Christmas in the Summertime

Dear All,

We are enjoying the adventures which each day brings here in beautiful South Africa.  However, Christmas will be different for us in so many ways.  First of all, it is summer and the temperatures are on the rise.  It is now after 8:00 PM and it is 76 degrees outside...not exactly what we're accustomed to!  Also, there are very few homes with Christmas decorations, and those that do have very meager ones.  We have only seen a few very small Christmas trees on table tops in Motherwell homes, probably because of the cost and limited space.  

Above all, the thought of being away from family and friends for the holidays makes us sad.  Christmas Eve has always been a special time for our family, a time for eating clam chowder, enacting the nativity, and opening gifts given to one another. We are grateful that our family will be getting together even in our absence.  The thought of them being together and enjoying one another's company warms our hearts.  We are also grateful for Skype< as we will have the blessing of sharing the occasion, even though thousands of miles away.  We will call at 6:00 AM Christmas morning and it will be 8:00 PM Christmas Eve in California.      

As stated previously, the best thing about serving in South Africa is the people.  They are so very kind to us and always have a smile and a kind word.  One interesting thing is that they rarely say thank you when receiving a gift. However, whenever you give a gift they receive it with both hands placed together.  This is their simple but wonderful way of showing appreciation.  We are always wishing we could give money or gifts to people because of their great needs and because we love them so much.  The counsel we received was to not give gifts, but to "put a stone in our hearts" when being tempted to do so.  That sounds heartless but the needs of people here are so great that it is impossible to know where to begin helping.  Also, there is the problem of creating expectations in many others which cannot be fulfilled.  We give service, and we might give small gifts occasionally but that is all.   

We had a two zone Christmas party at our home today.  It included a "braai" (barbeque) of hamburgers and hot dogs, along with beans, salads and banana splits.  The Elders loved it and we love seeing them interact and enjoy being together. There is one district that is over three hours away and, since they were just here last week for Zone Conference, they could not join us.  We plan to visit them this Friday and take them for a nice lunch in celebration of Christmas.  

We send a heartfelt Merry Christmas to all our precious family members and to our dear friends.  May each one of you feel great joy as we commemorate the birth of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

With much love,

Elder and Sister Watson

We welcomed Elder Hawkins fresh from England this past week. Our dear Elder Ivins will be a wonderful trainer and we already see that they will be an awesome team and will find great success in Motherwell.     

She'll be a great mother one day.

Who wouldn't love these little ones!

Grandma time

Some of our wonderful Elders at the Christmas party

Christmastime is a Wonderful Time!

Dear All,

We're settling in to our new "boarding" in Port Elizabeth and are very comfortable.  On the other hand, it will take us awhile to be comfortable with all of our new responsibilities.  Serving the needs of 24 missionaries relative to their housing/furnishings, cars/bikes, supplies of all kinds, along with a number of other things which were never expected, is a quite the job.  We have heightened respect for the Pershings and all those who proceeded them.  However, the rewards are great and we are loving the increased association with these awesome missionaries.  Two of our Elders turned 19 today and it reminded us of how young they are, yet so very capable. They are some of the "fruits" of the restored gospel and certainly stand out for being exceptional by any standard.  We made four trips to the airport this week as it was transfer time.  It was difficult to say goodbye to those we love, but very exciting to meet those coming into the area, four of which are new to the mission.

This past Saturday was a special Christmas celebration day for the Motherwell Branch.  The Primary held an activity in the morning which Father Christmas (aka Santa) attended.  Some of the children had never seen him, and the rest not that often, so it was an exciting time for all.  It appeared that the old man himself was especially excited about the occasion.  

Saturday evening the branch members met to view the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional, something that has not been a tradition in the branch.  We had technical problems which delayed the showing nearly an hour.  During that time the branch members sang Christmas carols and many of their favorite hymns.  While others may be impatient with the delay, these sweet members just enjoyed singing.  It was a wonderful time and enjoyed by all.  Of course, the devotional itself was inspiring and certainly helped us all the feel the profound significance of this holiday season.

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

Many children wore their best to meet the old guy!

 This is Sister Sam and her baby boy.  His first photo with Father Christmas!

