Missionary Correlation Meeting

Last night we had Correlation Meeting with four branch fellow-shippers and our four Grahamstown elders.  The fellow-shippers called about 6:55.  They wanted us to come and unlock the church. The meeting started at 7:00 but our young missionaries were not there.  Most members are recent converts.  It was difficult for us to find an opening hymn that everyone knew.  We finally decided on "Praise to the Man," which most everyone knew.  Then we had an opening prayer and the spiritual thought.  Our four young elders finally arrived at 7:30  apologising for being late.  I've been after these elders since we arrived to get to meetings on time.  Arriving late does not set a good example for others.

At Elder Stokoes prompting, First Councellor Brother Budaza asked everyone at our first Sacrament meeting in January to please be on time.  The missionaries were very late on December 16 our arriving at 9:15.    If some can walk forty-five minutes from the township and get to to church on time, the elders, who live just a few blocks away, should be able to do it. 

 The Elders discussed the people they are teaching and suggested ways the branch can support the effort. Only one companionship here has a car.  The other two elders are on bikes.  Fellow-shippers often accompany them.  The branch used to own two bikes for these fellow-shippers but one broken down and the other was stolen.  Our Elder's bikes are in need of repair but the bike shop is closed until tomorrow.

I asked the elders if they had an ongoing service project?  Elder Swensen explained that their service project was going out to visit the Thomas family where they were always fed a couple of meals.  I said, "Wow!  you just visit and eat?  That is quite the service project!"   Swensen explained that sometimes they did some service but mostly they visited, hung out and ate.  Audrey Thomas is a counselor in the Relief Society Presidency.  She is a fifth generation Mormon and is married to a non-member.  They live half an out of the city out on a small farm.  As she does not drive, her husband only allows her to come to church twice each month.  She and son Ross, attends the first two Sundays each month.  Audery, Ross, Alan Bamford, two of our elders and the two of us are the only white people in the Branch.

I suggested that we take on a second service project.  I'd like to plant a garden  at Alan's Retirement Center.  Then we could share produce with the people who live there and still have enough left for people in the branch.  There is a very large weeded section secured behind a gate that was once was a vegetable garden at Brookshore but has not been kept up.  The soil is rich but the weeds grow fast.  Such a project would insure fresh vegetable for the people who lived in the centre and the branch members who help with the garden could take some of the produce home with them.  Lionel, a recent convert said, "That would be great.  I'd love to help with the garden and it would  help me as well.  Sometimes I don't have anything to eat!"  Alan Blamford would help manage the garden and he could help divide the vegetables.  This would give him something to do and branch members would be visiting him on a regular basis. 

Elder Khumalo complained that he had broken both his name plates.  So Elder Stokoe suggested that he get a piece of cardboard, write his name on it and hang it around his neck like the homeless people do.  "Okay!  I'll do it," he said not realising that Elder S. was just kidding.  Luckily we managed to glue the plates back together so Elder Khumalo will not have to wait six weeks to get replacements from the missionary training centre in Johannesburg. 

We discussed the Elder's investigators.   One young man who comes to church with his brother has a drinking problem.  The last time the Elders visited him they had to lift him off the floor, clean him up and put him to bed.  Alcoholism is rampant in South Africa. Frequently those who does not drink are looked down on, even ostracised and belittled.   Drugs and alcohol constitute a huge problem on S.A.'s highways.   People die when they walk drunk along the road and most traffic accidents involve drunk and/or unlicensed drivers.   By January 9th the holiday death count has risen to1,050 including three cyclists.  South Africa is currently in morning for a 26 year old member of the cycling team who participated in the Summer Olympics.  He died on Sunday.  The athlete was killed by a taxi driver who made an illegal right turn in heavy traffic and did not see him.

 Our missionaries were teaching a Methodist deacon (about age 50) who seemed very interested.  However when they went to visit him a few days ago, he was not there.  They found instead a letter wishing them well but asking them not to return as his pastor does not want him talking to them.  They are having good success with the young people here.  

