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.

Feeling at Home

Dear All, 

We just past the one year mark of missionary service and, while we greatly miss our association with family and friends at home, we do feel quite at home in South Africa. People often ask us how we like living here and we say that we love it. Most of all, we love the people. We have become especially attached to the Xhosa  people, the native Africans. They are some of the most loving and genuinely kind people you will ever meet. We love them, their traditions, and the many things which make them unique. There is a growing number of individuals who we feel very close to and with whom we hope to stay in communication forever.

Recently six of the seven senior couples (one will be going home soon so did not join us.) who are serving in our mission enjoyed a couples retreat. We stayed two nights at the beautiful St Frances Resort, in a coastal community about 1 1/2 hours west of our home. We met one couple for the first time and became much better acquainted with the others. It was interesting to share mission experiences and learn how varied they can be, even within the same mission. These are all wonderful people with strong faith in God and the Restored Gospel. Friendships were established and faith was increased during our time together. All this while enjoying many wonderful attractions in the beautiful Eastern Cape of South Africa. We're planning to meet for Thanksgiving next month and are really looking forward to that. 

One of the responsibilities which I particularly enjoy is interviewing people prior to their baptism. It is amazing to see the strong faith which is clearly evident in each one, and which is demonstrated by the dramatic changes which they have made in their lives; all this due to the new-found sense of purpose and direction which only the gospel can provide. I admit that tears have filled my eyes during each one of these special conversations. Sister Watson has challenged me to get through one of the interviews without the waterworks but it hasn't happened yet.😉

We watched two sessions of General Conference yesterday in place of the regular Motherwell Branch meetings. Due to the 8 hour time difference with SLC, and lack of an internet connection at our chapel, the session must be downloaded and replayed. We watch the two sessions with only a 10 minute break. The chapel is extremely crowded and the chairs are not very comfortable; however, the faithful members love hearing the messages and music of conference. We hope you all at home will appreciate the ability you have to watch conference live and in the comfort of your homes...we certainly will in the future.

On a less positive note, our Motherwell missionaries and a branch member, Elders Smith and Brown and Mzolisa Mgqali, were confronted by three armed men this past Friday afternoon. They ordered them into the missionary's car and drove to a neighboring township where they were left by the road. They were not hurt and the car has been recovered but it was certainly a disturbing event for these faithful missionaries. It was especially traumatic for Elder Brown as it was just his tenth day in the mission field. However, he and the others are dealing with the matter very well. They now have an exciting story to tell their grandchildren.      

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

Pictured Above:  This is the newlywed couple, Mthetho and Siphokazi Ngweventsha, who were married in the Johannesburg Temple this past month. Last week they went to the home of Mthetho so Siphokazi could meet his family. She told us of some of the Xhosa traditions associated with a marriage. One is that she is given a new name by the elder women of the family by which they will now use in referring to her. She is given two new skirts (one is pictured), a shawl and a head wrap to wear until this December. In the meantime she must obtain a new wardrobe, as she is not allowed to wear any of the clothes she wore as a single woman. We love these kids!

Just another day in the jungle! 😊😊

 

This was our third trip to Monkeyland but we really enjoyed seeing it again with all these first-timers. 

The Motherwell Branch Primary, with Branch and Stake leaders, on the day of their Sacrament Meeting program. They did an awesome job! 

The Blessings Flow

Dear All,

The Motherwell Branch has traditionally attended the temple once per year, in January. We were able to attend with the approximately 8 members this past January and it was a wonderful experience. In counseling with President Zitshu, the wonderful Motherwell Branch President, we decided to increase the frequency of branch temple trips to twice per year. This is no small thing because it is a 650 mile, 12 hour, trip and at a significant cost to those attending. The bad news is that we are not able to attend, but the good news is that we have 33 branch members who arrived at the Johannesburg temple today. Several will be endowed, one couple is being married, and three other families will be sealed. Several will also be doing baptisms for their ancestors. We have been blessed to help many of these wonderful people prepare for this important and joyous occasion in their lives and we have come to love each one very much.

We have made numerous trips to the hospital the past couple of weeks in regard to various issues with our missionaries. One incident was with one of our Motherwell missionaries, Elder Smith. He and Elder Tucker were helping President Zitshu with his car and it fell off the jack trapping Elder Smith's hand directly under the tire, and it is not a small car. After some time of not knowing what to do, President Zitshu drove the car off Elder Smith's hand. His fingers were obviously smashed and he was in pain. The Elders drove about 30 minutes to the hospital casualty department (ER) where they took a scan of his hand only to find nothing broken. They also offered him pain medication but he said it wasn't needed. The Lord watches over His faithful servants. Elder Smith is certainly one of the very faithful ones and he is being blessed for being such.  

