Quiet -- Week 74

Another week speeds by...

The week began with not much of anything exciting.  Because South Africa is mostly on lock-down we just stayed home and went to the office.  Wednesday we were the only ones in the office the entire day.  Usually people are in and out, or we get deliveries, or something.

We did go out on Thursday for Boarding (apartment) Inspections.  Hard to believe it has been six weeks since we last did this.  We are starting in again, and this time we are teaching the Hubrich's the system.  They are going to take over inspecting Durban Zone, and we will do Hillcrest.  This means that President and Sister Lines do not have to do these anymore.  They have enough other things on their plate!

First stop was Bluff to visit Elder Naisbitt and Elder Hokanson, with the Hubrichs on the left.

The Bluff flat is really tiny -- bed on the left, desk on the right in the living/bedroom, and the same setup at the other end of the room for the other Elder.  But the bathroom is almost as big!  Double sinks, big shower.  Interesting place.  And in a very pretty area.  

We drove home the scenic route -- going northeast along the harbor side of the bluff, then out to the ocean side to go southwest and head home.

We saw the lighthouse on the bluff, too.

Second stop was Queensburgh with Elder Otina and Elder Birkeland.  We love their big sunny windows.

Third stop was Chatsworth with Elder Odhiambo and Elder Hanson Evans.  (We have two Elders Evans in the mission right now.)

Elders Otina and Odhiambo are both from Kenya and just got their visas and came to us at the beginning of June.

Our big trip this week was out to Mpumalanga (the township, not the province).  Elder Mbonyana has had a cold, and the weather has been cold.  He was requesting another blanket.  We were going to drive out to give it to him -- about 40 minutes west -- on Friday, but there were a lot of demonstrations and mini-riots going on, with highways blocked, etc.  The ex-President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, was put in jail on Thursday for contempt of court because he is refusing to testify in the corruption trial of some of the people he worked with as President.  The USA is not the only country with ex-President problems...

We enjoyed the uneventful trip, and Elder Mbonyana is feeling better.  His companion, Elder Bly, just arrived in the Mission two weeks ago, but he says he adjusting well to beautiful Africa.  They live in the apartment building on the right that overlooks a wide area.

Sue's big accomplishment this week is that the South Africa Durban Mission Annual History for 2020 was submitted!  Hurray!!  She tried to do each month as it passes.  Things got a little behind, but now May 2021 is almost finished, and June will get done next week.  It is nice to have some quiet days in the office.

We had one minor sad trip this week.  We had to go pick up this car from a companionship that has lost their driving privileges.  They accidentally ran into the basketball standard pole in the church parking lot.  They were going straight ahead!  The bonnet (front hood) has a major dent. This is considered a preventable accident.  So it was minor, but they are not driving for three months.  The co-driver (companion passenger) is always considered equally responsible.  "Backseat driving" is not only allowed, but preferred!

We went out for our daily walk and the monkeys were everywhere, of course.  We had to take a few photos for the grandkids.

Mom is grooming baby.

This tree has about six monkeys in it.  They are mostly too hard to see.  Right after Ken took the photo, one of them went way up high on the bare branches.

The South African President Ramaphosa spoke this evening on national TV.  We have another two weeks, at least, of lockdown, which is what we expected.  So Zone Conferences beginning this week will all be over Zoom.  Boo Hoo.  But we will carry through, as will the country.