Wednesday, 5 February 2020
President Leavitt and I left right before lunch and after completing our parts for Mid-transfers to the Mbabane Chapel in Eswatini (Swaziland) for interviews. The Nelspruit and KaNyamazane four missionaries drove to Eswatini for interviews and zone conference on Thursday. As a comment of interest--we experienced clear weather, light traffic, made only one complete stop for a cow crossing the road, and saw two single car wrecks on the oncoming side of the highway as we drove to Eswatini. It took four hours to the border and twenty minutes to make the two border crossings and about another 20 minutes to the Mbabane Chapel. We slept in Ezulwini, another 15 minute drive.
For training, the missionaries role-played Lesson 2 in Preach My Gospel. We focused on making people feel comfortable by teaching doctrine and then connecting the doctrine to them by asking questions like: How do you feel to know you followed Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father by choosing to follow their plan for us and coming to earth to receive a body and having agency to choose? We don't ask quiz or test questions. We also practiced a way to teach people how to pray so they can pray on their own, and especially, how to pray in English so they will feel comfortable to pray in English in Church meetings. We make sure we teach the "Why" of each lesson as we present the Doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Mbabane Chapel, Eswatini
Nelspruit & KaNyamazane Areas
6 February 2020
Zone Conference Eswatini Zone and Mbombela District
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| Eswatini Zone Front row: Elder Neuenschwander, Elder Munford, Elder Pereira, Elder Washburn,, Elder Flynn, Elder Hess Back row: Elder D. Santos, Elder Almeida, Elder Durrant, Elder Mickelson, Elder Ondricek |
Front row: Elder Jangard AP, Elder Neuenschwander,
Elder Mumford, Elder Pereira, Elder Washburn, Elder Flynn ZL, Elder Hess ZL, Elder East
Back row: Elder Esele AP, Elder D. Santos, Elder Almeida,
Elder Durrant, Elder Mickelson, Elder Ondricek, Elder A. Smith, Elder Austin, Elder Kunjuzwa
Mbombela District, Mission Office Zone
Front row: Elder Esele AP, Elder East, Elder Kunjuzwa
Back row: Elder Jangard AP, Elder Austin, Elder A. Smith
7 February 2020
Mbabane & Sidwashini, Eswatini
Manzini Area:
Sunday, 9 February 2020
Wesley Myeni & Siphiwe Shongway
Wesley served as our missionary in Eswatini until he received his visa to his called mission. He came back and married Siphiwe, also a return missionary.
9 February 2020
Secunda Area
11 February 2020
Zone Conference
Florida Chapel
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| Mission Office Zone minus Mbombela District Front row: Elder Mtembu, Elder Chandler, Sister & Elder Erickson, Sister & Elder Walker Back row: Elder C. Smith, Elder Briggs, Elder Jangard, Elder Esele |
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| Bedfordview Zone Front row: Elder Carlson, Elder Randrianary, Elder Rokotonindrina, Elder Bah, Elder Wailagala, Elder Daniels, Elder LeSueur Back row: Elder Mwiyawanyoka, Elder Mnyakana, Elder Mills, Elder Hlatshwayo, Elder J.A. Davis, Elder Madlala, Elder McAllister, Elder Dollman, Elder van Thiel Berghuys |
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| Roodepoort North Zone Front row: Elder Ndlelo, Elder Campos, Elder Sol, Elder Neeley, Elder Schofield, Elder Bindrup, Elder Cressler Back row: Elder Previatti, Elder Harr, Elder J. Andrews, Elder Rattana, Elder Austen, Elder Taylor, Elder Dupaix |
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| Roodepoort South Zone Front row: Elder Mendes, Elder Nganda, Elder & Sister Rees, Elder Maylett, Elder Sommer, Elder Chifarimba Back row: Elder Vargha, Elder Rea, Elder Andrus, Elder Tobiasson, Elder Dakuiyau, Elder Green |
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| Springs Zone Front row: Elder Shikoli, Elder Madaza, Elder Truman, Elder Mercado, Elder Diniz, Elder Valentine Back row: Elder Reidhead, Elder Mosia, Elder Nkwocha, Elder Garcia, Elder Rodriegues, Elder Muh |
12 February 2020
Zone Conference
Florida Chapel
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| Benoni Zone Front row: Elder Vaughan, Elder Nelson, Elder Kireta, Elder Kirby, Elder Espino, Elder Washburn, Elder Silva Back row: Elder Forsyth, Elder Gabriel, Elder Souza, Elder Fernandes, Elder Hamilton, Elder Lubelwana, Elder Pueblo |
