A Busy Week

We were pretty busy this week.  We continue to work long hours at the temple.  Wednesday we went in at 8:30 to help with baptisms.  It was our turn to stay all day so we worked just about 12 hours straight.  These old bodies were pretty exhausted and sore.  A day later we were up at 3:30AM for early Friday morning sessions.  And then on Saturday up at 4:30 for early Saturday sessions.  Another 40 hour week.  We are starting to feel our age.  We also had a couple of outings: a rugby game (SA Springboks vs. Paris Le Bleus) and a trip to Pilanesberg National Park for a safari.  I'm afraid it has all caught up with me.  I haven't had a cold since I retired from teaching 3 years ago, but I've got a deep cough and sore throat.

My Comp: I lucked out when it comes to companions.  He makes the bed every morning.  He does all the dishes.  He usually will come and kill the "critters" for me.  (We're getting fumigated, thank goodness.)  He finds good movies for us to watch on Netflix, even though the SA selection is quite limited.  He is brave.  He is learning to drive a big 9 seater van in this crazy place.  Usually people give a sigh of relief to get home.  Here, when we get home the anxiety increases because we have this "pinball" arcade of a garage to navigate.  I call it 'the gauntlet'.  He drove us to church on the freeway for the first time on Sunday.  Said that was the most tense experience of the mission so far.

We have been assigned to the Ennerdale Branch.  We will be taking Elder and Sister Black's place.  She was literally dancing to hand over the assignment of playing the piano for Sacrament Meeting.  Years ago I read Spencer W. Kimball's biography.  When he was a teenager and the "gang" would get together none of the girls, who were accomplished pianists, could be cajoled to play.  He said, I wasn't very good, but I was willing.  In 1980 I was called to play the piano for Primary.  (The old G St. building).  I remember having "intestinal distress" every Sunday for months.  I've had opportunities to play for Primary, Young Women and Relief Society over the years.  I am grateful I said yes and did it even though I was scared.  I'm not a great pianist, but I'm happy to do my best.

I visited the Primary last week.  They were talking about tithing.  The question was asked: What do our tithes pay for?  One by one little voices spoke up.  Tithing pays for our church buildings.  Tithing pays for our temples.  For the chairs and books.  One little one said, Tithing helps people when they are poor.  A voice came from the group...No.  That's fast offering.  It was pretty great.  There are about 9 or 10 kids.  The oldest is about 10 years old.  They talked a lot about how to calculate, how to fill out the slips, what tithing is used for, but not so much about the blessings of paying tithing.  I felt impressed to share this story with them.

Many years ago I was taking a walk.  It was the day the men came to pick up the trash bins.  I saw a box of clothes on top of one of the trash bins and I thought to myself:  Who would throw away good clothes?  So I knocked on the door to ask if I could take that box of clothes.  When I took it home I saw that it had clothes for girls.  I thought of a friend of mine who had daughters and called her to see if she wanted those clothes.  She said, We have trouble finding pants in the stores for our girls because they have such long legs, so I doubt that they will fit.  But she said they would try them.  Later, I talked to her on the phone.  She said they fit her girls perfectly.  She also said, "We were sad because school was starting and we had enough money to buy clothes for our girls for school or to pay our tithing."  (At this point in the story I heard an intake of breath and I looked down at the little face looking up at me, a 7 year old boy.  He whispered..."They paid their tithing.")  I smiled.  They paid their tithing and Heavenly Father blessed them.  It takes faith, sometimes great faith to pay our tithing.  And Heavenly Father blesses us when we do.

I was singing during singing time and they were pretty amazed that I knew their Primary songs.  One little guy, about 10 years old kept watching me to see if I was still singing.  I started watching him too to see if he knew the songs.  We were smiling at each other the whole time.  After Primary he went out the door.  Then popped his head back in and said to me, "Come back next week."

We pass some shanty towns on the way to church.

These ones are actually spaced out and there's a little yard space around.  Some shanty town homes are right on top of each other.

I'm thinking they are all one room.  Maybe with a blanket hung up to divide the space.  They are made with any salvage that they can find.  Perhaps the little structures are outhouses.  (I hope)

I loved this one because it is so typical of lots of "businesses".  The sign in the middle of the picture says, "Bumper Repairs".  And you can see all kinds of old bumpers laying around.  People are very industrious and do whatever they can to earn a living.  Virtually every busy intersection has men "hawking" whatever items they can.  Cell phones.  Electronic cords.  Sodas.  Yesterday it was bags of oranges and bags of pecans.  They try to wash your windshields.  Some just beg.