2-8Sep2013 ElderKitchen,ThatchRoof,Kits,Smiths

Last Monday we spent the morning with one of the missionaries, Elder Kitchen, in the hospital.  He had an infected wound on his foot.  His companion needed to go grocery shopping, so he needed someone to stay with him, as it is a mission rule, as you know, that a missionary must always be with either another elder missionary or some other priesthood holder for elders or member sister for sisters.  He has been spending time with us in the evenings, so his companion can join the AP's and go teaching investigators.  The district they are in entails a lot of walking and he needs to wait until the wound has healed over so he won’t re-injure it when he puts shoes on.  Many foot problems are caused by poor-fitted shoes.  So, you up-and-coming-missionaries, be sure you have shoes that are very comfortable and that are sturdy to walk 5+ miles a day.  Wear them for a while before you depart and make sure they really are as comfortable as they feel in the store!

Here’s a snapshot taken at this week’s English Class.

This week I completed reading the Book of Mormon in Portuguese and have begun to read it again.  I had the opportunity to give the spiritual thought in Staff Meeting on Tuesday.  I decided to say a sentence at a time, first in Portuguese and then in English.  It went very well.  I am still hoping that my listening and responding skills increase, as they are very deficient compared to my speaking and reading skills.

They’re fixing the thatched roof of the Mission Office.  The procedure has been very interesting to watch.  For more information on thatching, see the Wikipedia article:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thatching

The potatoes we get here are more like new potatoes than russet potatoes.  They still can be baked, but they really make great mashed potatoes – lots better than the dehydrated ones.  Fixing them reminded me of when my Dad would make creamy mashed potatoes.  He’d boil the potato wedges until they were tender when pricked with a fork.  He’d drain the water into the pan with meat drippings to make gravy; then, he would use the hand mixer and whip the cooked potatoes, adding a little butter, salt and pepper.  There was a very critical time when he would ask someone to pour just the right amount of milk into the pan as he mixed the potatoes to a nice stiff, but still creamy consistency.  Yum!

This week Zoe and I finished documenting the Etienne LUSSIER and Victoire RENAUD family of 14 children, 9 of which had not been identified before our research.  On Friday afternoon, I walked Zoe through the process of requesting the ordinances, and before the end of Arizona’s Friday she emailed me that she and Silke and Landon and three of Silke’s friends went to the Arizona Temple and they completed the baptisms and confirmations!

On Saturday we were on our way to the Maputo chapel for a baptism.  The Office Secretaries pulled up and asked where we were going.  They told us the baptism had been moved to Matola, because the Maputo building didn’t have any water.  So, we hopped in their car and off we went.  It couldn’t have been timed better and we were thankful for this obvious tender mercy so we could attend.  There were 6 young people baptized and the elders said they were paving the way for their parents to follow in the next week or so. 

Elder and Sister Hobson were in Beira for most of the week lining up Humanitarian Projects.  They had a very successful trip!  They delivered this congratulations note to us from Brian & Kim Snelson, CES Missionaries in Beira.

 Dad and I are coordinating the purchase of the first six “new member family” kits for the branches.  We are working with Vanessa in the Distribution Center, which is located on the 4^th floor of the Maputo Chapel. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The kits will contain a Bible, Triple Combination, Gospel Principles, Hymn book, an issue of the Liahon magazine, and the Family Proclamation.            

In the late afternoon we went with Solomon Smith for a car tour of Maputo and then made our way to their home which is about 20 minutes from the Mission Office.  Solomon Smith and his wife Tammy and little son Mark (who will be 1 year old in 2 weeks) had invited us for dinner and Solomon offered to spend some time beforehand with us to get to see the city a little more.  He works for a security company contracted by the American Embassy.  We neglected to get a picture of their family, but will try to remember and get one and add it to this blog.  On the way to their home we stopped next to the bay and watched the kite surfers.  It was a beautiful day, and, when we traveled home, there was a perfect rock-a-bye-baby moon in the dark sky.

When I saw this lizard outside the Mission Office I had to get a picture of it for Kaedric Bybee, one of our grandsons, whose lizard recently died.  This lizard was pretty well hidden behind some cement blocks, and it was pretty tricky getting his picture.

At church today, there were 3 confirmations – the other 3 who were baptized yesterday were confirmed in Matola.  Another English-speaking family attended the Matola 1 branch today – the Garcia Family.  He just got a job with the government here.  They don’t know any Portuguese, but the husband knows Spanish.  It was great to be able to have someone else who talks English!

·         When we promise to do things for the Lord, we need to follow through.  When we meet the Lord and make an accounting of our stewardship, we won’t be asked what callings we’ve had, but we will be asked to how we have served and blessed the lives of others.

·         We need to make the Holy Ghost our best friend.  Follow His promptings and he will help us overcome the natural man/woman.

·         Everything we do requires faith.  Faith in Jesus Christ enables us to return to God’s presence; there is no other name under heaven that can save us.  Use your talents; serve with Faith; Faith without works is dead.

·         We are the true Church of Jesus Christ. Knowing the truth we have a responsibility to share.  Jesus told us what the Church was to be called (3 Nephi 27:1-10).  Not only the Church has Jesus’ name, but we each must take His name upon us.