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| Centurion Zone Front row: Elder Walker, Elder Bird, Elder James, Elder Willison, Elder Thornton, Elder Clawson, Elder Newell Back row: Elder Rasmussen, Elder Jente, Elder High, Elder Bonfim, Elder B. Rocha, Elder Jooste, Elder G. Andrews |
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| Johannesburg Zone Front row: Elder Mathenjwa, Elder Pickford, Elder J. Smith, Elder Nocanda, Elder Willard, Elder Blaauw Back row: Elder Romney, Elder Graves, Elder Banda, Elder J.M. Davis, Elder Mtyobile, Elder Egay |
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| Soweto Zone Front row: Elder Kani, Elder Ricks, Elder Delvaux, Elder Wendo, Elder Baldiviezo, Elder Robison, Elder Daybell Back row: Elder Woolstenhulme, Elder Lundberg, Elder Ellaso, Elder Thompson, Elder Earl, Elder Joka, Elder Sorensen |
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| Vaal Zone Front row: Elder Atkinson, Elder Ncwadi, Sister & Elder Oliver, Elder Strickland, Elder Odro, Elder Osmond Back row: Elder Barnum, Elder Julander, Elder Shaffer, Elder Eldredge, Elder Osborne, Elder Yasa, Elder Rodgers |
13 February 2020
Midrand/Centurion flat with Rabie Ridge area:
President Leavitt did Elder Garcia's departure interview at 9:30 pm Thursday night. He also needed to contact two district presidents of missionaries serving in Liberia who live in our mission to inform them where their member missionaries were being reassigned to serve.
Elder Garcia
14 February 2020
Elder Krakra was reassigned to us from the Liberia Mission from which he was evacuated. His flight, landed at 1:25 am, 14 February. Our office elders, Elder C. Smith and Elder Briggs, picked him up at the airport and drove to the mission home, where they all slept along with Elder Garcia and Elder Diniz.
I made breakfast egg and bacon casserole for those sleeping here. The assistants, Elder Esele and Elder Jangard, came early to take Elder Garcia to the airport for his 7:10 am flight to Brazil.
We had interviews during the day.
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| Elder Krakra |
Kagiso 1 and Kagiso 2 areas came to the mission home at 1 pm.
President Leavitt interviewed Elder Krakra, who has served in Liberia for about a year, and we took him to the mission office for more orientation and training by the office staff before he joined Elder Atkinson in Orange Farm.
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| Elder Krakra |
We had a staff meeting a 5:40 pm. At 7 pm, President Leavitt and I had our dinner interview with Elder and Sister Erikson at Porterhouse Restaurant close to the office (our Valentine's Day dinner). After the assistants came to our house to work on a transfer.
15 February 2020
We drove to Munsieville flat along with Phokeng and Rustenburg for interviews and training that started at 2 pm.
17 February 2020
We had a transfer at the mission home from 8:15 to 10 am, except it lasted until noon.
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| Elder Newell departed 17 February |
President Leavitt did 22 video interviews today: Kwa-Thema 1&2, Tskane 1&2, Springs, Mayfield, Rynfield, Daveyton1, 2, and 3, and Etwatwa 1&2. I didn't do any training. I spent two days at the mission office working on the SAJM annual history.
20 February 2020
President Leavitt did 16 video interviews from the mission home today: Ennerdale, Orange Farm, Sebokeng, Sharpeville, Vanderbijlark, Vereeniging, Cosmo City, and Fourways.
We drove to Three Rivers and had dinner with Elder & Sister Oliver at Anna's Kitchen at Three Rivers Lodge where we stayed. The electricity was out. The Lodge had a generator. We ate outside by candlelight.
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| Elder Bindrup departed 20 February |
21 February 2020
We drove to Potchefstroom 1 flat with Potch 2 and Carletonville areas.
Then we drove to Klerksdorp flat with Jouberton area.
We had a taco dinner and interview visit with Elder and Sister Rees at their flat. We drove to the mission home the next day.
23 February 2020
We went to Sacrament Meeting at the MTC where we both talked at the end. We had a nice visit after with President and Sister Foote.
MTC President & Sister Foote
25 February 2020
We had departing interviews and a departing dinner for Elder Espino returning to his mission in Madagascar (finally received another visa), Elder Campos going to finish his mission in Angola because his visa renewal hasn't come, and Elder Truman returning home after finishing his mission.
