2008 01 27 - A new branch & zone conferences

(The following is from "The Prez" about organizing the Ezakheni (ezz uh kay knee) Branch):

"Hi everyone,
This last week we had a marvelous experience organizing the Ezakheni Branch. Ezakheni is a township about two and a half hours north west of the mission home. Most homes there are concrete with flat tin roofs and maybe 15X20 or smaller. This time of year the grass is up and there are goats and cows and chickens all over in the streets and yards. As you might imagine unemployment and HIV infection rates are very high. For the last several years we have rented what was an old slaughter house, (concrete floors and walls, few windows, leaky tin roof and only one real room). For the last two years the saints there have come together in the humid heat of the summer, in the damp and mud of the rain and in the cold of the winter. There is no heat in the winter and only a few fans to move the air around in the summer. In 2006 they averaged about 65 people attending sacrament meeting. In 2007 they averaged 88 with sometimes as many as 120, including all of the investigators. They did all of this as just an extension of the Ladysmith Branch about 20 miles away.
What an experience to get them organized as an independent branch. There is a spirit there that is incredible. The new branch president is from Zimbabwe, has been a member for about a year and a half and is one of the most humble spiritual men I have ever met. As a counselor in the Ladysmith Branch he would stop the branch president and say, “Can you please go with me this week to visit members?” His wife just got baptized and they are looking forward to going to the temple next year to be sealed together along with their two children.
The branch was so excited and the spirit was strong during the meeting. There is quite a bit of priesthood and a high percentage of tithe payers so we hope to buy land and get scheduled for a building soon. I wish you all could see Ezakheni for yourselves. If you could you would be far more thankful and probably a little embarrassed for all of the material things you have. You would also, I think, be humbled by their daily dedication to living the gospel of Jesus Christ, the strength of their testimonies, and their knowledge of the scriptures and doctrine. While we may have a few things to teach these people, we have far more to learn. "
Steve



Now it's me again. We just finished a mission tour, which is when an area authority comes around with us on zone conferences. Our Area Authority, called last April conference, is Elder Gareth C. Hill. He and his wife Lyris (a "horse whisperer") came with us to 3 zone conferences: 2, and once 3, zones at a time. It's fun, because the elders line up early and we all go through shaking hands with everyone. Elder & Sister Hill talked to each missionary for a moment, and some they knew already because they had served in their ward. They both did a dynamite job. Sister Hill spoke on consciously appreciating the things the Lord does for us each day. Elder Hill taught that the way to help investigators progress to baptism, is by helping them gain an understanding and testimony of the atonement. Many people feel they just can't be as "perfect" as a Mormon seems to be. Understanding just how complete the atonement is, and how the gift of the Holy Ghost strengthens us to resist sin, will give a person confidence to make the commitment to be baptized. He had a wealth of scriptures to share - I couldn't write down the references fast enough - and he challenged us all to read the scriptures with a blue pencil and mark every reference to the atonement. Luckily, I am verses away from finishing the Book of Mormon again, so I can start over with my blue pencil. Then I'll have to do it in all the other scriptures, too.

We also went out to dinner with the Hills, once with the Uffens, Klinglers, Dibbs, and Dalebouts (and the assistants) and once with the Baums, Smiths, Hafens, Bartholomews, Hunter & Morgan.
It's great when the couples have a chance to get together - since the Bartholomews just got here, they hadn't met everyone yet. They'll meet the Newcastle couples in 2 weeks at our Couples Seminar in Swaziland. (Doesn't that sound racy?)

Hunter's first basketball game was cancelled due to rain, so he and Morgan and 3 friends played basketball all afternoon, first indoors at the Berea chapel, until they were bumped by a Young Special Adult activity, and then outdoors at the Pinetown chapel. Hunter is now playing Point Guard.

Morgan is organizing a basketball game between the Westville Boys High School 1st team (plus a few of their young coaches) and a team made up of missionaries. It will be on preparation day, after school, and the players will all wear the mission t-shirt, and their companions will wear their white shirts and ties, as this is also a "get to know the neighbors" activity. If the Westville boys feel like they know the missionaries, maybe the elders will be able to get inside some of the gates!

Well, love to everybody!
Grandma, Mom, Susan, Sue, Sister President Mann, Sports Mom (who'd have thought...)

ps. I have a new theory that one of these conferences President Hinckley is going to start calling people on missions from the pulpit, just like Brigham Young. I suspect he will start with residents of St. George. Wouldn't that be interesting?