We took the fellow-shippers back to the townships.  It was so dark that we had a hard time finding our way around.  It's a good thing we had a GPS or we would not have been able to  get home.  When we dropped Lionel off he said one our fellow-shippers who had attended was on weed.  He often smells of marijuana.  But as the young man comes to church regularly Lional did not want to say anything to him. Keeping the Word of Wisdom is a big problem for members in Africa.  The Henderson's, an office couple in Cape Town, have started a 12 step program at Marshall's Plane and have had some success.  Drugs and Alcoholism are huge problems in South Africa and prevent many  from getting baptised and progressing.

On Saturday we went to the elder's flats to update their water purification systems.  Elder Stokoe has switched out seven now including the five he changed when we were in P.E.  The missionaries on African Street are having problems with flees.   So I took all their bedding home to wash and told them to clean and vacuum.  Then we went to two different pharmacies to buy flee spray but there was only one can in the entire town.  We printed off directions from mission headquarter on how to get rid of flees.  It's a matter of keeping everything clean and vacuuming all the carpeting each month.  They are lucky to have a nice large carpeted flat but they are not doing a good job of keeping it clean.   

I've followed the tradition of our predecessors and having been feeding the Elders at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday night.  The Elders always do the dishes and share a spiritual thought.  Tomorrow I'm preparing Sister Stumm's thyme and parsley chicken over rice.  Hope the rice turns out.  We have had no luck cooking it since we arrived here.  I told Sister Stumm and  discovered that I need to use 2 12 cups with one cup of rice.  At home I use 1 1/2 cups of water for each cup of rice.  We will also have watermelon, carrot cake and ice cream.  We will eat 2:00 p.m. as the car elders are driving Elder Van Brughan and Elder Olyabo to P.E. to catch a flight to Cape Town for training.  They will be back in P.E. on Tuesday.  Elder Stokoe and I will pick them up and we will drive them back to Grahamstown. 

Most morning we walk on the Grahams College Cricket Field here. Grahamstown is in a bowel.  That field is only one of the level areas where we can exercise without climbing up and down several hills.

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Sunday Update 

Good news!  When we arrived at church this morning the elders were there to greet us.  They also arrived on time for dinner.  We are very proud of them as they seem to have turned over a new leaf -  a good way to start the New Year!  

Robbed on New Year's Eve

We returned to P.E. last night  to celebrate New Year's Eve with neighbours Peter and Cheryl Clark.   I thought they were going to host a big neighbourhood braai (barbaque) but the only other person who attended was Suzanne, Peter's sister-in-law, who is divorced from Peter's brother.  He left her to marry an American so he could emigrate to the U.S.   Suzanne has two jobs and is trying to hold things together.  She has two adult children who are very supportive of her.  We enjoyed the evening and were home by 11:00 p.m. Peter was raised on a dairy farm near Grahamstown so we have a lot in common.  He is president of the "Body Corporate of Stethan Place." I gave Cheryl a set of our keys so she opened the windows and turned on the geyser (water heater).   So we have an airy flat and hot water to return to when we are in Port Elizabeth.
  
 Too bad I chose to make a carrot cake for the New Year's Eve party.  Otherwise I would not have been robbed!  Monday Edward, our land lord, came by to give us the paperwork on a refrigerator he bought for the Grahamstown flat.  The food would freeze while drinks stored the door never got very cold.  As the fridge was still under warranty, I told Edward I would pay the difference if he switched it out for a new larger one that worked properly.  So we went to the appliance store and picked out another one.  The difference was 1500 Rand, or about $290.  Then Tom went to the ATM to get cash.  However there was a very long line.  So we just pooled the cash we had, about 1520 Rand and some change, and went back to the store. 

  Tom seldom uses his credit cards here in South Africa as there is lots of corruption.  He fears he might get scammed. Consequently we both carry around 1,000 Rand in cash.  After paying for the fridge, we returned to our flat and defrosted the old one.  I made a carrot cake  but did not have any  cream cheese for icing.  We needed to buy an iron and ironing board for our young elders so we went back into town.

  While Tom went to get some money from the ATM machine, I went to Checkers to buy a package of cream cheese.  The streets were crowded.  People were buying school clothes and exchanging Christmas gifts.  There were wall to wall people in that grocery story. It took a long time to check out even though I only had one item.