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| Elder Truman |
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| Elder Espino |
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| Elder Campos |
Transfer Day
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| Elder High, trainer, and Elder Cerquiera |
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| Elder Mosia, trainer, and Elder Zarza |
26 February 2020
Ridgeway, Joburg 1 & 2 areas came to mission home after the transfer.
28 February 2020
Randburg/Sandton,
27 February 2020
MLC
CES Classroom
Mission Leadership Council from 10 am to 3:30 pm with all our zone leaders from all 11 zones. I neglected to take a photo of the zone leaders. Our assistants, Elder Jangard and Elder Esele presenting statistics and training before my training.
Elder Niez flew in from the Philippines at 4:30 pm. Elder Niez had his interview with President Leavitt and we had dinner at the mission home before he went to sleep.
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| Elder Niez
28 February 2020
Elder Niez ate breakfast with us and Elder Esele and Elder Jangard. Germinston and Buhle Park area missionaries came for interviews and training. They also ate breakfast.
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President and Sister Gwebu arrived with their son, Elder Siyabonga Gwebu (served in Cape Town), who they picked up at the airport and came to the mission home so President Leavitt could give Elder Gwebu his final interview and release him as a missionary. It is amazing that those young men who I sat with in their chapels filling out their mission papers continue to return home after two years of missionary service. How exciting!
Orange Grove, Bedfordview, and Alexandra area missionaries came for interviews at 12:30 pm. They ate KFC chicken twisters for lunch with the departing elders above, then we started interviews and training.
At 6 pm, we had a coordinating council dinner social with all the stake presidents, executive secretary and wives, and Elder and Sister Holmes. I only thought to take one photo after we finished eating. Present were Elder & Sister Holmes, President & Sister DeKock, President & Sister McAravey, President & Sister Martin, and Exec Sec. & Sister Hannes Lategan. Presidents Mziza, Krauss, Shongwe and Braganca couldn't come. We missed them.
1 March 2020, Sunday
President Leavitt and I attended and spoke at the Benoni Stake Conference with President McAravey and Elder Matswagothata (A70).
We drove to Eastfield flat with Vosloorus and Katlehong areas and did interviews and training from 2-6:15 pm.
We drove to the mission home and did interviews and training from 7-9:15 pm. with Randburg/Sandton, Elders Romney and Graves. We all had KFC chicken twisters, cheese sticks, crackers and cookies left from Saturday.
2 March 2020, Monday--I just have to record I finished the SAJM Annual History, including three mission-dependent branches, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp and Jouberton (which we made into a District on February 2 so the Klerksdorp District will do their own annual history beginning 2020). The report is 322 pages in PDF form. I will deliver it on Friday on a USB to the Church History Department at the Area Offices when we attend the temple with our missionaries in the same complex. We submitted another pre-missionary's papers. One tri-panionship came for a meeting from 3-6 pm and another two companionships of missionaries came to the mission home at 6 pm for help (and dinner).
3 March 2020, Tuesday
Welter/Ruimsig area, Soweto and Dobsonville areas came to the mission home for interviews and training.
Randfontein and Mohlakeng area elders came in the afternoon.
Our APs, Elder Esele and Elder Jangard came for their interviews and training. They left for an appointment and returned later to pick up food as they were on their way to Springs for exchanges.
Elder & Sister Walker picked up Elder & Sister Pitcher at the airport (plane landed at 6:30 pm) and dropped them at the mission home for dinner, interviews and sleeping here.
4 March, Wednesday
At 11:40 pm Tuesday evening, Elder Forsyth arrived with Elder Vaughan at the mission home. President Leavitt and I got in their car and we drove to the Life Flora Hospital. Elder Vaughan was sick. They gave him an IV and we all returned to the mission home at 3:55 am. We went to bed and President Leavitt and I woke up at 7:17 am, showered and had a busy day. We changed all our interviews to next Tuesday.
After breakfast, Elder Erickson took Elder Pitcher to the office. Sister Pitcher had a bad cold and stayed at the mission home. We were working on many elders whose visas are only 18 months and are expiring soon.
5 March 2020, Thursday
After breakfast at 7:17 am, I drove Sister Pitcher in our Captiva with all the luggage and President Leavitt drove Elder Pitcher in the APs Ecosport to Eswatini. We drove straight to the Sebebe Rock Spur Restaurant in a mall in Mbabane. We met and ate lunch with Mbabane Swaziland District President Ntshalintshali, Nathi Dlamini, our church agent there, our zone leaders, Elder Hess and Elder Flynn. We had much to discuss. We drove the Pitchers to their flat in Ezulwini and unloaded the luggage and showed them around their flat. President Leavitt and I back across the border into South Africa, renewing our visas for another 30 days. We submitted our visa renewal papers on January 6, but our new visas haven't arrived.
