Two Months Out

Sanibonani, Friends & Family!

I'm feeling a little Zulu-ish today: I've started once a week Zulu lessons, along with our CES and Welfare/Employment missionary couples. A member wants to start providing Zulu culture and language lessons to businesses, so she's practising on us. It's a little tricky working around everyone's schedules, but I think it will be very helpful.

In addition, we had a "Northwest Branches Conference" on Sunday in the Community Hall in Madadeni Township. There was a great attendance: about 400 people from 4 branches and a "twig" (a group that belongs to a branch too far away to attend every week, so they meet out on their own; this is the group we visited that meets in an old slaughterhouse). Out of that group, only some of the missionaries and four other people I saw were white, and one branch president is Indian. We learned a lot about planning conferences. There were 2 youth speakers (assigned to speak 7 minutes, took 15 each) and 4 adults (assigned 10 minutes, took 20) and a long rest hymn (only sang 2 verses) so time was practically up when Steve and I were due to speak, and there was no time to call on testimonies (forewarned as a "maybe") from the congregation. Next time we'll forewarn more and assign fewer! It was a great meeting, though. Two groups of people had come in on chartered buses. And unlike most of us, the late people had no problem filing up to the empty front seats! And they sang during the hymns! The plan is to turn this area into a district, and the twig into a branch. It will mean a lot more 3 and 4 hour drives for Steve up to do temple recommend interviews, etc., but it will be worth it, as areas seem to grow faster each time they hit a new level. Two of the branches in our stake are being made wards this month, and there are two districts in the offing that will move branches out of the stakes and over to the mission.

On the homefront, Hunter is a little happier now that we have a DVD player that can be programmed to record Monday Night Football (at 2 am Tuesday morning). He was actually getting up at 2 am to watch. Correction, he was actually having ME wake him up at 2 am to watch. We also get the BYU channel, so I need to get a schedule for their games. Monday was a hard day for Hunter, as all his friends started high school that day. Morgan has been a little more adaptable, particularly since getting involved in rugby. He has a "group". Hunter wants to play basketball, but is having trouble with his knee (anyone have suggestions on Osgood-Shlatter Disease?). Hope he outgrows it before the NFL draft of 2015!

Our number of missionaries is being upped, starting with the next transfer (in 3 weeks), so the Dalebouts are racing hither and yon searching for new boardings. It's not as easy as it sounds! Missionaries don't live in townships, so you try to find an apartment in the closest town. Some of the houses have granny flats, particularly in outbuildings, but either they were actually built for domestic staff back in the day when no one cared much about the domestic staff, or they didn't like their grannies much. The boardings need to be reasonably priced, in a safe part of town, have bars on the windows (or bars can be added), surrounded by a wall with a gate (if at all possible); sisters can't live in a boarding owned by a single man, elders can't live at a home that has girls (of any age); you can see it isn't easy, but on the flip side, most landlords love missionaries as renters because we always pay our rent (unlike, apparently, a large portion of the population) and, of course, don't smoke, drink, or have loud parties. Older ladies like having someone like that on the property.

The office elders are giving Hunter and Morgan the lessons. Last night was the 2nd visit. We have dinner first, and this one turned into quite a party! We had a braai, the four of us, the office triple-up (a new secretary is being trained), the assistants who were still at the office, and a companionship who had brought in their car for repair and were waiting for a ride. (Someone broke their back passenger window and took the radio, a camera, and a wallet, two of which shouldn't have been in the car, anyway.) So I pulled out every kind of meat I had, and all the kinds of bread, and veggies and salad, and made a quick Mud Cake to serve with ice cream, and there we were! It was good practice for lunch on this next big transfer. It's interesting to note that no matter how much food you put out, the elders eat it all.

Anyway, back to the lessons. The elders challenged the boys to fast for a desire to have a testimony. They are all fasting for 24 hours (!) starting at 6:00 pm on Saturday. I've figured out a way to help - Steve is driving (3 hours) up to Ladysmith for a missionary workshop the branch is having after Church and a shared lunch. We are all going with him and after Church I'll take the boys over to the couple's boarding where we had lunch last week after the conference. They can change into civvies, play with their computers, and chill until we're done, in a place where they own no food. It may be a cranky drive home, but I hope they'll do it! I'd probably better leave something really good cooking in the crockpot...

I've decided (like it's up to me) that everyone in the Church ought to wear name tags. People always read them, and it makes it very easy to talk about what it means. It's very funny for me to walk into my usual shops and have all the employees saying "Hi Sister Mann!" - it reminds me of the Sunbeams in the halls at Church. I do use Susan with the parents of Hunter and Morgan's friends, and secretly with the couplesisters when the missionaries aren't around. You have to have SOME normalcy in your life! But I'm getting pretty used to it.

I think I've gotten to the point that I'm babbling, so I'll finish now. Thank you all for your support, and willingness to help out with projects I email home. Our next one will be a fundraiser to help youth in Swaziland (and other townships) get to the temple for baptisms for their families. They can go do it in Combies (like extra-large Volkswagon buses) in one very long day. We're asking them to earn as many rands as they can (it won't be much) and they have to get their family group sheets ready for the temple, first. President Parmley told us that going to the temple the first year or so after baptism has the most impact on keeping people active in the Church. So be watching for more news on "Kilometers for Christmas!" - save your change: it's only $1/kilometer. (Am I pushy, or what!!)

Love you all!
Mom/Susan/Sue/Sister Mann