Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Upgrading Elufeni Primary School


Today we drove to Uitenhage to give 500 Rand to a welding school so Michael Toise's can get his MIG certification and hopefully find a job.  We enjoyed a buffet lunch at a beautiful Uitenhage restaurant. (see photo)

We drove to Elufeni Primary School where three classrooms are being upgraded and repaired with new windows, ceilings and electricity.  It will be nice to attend in newly painted rooms.  The new wing will give us privacy.  We won't be bothered by the loud music, hallelujahs and all the noise coming from the other churches.  The school principal instructed another church to exchange rooms with us as we promised to upgrade and we need more space.  

Brother Nzwana needed more money for supplies so we met him at the job site.  (Nzwana taught our "Planning for Success" in Kwanobuchle.) He has a small contract for this work which will be completed in time for the services this Sunday.  We took some curtain rods out which we had stored in the garage and will use curtains discarded by Brother and Sister Boyce.  They upgraded their East London flat and put in Plantation Sutters.  Now that we have more space Brother Zitshu has called me to teach the Sunday School class for 12-17 year olds.  He also wants me to teach the young women.  Sunday he said, "the youth will no longer have to spend all their time with the old people."
Mdlele Family Baptism on May 18th.  Older daughters & their father were baptised two months ago

Tom gave an inspiring talk on the Book of Mormon and the Restoration.  Sister Buzeiwa Norongo also talked in Sacrament meeting.  (We are making good progress in getting her birth certificate.)   Brother Mdlele gave a wonderful talk.  He and his wife followed their two university age daughters into the church.  He was a leader in another church before he was baptised two months ago and I see him as a member of the branch presidency when Motherwell becomes a branch.  He corrected Elder S. when he told Nolndwe Nkuthu that John the Baptist baptised Jesus and Jesus baptised John.  I introduced temple marriage.  She lives with five children, ages 3,4,5,6 & 7 but only two are hers.  The others are relatives.  They are such cute little kids and she is so good with them.  She had them fold their arm and pay attention while we taught the lesson.  Wish I had taken a picture.  

Our Relief Society lesson was on marriage for time and eternity.  A rather interesting discussion for investigators and new converts.  One young women asked, "What if I choose someone who is abusive and want to get a divorce after we were married in the temple?"  Another wondered if it was okay to propose to a worthy young priesthood holder?  "No No No!"  we answered.    Sister Zitshu explained that "it's important to find someone that shares your religious values and then pray for confirmation," she said as she nursed her two year old son.

Motherwell currently has fifty-five people attending however all the records are in Kwanomaxi ward. Brother Ztshu does not have any of the baptismal records.  Still he knows everyone who attends.  The two missionaries cannot get to all the investigators.  We are trying to help and taught four follow-up lessons last week, including one to the entire Mdlele Family.  We must always co-ordinate our visits with a fellow-shipper who can go with us as we don't know where people live.  Some speak only Xhosa.  Thankfully Brother Mdlele interpreted when we taught Sister Sneke on Saturday.  I've written up a page of questions so everyone can follow along during the one hour visit. This had made teaching easier. 

Brother and Sister Mfilifila have moved to Kwanomaxi so now there are now only five people who are not investigating or the newly baptised.   A rather strange inconsistency is Mawethu Dlepu's 21 year old brother.  He and Mawethu were baptised into the church on the same day a few years ago.  Their father is the pastor who paid for Mawethu's mission in Kenya.  Mawethu was recently married in the Johannesburg temple to one of our PEF students.  The younger son attends Institute each week at Kwanomaxi Ward.  However on Sunday he is the pastor of another congregation that meets in Elufeni Primary School.  


With Group Leader Zitshu 
Classrooms next to a field allows for more privacy & the  Baptism on May 25th

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