2019 January 31 ZC Eswatini

On Thursday, 31 January 2019, at the Mbabane Chapel in Eswatini (renamed from Swaziland by the king), we held zone conference.

Eswatini Zone
Front row: Elder Rea, Elder Jolley ZL, Elder Earl,
Sister & Elder Wold, Elder Hlatshwayo, Elder Reneer ZL,
Elder Clawson
Back row: Elder Nielsen, Elder Behunin, Elder A. Smith,
Elder Leterme, Elder W. Van Thiel Berghuys,
Elder G. Van Thiel Berghuijs, Elder C. Lee

This is Elder and Sister Wold's last zone conference, as they are returning home on 28 February 2019. They had planned a special thank you for us before we ate lunch. We so appreciate their wonderful service and will miss them!!

Elder & Sister Wold's departing testimony at zone conference.

President Leavitt and I took a quick walk up the new cement steps behind the Mbabane Chapel building and found a banana tree.

2019 January 29 MLC

On Tuesday, Mission Leadership Council was held in the CES classroom next to the mission office. We had a regular transfer last Tuesday (Elder Manzini returned to us after his broken leg and torn tendons and ligaments healed) and today we are having a "dividing zones" transfer. 
Mission Leadership Council with all our zone leaders is a wonderful meeting where training by President and Sister Leavitt and assistants Elder Bogosavac and Elder Simmons, counseling together, reporting on goals and methods, and setting new goals takes place.

We have had 9 zones:
Bedfordview 16
Benoni 14
Centurion 12
Johannesburg 12
Roodepoort 18
Soweto 20
Springs 14
Swaziland 12
Vaal 18

and today we have 11 zones:
Bedfordview 14
Benoni 14
Centurion 12
Eswatini 13 (The Swaziland King renamed his country) plus Elder & Sister Wold (who return home 28 February 2019)
Johannesburg 12
Mission Office 6 (10 with 2 office couples)
Roodepoort North 14
Roodepoort South 12 plus Elder & Sister Fugal
Soweto 14
Springs 14 plus Elder & Sister Groesbeck
Vaal 12 plus Elder & Sister Oliver and Elder & Sister Todd

We have a total of 137 young missionaries.

We welcome all our new zone leaders to Mission Leadership Council today and to your service as zone leaders.

Before MLC

Elder Reneer and Elder Jolley join us from Ezulwini, Eswatini.
They are also training a new missionary, Elder Hlatshwayo (you can see him sitting between them on the last photo).

Elder Matayaunga, Elder Eriksen, Elder Truman,
Elder Ratshikhopha, Elder Thornton, Elder Molteno, Elder Flynn, Elder Mpapa, ZLs, Elder Rash, Elder Spencer, office elders over the Mission Office Zone/District

Elder Gcwabe, Elder Bowen, Elder Esele, Elder Williams,
Elder Lopuliak, Elder Trammell, Elder Boshoff, Elder Dmitri, Elder Burlaka, Elder Mtyobile--ZLs

Elder Simmons, Elder Bogosavac our assistants, President Leavitt

2019 January 22 Transfer Day

Elder Pop and Elder Zimba were transported to the airport at 5:20 am by the office elders, Elder Spencer, Elder Eriksen and newly called, Elder Rash.

Elder Bogosavac, Elder Witts, and newly called, Elder Simmons, along with Elder Manzini (who slept at the mission home), came to the office to help set up for the transfer from the Bungalow (behind the mission home). Elder Bogosavac and Elder Simmons will move back into the assistants' flat across from the mission office later this week as the Florida 2 elders moved into a new flat closer to their area last week. The Florida Ward split into the Florida 1 and Discovery Wards and the Florida Branch became the Florida 2 Ward. The Roodepoort Ward moved their meetings from the Florida/Roodepoort Chapel (in the office/MTC complex) to the Krugersdorp Chapel. The assistants cover the Discovery Ward and the office elders cover the Florida 1 Ward.

President Leavitt and I went to the mission office, unloaded items for breakfast and lunch, then went to the MTC to pick up our eight new missionaries.

We brought them across the parking lot to the mission office where they ate breakfast and had orientation (and drivers--driving tests), lunch, the meeting where they are matched with their trainers and  pictures with President and Sister Leavitt. Then all depart to their areas.


Ready to leave the Johannesburg MTC:

Elder Rees finished with the financial part of his training. The new elders and their trainers also come back next Monday for a two-hour safety training with Elder Rees (the Swaziland elders watch it at the Wolds' flat in Swaziland).

Sister Leavitt does training with them on health and Adjusting to Missionary Life during and after breakfast (they can't complain because she makes them yummy cinnamon rolls).

Regular transfer outside until 10:30 am:

Orientation with Sister Rees:

Orientation with Sister Truman:

Caught a photo of President Leavitt between interviews with transfer missionaries:

Orientation with Elder Rees and Elder Truman:

Orientation by the assistants, Elder Bogosavac and Elder Simmons:

Lunch:

The Match Meeting after lunch:

Elder Kunjuzwa, trainer, and Elder Taylor

Elder Gabriel, trainer, and Elder Mwiyawanyoka

Elder Robison, trainer, and Elder Rattana

Elder Julander, trainer, and Elder Mthembu

Elder Osmond, trainer, and Elder Odro

Elder Reneer & Elder Jolley, trainers, and Elder Hlatshwayo
(Elder Jolley is waiting in Swaziland)

Elder Muh, trainer, and Elder Daniels

Elder Sommer, trainer, and Elder Mills