 All of the parents provided a gift for their children plus Father and Mother Christmas provided a small bag with a toy and treats.  After all the gifts were handed out this boy received nothing from his family.  So, Father Christmas gave him a second treat bag, and he appeared to be happy.  Great lesson here about finding happiness despite our disappointments.  (BTW, cool shirt!)   

 

The Motherwell Primary children (most of them) and their leaders. 

New Horizons

Dear All,

In case you didn't know, we were inspired to serve a mission at this time and in this place by our dear and long time friends, Van and Vicki Pershing.  It has been wonderful to not only serve with them these past 2+ months but to also socialize with them on occasion and receive their guidance as new missionaries.  Well, the honeymoon is over...we took them to the airport yesterday morning as they are headed home.  They will be sorely missed!

With the Pershings leaving, we will be the only senior couple in the Port Elizabeth region, which includes two zones of missionaries (24).  Yesterday, we moved into the Pershing's home, which is closer to the center of town, and are now trying to assume the responsibilities they have had.  It is a bit over whelming but we trust the Lord will continue to bless us and will qualify us to do the job.  The good news is that President Merrill asked us to continue working with the Motherwell Branch!  We love the people there so much and are hoping to be with them at least 2 or 3 days each week.

We are currently teaching a woman named Shelia, who works at a grocery store with Sister Mashiqua, the Young Woman's President and a member for only about 6 months.  After their discussions at work about religion, Shelia asked to have us teach her about the church.  She is one of the sweetest women we have ever met, and she has a sincere desire to live a life which is pleasing to God.  Shelia has been an active member of another church for many years but is now preparing to be baptized into the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and she is very excited about this marvelous event.  From the first time she attended church she felt a special kinship with the members, and she was amazed by the many things which were taught each week, as compared to the church in which she has been a member.  It's true, there is a treasure trove of knowledge to be gained each week as we attend church, and each day as we study the scriptures.

We are grateful to be members of the Lord's church and to be serving as missionaries. 

We send our love!

Elder and Sister Watson

Going to miss being neighbors to these two!  Also, Elder McCarroll (right) is being transferred tomorrow. 

 

Some names can be challenging.  Elder "Randri" is from Madagascar and is headed home tomorrow.

 This is Sister Mene, with her 2 year old grandson and 12 year old daughter. Her kidneys failed about 9 years ago but she has an amazingly positive attitude about life.  One of the many who are filled with gratitude as they become members of the church.  We love the Mene family.  

Home sweet home!  

(The smoke is from a wild fire in the hills behind our place.)

Baptisms are the Best!

Dear All,

What a marvelous week we had!  On Thanksgiving Day we enjoyed a wonderful meal and social time with three other senior couples in the beautiful coastal town of Port Alfred.  We had everything you could ask for in a Thanksgiving feast...except for a turkey!  One of the couples had bought a South African turkey last year and said it was not good, so we had chicken, and with enough cranberry sauce it was kind of like turkey.  Seriously, it was wonderful, but the best part of the day was being with the other missionaries and being able to tell (brag) about our families at home.  Needless to say, I was the best bragger there!

On Friday, we took a brief safari in a game preserve just outside Port Alfred (photos follow).  We then traveled to a small the small town of Bathurst, which is know for its pineapple production.  We drove home later on Friday and enjoyed once again the very beautiful and green countryside along the way.

This past Saturday and Sunday were undoubtedly the best days of our mission thus far as we participated in the baptism and confirmation of two wonderful women Nozikhombuzi Majeke and Lisakana Billy.  It is amazing how close we have become to them in such a short time.  We visited Nozi last evening and she bore a strong testimony of the gospel and about how her attitude about life had been changed to seeing it in a much more positive light.  She is typical of the many women here who are trying to raise a family alone and in an already difficult environment.  Nozi told us that the worries which have burdened her are now gone.  It's kind of funny that the only thing she now worries about is that her daughter stays firm in the faith, and it is her daughter who was responsible for bringing her in to it.  I must add...she also told us that after meeting with the missionaries for some time, her heart softened after meeting us (Sister Watson of course) and this caused her to finally feel the Spirit like never before.  All we can say about the convert, Lisa, it that she is amazing and will be an awesome missionary in about 7 years.

