The Bitter and the Sweet

The past week has been filled with preparations for Transfer Day. In the office, each of us have assignments that kept us very busy, from early morning until into the evening. Sister Thompson has been preparing letters for the incoming [eight of them] and departing missionaries [a dozen of them!] Plus, preparing passports, visas, departure packets...and the list goes on. She does such a perfect job with all of her tasks. Elder Thompson makes sure all of the new elders have their allotment cards and cars/bikes, taking care of packages, and purchases of personal missionary supplies. Elder Allred is busy keeping the elders' flats in good repair, [delivering new replacements of furnishings and appliances], keeping all the mission bills paid [flats leases, utilities, phones] and keeps the elders' phones working. President Dunn and the APs have been for weeks, working on transfers, along with the daily workings of the mission. Such a big job! Sister Dunn is her usual self, accomplishing everything to do with the mission running smoothly. 

This transfer we received 3 missionaries from the Johannesburg MTC at 7 am. The new tradition has our departing elders walk to the MTC to welcome and bring them to the mission office. I took photos of the event, and it is a delight to watch the joy and excitement in the faces of our incoming elders, and the joy on the faces of our elders who are preparing to return home after two years serving the Lord. I can just imagine the thoughts and feelings going through their heads as they remember that same experience, two years ago! 

Here our departing elders are walking to the MTC

Elder Reed and Elder Pedersen with new missionary Elder Paul

Elder Stephens bringing Elder Woniala from the MTC

President and Sister Dunn with Elder Woniala

Elder Reed and Elder Paul

Elder Paul with President and Sister Dunn

Elder Taylor, Reed, Pedersen, and Elder Paul

Elder Jada's photo with President and Sister Dunn

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Elder Kewuti, Elder Mthembu, and Elder Carpenter

Elder Taylor and Elder Dalton

Our departing elders. Such fine looking men!
L-R: Elders Otiento, Johnson, Dalton, Kewuti,  Mthembu, Lucking, Taylor, Stephens, Reed, Pedersen, and Carpenter. Elder Perez was not in this photo.

And the whole group including President and Sister Dunn and the APs

Elder Carpenter doing a high kick, Elder Perez, and Elder Lucking

Elder Dalton and Elder Johnson 

Sister Dunn hosts a breakfast for the incoming and outgoing elders on transfer morning. It has become a tradition that is much looked forward to.

Just hanging out waiting for the main transfer meeting to start. Elder Carpenter and Elder Lucking.

Elder Kewuti and Elder Mthembu

Elder Otiento. His voice sounds just like Dansel Washington! Not kidding!

Elder Dalton

Elder Reed and Elder Pedersen. Notice Elder Reed's suit? This suit stays in the mission and has been passed down through the years. The story is that one departing elder is chosen to wear the suit on the last transfer day in the mission. They then write their name on the lining of the jacket. 

Here are some of the names and years. Elder Reed's is at the top. Next transfer I plan on photographing all of the names and dates.

lol! Elders' Reed, Stephens and Pedersen doing the chipmunk face.

Transfer day collage, including our three new missionaries from the MTC

Photos of the transfer meeting when all the elders were sing the mission song. Also our new missionaries and their trainers.
For a musical number, Elder Matos performed a beautiful rendition of the mission song on his guitar.

President and Sister Dunn greeting the departing elders and giving them SAJM lapel pin and a personalized, framed mission bio.

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 Today, we received five more new missionaries to our mission! It was another mini transfer day and the day was full of energy and excitement! These first three where planned; Elders Dean, Lybe, Pickup, and two extra where surprises; Elder Rakotoarison, and Elder Rati...can't remember how to spell his name and will edit when I can. We love these kinds of surprises! They along with Elder Paul, Jada, and Woniala, are going to be a great addition to the South Africa Johannesburg mission!

This collage includes our last five incoming missionaries. They all are so happy to be here!

The Bitter of this whole experience is that we will miss our 12 departing elders so much! They have really become an important and solid part of the mission. The sweet...we are so excited for them as they begin the rest of their lives. What an exciting time! We wish them well in all they do. Each will add experience, wisdom, and solid leadership to everything they do in church, school, work and in their families. They will be blessed for giving two years to the Lord!

Also we experience the sweet, with the eight new missionaries joining us. This has been a great transfer week!! 

Mission life is the BEST!!!