  When I came out of the store it was raining so I stopped to open my umbrella. I had the straps of my purse with magnetic snap over one arm.   It had a fat paperback and the cream cheese in the bottom so my wallet rested on top.  It was very accessible.   I was looking around for the car when  a young woman yelled, "that man stole your purse!"  My first thought was, "how could that be?  My  purse is on my arm."  Then realised she meant my wallet.  I turned around and saw a young black man in a cobalt blue jacket running madly down the street. I realised that he must have reached in my purse and snatched my wallet.  

  I took of running after him down the crowded wet street.   I planned to hit him over the head with the umbrella and get my wallet back. But the street was very crowded and he could run much faster than I could.  As  I lost  ground I started yelling,  "Stop that man.  He's a thief!  He stole my wallet!"  But people just stared at me.  As he rounded the corner opposite the cathedral I lost thim.  When I turned the corner  he had disappeared.  

I went back to the car and was met by Constable Makafe (a black female police officer) and and her partner, Constable Fasafe, another black.    Someone in a building opposite the car had witnessed the robbery and called the police.  I did not see the man's fact but believed I could recognised him from the clothes he wore.  He was a typical slimline black youth around 18.  He wore a blue jacket, dark jeans and a black baseball cap and boy could he run!  These two constables drove me all around Grahamstown.  Even escorted me into the local pool hall. But we could not find him. They wanted to take me to the station to file a complaint but I told them I needed to get back to the car where I was to meet my husband.
  
  Elder Stokoe arrived with an iron and ironing board about the time they dropped me off at the car.  Tom drove around  looking for the police station when I saw a young black wearing the clothes that answered the description of the man who took my wallet.  I wanted to  stop but then what would l I say, "Did you steal my wallet?" 
  
 Tom made a "U" turn and we went back.  By the time we got there he had disappeared again.  There were 20 people ahead of me at the police station, all filing complaints.  As we had to get back to our flat to take delivery on our refrigerator, we decided to return later. Constable Makafe said that the youth would likely take out the money and through the wallet away so she took  my address at #19 Kettlewell and promised to return the wallet if someone turned it in.  Luckily it contained less than $4.00 U.S.  But replacing the contents will be a big hassle.   The wallet contained three Granite District Visa cards, my Utah drivers licence, my temple recommend and an American Express card.  I  had to report that the all these cards had been stolen.  

Tom drew out enough cash to last 3 weeks and then called the Credit Union and they blocked new charges.  Dean gave me the phone number for the Utah Driver's Licence Devision.  I called them and as I had just renewed my drivers license and they have my photo on file they can reissue it.  However it will take about 90 days.   Our utility bills and some other expenses are regularly deducted from my account.  Which will cause havoc with our bills but Dean is taking care of that.

  I never expected to be robbed and probably should have taken more precautions.  Tom is always very careful to hide the GPS and lock everything up when we leave the flat.  We close and lock our windows and doors.   I think the man saw me take my wallet out to pay for the cream cheese at Checkers.  He likely  targeted me and followed me to the street.  Then reached into my purse while I was when I was opening my umbrella. 

   It's pleases me that he got less than $4.00 U.S and that he was seen by many.  Grahamstown is a small town.  Everyone saw me chase him down the street. Someone should be able to identify him.  Half an hour after the robbery Tom stopped to ask directions to the police station.  The taxi driver he asked looked at me and said, "You are the woman who got robbed!"  

   Elder Stokoe is busy with month end reports and getting receipts sent to Cape Town for reimbursement.  We have the telephone bill and electric to pay here tomorrow and expect return to Grahamstown Thursday.   We brought new filters for all water purification systems from East London which need to be distributed to everyone.  They must be installed in the elders flats when we do inspections.  

Our Sacrament meeting talks on Sunday went well.  However Tom's and Alan's talks were too long which cut into the third hour so we did not have much time to encourage people to do their home and visiting teaching.  We are enjoying Grahamstown Branch and with our PEF assignment, we find ourselves quite busy. 

Hawaii Update & Grandma Stokoe

Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2012 11:39 PM
To: Diane Stokoe
Subject: Hawaii Update

 

Aloha Diane and Tom,

 

Boy do I miss those smile boxes!! I am so happy to hear from you and "Happy Belated Thanksgiving".  It's good to know the work of the Lord moves forward in all places and aren't we forever grateful for the gospel in our lives ! We are thankful for the testimonies we all have that keeps us strong. 