Just a quick report on Motherwell Branch...we had 100 people attend church yesterday!  That is up from an average of about 70-80.  Interesting that this past Wednesday evening we discussed a new Branch Mission Plan which included goals for 2017.  The goal we had for Sacrament meeting attendance was 100, so looks like we'll need to adjust that one!  The Spirit of the Lord is being felt by many here and we are so very grateful to be a part of this great work and to know these wonderful people and to love them.

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

 The Sisters, Lloyd (Australia), Halverson (Utah), Watson (California), and Stubbs (Utah)

 The elderly Elders, Watson, Lloyd, Halverson, and Stubbs

A beautiful golf course in Port Alfred, but different in some ways. 

This is Gammit, the friendliest Giraffe in Africa.  He must be one of the largest too.  Can't tell here but his belly was well above the top of our car and likely 22-24 feet when standing straight up

They told us it was mating season when they can get temperamental and might swing their heads at you.  They also said that this could kill a person...that's why I am standing on a hill and back a bit.  His size along was a big overwhelming. 

 On safari with our young and very friendly guide, Johann.  

A very special day for Nozikhombuzo and Lisakana, and us!

Motherwell Church...office and 3 classrooms.  That's a doormat for the sign.  We had 100 people in the chapel (one classroom) yesterday.  It was really crowed and hot, but wonderful.  Awesome to sing Christmas carols and Sacrament hymn with them...as they hold nothing back!

 Two darling Motherwell kids with their favorite toys. 

It keeps getting better

Dear All,

The weeks are really starting to fly by for us as we are keeping busy and are settling into a regular routine.  The more time we spend in Motherwell, and the more people we meet, the more we enjoy it.  It is certainly an adventure going there each day. 

Well, this will be the first time for us to not be with our family on Thanksgiving and we will miss this opportunity greatly!!  The holiday is not even known by many people here but we have plans to celebrate it none the less.  We will be traveling to Port Alfred, another coastal community about two hours away, and will join with three other couples for Thanksgiving dinner. We have only met one of the couples so it will be nice to meet the other two.  One of them bought a turkey last year but said it was not very good, so we will be enjoying a Thanksgiving chicken. Sister Watson is taking her delicious dinner rolls and a fruit salad, so at least that will make it feel a bit like being home.  We will miss being with family and friends for the holiday very much, but we knew that was one of the sacrifices we would be making.        

We are excited to report that we have two baptisms planned for this coming Saturday.  They will be for a young girl and woman who we have been teaching with the Elders, and who we have come to love very much.  They are so excited about becoming members of the Lord's true church and Kingdom and have strong testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel.  Many branch members are planning to attend.  They all love these special occasions, very likely because it reminds them of their own baptisms.  The service will be at a meetinghouse in Port Elizabeth and, since very few branch members have cars, plans were made yesterday for people to take public transport together in a "taxi" (small bus).  After the baptism the men will travel together to the Stake Center for Priesthood meeting while the women will travel to Bay West, a large mall on the outskirts of PE.  It will be the first time for many of them to see the mall so they are quite excited about it.  

We are sincerely thankful for our deep faith, our amazing family, and our awesome friends.  We wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

Branch Missionary Correlation Meeting at our home.  The ward Mission Leader, Mzolisa Mgqali, along with Elders McCarroll and Ivans.  "Mzo" is 22 years old and is the only church member in his family.  He is an awesome guy and is just now submitting an application to serve a mission.

 This is Lisacona, a 12 year old young woman who is being baptized this Saturday.  She has a great understanding of gospel principles for her age and a strong testimony.  Her mom will likely follow her outstanding example in the weeks ahead.  

We learned that Sister Vena, pictured here, took in the two children in the left of the picture when they were infants as they were essentially abandoned.  They are now two of the happiest children we know, along with the rest of the Vena family.  They are the ones with 13 living in a tiny two bedroom home.

These are the Wonci sisters, along with their mother and her sister.  The young sisters are recent converts to the church, while mom and aunt attend another.  The blue and white clothing being worn by the aunt is typical of a type of matching clothing worn by many of the ladies.  There are different colors for different churches.  The younger and older sisters are super close to each other, as you can likely see, and is a joy to see them together.  BTW, the one in red has a 24 year old son...crazy huh!

