Transfer Week again -- week 90

We are totally beat.  This was Transfers -- lots of Elders coming in.  Seventeen, to be exact.  Our two who would have gone home this week went on 7 & 20 October because their visas ran out early.

But first, on Wednesday morning we drove an hour west to Pietermaritzburg, which is the capital of KwaZulu-Natal province where we live.  We went to help with a food-distribution service project.  The Church Humanitarian Department has donated enough food for 6,000 packets to be distributed to needy families in KZN.  They've done similar projects in other provinces.  But it was in pallets by item, and needed to be packed into bags for families.  We worked all morning and helped do almost 700 bags.

While we were waiting to gather, Elder Phipps was showing us that he can jump up and touch the ceiling of the parking garage -- at least 10 feet up.  He's 6ft 6in tall, so has a head start.

Action Development Agency is the local equivalent of Second Harvest Food Bank. 

Pallets of rice and maize and beans and oil and flour and sugar and.....

We packed it into bags.

And then the bags back onto pallets so that local groups could come and pick up to distribute to families.  

We had a good crew that worked all morning, and another crew came in for the afternoon.  We also had two crews there on Tuesday.

And after our four-hour shift, they even fed us lunch.

On a more personal note, our big news for this week is a new geyzer!  That is South Africanese for a new hot-water heater!  It hangs on the wall above the bathroom sink.  The old one gave us very little hot water pressure.  

This is the nicely typed and laminated page we found in the bathroom when we first moved in.  We thanked the Lunds who had lived here before us, but they said it was already here when they arrived.  The kitchen hot water pressure was also very poor.

We finally decided it was time to do something about this before the Taylors arrive and would also have to deal with it.  We called our wonderful handy-man Andre to come and look.  He said there is a pressure valve inside that is so old and corroded that nothing could be done.  We told our landlord, and he sent over his plumber who said the same thing.  So now all is fixed.  We got a new shower head, too.

And the plumbers also replaced the handles on the kitchen sink.  It is no longer necessary to turn each one three times around before the water starts to flow.  Marvelous!

Friday we had 15 of the expected 17 Elders actually arrive.  (The other two came on Saturday and Sunday after late COVID tests and delayed flights and missed connections.)  We managed to get them and all their luggage into vans and bakkies at the airport. 

We stopped at the Durban Temple for a photo.

Then to Pinetown Chapel for breakfast snacks.

They rotated around to the six different stations for orientation.

We had pizza ordered and took it outside in the sunshine to eat lunch.  

Sue took their passports back to the office to get copied so the Hubrichs could drive them to the attorney in Umhlanga to be certified.  Ken kept working on receipts...  The never-ending project.

We had dinner with everyone back at Pinetown, and went back to the office to prepare for Saturday.

We drove the Mission's nine-passenger van on an eleven-hour round trip drive, starting at Pinetown at 7am with four Elders in the car who needed to go 2.5 hours west to Ladysmith.  We were greeted by a big group who were there to pick up new companions.

After about 20 minutes there, we had Elder Masenya join us in the van and headed further west, another four hours to Bethlehem.  Elder Masenya was also coming back to Durban, but we needed to go to Bethlehem to pick up others, so he had to come along for the ride.

This was the group in Bethlehem, some down from Bloemfontein to pick up new companions, some gathered to transition to the country of Lesotho.

The Mission is finally opening up Lesotho again!  There have been no missionaries there since the borders closed on 22 March 2020.  It finally re-opened just a few weeks ago for free travel -- with a negative COVID test in the last 72 hours.  It is rugged terrain there, so all the Elders drive bakkies. We needed to get four bakkies and a van out west.  The van is staying in Bloemfontein for use by that side of the mission.  The Hubrichs drove one van and one bakkie, so they needed a ride home again.  

We packed the back of our van full of luggage for three Elders coming east and drove back to Durban.  We rolled back in to Pinetown about 6pm to drop off the Elders and meet their new companions.  Long day!

