At training during our interview time, we start by reviewing the three short videos done by Elder Bednar on Patterns of Light that I showed and talked about briefly at zone conferences. We talk about the Light of Christ, the Holy Ghost bringing things to our remembrance, and three ways of receiving revelation depicted in three visual examples--the light switch, sunrise, and fog.
Opening to page 102-103 in Preach My Gospel, we talk in depth about the sections, Learn to Recognize the Promptings of the Spirit and the first paragraph of Relying on the Spirit. We have wonderful discussions and talk of many examples and related scripture stories.
Then we all close and put away our Preach My Gospel books. I bring out laminated cards I made from the contents in the Activity box on pages 102-103 of Preach My Gospel. One set has descriptions of all the ways the Holy Ghost helps us. I lay all these cards face up on the table. The other set with the same descriptions, I put in alphabetical stacks down my side of the table. On the other side of my set are their corresponding scripture references. As they find a reference, I lay my card reference-side-up overlapping so you can still read their description card.
The elders need to find at least one scripture reference for each description as it is listed in the Activity box in Preach My Gospel on page 102-103. They can use any helps in the scriptures but nothing else. We use the Bible, the Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. There might be scripture references that fit the description but they have to keep looking until they find a scripture as listed. I do give some hints along the way. I ask the missionaries to read some of the verses as they are found. We rejoice as they find the references!! They can use some of their future study time to mark these scriptures and others they have found if they haven't done so already.
Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Springs Flat Elder Dmitri/Elder Boshoff ZLs
with Secunda Elder Harr/Elder Durrant
Kwa-Thema 2 Flat Elder Sommer/Elder Mills
with Kwa-Thema 1 Elder Rodgers/Elder Leavitt
with Tsakane Elder Gaigulo/Elder Romney
Thursday, 24 January 2019
Mayfield Flat Elder Rakotonindrina/Elder Maylett
with Daveyton 1&2 Elder Julander/Elder Mthembu
with Daveyton 3 Elder Dupaix/Elder Neuenschwander
with Etwatwa 2 Elder Kunjuzwa/Elder Taylor
with Rynfield Elder Truman/Elder Ratshikhopha ZLs
Thursday, 31 January 2019, (Eswatini--Swaziland)
Mbabane Chapel, Eswatini, after Zone Conference
Interviews with President Leavitt and training with Sister Leavitt
Ezulwini Area Elder Reneer/Elder Jolley ZLs training Elder Hlatshwayo
with Nhlangano Area Elder Clawson/Elder C. Lee (in interview)
Friday, 1 February 2019, Eswatini
Fairview Flat Elder Leterme/Elder Earl
with Ngwane Park Elder A. Smith/Elder Rea
Mbabane Flat Elder G. van Thiel Berghijs/Elder W. van Thiel Berghuys with Sidwashine Elder Beunin/Elder Nielsen
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| Elder Van Thiel Berguys shows us how clothes are dried. Missionaries have no dryers. |
The Mbombela District drive four hours to the mission home, have interviews and training, eat dinner and sleep over for zone conference on Tuesday and then return to their flats. Didn't take any pictures.
Thursday, 7 February 2019
President Leavitt interviewed Elder Diniz who flew in at 7 am from serving in Brazil for about 9-10 months before receiving his visa to serve here. He will be on the fast track to learn English in the time he has left as his MTC training and missionary work has been in Portuguese. After breakfast with the office elders and President and Sister Leavitt at the mission home and his arrival interview, Elder and Sister Todd drove him to the office to pick up all his Joburg mission items and drove him to his flat in Ennerdale to serve with Elder Dakuiyau. Elder Thompson was transferred to be a driver in Orange Farm with Elder East. Elder Delvaux was transferred to re-open an area (Benoni/Boksburg) with Elder Harris, while another new missionary, Elder Wailagala, who also received his visa after serving in Uganda for six months arrived last night. We picked him up at the airport and took him to Kempton Park flat to serve with Elder San Pascual after President Leavitt interviewed him. Elder Flynn is going from Kempton Park to Fourways to be a zone leader with Elder Mpapa.
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| So I am so bad with remembering to take photos. Only took this while waiting for Elder Wailagala to deplane on Wednesday night (6 Feb 2019) after Zone Conference. |
Randburg Flat Elder Flood/Elder Baggett
with Cosmo City Elder Musumhi/Elder Tobiasson
with Fourways Elder Flynn/Elder Mpapa
Drove to the Pimville Flat with Elder Almeida/Elder Lubwama
with Ridgeway Elder James/Elder Ndlelo
Friday, 8 February 2019
Orange Grove flat Elder Matayaunga/Elder Eriksen ZLs
with Bedfordview Elder Papenfuss/Elder Bah
with Alexandra Elder Blaauw/Elder Campos
Then returned to the Mission Home and after their temple trip/lunch/district meeting, Hospital View Elder Muh/Elder Daniels and Birch Acres Elder Neeley/Elder Kisembo came to the mission home for their interviews and training.
Tuesday, 12 February 2019
Munsieville flat Elder Kan/Elder Eldridge, with Krugersdorp Elder Ondricek/Elder Barnum, with Randfontein Elder Gcwabe/Elder Bowen ZLs, with Phokeng Elder Nalesoni/Elder M. Lee, and with Rustenburg Elder Pueblo/Elder Cressler.
Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Ennerdale flat Elder Dakuiyau/Elder Diniz; with Orange Farm Elder East/Elder Thompson; and Ennerdale MLS Couple Elder & Sister Todd
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| Elder Diniz, serving since May in Brazil, received his visa and landed in Johannesburg on 6 February 2019. |
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| Sister and Elder Todd made us a salmon salad for our interview with them--yummy!! |
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| We thank all our missionary couples for all you do to serve our missionaries!! |
Drove to Carletonville flat Elder Samatanda/Elder Reidhead; with Khutsong Elder Souza/Elder Manzini.