Month of Miracles

 February has been titled, 'Month of Miracles' in the SAJM, and it is really turning into just that. The promise is that if you are striving to be obedient, Heavenly Father will work miracles. Through hard work, prayer, and obedience, miracles are truly happening in the mission. 

• One area has 21 investigators that come to church each week and are on date for baptism! 21!!!
• Two missionaries went to a Sunday dinner appointment with a less active sister. When they got there she was preparing dinner and they sat down and conversed with her for a while, finally asking when she was baptized. She looked at them funny and said "I'm not baptized" They said, "aren't you Sister ________________?" "No, she moved a while ago. But I do have this book I want to show you." She brought out a copy of the Book of Mormon and wanted to talk about it.
• Miracles are not being seen in some areas, but when we were talking with elders there, they said they were making their own kind of joy, and decided to be happy and positive each day. They had this glow about them and we could really see joy in their faces. They will be blessed with miracles...maybe the miracles they are seeing are directed at them personally, because of their positive attitude. What a great example they are.

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Other Mission News

Elder Matos and his family gave President Dunn an awesome professional jersey from his home town. President Dunn loves sports and plays some kind of ball with the missionaries on P-day. This was the perfect gift!

I took photos of one of the amazing rainstorms we get. This was taken looking out of the mission office door. The building is the Roodepoort ward building.

After the storm the birds came out to play

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Our courtyard reminds us of something you would see in Europe. We love it!

The view from our front door

I just love the doors, windows, and fixtures in our little courtyard. 

This is a photo of the water drain. All gray water pours out into this system, It doesn't go down the sewer like back home. Washing the dishes...pours from a pipe directly outside. Doing the laundry...pours outside. You get the idea.

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This is creepy! We had a flat we are permanently closing professionally cleaned, and the next day we met with the agent to turn over the keys. Something (we don't know what), came in during the night and made a nest, (about 8 inches long) on a bedroom wall! The agent was so impressed with the clean flat and said it (the nest) was not our problem, and would tell the owner to have the place fumigated.

Look at this awesome cloud we saw on the way home from the closing

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We went to dinner at The Porterhouse, and sat out on the deck. This was the entertainment!

And it came with a rainbow

My dinner was a tramezzini, stuffed with spinach and feta. So good!

Kent had grilled fish that he said was pretty good. 

As we left the parking lot, we saw this little family all dressed up for a night out.

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We had a sister in the mission for three days, and it was a blast! (There are no sister missionaries in the South Africa Johannesburg mission) Her flight was delayed because of incorrect paperwork, so she got to hangout with us. President Dunn assigned her to be my companion for Wednesday. We went shopping for flats supplies, ran some errands, put together 100 transfer packets for Transfer day on Tuesday, walked to the flat for lunch, and accomplished a few other things, She was so excited to help and we think she really enjoyed the day. She was staying at the mission home and she and Sister Dunn worked on many projects together until her flight on Friday evening. She flew to Paris, then on to the Dominican Republic MTC. After her two week stay there, she will finish her journey to Jamaica for an 18 month mission. She wanted to stay with us because she was having so much fun, but we told her she just got a taste of what a mission is like, and will love her mission in Jamaica a whole lot better!  

Here is a photo of the 'girls' in the mission office. (don't laugh at my dorky smile) I wanted to show you the great transfer board behind us. Really sharp looking with the green background that was inspired by President Dunn.

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As we walked to our flat on Friday, there was a young Hadeda just hanging out on the lawn by the mission office. They are such a funny looking bird. They remind us of something prehistoric.

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 On our five hour drive to deliver sofas, easy chair, desks, vacuum, and microwave to elders, we saw this truck. Love the outline of Africa. It reminded me of our great friends, the Williams, who are trucking around the USA right now.

This is a Google Maps vehicles!! The only one I have every seen. Looks like they are updating South Africa. The large camera is sitting on top.

Elder Beers and Elder Thompson get a new sofa.

Empty trailer and bakkie. Guess we'll head home.

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We went out with Elder and Sister Thompson for a Valentines Day dinner. I can't believe I forgot to take a photo of our dinner and of us! We ate at Titolino's in the Clearwater mall. We all loved the food. The Italian and Mediterranean cuisine was fresh, flavorful, and well prepared. Portions were large and very filling. Our meals cost R80 and R90, Around $7 and $8 each. We love the food in South Africa. EVERYTHING we have had is delicious and reasonable priced. We will go back to this restaurant!
I did take a photo of this cute Valentines Day cow.