A TIME TO DO THAT!! ALSO THE NIELSENS SUPERVISORS AND THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUPLE WERE COMING AND DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GET THERE SO I HAD TO WAIT FOR THEM AND LEAD THEM TO THE SITE. THE PLACE WAS PACKED WITH PEOPLE GETTING WATER SO WE WERE THERE IN PLENTY OF TIME. I WANTED TO START BANG ON 11 AM, BUT NOT TO HAPPEN. THE BRANCH PRESIDENT WAS CONDUCTING AND HE WENT TO THE WRONG PLACE, THE DEPUTY MAYOR WAS WITH HIM AND LEFT, THE CONTRACTOR ASKED IF HE COULD GO BACK TO TOWN AND PICK SOMEONE UP AND ALL THIS WAS WITH FIVE MINUTES UNTIL TIME TO START. 11:15 ALL WAS IN PLACE AND WE GOT THINGS STARTED. I SPOKE FOR THE CHURCH IN ENGLISH AND THE BRANCH PRESIDENT TRANSLATED WHAT I SAID INTO ZULU. WE HAD THE CONTRACTOR SPEAK, A LOCAL PERSON, THE TRAINER SUPERVISOR, AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR. THERE WERE ABOUT TWO HUNDRED THAT ATTENDED, BUT WHEN WE STARTED TO HAND OUT COOKIES AND DRINKS WITHIN 10 MINUTES THEY WERE ALL GONE. THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS IS THE DEPUTY MAYOR WANTS SISTER HUDSON AND I TO COME IN AND MEET WITH THE MAYOR AND HE SAID THEY WOULD GET US SOME PROPERTY FOR A CHURCH BUILDING. AT THE END OF THE DAY WE WERE DRAINED AND GLAD TO HAVE THE DAY OVER EVEN THOUGH IT WILL BE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR MISSION.
I TOOK A PICTURE OF OUR POINSETTIA TREE OUTSIDE OUR BEDROOM WINDOW, REMINDS ME OF CHRISTMAS. I'LL SEE WHAT ELSE SISTER HUDSON TOOK AT THE HAND-OVER PROGRAM.
WE SEND OUR LOVE TO EACH OF YOU AND WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE IT HERE AND THE MISSIONARY WORK WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO DO.
ELDER AND SISTER HUDSON
PS
YES ELDER HUDSON WAS STRESSED OUT. I EVEN TOOK PICTURES OF THE DOINGS. I AM TERRIBLE AT TAKING PICTURES. I BLUR THEM SO MANY TIMES.
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