Missionary service is not easy but the blessings which result from it are tremendous. The greatest of those blessings comes from simply seeing the happiness which comes to those who earnestly strive to live gospel principles and to serve the Lord. We are seeing such happiness in the young missionaries with whom we serve and with members of our beloved Motherwell Branch. The fact is that we spend a great deal of time with good and happy people and this makes us happy, very happy.

All our love,
Elder and Sister Watson

Pictured Above:  This is our dear Sister Mpumie Vena. She became a member of the church this past October and was called as the Motherwell Relief Society President about 5 months later. And, she is a marvelous president. She cares so much for the sisters and is loved by them. She is an example and an inspiration to all of us who are blessed to know her.

PS: Unfortunately, we have just learned that the Vena family will soon be moving from Motherwell. Fortunately, they will be in an area nearby so we can still enjoy their company from time to time. 

This is Princess Hem, Thenjiwe Jack, and Deneo Vena. All three are quite recent converts to the church and will soon be full-time missionaries from the Motherwell Branch. They are amazing, intelligent, faithful and beautiful young women who will most certainly have an influence for good on many people as they serve as missionaries and throughout their lives. We love each one greatly!  

 Members of Motherwell Branch recently participated in Mormon Helping Hands. We cleaned and painted the interior of a local creche (preschool) which was in terrible condition. The results were great and the members who participated found great joy in serving together.

I was able to play 9 holes of golf today with Elders Jackman, Owen and Paskett. We played at the oldest course in South Africa which was established in 1897! The clubs we used were just about that old. Fun times! And yes, they are all large Elders! We had quite the variety of golfing apparel as well. 

I have now played golf on 4 continents...and life is good! 😊

The Diversity of the Work

Dear All,

One of the most difficult things about writing is in deciding which of our very diverse activities would be of interest to you. Most importantly, we want to write about things which will uplift you and serve to increase your faith. The greatest part of serving a mission is that you witness the Lord's hand every day you serve. We pray frequently for protection and guidance from Him and certainly see those prayers fulfilled on a regular basis. Our faith has been increased tremendously as a result of our missionary service and we hope that yours will also be increased through reading our messages.  

Our senior couple in Grahamstown, the Petersons, called the other day and said that they were stopped by a lady who wanted them to send missionaries to see her nephew who was in the hospital in Port Elizabeth. So, we went to visit this young man, Luvuko, and found that he had been stabbed in the back and it did major damage to his spinal cord. He has no movement in the lower extremities and cannot move his fingers. He explained that he was in a tavern drinking with friends and they got into an altercation with another group which led to him being stabbed. Whenever we ask someone in the hospital what we can bring them they always say food. They receive very little while there and it is, reportedly, awful, We have taken Luvuko food and have spoken with him about faith and hope. He says, without hesitation, that he will never go to taverns again, and he has opened his heart to the message of the restored gospel. We love Luvuko and know the Lord will bless him in his trials.

We spoke in Sacrament Meeting of the Cleary Estate Ward last Sunday. We then hurried to Motherwell where I spoke in their Sacrament Meeting. We felt the spirit in both meetings and felt that our messages were well received. It is great to see many in the congregation nodding in approval to what you say! While we enjoyed being in Cleary Ward, and in their fancy carpeted chapel, there is nothing like being with our Motherwell brothers and sisters in their little overcrowded classroom. I spoke on the second great commandment, to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is a vital principle/commandment which we must strive to live each and every minute of every day if we are to be found acceptable to God. In reality, it is only by living the second great commandment that we will be living the first. By so doing we are demonstrating our love for God in a meaningful way .

We had a young white couple in Motherwell Sacrament meeting on Sunday. It was Brother and Sister Black, newlyweds of about one month. They are from Alabama and he served as a missionary in Motherwell about was 4 years ago, not long after the Branch was established. He participated in the teaching, conversion and baptism of three or so families in the branch. It was wonderful to see the love these people had for him. The members here love the missionaries and especially those who were directly involved in their coming into the restored gospel. 

We are loving our mission. It is certainly challenging at times; however, we feel loved, we feel needed, and we know we are doing what the Lord would have us do at this time in our lives.

