Good News! Week 63

We have lots of good news this week.  But not much activity.

First, Ken is feeling better after hurting his back climbing out of bed.  He went to the doctor on Monday afternoon, was given strong Tylenol and Celebrex for the pain and inflammation in his back, and told to lie down flat for 48 to 72 hours.  So he spent all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in bed. Thank goodness for the phone and Internet to entertain him.  He listened to scriptures, watched BYU basketball, and in other ways entertained himself between naps.

Thursday Sue was at the office almost all day by herself.  She got so much done!  As much as she loves Ken and the young Elders, they are a distraction to computer work.

Second,  South Africa is starting to vaccinate everyone over age 60, regardless of nationality, starting 1 May.  

We are registered and should get our vaccines soon.  South Africa is handling this wisely -- as we think they have for the whole  pandemic.  The Astra-Zeneca vaccine requires deep freeze and two doses, so it will be used in the cities where those things can be better controlled.  The Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not require the deep freeze, and only one dose is needed, so it will be used in the more rural areas that do not have the freezer capacity, and where it is harder for people to travel to get to vaccination centers.  That means we are stuck, literally, getting two shots, but we will manage.

This week Ken finally received a replacement hearing aid from the US via FedEx.  It took several days to get it through Customs, but it was ultimately delivered.

Work continues on the roads between our apartment and the office.  Friday morning Sue drove to the office, when she went home at noon to mix bread, the whole configuration had changed again.  Ken says it looks like an autocross obstacle course.  It will eventually be a four-lane divided road.  But sometimes it's one lane each way on one side.  Then they change to one lane each way on the other side.  Now it's one lane each way, but on each side for about a block, then back to all on one side.  There are STOP signs in random places, but no one pays any attention to them anyway.  You can see they are set in barrels for easy movement around the area.  Sue took this photo when there wasn't much traffic.  Often there are pedestrians walking along the road, too. [Turn left at the third Stop sign to get to our apartment.]

We had hoped to go to a Molweni Branch party on Saturday afternoon at 1 pm.  But at noon it was pouring buckets.  We are not supposed to be indoors with groups of people, and it wasn't the weather to be outdoors, so we didn't go.  Ken was feeling very behind at the office.  On Friday and again on Saturday he went to work for several hours while Sue did shopping, ironing and other domestic chores.  

Sue decided to sort out the vacuum cleaners. We've been collecting broken ones -- and are up to five.  Some have motors that don't work.  Others are missing hoses or pipes or end brushes.  The parts are not interchangeable.  Sue took this photo to send to the Church physical facilities people to ask if they know where we can get vacuum parts.  We will probably have to toss them all. 

When Sue went back to pick up Ken at the office on Saturday afternoon the rain was light, and there was a wonderful rainbow over our apartment parking lot.   

Sunday we went to church in Berea near downtown Durban.  After Church we went downstairs to meet the family of  Elder & Sister Van Heerden.  They are the only other Senior Couple in the Mission right now, and they live west in Ladysmith -- about a three-hour highway drive.  (We have an empty apartment downstairs until our new Welfare Services couple come in June.)  They came to Durban this weekend for Elder Van Heerden to marry some friends in the Durban Temple.  Their two daughters with husbands and children came up from East London for the occasion. 

Till next week.