Alone But Not

Being without my companion has not been fun. With Elder Henderson in the states attending his mother's funeral I have been a third wheel to the other two couples in our area. Sunday I attended the Langa Branch with Elder & Sister Mahler. We left our flats at 7:30 am to attend our meetings. After the meetings we had choir practice for a viewing we were attending right after. Then we cleaned the building, by sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaned the bathrooms. The Langa branch meets in a very well used day care center.

About 20 members proceeded to the house of the former Branch President. He had passed away on Saturday. His wife and children are not members. We opened with song and prayer. Then 3 of the remembers spoke about their feelings, more songs, more talks, song and prayer. They served us pound cake with a fruit juice that tasted as though it had sizzler in it. They live in a township so the condition of the home was very poor at best, at least it wasn't made from cardboard and tin, which many are. After the prayer meeting we took home a very lovely young lady, age 21, from the branch.

When a person dies here they have a prayer meeting every day for a week before the funeral. You will know that someone has passed if there is a white tent set up in the drive-way. There home are not usually large enough to accommodate very many people.

Then to the Mahlers, (they are from Texas and sounds just like my grampy when he speaks,) for dinner and home which was about 6 pm.......a very long day without my sweetie.

The baby I am holding is Josh, it took his mom 6 miscarriages and 6 years to arrive. Popy is the beautiful girl holding baby. She lives with her mother and father in a four room home. There are a total of 10 from the immediate family occupying this home. The mother makes sandwiches to sell as well as chips. When a women in Africa has a baby it is given to the grandmother to raise until the child in 2 year of age. Now I like that plan.

The weather on Sunday was awesome, blue skies, a slight breeze and about 72 degrees. Thank you but no thank you Utah, you can have your snow, my skin has never felt better.