• Ken made these videos of their arrival and dispersion (copy and paste):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPYyQ-72GU&list=PLI4JonDzDT24-nKA4zdoLRM3d4Lo60jXt&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ymp0CsfU-A&list=PLI4JonDzDT24-nKA4zdoLRM3d4Lo60jXt&index=1

We had rain the first hour out of Durban -- both going out in the morning and coming back in the evening, but after that it was a gorgeous day on the high plains of central South Africa.  Good roads, blue skies, fluffy clouds and majestic mountains.  Sue was driving and Ken was watching the altimeter on his phone.  We went over many passes above 4,000 feet high, and a couple over 6,000 feet high.

Sunday we were ready for a quiet day at home.  We went to Church with Molweni Branch, as usual.  

Sue went for a walk in the late afternoon -- the usual route down our dead-end street and back up the hill again.  When she started down she noticed this bird standing on top of a car in someone's yard.  When she came back up about 10 minutes later it was still just standing there, so she had to take a photo.  We don't have birds like this in our Palo Alto neighborhood.

Tomorrow is a holiday in South Africa for election day.  There are posters up all over.  We are hoping the demonstrations will be peaceful.

Busy times -- week 89

 Lots of random stuff this week.

Driving to work, the rainy season is starting, so much clearer skies.  Smog gets washed away.

Coming home from work one evening.  Rainbow in the east. View from our front door.

Followed by beautiful sunset in the west.

Monkey photo for the week.  Mamma and a tiny new baby hanging out on the retaining wall facing our door.  We were talking to Hubrichs with the door open, and the monkeys noticed and came calling.  They don't like our new screen door.

Monday night this was what we saw as we turned the corner home from work.  Original opening date was supposed to be last June!

So we found the Hubrichs and walked back for dinner.  

Standard McDonalds fare.  Now when we get home we can go to any McDonalds and pretend we are back on the corner of Lincoln and Mottramdale in Westville, South Africa.

However, the Drive-thru is still not operating.  The cracks in the retaining walls are getting worse, not better. 

Wednesday morning we woke up to this wonderful photo in our email.  That's our son, Keith, in the middle with Richard and Diane Taylor.  They are going to be our replacements next January.  They live in Orem, Utah, and went to see Keith in the production of Hunchback.  They said it was really good!  We got to watch the dress rehearsal on zoom a few weeks ago, but not as good as really being there.  

Wednesday morning we also ran out to the airport to pick up the Van Heerdens.  They are another senior couple in the Mission.  They went home for a week to see a brand new grandchild.  But, they are from East London, South Africa.  When a new grandbaby is only a 1-hour plane flight away, the visit is easily done.

We stopped by the temple to pick up their bakkie they had stored there while they were gone for a week.  There was a short visit with Temple President Leon Holmes.  He and the Van Heerdens have been friends for years.  We caught him with golf clubs in hand, just coming back from the local driving range.  Durban Temple is closed on Wednesdays.  The best news is that COVID restrictions are being eased.  They now can have up to 22 people in one temple session.  That's up from 14.  It means that we now can take the eastern-side missionaries in four trips instead of six.

We got more new cars this week, too.  Here are two Hundai Venues.  All the new cars and swapping cars is keeping Ken busy.

Sue got a fun package from Takealot this week.  Sister Lines wanted Santa hats for the zone conferences in December, so Sue ordered 100 of them!  About 75cents each.  Then we decided that wasn't enough.  We will be 112 young missionaries and 14 seniors by Christmas!  So Sue tried to order 30 more, but could only get 20.  It's only mid-October and she's bought them out of Santa Hats already.  

Friday night we went out for a quiet dinner with the Hubrichs to the Cape House Cafe.  It's a small place over by the Mission home, with good food!

Here is Sue's great accomplishment for the week.  She hit 100 consecutive days of finishing the NY Times crossword puzzle.  She doesn't always do it without looking something up -- especially on Friday and Saturday when the puzzles are harder.  But she does always finish.  She had a scare on Saturday morning because she woke up and realized she hadn't finished the Friday puzzle the night before.  But the counting is forgiving.  You don't have to do it on the day -- just finish it before doing the one for the next day.  [Don't believe the "Best" times.  One time on a Saturday a long time ago, she accidently hit the "reveal puzzle" which filled it all in and counted it done in 5 minutes!]  Previous consecutive streak was 92.  It's a daily ritual.  