 Love some of the street names in Motherwell.   

However, some are a little difficult to pronounce.

Found one of these critters in our bedroom this week!!

Teaching and Learning

Dear All,

Our mission calling stated we were to provide "member and leader support". When we asked our mission president what this would entail, he simply said that we would find how to fulfill the assignment using the experience and abilities which we have. He counseled that we should not be concerned about doing things the way past missionaries had done but to find our way of serving the people.  Well, this has been our goal and we are slowly but surely learning how and where we can do the greatest good.  

Our weeks include teaching English at a preschool (25-30) and to a group of 4 to 14 year old kids at a church after their regular school day.  Both groups express their excitement to see us and most are quite attentive and very enthusiastic about the messages we prepare each week. We also spend much of our time teaching others, including temple preparation classes, strengthening marriage sessions, and gospel principles to those investigating the church.  We are also working to meet with each church member in their homes and helping them receive greater blessings from the Lord.        

With literally all of the members in the Motherwell Branch being converts to the church, each one loves the missionaries, especially those who first taught them the gospel.  Every home that we enter has photos of the families with those missionaries who are special to them.  One family has a large canvas portrait of them with their missionaries.  Having said this, they still have room in their large hearts for us new missionaries and make us feel very loved.  We receive lots of hugs here and love each one of them.     

Sister Watson spoke in Sacrament Meeting yesterday on the subject of faith and she did an excellent job!  A young Stake High Councilman also spoke and his talk perfectly complimented that of Sister Watson.  His name is Brother Angela and his wife and 8 week old baby accompanied him to Motherwell.  They are good examples of the new generation of black church members in Africa who have strong faith and a deep understanding of gospel principles.  These bright and loving people will surely provide the leadership which will be required as the church continues to grow in this wonderful land.    

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth and it shows the way that we may find the greatest happiness in this life and, most importantly, our way back to our Heavenly Home. We know this to be true and testify of such with all our hearts!

All our love,

Elder & Sister Watson

This is Phumza Mgwangqa and her youngest, a boy.  We are helping her prepare for the temple.  This is how moms carry their kids, even while working at home.

 Sister Mqwangqa's two youngest.  They love Sister Watson!

Sister Watson with Sister Willie and her mother (Nompumelelo Mzini) and two daughters.  This was on the youngest first birthday.  

Sister Vena invited us over for a very delicious dinner this past week.  Here she is with Sister Watson and a daughter cleaning up in their tiny kitchen.  She started cooking at 11:00 AM for our 7:00 PM dinner!! 

We found this great burger place in Port Elizabeth which has an interesting way of marketing the food.  Many people here were quite interested in the US election. 

Lots of little churches throughout Motherwell. 

Many good and God fearing people here!

Something more to love about this place....and I am addicted!

Life in Motherwell

Dear All,

All is well with us in Motherwell.  We have been here for over five weeks and it is really beginning to feel like home.  As we have said before, the people are so kind and loving that it's difficult not to feel that you are accepted by them and have known them for much longer.  Every member of the Motherwell Branch is a convert to the church.  The longest any that we know have been members for only about 4 or 5 years.  The Young Women President, Lungelwa Mashiqa, joined the church this past July...and she is doing a great job!  Her children joined with her but not her husband.  He is a quiet man who doesn't come out to greet us or is out visiting friends.  At the suggestion of our branch president, we asked Sister Mashiqa if we might teach her and her husband the Strengthening Marriage classes.  She was very eager to have them but doubted her husband would agree. Well, he agreed and the first lesson went extremely well.  She reported that he was now joining them in family prayer and is showing more interest in her and the family in general.  We will keep you posted on how things progress with this great family.

Probably the greatest thing about being with the people here in Motherwell is to see how they find joy in life while in the midst of extreme poverty.  That is especially true with the members of the church.  As they earnestly strive, with humble hearts, to live in accordance with what the Lord has taught, happiness is their reward.  This is so evident to us as we observe these wonderful people and witness how their lives are so greatly elevated as they accept and live gospel principles.  