On the way home from Eswatini, we stopped at the Benoni/Boksburg flat for interviews and training with Elder Silva and Elder Pueblo.
Elder Vaughan and Elder Forsyth were sleeping at our house when we left on Wednesday morning. During the day, Elder Vaughan felt worse and our Area Medical Adviser, Dr. Stacey, who happened to be close by, met them at Life Flora Hospital a few blocks from the mission home. Elder Vaughan was admitted to the hospital and Elder Forsyth, a EMT and a driver from his district, stayed with him. Elder and Sister Walker were at the hospital when we stopped by at 10:15 pm to bring Elder Forsyth back to the mission home to sleep.
7 March 2020, Saturday
Florida 1 and Florida 2 came at 9 am for interviews and training. I took all except Elder Briggs having his interview with President Leavitt to the hospital to drop off Elder Forsyth to stay with Elder Vaughan for the day.
At noon, Krugersdorp/Roodepoort, Elder Taylor & Elder Austen came.
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After interviews, we stopped by Life Flora Hospital to see Elder Vaughan. Dr. Kiss said if Elder Vaughan was still the same, he would operate Sunday morning.
We drove to Pimville Chapel for the Soweto Stake Conference at 6 pm. I took a photo while the choir was singing before the meeting started. President Leavitt and I both spoke.
After the meeting, we took Elder and Sister Walker, one of our office couples, to dinner at Lambruscos Restaurant and to visit.
We stopped at the hospital at 7 pm and gave Elder Vaughan a blessing, then took the Walkers to their flat and returned to the mission home. Elder Forsyth ate the rest of President Leavitt's pizza from dinner.
8 March 2020, Sunday
President Leavitt, Elder Forsyth and I went to the hospital early to see Elder Vaughan and talk with Dr. Kiss. Elder Vaughan wanted the surgery then. Dr. Kiss said okay. He would operate at 9 am. I filled out the forms and we signed them and left Elder Forsyth and drove to the Pimville Chapel after a stop at home.
We both spoke again at the Soweto Stake Conference. I took this photo after the conference.
Former Elder Samatanda was there and said hello.
I returned to the hospital and took this photo of a smiling Elder Vaughan after his appendectomy at 1:15 pm. Elder Forsyth went back to his area. President Leavitt went teaching with our assistants. They came to the hospital at 8:15 pm. We all visited and said goodnight to Elder Vaughan and returned to our homes.
9 March 2020, Monday
President Leavitt did 8 MTC missionary interviews Monday morning and picked up Elder Vaughan on his way home at 11 am as he was released from the hospital. I got Elder Vaughan settled and washed all his clothes. I made two cans of pumpkin filling without the crust. Elder Vaughan is on a smooth diet until Friday. I went to the store to buy other food for him and for our departure dinner tonight for Elder Esele.
I gave an English test to Elder Esele at 5 pm. We had dinner, and departing program with Elder Jangard and Elder Sommer, APs, then President did Elder Esele's departing interview. At 10 pm, Elder Jangard and Elder Sommer (brought back as AP as Elder Esele's visa is expiring and he has to leave) took Elder Esele to the airport to fly home to Uganda. (Elder Esele was blessed to obtain his medical license on Tuesday and start working as a doctor again on Wednesday.)
10 March 2020, Tuesday
Tembisa 1, Tembisa 2, and Kempton Park area missionaries came for interviews and training at the mission home at 9 am.
At 1 pm, Birch Acres, Katlehong and Hospital View areas came.
14 March 2020, Saturday
Elder Vaughan feels good enough to help cook dinner.
15 March 2020, Sunday
Olivia Lekalaka, serving in England Leeds Mission, was to finish on 5 May. She was released early as part of the COVID-19 virus situation. Her father and uncle picked her up at the airport and came to the mission home so President Leavitt could interview her and release her as a missionary.
We learned that we are not holding regular church meetings today, but can meet in homes. We held a sacrament meeting with our office couples, the Walkers and the Ericksons, our office Elders, Elder Smith and Elder Briggs, and Elder Vaughan. Olivia with her father and uncle joined us. Our Elders served in homes in their areas as assigned by their bishops and branch presidents.
The world is changing.
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