 

 Everyone is fine and busy as usual. Just a brief update: Sean and Sandy are now living in Las Vegas. Sean works in the security department at the Venetian and Palazzo.  He also got hired as a probation officer for the Clark County and is part time right now. He hopes to eventually work his way up to full time.  Sandy works part-time for Hawaiian Airlines at the airport and she works her schedule around Sean's. 

 

 Shane and Ka'i are busy in their jobs with Ka'i flying out to Manila several times in one month. Mana works for PCC as their plumber. He will make a year come January. He recently passed his exam as a journeyman plumber. 

 

Now for grandma. She is fragile but still good considering her age. We celebrated her  97th birthday here at home. She walks very slowly and at times needs a little reminder on which foot to move first when taking her steps. I have requested for her to come on a wheelchair from the care home to our house. She still uses her walker while at the facility but  is a tad slower since you were both here last. She is still keen in some ways.

 Tom, you might be interested to know that Kahuku took the State Championship this past Friday against Punahou 42-20. It was pure excitement and pandemonium here on our side. The game was so fun and the polynesian spirit of celebration rocked the stadium! I was one of those who celebrated! I am not sure if you remember the name Manti Te'o. He graduated from Punahou, (Laie boy) chose to go to Nortre Dame...a Mormon at a Catholic school. Well.....he has done great...Nortre Dame is going to the BCS bowl. He has brought a lot of attention to the church and his example is nothing but the best! He is projected to go into the NFL as a top pick. 

 

All is well and hope the best on your mission!

Happy holidays!

Lilian 

Christmas in Grahamstown

Sunday, Dec. 23rd was another hot day.  We presented our family Christmas Eve program in Sacrament meeting.  Tom rewrote the script to include some prophecies of the Savior’s birth.  Elder Swenson, from Sandy, led the singing. Elder Von Brughan, from Pretoria S.A., played the melody with one hand. (Our electronic piano only plays certain hymns.)  Rather than the three kings singing solo parts, we used a choir of Wise Men to sing “We Three Kings.”  Then the branch watched a rebroadcast of the First Presidency’s Christmas Program during the second hour.  Both meetings were well attended considering it’s summer break.  

Evening we served meat loaf to our missionaries and Aya who will leave for his mission on February 21st.  Then we each shared a Christmas memory. Tom played the guitar and sang Island songs.  Alan Bamford, a former Anglican, provided information on the service at the Cathedral which we will attend on Christmas Eve.   Alan is a childless widower.  We always usually include him in our activities with the missionaries.

Aya & Masixoli, Brother Alan and our four missionaries.

Monday, Dec. 24th, Christmas Eve  As all the Internet cafes were closed the elders came to our flat to e-mail their families and set up their Christmas day calls.    The smell of turkey made it hard for them to wait so I gave them fruit to tide them over.  Today it rained and  the weather has cooled down.  At 8:00 p.m. we enjoyed the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes with all the trimmings. After dinner we watched a video entitled “Ancient Rome – The Fall of the Roman Empire” which described the rise of Christianity under Constantine.  At 10:30 p.m. we went to Midnight Mass.   After which we discussed the experience.  We enjoyed the Christmas carols and especially liked “the peace” where members greet one another.  The Bishop of Grahamstown came down the aisle to shake our hands and greet us at the end of his sermon.

Tuesday, Dec. 25th, Christmas Day  

I made turkey soup and then Elder Stokoe and I went to the Brookshore Home Retirement Center.  Alan had invited us and our four young elders to join him for Christmas dinner.  We were served sliced beef and ham, potatoes, red beets, salad and milk tarts.  Alan added a sparkling fruit drink and minced pie with cream.  At 2:00 p.m. we returned to our flat so our missionaries could use Vonage and the landline to call home.   

It's Christmas Day and we just had lunch with Alan at Brookshore Home, in the retirement center's dining room. We are now back at the flat with our young missionaries who are excited to be calling home.   At the moment we have Elder Swensen, from Sandy, on Vonage and Elder Khumalo, from South Africa, talking to his family on the land line.  Tom's outside visiting with Edward, our Indian landlord, who owns the local laundry and I'm trying to put together another Smilebox but seem to have forgotten how to do it on this Apple.  We are taking Masixole to East London on Thursday to fly off to his mission.  It's been wall to wall activities since we arrived here.

