Interview photos posted after 12 Jan 2019

Our last interview day is in Nelspruit and KaNyamazane on 12 January. So I will post the pictures sometime after that for the 11 December-22 January 2019 transfer cycle.

2018 December 27 Departures and Mini Transfer

On Thursday morning, Elder Tia, Elder Siale and Elder Palkki were brought to the mission home by other missionaries. Some ate egg casserole, wors and/or cereal. They weighed their bags, made a memory page, signed journals, ate, visited and had an interview by President Leavitt. Elder Siale also took an English test via a computer proctor Sister Leavitt arranged.

At 1:30 pm, our assistants, Elder Bogosavac and Elder Witts, joined us as we had a farewell lunch and meeting and took departure photos. Our office elders, Elder Eriksen and Elder Spencer, arrived at 2:40 pm to pack up their bags and take Elders Tia, Siale and Palkki to the airport.

We also had a mini transfer on Thursday and the next Monday, 31 December. Because of our three departing missionaries, Benoni/Boksburg area closed and Elder Forward transferred to Elder Sol in Dobsonville and Elder Barnum transferred to Elder Ondricek in Krugersdorp. Elder Papenfuss transferred from Dobsonville to Bedfordview with Elder Bah. Elder Gray transferred from Bedfordview to Edenvale with Elder Osmond. Elder Kisembo transferred to Birch Acres with Elder Neeley. And Elder Campos transferred to Alexandra with Elder Blaauw.

We originally had three language missionaries coming on New Year's Day, but none of them received their visas. Our next transfer of missionaries is 22 January 2019.

Elder Nielsen, Elder Papenfuss, Elder Thornton, Elder Molteno
Because of the transfer, this morning I trained these men and President Leavitt interviewed some of those he would miss. 

Elder Palkki

Elder Tia

Elder Siale

2018 December 21 Mom Group Snowman Gift

Look what a group of moms sent me and President Leavitt!

We received it when we went to our office staff meeting on Friday late afternoon after a very full day! The boxes were full of goodies. It reminded us of home and that there is snow at Christmastime!

Thank you so much!! Your sons are great to work with and are learning and growing up before our eyes. They are blessing the people of South Africa with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. What greater gift can you give others. Thank you for sharing your sons with us.

We hope you had a Merry Christmas and will have a blessed 2019!

--Sister & President Leavitt

2018 December 18-19 Elder Sinclair Departs

On Tuesday, Elder and Sister Wold brought Elder Sinclair from Ezulwini, Swaziland (eSwatini), to Ridgeway flat where we were doing interviews and training for an interview with President Leavitt to renew Elder Sinclair's temple recommend. They wanted to go to the 3 pm Endowment Session. Elder Sinclair is the last of our Mozambique missionaries to go home after Swaziland was given to our Johannesburg Mission in July 2017. None of the 12 missionaries had South Africa visas. The schedule worked out for the Wolds to take Elder Sinclair to the Johannesburg Temple.

At 6 pm after we all arrived home, President Leavitt interviewed Elder Sinclair for a couple of hours. We had his farewell dinner with our assistants, Elder Bogosavac and Elder Witts, and Elder King (who is recovering from a tonsillectomy and returns to his biking area tomorrow) who just returned from teaching appointments at 8 pm. We had a his farewell program after and pictures. They went to bed. Sister Wold and I had a nice visit while finishing up in the kitchen and packing for a day of 12 interviews and training tomorrow.

Elder Witts thinks things are A-okay with a selfie to prove it!

Elder Sinclair

19 December 2018, Wednesday

After breakfast, President Leavitt and I left at 7:50 am to drive to the Kagiso 2 flat. The Wolds returned to Ezulwini, Elder Sinclair was with the assistants until he was driven to the airport around 3-4 pm. Elder King's zone leaders and companion picked him up about 10 am. 

2018 December 15 Elder Resek Departs

Elder Resek had his departing interview with President Leavitt Friday evening after dinner. Elder Witts and Elder Eriksen took him to the airport on Saturday morning, 15 December 2018, to return home to Argentina.

Elder Resek

Elder Bogosavac and Elder Witts, our assistants, having a snack with Elder King (recovering from a tonsillectomy) on Saturday afternoon at the mission home. Elder King returned to his biking area the next Wednesday, 19 December 2018.

2018 December 11 Transfer Day

Elder Zwane and Elder Sekholomi were picked up by Elder Eriksen and Elder Spencer at 6 am to drive to the airport for their departure home.

The rest of us left at 6:40 am to pick up the new missionaries at the MTC at 7 am and take them to the mission office and CES classroom for breakfast and orientations with different staff members. After lunch we have the match meeting and pictures and everyone departs to their areas. Because we have fewer cars and a lot more missionaries, many companionships share a car or are dropped with their bikes in their area each day. So, their driver and companion stay all day to drive them to their flat.

Elder James, trainer, and Elder Ndlelo

Elder Mbaki, trainer, and Elder Earl
(Elder Mbaki is in Ngwane Park, Swaziland)

Elder Daybell, trainer, and Elder Rea
(Elder Daybell is in Fairview, Swaziland)

Elder Dakuiyau, trainer, and Elder Thompson

Elder Kani, trainer, and Elder Eldridge

Elder Musumhi, trainer, and Elder Tobiasson

Elder C. Smith, trainer, and Elder Newell

Elder Bindrup, trainer, and Elder Carlson

Elder Harr, trainer, and Elder Durrant

Elder Sommer, trainer, and Elder Leavitt

Elder Willison, trainer, and Elder Atkinson

Elder Dupaix, trainer, and Elder Neuenschwander

Hmmmmmm?