CAPE TOWN MISSION

Sunday, September 30, 2012

DAY 3

9:00 am and we are looking at the congregation from the stand preparing to speak at the Mowbray Ward. Seeing Kami and Amanda sitting with Jenny and the Wood's is still quite unbelievable. Elder H and I have been asked to speak about the "12 Step Addiction Recovery Program". Something that is very near and dear to our hearts. A program we have started in Cape Town at Mitchell's Plain Branch and the first of it's kind in Africa.
After the meeting we drove out to Mitchell's Plain and make it in time for priesthood and Relief Society. What a joy to introduce our girls. Everyone showered them with lots of hug and kisses. That is just the way they are. Kami and Amanda loved it.

Signal Hill

Amanda, Jenny Tokin, Kami & Sister Henderson

Grandma & Amanda at Mowbray Chapel

Lion's Head

Amanda & Amanda at Mitchell's Plain Branch

Amanda holding Baby Brain on her first day at the Mitchell's Plain Branch

Sister Ruth Alfreds, Baby Brain and Amanda

Three generation picture taken on Signal Hill

Grandpa and his two girls

Meat Loaf was on the menu and of course Sunday naps. Then we drove to Signal Hill and enjoyed the view.....as you can see we were able to get some really great shots. Oh how I am loving this and hoping it will never end.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

DAY 2

Amanda took no time finding Mbali Malinga

3 a.m. and Kami is wide awake..... :(

The day is very overcast and very cold. What to do??? All the sights that we want to take them to are outside or out of town so we decide to go to the Stake Women's Conference. They had several different classes to attend. We ended up attending the yoga class and a decorating class. Elder Henderson had dropped us off and went for a hike on the hill behind the stake center. It was freezing cold in the chapel, but then it always is.
After, we went home, had lunch and took a nap......I think we have caught their "jet lag."
At 5 p.m.m we were invited to the house of Sarah's branch president, where she was house sitting, to have a Bari (barbecue). The food was great and after dinner Michael and Ines Tonkin, their musical group preformed. They were brilliant!!!! Jennifer was not to be out done so she jumped in and did a humorous didee, and I followed suit with my comedy routine. They all laughed and we had a great time. Then home to bed.

Friday, September 28, 2012

DAY 1

Thank you Grandma for the scrambled egg sandwich.

So sorry Josh........

    Are you surprised that we didn't wake up until 10 a.m., well at least that is when the girls woke up. The older you get the harder it is to sleep beyond 6 a.m. No problem though it gave me time to study my scriptures. By the time we all showered (Grandpa had gone into the office early) I made us all the famous "scrambled egg sandwich," I know Josh, eat your heart out. By the time Elder Henderson came and picked us up to go to the office it seems it was about 2:30 p.m.

    The girls met Elder & Sister Oldham, Elder Davuke and Elder to Tukuafu. Elder Tukuafu brought his ukulele and Elder Davuke sang "I'm Your's." Amanda was twitter-patted.

    They were still suffering some jet lag so we went for a short jaunt to Century Mall at Canal Walk. It seems to be a love, hate relationship with most people about this place. It is probably the largest mall I have ever seen. The architecture is, in my opinion, amazing and it is surrounded by a canal, a beautiful setting. Not to mention the 400 store inside. We had dinner there at Primi's, which was very good, as usual. After a bit of Christmas shopping we came home.

    Kami fell asleep on the couch while Grandma, Grandpa and Amanda watched "Beverly Hills Chiwawa. I think Grandpa ended up going to bed.

I still feel like I am in shock........is this real?????

Thursday, September 27, 2012

2 WEEKS OF BLISS!!

    My day began like any other, working in the mission office. We were a few weeks away from transfers so now I was needing too get the 34 baptisms entered in the two different software's. The African names are long and my talent with spelling them is short so it takes me a while. I was excited for the day to end as my mind kept racing ahead to the night time and our trip to the airport to pick up Ryan Taylor, who was coming for a visit. I had found a new friend by the name of Jenny Tonkin and we invited her to accompany us so she could meet Ryan..........
    See this picture. On the far left is my friend, Jennifer Tokin, and yes I am in the middle....but I ask you, do the other two people look like Ryan Taylor? Not even!
As I was standing on tip toes looking over the crowd for our tall and handsome friend I failed to see my very own daughter walking towards me. I turned to Jenny to ask a question and as I turned to look again, there she was no more than 6 feet in front of me. I screamed and started cry, feeling like I was in another dimension. I no more gather my wits about me when in my right ear I heard the sweetest sound I could imagine, "GRANDMA!" I turned to see Amanda running toward me. Another scream left my lips with sobs of joy. IS THIS REAL? Apparently Jenny was there for the purpose of picture recording. A video was made and promptly put on Face Book for our world of fiends to share their tears with ours. Nearly 1 year since I have seen my two girls......it was heaven on earth.
This roux has been planned since May, how my sweetheart ever kept from saying something I will never know. Ryan Taylor still thinks he is going somewhere really hot when he dies for lying. I wish I could post the video but it's just too large to download.
    Elder Henderson couldn't wait to say, "We got her!!!" You can get me anytime when it comes to this kind of a surprise.
    We went to our flat, Jenny returned home. Amanda promptly announced that she would be sleeping with me and could grandpa sleep on the porch. Us girls stayed up until the wee hours talking and talking, hugging and kissing and talking.
    The plane landed at 10:20 pm and we went to bed at 2:20 am.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

SEAN RUDI SOLOMONS BAPTISM

Sean Rudi Solomons & Elder Khumalo


What an "AMAZING" day from beginning to end. Last fall when we arrived here and were assigned to Mitchell's Plain we met Sean, and like many others here in South Africa and around the world, was suffering with a drug problem. I only sharing this with you because Sean has been very vocal and openly shared it with many. We could see his desire to be clean and how he desired to be baptized, however, time after time, the crowd would suck him back in. Then Sean would feel not worthy enough to come to church. About March Sean and I were talking and he told me that his desire was so strong to stop using but he just didn't have the strength. It was then I told him that if he really wanted to quit to say his prayers every day and read his scriptures and Heaven Father would give him the strength to abstain. Because there are many living in his house he walked to the library each day and would spend three hours reading his scriptures. The first Sunday in April he stood and bore his testimony for the first time. This has happened each and every month since that day. Slowly the transformation took place. It has been a literal miracle. After church this Sunday we were invited to Sean's mothers home where he lives. He has seven brother and sisters with many children, they were all there. We were fed like royalty and treated the same. His brother-in-law told us that all of them had given up on Sean. "They knew that any day they would find Sean laying dead somewhere of a drug overdose, but the church never gave up on him." He and his wife have an appointment to talk to the missionaries next week and are so excited. The whole family will be attending church next Sunday as be there to support Sean when Elder Henderson confirms him a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints. Thank you Heaven Father for letting us be part of your work, to bring bring to pass the immortality of mankind.