Sunday we were a few minutes late for church, because our usual route was closed due to a big bicycle race.  We knew that, and left home early, and thought we had the alternate route planned.  But part-way there we realized we had to cross the closed route -- also not allowed.  So, another detour.

It was a special day because Brandon Vezi (R) was baptized in Molweni Branch by Elder Tom (L).  Brandon is a great young man who was introduced to the Church by his good friends from school, Alma and Mosiah.  Those are both good Book of Mormon names!  Brandon is 17 years old and in 11th grade.  He's making good choices in his life! 

New cars, new apartments -- week 88

Another busy week.  And it's after 9pm on Sunday and Sue is just starting the blog.  Ken is snoring in the other room.  This week will be more photos and less commentary.

Tuesday was Zone Conference in Pinetown.  It was combined Hillcrest and Richards Bay Zones.  What a fabulous group of young men!

 

After meetings and photo there is always a yummy lunch.  This time, beef stroganoff.

Wednesday we got three new bakkies!  (pickup trucks).  These are for the senior couples in Lesotho, Ladysmith, and the Humanitarian couple.  They are very nice!  Backup cameras, cruise control, etc.

Friday was moving day in Amanzimtoti.  And everything seemed to go wrong.  But in the end the furniture all got moved.  We had six strong young Elders to help--and that was needed.  The old flat was on the 4th floor.  The new flat is on the 3rd floor.  And neither building has an elevator.  And we lost the Mission hand-truck (dolly).

The Elders had to be careful not to kill the neighbors plants on the narrow walkway.

Elder Phipps and Elder H. Evans got the two fridges and washer into the bakkie.  Elder Mere helped from below.

The new flat is only 1.3 km (1 mile) from the old one.  We had to move because the owners want to move into it themselves.

Saturday we went back with the Hubrichs to clean the old boarding.  There was something stuck in the vacuum cleaner hose.  We never did get it out -- but it wasn't for lack of trying with curtain rod, long palm frond, and wire coat hanger. 

Elders Barnes and Jensen lived here.  They had a funeral to attend in the morning, but then came back to help with the final mopping.

And also cleaning out of the garage.  They even found their old muffler.  It randomly fell off one day when they were driving down the freeway!  They picked it up, but it was missing some bracket, so they had to get a new one. (It cost $200 to replace.)  Now it went into the trash.

Elder Hubrich was in charge of cleaning the kitchen.  Sister Hubrich did one bathroom and floors.  Sue did the other bathroom and closets.  Ken washed windows.  

Shortly after we arrive we realized we had forgotten to bring a step stool.  Sue needed to get into the cupboards above the wardrobes.  She noticed the neighbor had two plastic chairs outside her door next to the plants, so she asked to borrow one.  The woman kindly said yes.  Then later she and her husband came over and brought us herb tea and ginger biscuits (cookies).  It was so thoughtful!

When we finally finished--about 2:30--we were starving because the tea and biscuits were good, but not much of a lunch.  

This amazing lily was growing next to the driveway across the street.  We have never seen a plant with so many blossoms on all at once.  We counted 18.  And there were at least three other stalks where we could see equal numbers of blossoms that had already died.  

We decided to find someplace to eat nearby.  We had a good "linner" about 3pm at the Lagoon Bar & Grill.  Amanzimtoti is very much a beach resort town.  The old boarding had a great view of the beach and ocean.  The new one has a small view if you look carefully between the trees out the bedroom window.  But the Elders like the new location better because it is across the street from the city park and rugby field.

View from the restaurant.

Saturday night we stayed up late with Hubrichs to watch the BYU vs. Baylor football game.  Not a good time.  BYU lost 38-24.  They did not play well.

Sunday afternoon Sister Hubrich came up and wanted to borrow some cocoa powder.  Then she came back an hour or so later to say they had warm brownies if we had milk to go with them.  Did we ever!  It was about 6pm and Sue was just starting to cook dinner.  Why not eat dessert first?

Elder Hubrich and Ken are such a cute pair--like two peas from the same pod.