Wednesday, Dec. 26th There is a lot to do in this branch including reactivation work.  On December 18^th we went with Elder Olyabo to visit Sister Bumela Athemkosi and her two young children, ages 3 and 6.  She and her nonmember husband own a hair salon which is open on Sunday so she has not been attending church.  Elder Stokoe promised her that she and her children would be blessed if she started attending regularly.  Elder Stokoe is working on the branch calendar today.  

Being set apart by Elder Fowers & President Bell

Arriving at the Fowers Flat in East London

 We left Grahamstown at 1:00 p.m. to take Masixole to East London to be set apart for his mission.  I asked him to share his conversion story.  He said he began attending church with his friends when he was thirteen. His parents were divorced so he lived with his grandmother and cousins.  The family were all Seventh Day Adventist.  His grandmother was opposed to to him joining the church so he had to wait until he was eighteen to be baptised. 

Sister Nye helped Masixole, Ayabulela and Sivuyile make  muffins to sell at the Grahamstown Art's Festival to pay for their passports and other expenses.  Aya will leave for his mission to Johannesburg February 20th.  Ten members of Masixole's family came to his grandmother's home to say "Good Bye and wish him well.  His mother flew in from Durban to see him off.   We stopped at a local gas station so Masixole could give away his fist Book of Mormon.  One of the attendants had asked Elder Stokoe for religious material. In East London we joined the Fowers and Stums for dinner and then we drove Masixole to the Stake Centre to be set apart.

Two other young men were there to be set apart for missions.  All were going to Uganda.  A fourth elder arrived while we were there to pick up his mission call.  He has been called to Uganda as well.  Early the next morning these three flew off to the Missionary Training Center in Johannesburg.  

It is such a privilege to support Masixole and these young men.   We enjoyed representing his family.  What a great blessing these dedicated young African Elders are to the church. They are leaders of tomorrow.

December 22 - Visiting our missionaries families

Elder Stokoe with Julia Bawuti

On Saturday we visited the families of three Grahamstown missionaries who live in the Townships. It was so hot I almost passed out but such a rewarding experience.  Elder Lunga's mom Julia Bawuti is not a member. But Lunga's twin sister Luthando attends the Uitenhage Ward near P.E.  Sister Bawuti is so proud of her missionary son.  She told us that she expects to be baptised when her son returns.

Elder Siba's mother and father are also non-members.  His father was admitted to the hospital that morning.  He is on dialysis and has been having these treatment three times a week but has taken a turn for the worst.  She asked me to pray for her.  We did and left her feeling much more peaceful.

With Xhandi's Grandmother and Masixoli Ngesi who will leave for his mission to Uganda December 27th

Our third visit was to Elder Xhandi's Grandmother.  She is also a non-member.  She raised him when her daughter and son-in-law both died of aides.  She showed up photos of him and said she is very proud of his missionary service.

It was so hot that afternoon that I almost fainted.  I was suffering from heat exhaustion. So Tom took me to an air-conditioned restaurant and I drank three glasses of ice water so I could stop feeling light headed. What an experience to witness the faith of three young converts and to see the impact their service is having on their non-member families.  We were escorted by Masixole, the branch mission leader, who leave for his mission in Uganda in a few days.  He too is the only member of his family who is a Mormon.

We performed our annual Christmas Eve program in Sacrament meeting at the branch on Sunday and fed the missionaries last night. They were here all afternoon e-mailing to set up their calls home tomorrow. Tonight we are feeding them again and then taking them to mass at the Cathedral in the middle of the town on Christmas Eve.   Alan is hosting us for lunch tomorrow and then the elders will come back here so they can use our Vonage to call home. Things have certainly picked up since we were transferred to Grahamstown.   Merry Christmas!

