Feeling Loved is the Best

Dear All,

We have felt an amazing amount of love from so many people here in South Africa, far beyond what we could have ever imagined. On the other hand, we are feeling great love from our dear family and friends at home as we prepare to be reunited with them. Feeling such love is a marvelous thing. Our capacity to love and be loved is infinite, just as that of our Eternal Father in Heaven. We are very thankful for this amazing gift, a gift which He has given to us all.   

We are off to Cape Town this Wednesday morning to say our goodbyes to President and Sister Lebethoa, as well as the office senior couples and some missionaries with whom we previously served. We will also be seeing the Pakade family, who were previously in the Motherwell Branch with us. 

While in Cape Town we plan to visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 of the 27 years he spent behind bars. The island has been a place of isolation and imprisonment dating back to the 17th century. We have spent the past 18 months in what's called the Nelson Mandela Municipality. There is a major university here which is also named after him, along with a large park in Motherwell. Given his place in the hearts of so many South Africans, we thought it was important to learn more about him and the things he experienced during his life. 

Our flight home leaves Cape Town just after midnight this Friday night. We will have an 11 hour and 45 minute flight to Amsterdam, followed by an 8 hour and 20 minute flight to NYC, and concluding with a 6 hour and 22 minute flight to San Diego, arriving there at 11:21 Saturday night. We'll be speaking in our Redhawk Ward the day after our arrival at 11:00 AM.  

The reunion with our family and friends will be so very wonderful. We can't wait!

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson  

Picture Above:  We love these Sisters! 

 Sister Mzini (center) has become a dear friend, along with her daughter, her husband (Brother and Sister Willie) and their children. Wow, we will miss them!   

 This is Caroline with two of her children. I was privileged to bestow the Aaronic Priesthood upon herboy, Owen (love the name). 

Sister Shelia joined the church last year and has never looked back. She is so faithful and a great example to us all.

The Time is Far Spent

Dear All,

It's hard to believe but we will be leaving South Africa one month from today. We are scheduled to arrive in San Diego very late Saturday night, March 17th. We have already been asked to speak in the Redhawk Ward the next morning, Sunday, March 18th,at 11:00 AM.  

The words of the hymn, The Time is Far Spent (no. 266), have been on our minds lately. All four verses of the song have great messages relating to missionary service, and the purpose of our Earthly lives in general. However, the last verse is one with particular meaning at this time for us.

  

"Be fixed in your purpose, for Satan will try you;

The weight of your calling he perfectly knows;

Your path may be thorny, but Jesus is nigh you;

His arm is sufficient, tho demons oppose.

His arm is sufficient, tho demons oppose."

We will certainly do our best to be fixed in our purpose during these last few weeks of service in South Africa. It has been an amazing experience on so many levels. We love the country and the work we have been called to do. Most of all, we love the people we have met while here. Even though we all come from very diverse backgrounds and circumstances, we have come to know, more assuredly than ever, that we are brothers and sisters, all children of a loving God. We have seen how a deep bond of love can be established with others when we simply make an effort to know and serve them. A relatively little effort brings forth marvelous results.  

On March 18th we will be celebrating our 52nd wedding anniversary. Given that longevity, we were asked to conduct a fireside on marriage, which we did this past Sunday. We decided to give instruction relative to the principles taught in the book "The Five Love Languages", by Dr. Gary Chambers. The meeting was well attended and the participation was great. However, it is quite apparent that at least some of the things which are given as ways of nurturing a loving relationship go against the Xhosa culture. None the less, most who attended seemed very open to the suggestions given. One brother stated that, while these things may not come easy "we need to learn the gospel culture", suggesting that the principles which were taught should be lived.      

We have been waiting anxiously to hear who will be replacing us. In speaking with President Lebethoa this morning, we learned that there have been no couples called to our mission. There continues to be a shortage of senior couples who are willing to serve. The only option is to transfer a couple from another area in our mission to replace us. That places an extra burden on a couple already serving there. The message here is...Missionary Couples are Urgently Needed! The sacrifices which may be required pale in comparison to the blessings and happiness which come in return. Please plan to serve if and when your circumstances allow, and encourage others to do likewise. You will be eternally grateful for making that decision, as we certainly are.   

With all our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

Picture Above:  We enjoyed spending a night in Plettenburg Bay, one of the many beautiful towns on the Indian Ocean and the Southern most part of Africa.    

This is Elder Canfield and Mushipi. They are holding a famous photo by Liz Lemon Swindle. Elder Mushipi is in the photo as they are indicating. His mother worked at the orphanage in Zambia where it was taken, so that is why he is in it. He is a wonderful missionary! He told us that the two boys standing to his left are twin brothers and are now serving missions.    