Lest you forget, we love our amazing family and dear friends very much and do miss you all greatly.

With all our love,

Elder and Sister Watson

Picture above:  These are missionaries from the KwaNobuhle Zone. They come from England, Ireland, Germany, Taiwan, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the USA, and each one is wonderful.

Here's the Port Elizabeth Zone, minus the 4 in the George District, which is 4 hours away. As you can see, they don't like each other much. 😉 It's a bunch of Americans with one from New Zealand and one from South Africa.

I have always taken great pride in my prowess as a furniture packer. Well, pride is not a good thing, and it comes before the fall. I had this once lovely table stacked on a carpet in a trailer loaded with furniture. The carpet went flying and so did the table...and it's not so lovely now! Thankfully, it missed hitting the care behind us but just by a little. 

Here's the mighty George District! Eight of our Elders were transferred out yesterday but ten new ones joined us, including two to open a new area. Elder Lane (second from left) was one who was transferred. We became close to him as we helped him after he was stabbed and as he opened a remote area where he enjoyed great success.

On the Road Again

Dear All,

We have found that senior missionaries can be as busy as they want to be while serving. There is always something to do and, as was the case this past week, often more to do than time allows. 

A main focus last week was to prepare a home for a new couple, Elder and Sister Stevenson, who will soon arrive in the mission. They will be serving in East London, a city with a population of about 750,000 and located 175 miles to the East of where we live. We drove a pickup truck and trailer loaded with appliances and furniture, along with an assortment of other items needed by the Stevensons during their service. We worked with Elder and Sister Davies, another couple who serve in that area, to prepare everything that is needed for a comfortable life in the nice little two bedroom home which was rented.  One of the benefits of the trip was to see several missionaries who have served in our area during the past months. Missionary reunions, no matter the circumstances or length of time in between, are very special occasions. 

We will return to East London this coming week and spend some time instructing the Stevensons relative to their specific responsibilities and life in South Africa in general. It will be nice to become acquainted with another missionary couple. While in East London we also plan to tour the Mercedes Benz factory, something we have heard is very enjoyable.  

While in East London, our mission president asked us to travel to Mthatha, a town of about 150 miles East of East London with a population of about 100,000 people and on the far Eastern edge of our mission. Our assignment was to conduct a special interview and to give encouragement to the missionaries there. We have 4 Elders serving in the area, one of whom is our dear Elder Ivins, with whom we served in Motherwell more than 6 months ago. It was such a pleasure to be reunited with him and to see how he has grown as a missionary. 

Our new Mission President, President Lebethoa, was here this past Friday and Saturday to oversee training and conduct interviews of the 28 missionaries who serve in our area of responsibility. We are now blessed to serve under a second leader who is a master teacher and we greatly enjoy the instruction we are receiving as missionaries.  President Lobethoa, now 41 years old, told us of his conversion to the gospel when he was in his early twenties and of the first callings he received. The first was received right after his baptism and was as a counselor in the stake mission presidency. Not long after he was called as a high councilman and was told he would need to be ordained a High Priest and he said, what's that? Well, in a relatively few years he has certainly learned what it is to be one with the responsibility to preside and how to bless the lives of others. We look forward to continuing to be led by him and to gain more insights from him relative to gospel principles.  

      

Life is good in the mission field. We meet new people every day and have met very few who are not open to speaking with us. Most are extremely kind and many we come to love soon after meeting. Without doubt, the greatest joy in life comes from our association with family and friends. We are so very grateful that these relationships can be forever!

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson 

This is Mike and Phebie Rugara and their girls, Lynn and Lianda. They are converts from Zimbabwe who will be united as an eternal family in the temple next month. We love this little family and have greatly enjoyed helping them prepare for this special event. (BTW, the large belly on the old guy is indicative of the great food here.) 

One advantage of road construction stops is that we meet very nice sales roadside salespeople. The orange on her face is a sunscreen. She is working hard for little money. Five Rand got us two lolly pops and the photo...not a bad deal.

We loved meeting these missionaries in Mthatha and especially seeing dear Elder Ivins (next to the old guy) once again. He has a special place in our hearts, and in the hearts of many others here.  

Picture above:  It was an extreme pleasure to interview "KK" as she prepares to be baptized. She is one of the sweetest and most faithful people we have met here. She owns and operates the "Sugar Shack", the little roadside stand pictured behind the group and where she sells all sorts of handmade linens. She lives in the garage of the home in the back with here two children. She has an ever-present and infectious smile. We love KK!