Thursday, 14 February 2019
Last night, two missionaries, a sister and an elder, returning home to Durban from their missions in Madagascar, landed at the Joburg airport, and after going through customs, were required to pay again for their luggage as it hadn't been checked all the way to Durban. They had no money. They couldn't fly home. The elder borrowed a phone to call his stake president, who called President Leavitt (at the end of his mission presidency meeting at the office at 9 pm). He called me and came home. Our office elders, who had been moving flats all day and then just ended a lesson, picked them up at the airport and brought them to the mission home. I fed all six of us dinner.
This morning, after breakfast, we had a district of elders come to the mission home for their interviews and Sister Chante White and Elder Samuel Olivier joined us for training. Dobsonville Elder Sol/Forward; and Soweto Elder Lopuliak/Trammell ZLs.
The office elders picked up Elder Olivier and Sister White and drove them to the airport at noon.
We drove to the Roodepoort flat.
Roodepoort flat Elder Mbaki/Elder Bishop; with Welterverden Elder Butler/Elder Gray. Elder Mbaki had made us cinnamon rolls and heart cookies with a Valentine sitting on top! President Leavitt and I forgot it was Valentine's Day today until we walked in their flat!
Such a nice surprise.
Friday, 15 February 2019
Vanderbijlpark flat Elder Stoddard/Elder Silva; with Vereenging Elder Mtyobile/ Elder Burlaka ZLs; and with Sebokeng Elder Nau/Elder Bonfim.
Lunch and interviews with Elder and Sister Oliver. Thank you for the delicious Cobb salad.
Drove to Vereeniging Chapel to release Sister Catherine San Martin at 2:30 pm from serving as a missionary and renew her sister's temple recommend.
When we arrived home, Elder Durrant and Elder Santos were waiting for an interview for Elder Santos (who was missed because of a mid-transfer to Secunda). Elder Santos picked planks for the exercise. He went four minutes!!!
Saturday, 16 February 2019
Our Florida 1 office elders were moved from Thursday to this morning. Instead of KFC twisters, etc., I made them raisin bran muffins, wors and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Elder Spencer and Elder Rash had interviews and training after we ate. We finished at noon. They help find flats and move elders, plus gather/complete/ and enter the baptism/confirmation records, and take care of referrals. There is a lot to discuss with them.
President Leavitt and I both spoke in the 3-5 pm. adult session of the Soweto Stake Conference today and the general session on Sunday, 10-12 pm at the Pimville Chapel.
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| Choir singing before conference session on Saturday |
Sunday morning, 17 February 2019, Pimville Chapel
President Leavitt greeting our Soweto missionaries
Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Germinston flat Elder Jangard/Elder Garcia with Katlehong Elder Robison/Rattana.
Drove to Eastfield flat Elder Gabriel/Elder Mwiyawanyoka with Vosloorus Elder Mickelson/Elder Rodrigues.
Drove to Joburg 1 flat Elder Bete/Elder Harr with Joburg 2 Elder Lubelwana/Elder Witts. Finished at 6:30 pm.
Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Tembisa 1 flat Elder Thornton/Elder Molteno ZLs, had them drop things off to Tembisa 2 Elder Mlenze/Elder Bird. President Leavitt interviewed them over the phone on the hour plus drive as Elder Bird as a fever (it was high last night) and is too sick to come out. Other than being sick, things are going well.
We drove to Kempton Park Elder San Pascual/Elder Wailagala with Benoni/Boksburg Elder Harris/Elder Delvaux. Only interviews, no training--no photos.
We drove to Centurion flat Elder Bindrup/Elder Carlson with Rabie Ridge Elder Mendes/Elder King. Some of these elders also are in various stages of being sick.
Thursday, 21 February 2019
Kagiso 1 flat Elder J. Smith/Elder Kirby with Kagiso 2 Elder Dos Santos/Elder Vaughn.
Drove to Glen Ridge flat Elder C. Smith/Elder Sande with Protea Glen Elder Hess/Elder Newell.
Drove to Discovery flat Elder Bogosavac/Elder Simmons APs. After we went to the office and there was a big car/flat meeting with many of the office staff.
Friday, 22 February 2019
After staff meeting, we drove to Klerksdorp and President Leavitt set apart the new Klerksdorp branch president, Tankiso William Makhoba and the new Elders quorum president, Tshepo Kennetth Dithipe.
We had dinner and interviews with Elder and Sister Fugal during a huge lightening and thundering rain storm--it was amazing to behold!! I didn't take any photos.
Saturday, 23 February 2019
8 am. Had interviews and training with Jouberton Elder Mercado/Elder Andrews and Klerksdorp Elder Reeves/Elder Steiner. Three of the four elders have been sick this week.
Drove to Potchefstroom 2 flat Elder Osmond/Elder Odro with Potchefstroom 1 Elder Williams/Elder Esele ZLs. We brought a bunk bed in our bakkie (pickup truck). They had time to put it together because we couldn't go do temple recommend interviews in Jouberton as planned because of some gang violence happening today. We had lunch and interviews and training.
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| Yes, we are sitting on the box springs for now--they will move things around later and put together their kitchen table and we will send them two chairs from the flat supplies. |
We drove to Carletonville to help Elder Samatanda and Elder Reidhead give a lesson.
We drove back to Potchefstroom to stay the night and attend and speak in church on Sunday before heading to the area office in Johannesburg for President Leavitt to attend a coordinating meeting at 1-4 pm with the area seventy and the stake presidents.
Potchefstroom Branch at Ikageng Gate Mall:
