The Work is Hard but so Rewarding

Dear All, 

The last two weeks have included a wide variety of activities for us.  We have done lots of driving for participation in a marriage, interviews, baptisms, sending off Elders, welcoming Elders, responding to missionaries's car crash, closing an area and emptying and cleaning the boarding, visiting people in the hospital, car and boarding inspections, and delivering supplies.  All this, along with our normal visits to the homes of branch members and those investigating the church.  Our days are quite full and the work is hard at times, but we really are enjoying the whole experience.  As we continually state, associating with the wonderful people here is the best part of all and it makes any amount of sacrifice or effort which may be required well worth it. 

Two weeks ago we visited the home of a couple who live in the most humble of circumstances.  They were being interviewed for baptism and were planning to be married just prior to that special event.  Their home consisted of two very small rooms in which they and their two children live.  It is made of just scraps of wood.  There were no windows and about a 10 watt light bulb hanging in the doorway between the two rooms. We were so impressed with the kindness, sincerity and intelligence of these people.  It turns out that the man has a regular job but is not only supporting his own family but also 14 members of their extended family who live elsewhere.  We attended their marriage and baptisms this past Saturday and it was so wonderful.  These people have embraced the gospel with all their hearts and the increase in faith, hope and happiness they now have is very apparent.  They are true believers and will certainly receive an increase in the Lord's choicest blessings as they go forward.

We must tell you about the hospital we visited.  Actually, it is impossible to describe what it was like.  It is way overcrowded, understaffed, and downright dirty.  And, if you want to eat while there, someone will need to bring food in for you.  Out of all the contrast we have seen between living in the US and in Africa, this is certainly one of the greatest.  It really makes many of the complaints aired by us Americans seem petty.  

The Lord's church is on the Earth once again and it is the one and only source of true and eternal happiness.  We know that Missionary service is the Lord's way of taking this message to His children.  We highly recommend serving a mission to all who might qualify.

Much Love,

Elder and Sister Watson    

The top photo is Sister Shelia who was just baptized.  She is a wonderful woman, and now church member.  We were able to teach her a couple of lessons before turning the job over to these very capable Elders (Ivins and Hawkins).  

 It's 6:00 AM in the Port Elizabeth Airport.  Most of the ones with ties are heading off to new assignments.  The mission is so large that nearly all transfers are done by air.  We will miss those leaving, but will welcome new ones later in the day.  

These are the Young Single Adults of the Motherwell Branch.  They are a fun group and most contribute much to running the branch.  The one seated in the yellow shirt is the YSA leader and often leads the music, and does so with contagious enthusiasm.  She starts clicking hers fingers to the beat if she thinks the song is dragging.  

We take a break on occasion to enjoy this beautiful place.  This was from the balcony of our B&B in Knysna.  The photo certainly doesn't do it or her justice.  

I love to see the Temple

Dear All,

As previously mentioned, we were able to attend the Johannesburg Temple this past week.  The round trip took nearly 24 hours but it was well worth it.  We greatly enjoyed being with Motherwell Branch members, some of whom were there for the first time.  It was a pleasure to share their excitement and to feel the special spirit which is only found in the temple...it is the House of the Lord.  

Another reason we enjoyed the trip to Johannesburg so much was that we were able to stay with our old and dear friends, Elder and Sister Ludwig.  They started their mission (their fourth) shortly after us and work in the Southeastern Africa Area offices. Elder Ludwig is the Executive Secretary to the Area President and Sister Ludwig receives and processes all the missionary applications which come from the area (more that one half of Africa).  We lived in the Marana Ward (Tucson North Stake) together nearly 40 years ago. Elder Ludwig was called as our bishop and I served as a counselor.  He was only 30 years old (me 30 something), and was a fairly new member of the church.  I thought at the time that this young guy and new member of the church couldn't teach me anything, but wow was I wrong!  He was a wonderful mentor with wisdom far beyond his years.  Sister Ludwig was our son Scott's second grade teacher.  That was a wonderful school year for him and he loved her.  The Ludwigs have had a great influence on our family, and continue to do so. 

On a more serious side, there are three things that we are NOT enjoying about South Africa:  

1. Speed Bumps!  They have few police on the road so they control speed with these annoying bumps...everywhere!  

2. The SA banks!  We have probably spent a total of about seven hours in four different offices of the same bank and we still do not have an account that will allow us to put money in and take money out.  

3. Bugs!  We have awaken several morning with bites from head to toe, and they itch like crazy!

So, that's it as far as what we don't like, and there are so many things we love so it's all worth it.      

Giving a quick report on Motherwell Branch, we had 97 people at church on Sunday!  That is a good 20-25 above average.  Our little classroom chapel was completely filled and it was wonderful.  The testimonies were awesome and the singing was extraordinary, as usual.  One funny thing, at the end of testimony time the Branch President stood, looked at me and asked why I didn't bear my testimony.  Not often you'll see such a thing!  He laughed along with everyone else.  I suppose it was because I don't miss many opportunities to express my love of the gospel and for the people.

The gospel of Jesus Christ and Priesthood power have been restored to the Earth.  We know this to be true with all our hearts.  It is the greatest source of happiness in this life, and is the only way by which eternal joy can be obtained.   

With love,

Elder and Sister Watson

Faith + Hope = Happiness and Peace

Dear All, 

2016 was certainly an eventful year for us, as we sold our home of 20 years and are now living half way around the world.  This was all done because of our faith in God and in a sincere desire to serve Him by serving others.  The arrival of a new year has caused us to more closely consider how the decisions of the past year have impacted our lives.  Well, big changes obviously bring dramatic results.  Let us name a few which stand out:

• We miss our family and friends very, very much, and our love and appreciation for each one of you has never been greater.  "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"...it most certainly does, and we long for the day when we are in your presence again. 
• We know, without doubt, that God lives and He is the Father of us all.  He loves us all unconditionally and wants us to love one another.  The people with whom we now associate each day have taught us a great deal more about the love which God wants us to have for one another, and we are so very grateful for that.  
• Happiness, true and abiding happiness, is not found in the possessions we obtain.  This is something we have always believed but to see how very happy these wonderful South African people are amidst their extreme lack of material things is profound and undeniable evidence of where happiness lies.  
• Finally, we have learned, without equivocation, that an exercise of faith brings a bright and abiding hope, and that hope then brings a level of happiness and contentment which is available in no other way. Our greatest desire is to now bring the happiness which we enjoy to those we love.

While we are very happy in this work to which we have been call, the pace of life and weight of the responsibilities we have been given are a bit daunting at time.  These past couple of weeks have been especially busy, but enjoyable.  The week between Christmas and New Year's Day are particularly slow for missionary work since many people are traveling or busy with other things.  With this being the case, the Mission President has instructed that this time be used for a "deep cleaning" of the missionary's boardings (flats/apartments).  Since one of our responsibilities is to conduct regular inspections of these boardings, we were well aware of the need for some extra effort in this regard.  Sister Watson prepared a special deep cleaning checklist which the Zone Leaders used to organize and oversee the cleaning of each boarding by all the Elders .  It even included taking furniture outside and emptying the cabinets and closets before the thorough cleaning.  Windows were washed which, in some cases, had not been cleaned in this decade.  Anyway, the result was that these elders have a better appreciation for what the word clean really means and are enjoying a more Celestial living environment.  

We are driving a lot!  The past several days we have traveled to areas 2 hours away in one direction and nearly 4 hours in another direct from our home.  All this was needed to conduct baptismal and temple recommend interviews, to speak in church, and to serve the needs of the missionaries serving in those outlying areas.  This morning we will soon leave for a 12 hour drive to Johannesburg to attend the Temple with members of the Motherwell Branch.  This is there annual temple trip and we are so excited to be with them for this special occasions.  So, we're driving a lot but are enjoying the journey greatly!

We extend our heart-felt love to you all and best wishes for Peace, Happiness and Contentment in this New Year!

All our love,

Elder and Sister Watson  

On New Year's Eve Day we visited Monkeyland, a beautiful preserve in the jungle which contained several hundred monkeys of 11 different species.  Many would come right up to you.  One guy had his sunglasses taken right of his hand by a monkey....and then it went off into the trees.

What a face!

This old guy lost his mate and lives a sad and lonely life.  The guide said that they would often be hugging each other.  So sad!

 Not a Raccoon.  

We also visited the Birds of Eden park (near the Garden of Eden). It is a huge aviary created in a beautiful jungle area.  This is simply one of the hundreds of exotic birds which live there.  

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.