Alcoholism is a big problem here, mostly with men but even some women.  We learned of one sister who lost her husband (when 54 years old) and her mother within 8 months of each other.  While she is a wonderful woman, and watches her grandchildren on weekdays while her daughter works, we heard that she was getting drunk on the weekends.  It is apparent that she is lonely and becomes depressed.  Well, we have visited her the past two weeks and have already developed a close relationship with her.  During our visit this past week she read a talk to us which she had given in church sometime last year.  Tears came to all our eyes as the spirit of testimony was rekindled in her.  She came to church yesterday and bore a sweet and strong testimony.  We will continue to visit her while working to have others in the branch draw closer to her.  She just needs to feel the love of others and live in a way that the Lord will bless her, and we know she will do so.  

 We love and miss you all!!!

  Elder and Sister Watson

This is the Vena family, plus Elders McCarroll and Ivans, and the Branch Mission Leader.  They joined the church about 6 weeks ago and are awesome.  The whole family (13) lives in a 2 bedroom home that is about 400-500 square feet. (about the average size home in Motherwell)

Sights from the neighborhood.  He's only one day old!

Goats, cows, and even pigs run free throughout town and eat whatever they can find.  Don't see many chickens and suspect it's because they are too easy for people to steal from their neighbors.  Oh....and there are dogs everywhere!!

The homes in the background have solar hot water heaters on the roofs.

Again, the neighborhood.  This is a school in the background.

We see some of these guys quite often in the bay near our home. 

The Garden of Eden

Dear All,

All is well here in South Africa and we are enjoying the work to which we have been called immensely.  Each day brings a new and unexpected experience.  We can't overstate how kind and loving the people are here.  A good example of this is Yamkela Adonis, a young man who we are now teaching each week over the phone.  He was introduced to the church by a member who he met briefly in a taxi (small bus).  She gave him a Pass-along card and he was prompted to call the number listed on it.  The Elders, who serve in Motherwell with us, started teaching Yamkela and he eagerly accepted the message of the restoration and was preparing for baptism.  However, before he could be taught all of the lessons and be baptized it became necessary for him to leave Motherwell and return to his home which is a few hours away.  He came to this area looking for work but was unable to find any and, after running out of money, was forced to return home.  He is now helping his family by taking their goats and cattle out to pasture each day.  We are praying that he can get back to the city soon so he can be baptized and associate with other church members.  It has been a wonderful experience for us getting to know Yamkela, along with many others, and seeing their enthusiasm for the gospel. This work is truly amazing.  

We traveled to George this past Saturday morning. It is a town of about 150,000 and located 340 km (212 miles) west of Port Elizabeth.  There is a small branch there where two of our elders have been serving. President Merrill requested that they be sent back to Cape Town where the mission office is, so we helped them pack and got them off to the airport.  We cleaned out their apartment and also cleaned out a senior couples residence since they have left the mission to go home.  Lots of work!!!  We attended the branch in George Sunday morning and met some more wonderful and faithful people.  We were especially impressed with their young Branch President, President Moyo. 

Sunday afternoon we headed for Knysna, a coastal tourist town about an hour east of George.  We did an inspection of the Elder's apartment on Monday and it was pretty bad, so more cleaning!!  Some of the Elder's from other parts of Africa have no idea how to clean.  A lot of them come from homes with dirt floors and no kitchens to speak of so it is hard to find fault with them, so we just have to teach them. 

On our way home on Monday we saw some absolutely beautiful scenery, and even baboons along the road, many of them.  This is an absolutely beautiful country and we have seen some amazing things already.  

This weekend trip was training for us as we will be taking on the responsibilities of President and Sister Pershing when they go home in December. They watch over 26 elders and take care of some pretty interesting needs.  That should be very interesting experience for us but one we're not especially looking forward to. it will include another move for us and it seems like we have been doing a lot of that lately.

We love you all and miss you.  

Elder and Sister Watson

Now you know where it is, the Southern Coast of Africa!

Introducing Yamkela Adonis, soon to be a new and outstanding member of the Lord's church.

What an unbelievable site...Zebra and Springbok right in the neighborhood where 

Branch President Moyo lives!

            A beautiful Monday morning at our B&B in Knysna with President and Sister Pershing