December 14, 2012 - Zone Conferences

With our new assignment, it's been a busy week with lots of driving. Tuesday we met our P.E. Elders at the Lorraine Frail Care Center and worked on the garden which we planted several months ago. It's coming along nicely now. Elder Tonge, from Draper, worked in landscaping with his father. He was a big help. Tonge stacked up three old tires, filled them with dirt and made grow boxes. There was lots of weeding to do. Then I took Elders Cobabe, Tonge, Sheward, and Slabbert to my neighbours house to spray. They live next door but have a field on the opposite side. With all the rain, many tiny worms have invaded the property. These tiny catapiller worms were actually coming out of the mortar and foundation of their house. As Maurine waters my flowers when I'm out of town, I wanted to rid her property of these tiny pests. It was a good service project for our elders. We had lunch and then Tom played the guitar and sang some Island songs.

 That afternoon we drove up to Grahamstown for Tom's 5:30 meeting with branch leaders. We stayed that night in the visitors flat at Alan Bamford's retirement centre as our Grahamstown flat was being repaired. It won't be available until Saturday. As there is space in a secured area for a garden, Alan wondered if the Grahamstown elders would like to plant a garden for Brookshore residence. He prepared our dinner and then breakfast the next morning.

 Then we were off to East London for the Zone Conference there. The Christmas Zone Conferences are a lot of fun for the young elders. We had instruction and training in the morning. Then a gift exchange. Next a catered dinner and then we enjoyed a movie -- "Courageous." We had pizza and cookies afterwards. We will help with Zone Conference for the P.E. Zone today. The three senior couples here have prepared gift bags and each elder. And everyone will receive a neck tie with the mission emblem embossed on ties in either black, red, blue, green or yellow--the colours of South Africa's flag.

 There are many young black converts preparing to serve missions here. We will be driving Masixole to East London on December 27th to be set apart by Stake President Bell. He will fly to Johannesburg the next day to enter the MTC there. I received permission from President Wood to take our young elders to 10:00 p.m. mass at the Anglican Cathedral in the centre of Grahamstown on Christmas Eve.

 We are presenting the Stokoe Family Christmas program in sacrament meeting on December 23th. We will host the young missionaries at 7:00 p.m. that night and will feed them dinner again on Christmas Even. I've received permission from President Wood to take the elders to mass at the Cathedral in the centre of Grahamstown, so we will be doing that at 10:30 on Christmas Eve.

 Tom, Alan Bamford and I are the speakers in Sacrament Meeting on December 30. Our player piano is programmed play some hymns but none of the Christmas songs. So Elder Van Brugham plays the melody with one hand while the congregation sings. Grahamstown branch has a choir but no pianist and no choir director.

 Tom has yet to meet the second councillor in the bishopric. Evidently he has gone inactive as he returned the keys to the church. Evidently this has happened in the past but the elders keep working with him. Many of our young adults congregation have been in the church for only a year or two so there is a serious need for some experienced leaders.

 Zone Conference in P.E. begins at 8:00 a.m. I made two batches of brownies and muffins for the Elder's goodie bags. Tom is cooking ham, potatoes and corn and will pick up ice and ice cream before we eat. Jessica will be here to defrost the fridge and get our P.E. flat in good order. Tomorrow we move to Grahamstown. However we will be back and forth to cover our PEF assignment. As we have Vonage in both flats making and receiving Christmas calls should not be a problem.

November 27, 2012

We had an awesome Thanksgiving Day at the Mission Home in Cape Town with 10 other senior couples.  President and Sister Wood hosted a couples training and we talked about finding our joy in the work the next day.  Our joy is working with the young elder.  Often it's not what you are called to where you receive the greatest satisfaction. 

We have worked hard  but have generated only a few loans as many find it hard to qualify for P.E.F. in Africa. That may change now that the PEF program is evolving.  School is out for Christmas Break but classes will resume in January.  Today we are going next door to the Lorraine Frail Care Center with two young missionaries to plant a vegetable garden.  Two other senior couples will join us in hosting a training with President Wood in the morning and a movie in the afternoon for 32 young missionaries on December 14th.  Tom and I will be hosting an open house on Christmas Day so the young elders can call home.  The weather is beautiful and the flowers and trees are in full bloom here.  There are Christmas decoration and Christmas music in the mall  but it's hard to get in the Christmas Spirit as it's summer in this part of the world.  Please give our love to the ward members.  Love and Blessings,  Sister S.