        

Here is the license plate to which we have become accustomed. Our mission includes two very large provinces, called the Eastern and Western Capes. We live in the Eastern Cape but our area goes into the Western Cape. Our area is about 400 miles across, while it is approximately 900 miles from one side of our mission to the other.  

The elephant on the license plate is representative of Addo National Elephant Park, where there are several elephants. It is only about about 45 minutes from our home. The plant is an Aloe which you see everywhere. They grow to be very large, and are especially beautiful when blooming as shown on the plate. Here above is a large Aloe without bloom.  

Things to Love about South Africa

Dear All,

After hearing our accents, people often ask us where we are from. We say "California", and we do so with some pride as it is seen by many as a highly desirable place to live. However, we have often told people that South Africa is also a wonderful place to live, and that they can find as much happiness here as they can anywhere else in the world. And, we sincerely mean that.  That happiness is primarily centered on the people of South Africa. Life, and the happiness we find, is primarily based upon the relationships we enjoy. We can honestly say that the people of SA are amazing and are among the best people we know. Here are just a few reasons we feel as we do:

• They openly and boldly speak of their faith in Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
• They give the best hugs!
• They warmly welcome you into their homes, even when they may be busy with something else.
• They take care of one another, especially family members in need.
• They love and respect missionaries, and others who are serving the Lord.
• They are happy and laugh a lot.
• They love and respect old people. (This hits close to home for yours truly.)
• They give the best hugs! (worth mentioning twice) 

The Motherwell Branch continues to meet in a school, with a classroom for a chapel which is overcrowded and often very warm. The less than ideal circumstances were further exacerbated yesterday when another church began holding services three classrooms away. We enjoyed seeing them there before church, but it seems like at least half of their service is made up of loud signing, which carries into our chapel. The only choice was to close the door to lessen the disturbance but, since we rely on the ventilation from the open door, it became very warm and uncomfortable. We can only express our frustration and pray that our beloved Motherwell Branch members will have a new place to meet and worship before too long. They certainly deserve it!

We want to repeat what we have said earlier; our most precious gifts are our Faith, Family and Friends. The reason we repeat it is because our appreciation for all three have been substantially increased during our time as full-time missionaries. As we have witnessed the light of the gospel eluminate the countenances and lives of those who have embraced it, our own faith has been immeasurably increased. As we have been away from the family who we already loved with all our hearts, our love and appreciation for each one has grown immensely. While we have gained a heightened appreciation for our dear friends of home, we have obtained additional wonderful and close friends who we will always remember, and whose company we will surely enjoy in the eternities. 

All our love<

Elder and Sister Watson

Pictured Above: After more than one year, we are elated that Elder Ivins returned to our area. We were new missionaries who labored in the Motherwell Branch. He is an outstanding young man, missionary, and dear friend forever.

 Elder Ivins and Elder Chaparadza provided service to those in need. Elder Chap also learned the difference between water-based and oil-based paints. 😉

We visited the beautiful old city of Grahamstown last Saturday. One of the reasons we love the place are the donkeys! They are everywhere, including many pulling carts such as this one. 

 Here's Ahlu Vena, grandson of our dear friend, Mpumie Vena. He has a sweet spirit and is going to be an awesome missionary in a few years!  He gives the best hugs and pats your back while hugging you.  It is the BEST!

Meeting a Legend

Dear All,

Okay, this doesn't have anything to do with missionary work but I must share. I am sitting in the chapel of the Knysna Branch when in walks golf legend, Gary Player, and his wife. The District President was sitting next to me and immediately asked if I would like him to introduce me to Gary. Of course I did and it was such a pleasure meeting someone who I have followed and admired for so many years. I knew that his wife and daughter were members of the church but I did not know he attended with them. I also did not know that they own a ranch near the beautiful resort community of Knysna and he attends church quite often. This is only one of many unexpected benefits which come from serving a mission. 😊 

We earlier wrote about two awesome young women from the Motherwell Branch who have received mission calls. Both are amazing, very bright, beautiful, and faithful young women. One is receiving the love and full support of her family as she prepares to serve. The other is receiving tremendous opposition from her family as she prepares. It is so sad as her desire to serve is as great as in any young man or women we have seen. We are fasting and praying for her and ask that you do the same if you are so inclined. Of course, the Lord knows her name so you only need pray for the Motherwell future missionary. Thank you!   

