March 6th Update

Hi,

Came to P.E. at request of Pres. Wood for dinner with the other two other senior couples  on Saturday evening.  We enjoyed Stake Conference and being back with our missionaries. We returned to Grahamstown on Monday close up the flat and to collect Alan.  We took Kahya, 1st counsellor, to the bike shop and bought a tire and inner tube for his bike.  He's been walking miles every day to get to his job as church gardner and gardner for our landlady.   Could not afford the R200. It would have taken him over a week to earn that much.  With the all black presidency a full time senior couple is badly needed in Grahamstown.  

Tuesday we helped the other senior couples with dinner for Zone Conference.  Today we visited a Jewish Private School and picked up our tickets to Aida.  Will see the play tonight at 7:30.  Tomorrow Alan is taking us on a tour of P.E. with the Sherberts.  Then we will return to Grahamstown on Friday for Institute.  Pres Wood wants us at Sacramenty meeting in  Grahamstown on Sunday. 

Alan loves our P.E. flat and enjoys being here.  He went shopping today and bought 10 new DVD's.  I just watched a very strange 2012 version of Wuthering Heights with a black man playing Heath Cliff.  He has a collection of over 600.  Looks like beginning next week we will be back to having lots of free as Elder S. has processed all renewals and there is little else to do.  We saw the workshop teacher from Cleary at Conference and asked if he had done another class.  He said he tried to get one going "but they all ran away."

I sent a box of my favorite fiction books on Africa to Corinne in January via surface mail which takes about 3 months so she should be getting them soon.  The tax information Dean sent air mail arrived in 16 days.  I just helped Brother Alan send an e-mail the Nyes.   As he does not have Internet this is his first experience with e-mail.  He gave me permission to share this with you and post it.  Love and Blessings, Sister S.  

On 06 Mar 2013, at 4:11 PM, Alan Bamford wrote to the former Branch President & wife:

Dear Carl and Louise

I'm in P E staying with the Stokoe's. Thank you for your 2nd letter sent shortly after your return home. I'll reply in detail later. It was a wonderful letter and I was so pleased to be in line for a letter so soon. My life has turned around since you left. Zukani Budaza begged to be EQP, but I refused. Then he begged me to be Teacher in P/H, I agreed. So I'm staying the full three hours Sundays and teaching President Snow. 

In Sunday School, Tesh is teaching D&C and I'm glad to be there as well. I've joined Sister Stokoe's Institute Class Friday afternoons.  It's "The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles." I've had the manual for years. So it's about time I studied it. I suppose you know that Zukani was called as Branch President by President Wood at the end of January. 1st Counselor is Khaya Ketani and 2nd Counselor is Solomon Johnson. 

I'm told that EQP is still Lindile Budaza, whom I visited in prison for the 2nd time with Elder Stokoe and the Branch Presidency a few weeks ago. He's just the same as when you and us visited him late last year. Ten days ago the Stokoe's were advised by Pres Wood's secretary that their time is G'town was over. They were not present last Sunday, so I prepared a farewell appreciation and read it to the members from the pulpit after sacrament. They all signed it. 

The Stokoe's had me join with the missionaries every Sunday night at their flat for dinner. When they weren't there, I had the missionaries to dinner in my flat. Elder Swenson was transferred to Cape Town and Elder  Olyabo to Uitenhage. We  still have Elder Khumalo and three new ones. This is my 3rd trip to PE with the Stokoes. I took them on a short tour of PE on the 1st. 

I accompanied them to Zone Conference on the 2nd trip. Pres & Sis Wood were  gracious hosts. He spoke about The House of Israel. Yesterday (during this 3rd trip to P E) I attended my 2nd Zone Conference. Pres Wood spoke on the Apostasy and Sis Wood on the First Vision. There were 32 missionaries present yesterday including Elders Khani, Moangare, Mahoney, Mapivire and Olyabo. They were all pleased to see me. I bore my testimony about the Restoration in NY, Ohio, Missouri and Illinois, as we all did. Several including the Woods thanked me. 

I'm taking the Stokoe's on their 2nd tour of P E tomorrow. We're going to have lunch at my Club. Tonight we're going to see a performance of AIDA at Theodor Herzl High School. We visited there this morning. It is a small Jewish School with only 300 students  from Pre-Primary to Matric. Most of the students are Christian. The Stokoe's have been up and down from Grahamstown twice and sometimes thrice weekly. They have infinite patience. 

I've been helping them look after the missionaries including flat inspections, repairs and meals! I'm enjoying the break in P E, It is 35 degrees in G'town today. Glad I'm not there. Don't forget to try to contact Rex Ball, the architect, in Tulsa. I took him on a tour of Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg in 2003. He was in S A for the Congress of the Art Deco Society. He stayed at my club in Johannesburg - The Country Club. I'll have to get Sister Stokoe to print this e-mail for me so that I have a record of what I've told you. 

Thank you again for your friendship that means a lot to me. I miss your efficiency at the Chapel. It doesn't get properly cleaned Saturdays. Pres Budaza is struggling. The next couple, the Chase's, arrived in Cape Town last Saturday and will be driving to East London for the Zone Conference Friday 8  March and will be occupying your flat on Saturday 9 March. Pres Wood has instructed the Stokoe's to be there on Sunday to introduce them. They've cleaned your flat ready for them. The Stokoe's are taking me home Friday and coming back to P E. Then they have drive up again Sunday and back again. No more now. THanks for the photos of your families that you sent me. They are awesome. I love all the photos you gave me during your stay. I miss you both and wish you everything of the best. How did your report backs to 12 stakes go? 

I hope you persuaded lots of couples to consider becoming Senior Couple Missionaries. We heard yesterday that there are to be 58 new missions worldwide. From 1 July, Cape Town will be losing Namibia to the Botswana Mission. Pres Wood said we'll see more of him. I've offered the Woods a tour of G'town on a Fri or a Mon. He said he's interested, Your friend, Alan.