Update from Nikki

Support and encouragement from Nikki Stokoe,  our daughter-in-law

From: Nicole Stokoe [mailto:nicolestokoe@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2012 10:01 PM
To: Diane Stokoe
Subject: Re: Wednesday

Wow!!! Diane, that sounds scary!  Actually I have never felt unsafe in South Africa.  We were encouraged by church security to stay out of the townships after dark and we were told not to give anyone rides or hand out money.  We have bent this rule a bit to help our PEF students.

Do you think you guys are safe????  I think bad things happen in most large cities. Lorraine is a lot like Sandy.  Now that we live next to a park Tom and I have been walking together every morning.  This morning I walked to Turnburry but could not remember the code for the gate.  Luckily you can buzz any flat you want to visit and they can open the gate.  I was surprised to see that the people who bought Talanna’s flat have not yet moved in there.  They had insisted that it be vacated by August 31^st.  Actually the town house we are in now is larger and much nicer than #17 Turnburry.  If we had not moved when we did we would not have all Tracy & Stanley’s beautiful furnishings.  We visited the Banisters on Tuesday evening to pick up the curtains.  Tracy’s maid had washed them and they were ready to hang.  The panels that hang in front of the sliding glass patio door and the windows in the living room requires a 13 foot pole.  So hanging them was too much for us.  We called a handy man to install the hardware.  He also planed the front door so  it opens and closes property now.  It used to stick.  We love this new flat.  It’s perfect.  The new paint matches all our new furnishings.  Even the curtains are the exact size for our windows.  Most rentals are painted white—like our first flat and the one where we stayed in Ganobie.  But white walls make me crazy. They remind me of a hospital or an institution.  Add locked doors, high fences and electric wire and it's not a good feeling.

The elders here are calling and inviting us to all the activities.  Balmforth is coming over this afternoon to check on church videos for their fireside on October 14^th.   They asked Tom and I to help.  Everyone said they missed us.  We are attending the live conference sessions on Saturday and Sunday.  We will visit the Clarkes Tuesday evening.  Thanks for the update.  We love you and appreciate your support.  Love and Blessings, Sister S.

P.S.  I posted Elder Romney’s Sept. 30 Sacrament Meeting talk on the blog.  Too bad about the head on  car accident but the roads and construction in East London are the pits.  The young missionaries up there have crashed so many times  that president Wood had threatened to take away their cars and have them walk or ride public transport if they are not more careful.  Note that Romney is the tall elder in the Zone Conference picture on the blog.  He  is from Arizona.  The V on the blackboard is pointing directly at him.   .

Even if you don't feel that you are being productive at the moment, you are such a good example to my children as well as to my Tomsich family.  Your mission has inspired me to look into some charity work for the babies in Africa.  You will probably never know the ripple effects you will have on those around you.   So, I have been meaning to contact you about the email that you sent about the baby blankets.  I would love to organize something with my kids and friends to help these mothers and their new babies.  Can you help us?  (Tom responded in another e-mail.)

Sophies birthday was last week, she got an American girl doll that looks like her.  She loves it!  We were in Lake Powell.  The weather was great!  It was a lot of fun!  We love hearing about the kids. Please send us the web page where you have posted pictures.  Better yet, let’s Skye.  Now we are finally settled and our Internet is finally working, we can set a time and visit online.  We want to by skying with Neil and Corrine when their baby arrives next month..

Cole is in flag football, (Dave is his coach), he is also in soccer (and really good).  He is doing good in his new school.  Loves math. Sophie LOVES preschool and her friends.  And Animals.  She wants to be a vet when she gets big and take care of sick animals.  She is such a little mommy.  Lola is delicious!  She has so much personality right now!  She is trying to imitate what we say and is starting to walk a little.
Well, I better get back to my house and groceries.
Love You
Nikki