Just Another Week

Hello Family and our greatest fans.
Well I just remembered that I've not written a letter this week. I did get my journal up to date, which feels really good. Not much is going on. This coming week we will be having our yearly "mission tour", by a general authority. It is Elder Hamilton and his wife. I hear they are from Utah. They've been living in South Africa for the past several years. My mission mom, sister cook, has warned me. He's a very serious man, and doesn't take jokes . Oh boy, I'm in trouble. So President cook gave me yet another assignment.  I'm in charge of "spring cleaning" before Monday when they arrive. Today I defrosted the little refrigerator that we have in the office. I really don't think a general authority will look in the refrigerator. But it is clean and defrosted... Also you can walk on the floor in the back room. I picked up the clothes that have been scattered all over for the past 4 months. I hate it when people just drop off old suits and yellow white shirts for the missionaries. I know there heart is in the right place. (these are white Zimbabweans that do that). The clothes don't fit anyone, because Africans are just so skinny.
 Now it's more deep cleaning tomorrow. I'm just not getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing the torn carpet. It just isn't worth it. So all the dinners have been ordered, almost. On Tuesday I have to get food for 6 zones, 125 people and make sure I have enough tables an chairs for everyone, and tablecloths. That will be a challenge, since the mission office is the only place that believes in tablecloths. But we don't have enough! I just have to pray for miracles to happen.
Last Saturday we had four more baptisms at the branch. They were really cute and beautiful girls and their mother. After the baptism we had a fireside with President and Sister Cook speaking. It was really good. WE had 231 members come to the fireside. Someone told the members that there would be food afterwards. So everyone just stayed seated in the chapel. There was no food! We didn't have a great turn out to church the next day.
During the baptism this lady , sister Chaboomba, showed me her little sons leg. It was awful. he had a 3rd degree burn from his knee to his ankle. There was just flesh on his leg. She said that she had gone to the doctors and they just said, wash it out! I just couldn't stand it.
Little Le Roy, had touched his leg up against the porridge kettle, they all cook outside. And porridge is milky sodza(like real milky cream of wheat cereal). I gave her my tube of neosporen and suggested that she put some on a kotex pad and then gently put the pad on the leg. and then find something to wrap the leg. I saw her the next day and little Leroy had a pad on his leg and he was so much happier. The flesh had hardened somewhat so it wasn't bloody and it never blistered. I just felt so bad for this little guy. He's only 2 1/2 or 3 years old. He looks like he's about a year old. The kids here are very small. And they don't have clean filtered water, so I'm hoping the neosporen will help and not hinder this little guy. So now I need some more neosporen and big bandages. Also dad needs some pills from Costco. They are called"Move Free, joint health. Triple Strength Glucosamine Chondroitin". These pills help with his arthritis. So if you purchase them and  take the money from the joint account. wE would appreciate these items. Also some chocolate chips would be nice. I'll get a list together and send it to you.
I've read that Sterling and Shelly Gardner are going to the Honolulu Hawaii Mission. I read their article in the deseret news paper. Sounds like she's really had a very successful life and career.
we are doing well. This morning I was doing some laundry outside(our washing machines and dryers are outside in metal locked cages)., and my neighbor next door asked me if I was the one trying to jog early in the mornings. I said yes, I try! All she could say is, Jolly good, Jolly good, jolly, jolly. She has become my new best friend. She can't hear a thing with out her hearing aids in and she has just a few teeth left in her mouth. But she'll talk with me, and that's what counts.
Several months ago, a man came into the office area and asked if he could have a pair of glasses. Someone had told him that we have eye glasses to give away. Well, we have a few. HE found a pair that would work, and so I told him, he needed to take something to read from us. I gave him some phamplets and a book of Mormon and he said , that we would come back and he'd tell me if he liked the reading material. Ok, this past week, he came back, because he broke the first pair of glasses. He did say that he reallydid like the reading material that I had given to him, and he wanted to talk with the missionaries. Wow, to have people just walk into the mission office and ask to speak with the missionaries is awesome. They talked with him, and told him that a pair of elders would be coming to his house and will teach his family the words of Jesus Christ. He was thrilled, The material that he read was the life of Christ and his resurrection and the plan of salvation. He said that he wanted his family to know this. LEHI"S DREAM! He did tell me that his family is going to the Baptist church because its very close to his home, but he said they don't teach what we teach. He said that we teach the  truth. I've learned that if you pray for experiences then the Lord will help you with sharing the message of Jesus Christ. YOU have to invite and share.
Well, I've preached enough. The power is out again, but the generator is working much better, and we have water in the tank for another day.
We hope and pray that you're all doing well . That your happy and healthy. I guess that Utah will be in the California drought soon, glad I bought that extra water barrel. Now we just need to replenish our food supply. We love you all, so very much. WE pray for your families and our little cute grandkids. If you have a need of something ffrom Africa, make a list. I need to start shopping. It will take 9 months to get just a few things.WE love you Christine and wish you the best birthday ever. You're the best! Take care and remember those who pray together stay together...... Love your African parents and grandparents.....Elder A and Sister H.