In case you're interested, here are a few of our activities this past week:

• 5 hours in the ER and 4 other trips to the doctor with Elders suffering from a wide assortment of ailments (none too serious)
• A 3 day trip to George and Knysna (approximately 9 hours of driving) accompanied by new arrivals, Elder and Sisters Beal, to introduce them to Branch Presidents and seminary and institute teachers who they will be guiding. Seven Temple Recommends were given while there.
• Teaching Temple Preparation and Strengthening Marriage Classes, and leading an Addiction Recovery group meeting
• Visiting new members and less active members
• Attending Branch Council meeting, and Sister Watson attended Relief Society Presidency meeting while I made visits with a member of the Branch Presidency.
• Assisting with the preparation of the first Motherwell Relief Society Newsletter
• Had a zone of missionarie to our home to view the special message from the new First Presidency, and met with another zone in the city of Uitenhage so they could view the message
• Attended a baptismal service but had to leave after the one being baptised had car trouble and was more than one hour late
• Interviewed two wonderful people who are preparing for baptism 

We viewed the message from our new First Presidency a several times and each time we gained a deeper appreciation for the Lord's plan wherein the leaders of His church are chosen. We bear witness that President Russell M. Nelson is a Prophet of God and is the Lord's designate to lead His church at this time. We Thank Thee oh God for a Prophet to guide us in these latter-days!       

  

Our love to all,

Elder and Sister Watson

Above:  We are fortunate to serve with some of the best people on Earth, and here are four of them, the Petersons (rear) and the Beals. 

 A beautiful branch member Zenela with her darling niece. We love their smiles and the love they always show for others, very indicative of all the Motherwell Branch members. 



A few of the missionaries with whom we are privileged to serve, from left to right, Elders Duma, Rebelo, Wamunyima, Makwakwa, van Niekerk, and Clark. Elder Clark is holding a photo of our beloved Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Lebethoa.

Our dear friends and faithful church members, the Motherwell Relief Society Presidency. 

(from left to right) Sister Oliphant, 2nd Counselor, Sister Ngweventsha, President, Sister Mzini, 1st Counselor  

Holidays in South Africa

Dear All,

It's Christmas Eve and we just returned from Sacrament Meeting in the Motherwell Branch. President Zitshu asked us to help plan a special program for today and we were happy to do so. The chapel (school classroom) was nearly full and a joyful and happy spirit was felt by all. The only significant difference in celebrating Christmas here is that it is done at about the hottest time of the year, and we were certainly feeling the heat in our little chapel. Anyway, there were many branch members who participated in the program and each one did a wonderful job. The Spirit of Christmas, and the many positive things associated with it, are alive and well here with the Saints of South Africa. 

On January 2nd we will welcome Elder and Sister Beal to Port Elizabeth. They have been called to serve as CES specialists and give support to the Seminary, Institute and YSA programs in Port Elizabeth Stake and George District, the same areas where we serve. We found a home about five minutes away from ours and have been busy getting it furnished and fully equipped for them. It will be wonderful to associate with the Beals on a regular basis. (Hope they feel the same about us. 😉) A large percentage of the converts in South Africa are YSA, or Seminary age, so they will do an important and much needed work here. FYI, the majority of the Seminary and Institute classes are taught in homes whenever and wherever it is determined to work best. Those teachers are wonderful but we trust they will welcome the instruction and encouragement Elder and Sister Beal will offer.     

One of the best days of our mission was this past Monday when two young women, who we have come to love, opened their Mission Calls. One, Deneo Vena, was called to serve in the Sierra Lione Freetown Mission. If you put the enthusiasm of ten young missionaries into one, it may come close to that which Deneo has. She has only been a member of the church for about 15 months but her love of the gospel, and people, will enable her to be a very successful and beloved missionary. The other young woman is Princess Hem, who was called to serve on the Maryland Baltimore Mission. While Deneo has a personality as big as all outdoors, Princess is more reserved but has a depth of faith and knowledge which will surely set her apart from others. We love both of these girls so much and have found great joy in our association with them. We look forward to seeing all the great things they will accomplish as missionaries, and beyond.       

While we have enjoyed the holidays here in South Africa very much, our thoughts often turn to our family and friends at home. Please know how much we love and miss each one of you. 

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson Dear All,

Picture Above:

Thanksgiving Day, a time to give thanks for a little break from the work! 😉

A monthly routine is MLC (Mission Leadership Council). These four Zone Leaders, Elders Faingataa, Jackman, Makwakwa, and Clark join us in our home, along with all other mission leaders on Skype, for about a four hour meeting to discuss a variety of topics. We greatly enjoy our time with these wonderful missionaries.   

Enjoying our Motherwell Branch Christmas party with Niky Cwele, one of the most enthusiastic and fun people you will ever meet. 

Summertime in South Africa...and just caught these cute little friends hanging out together.

Missionary Transport/Christians of Africa

Dear All,

First, we will give you an update on the Missionary Transport Plan which was devised after the loss of 4 cars to hijackers within 3 months. After about two weeks of paying members to provide transport for the missionaries, it was decided to have them use public transportation instead. It was too much to expect the members to respond promptly to the missionary's calls throughout the day. On the other hand, there are a large number of taxis (small vans) which cover the proselyting areas. Additionally, there are private drivers, most with old and really junkie cars, which drive throughout the area looking for passengers. The missionaries in Zwide, an area which lost 2 cars to thieves, is now using these forms of transportation, plus doing much more walking than before. The cost of such is much less than operating a car, plus the Elders are coming in contact with more people throughout the day. They say that they are feeling more a part of the community, which is a very good thing. It is anticipated that there will be fewer cars in the future and more reliance on the other forms of transport mentioned.

