To Keey 9/6/2010

WHAT A NICE LONG LETTER WHICH WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR SINCE WE GOT THE INTERNET. 

THING ARE REALLY GOING WELL HERE BUT IT IS HARD TO COVER THREE BRANCHES ONE EACH WEEK.  I DO LOVE LADYSMITH BRANCH AND IT IS DOING VERY WELL ON IT'S OWN WITH JUST A LITTLE HELP FROM US THEY ARE THE MOST ADVANCED OF THE THREE.  EZAKHENI BRANCH IS ABOUT 30 MINUTES FROM OUR BOARDING AND THERE ARE 47 SPEED BUMPS TO GET THERE.  IT IS A TOWNSHIP WHICH IS VERY POOR AND WE DONE SPEND TIME THERE AFTER DARK, ALWAYS KEEP THE DOORS LOCKED ON THE CAR AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US.  I ALWAYS OPEN THE DOOR FOR JUDY SO SHE IS PROTECTED.  IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS BUT WE ARE CAREFULL.  THE THIRD BRANCH IS ABOUT 0NE AND A HALF HOURS AND THEY ARE STILL A DEPENDENT BRANCH.  WE JUST HAD DISTRICT CONFERENCE UP IN NEWCASTLE AND WE MET THE MISSION PRESIDENT FOR THE FIRST TIME.  SEEMS WE CAN DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING WE WANT FROM FAMILY HISTORY, GARDENING, PIANO, OR JUST GOOF OFF.  I THOUGHT HE WOULD HAVE A GOOD ONE-ON-ONE WITH US BUT THAT WAS SAID IN PASSING, I KNOW HE HAS SOME LEFTOVER PROBLEMS FROM HOW THE MISSIOM WAS RUN BEFORE SO I THINK HE WANTS US TO DO OUR THING.  THERE IS A COUPLE IN NEWCASTLE ABOUT HOUR AND A HALF FROM HERE AND THEY KEEP WANTING TO DO THINGS WITH US AND A GLAD TO HAVE US CLOSE.  WE CAN FIND MOST OF THE THINGS HERE BUT NOT AS GOOD BUTTER, ICE CREAM JELLY AND THE LIST GOES ON, BUT WE ARE HAPPY.  JUDY HAS FOUR OR FIVE STUDENTS WANTING TO LEARN THE PIANO SO THAT WILL BE FUN AS NO ONE PLAYS HERE.  THE MONEY HAS BEEN TRICKY AS IT IS CASH ONLY AT THE STORE AND TO SET UP A BANK IS IMPOSSIBLE.  SO I AM HAVING KERILYNN SEND MY DEBIT CARD WHICH IS 3% PLUS $3 EACH TIME WE USE IT.  ALSO IN THE PASSED THE COUPLES HAVE FRONTED THE MONEY FOR BRANCH ACTIVITIES AND THEN WE WAIT TO BE PAID BACK.  WELL I BROUGHT THIS UP TO THE MISSION PRESIDENT AND HE TOOK IT TO THE VISITING SEVENTY AND IT HAS STOPPED AS OF CONFERENCE.  THERE ARE NO CARS OR VERY FEW IN THE BRANCHES SO THEY JUST USED THE COUPLES.  WE SAT WITH LADYSMITH PRESIDENT AND WENT OVER THE LIST OF MEMBERS, ACTIVE NEW AND LESS ACTIVE MEMBERS AND ASK WHO HE WOULD LIKE US TO VISIT AND HE SAID ALL OF THEM, AND I SAID YOU PRAY ABOUT ONE FAMILY WHO YOU WANT US TO WORK WITH (TEACHING MOMENT) SO HE DID AND CAME BACK WITH THREE WHICH WE HAVE MET TWO AND WILL WORK ON THING TO HELP EACH FAMILY.

WHEN WE GOT HERE WE SPENT THE NIGHT AT A B&B THEN GOT SOME INFO AT THE MISSION OFFICE THEN LUNCH WITH THE COUPLES IN DURBAN THEN IN THE CAR (LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET) AND DROVE TO OUR AREA FOLLOWING ANOTHER COUPLE HALF WAY THEN ANOTHER THE REST OF THE WAY.  ABOUT DRIVING WATCH OUT FOR GOATS, COWS, AND PEOPLE NONE OF WHICH HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY BUT WE DO SLOW DOWN FOR THE GOATS AND COWS, PEOPLE ARE ON THERE OWN.  NOW WHEN WE GO DOWN AND WALK THE STREETS THE SAME APPLIES.

ALL IN ALL IT IS A WONDERFUL TIME AND WHEN WE LOSE THE GREEN TONE WE WILL DO BETTER.  FRIST TRANSFERS THIS WEEK AND WE WILL GET THREE DIFFERENT ELDERS MAYBE ONE WILL BE GREEN.

THANKS FOR YOUR LETTER AND KEEP THEM COMING. TELL EVERYONE HELLO AND WE SEND OUR LOVE AND BLESSINGS.

LOVE,

DAD