Miracle at Knynsa

Hello,

 I just posted George Billing’s photos about graduation in the DRC. Last night I sorted out our Grahamstown Art Festival photos for smile boxes. Wish I’d videoed some of the native dances. We were not allowed to take any indoor pictures during the musicals, plays and other productions. Posting still pictures of native dances certainly won’t give you a feel for what we experienced. Today is P Day and we are doing our month-end paperwork. We have lots of catching up to do after being gone for ten days.

We were greatly blessed in Knysna yesterday. We had prayed that angels would attend us and that the fireside would go well. We had directions to the branch, but not an address. Catherine had sent instructions in an e-mail and since our Fireside had been scheduled immediately after the block her cell phone was turned off and we could not reach her. Since we had never been to Knynsa we gave ourselves plenty of time.

We arrived an hour early but could not find the rented building. After driving around through all the Oyster Festival traffic we stopped at a gas station to ask for help. Tom talked to a traffic officer who was there getting gas. He explained that we were LDS missionaries scheduled to address a meeting but could not find the building. The officer took a look at our directions and then said “Follow me.” We did - straight down the middle of main street against oncoming traffic. Boy were the Africanners mad. One guy in a blue SUV swore at the officer. We swerved around and through all the traffic.

The traffic officer took us up on a hill overlooking the city. Tom called the Richin’s who are stationed in George and knew the location of the branch. Elder Richins said, "It's just below where you are at the end of the strip mall." Tom could just make out “Jesus Christ” on the side of a building. It was yellow and brown; not blue and white. Our directions instructed us to look for a blue and white building beyond a water wheel.

We arrived with our police escort at 12:10. The PEF fireside began at 12:15. I ad-libbed while Tom set up the Eiki projector for the power point presentation. Attendance was good. All the youth 12 and over along with the Branch President and some parents attended. It would have been a disappointment for everyone if we had not shown up. The efforts of the leaders who organized this fireside would have been wasted without the help of the traffic control officer who spent an hour helping us find the right place. We left our flat in Port Elizabeth at 8:30 am, drove 146 miles to Knynsa and returned at 5:30 pm thankful that our morning prayer had been answered.