We attended a regional conference today. It originated in the Conference Center in SLC and was broadcast to meetinghouses throughout the South East Africa Area, which includes South Africa and 27 other countries. Elder Neil L Andersen, of the quorum of the twelve, was the concluding speaker, and he spoke about something which has been very evident to us during our time in Africa. He spoke of the great faith, perseverance, and sacrifice of the first Christian missionaries who came to the African continent. He said that with the bible in hand they were able to convert thousands to a belief in Christ. He stated that they laid the foundation which the missionaries of the restored church, with Book of Mormon in hand (as another testament of Christ), are now building upon. We see that the people who are native to Africa not only have a deep faith in Christ and the Bible, but we also see that many of their long-held traditions closely align with the teachings of the restored gospel. It is no wonder that the church is growing faster in Africa than anywhere else.

We plan to meet on Thanksgiving Day with three other senior couples in Port Alfred to enjoy the day together. It is always a pleasure to spend time with other missionary couples, but our hearts will long a little more than usual for our family at home. Words cannot express how grateful we are for our faith, our family, and our friends. Our love and sincere wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all!  

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

We enjoyed dinner recently with Elder Joni L Koch, of the Seventy and a new member of our Area Presidency, and his wife (left center), along with President and Sister Lebethoa, and Elder and Sister Peterson (far end of table) and Elder and Sister Bullman (near right). 

Some of the wonderful soup chefs!

The young women of Motherwell Branch recently organized a service project where we prepared two large kettles of chicken soup. We took them to a very impoverished part of Motherwell at lunchtime on a Saturday and set up in front of a small church. Within a few minutes of arriving we had a large group of people who had gathered, many with bowls or cups in hand. As people continued to come, we thought there was no way that we could feed everyone. Well, all who came were fed...it was like the story of the fishes and the loaves! It was a very rewarding experience for all. (The photo shows only a few of those we served.)

Two very hungry recipients of the soup and bread we offered.     

Act and Not Be Acted Upon

Dear All,

As mentioned in our last post, our Motherwell Elders were accosted by three armed men and driven to an area outside Motherwell. Due to the trauma of this experience President Lebethoa decided to transfer them to Queenstown, an area about 4 hours to the northeast of us. They left on October 10th with little time for goodbyes. It was a sad day for these missionaries, the branch members and us, but it was the best thing for their health and welfare. 

As you may have heard in news of the church, there is a plaque spreading throughout the island of Madagascar which is quite serious. Therefore, the decision was made to evacuate 69 of their missionaries, 9 of whom arrived in our mission this past weekend. We now have Elders Van Niekerk and Modisakeng serving in Motherwell. We have spent some time this week introducing them to members and investigators and helping them get settled in. They are both fine missionaries and we know the work will not be hindered regardless of the actions of a few.   

About one week following the incident in Motherwell, two armed men entered a home in the Zwide Township (not far from Motherwell) and demanded the car keys from two Elders who were teaching a man there. They were polite and non-threatening but the car was gone none the less. This incident was the forth one in less that three months when cars have been taken from the missionaries within the two zones where we labor. 

In counseling with President Lebethoa and local leaders, we decided against putting cars back into Motherwell and Zwide. In recent missionary training President taught the principle of acting in a wise and righteous way, and thereby not allowing ourselves to be acted upon by others with less than righteous designs. 

2 Nephi 2:6 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon.

It was decided that we would take action which would lessen the likelihood of our missionaries being acted upon. In the case of Motherwell and Zwide, the cars were too great an enticement to potential thieves, so they are not being replaced. Given how large both areas are, and that the missionaries live some distance from their areas, it was not possible to do the work while walking. Consequently, we devised a plan to utilize individuals from the community to transport the missionaries as needed. You might say it is similar to Uber, in that we will have pre-selected drivers who will respond to a phone call from the Elders for transport. We are still in the process of getting it all organized but at this point we are very optimistic about the plan. President Lebethoa believes it may establish a pattern with increased use in the future.  We will keep you updated on how it goes. 

We are staying busy and sometimes overwhelmed with the responsibilities we have, but missionary service is unbelievably rewarding. One must experience it to believe it! 

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

 Our darling Deneo Vena's birthday...one year in the church and now old enough to serve a mission.  

 

Elder Smith and Elder Brown as they are leaving Motherwell...too soon! We love them and will miss them.

We love the Ganjana family and their darling babies (cousins). They are so kind to us.