Miracles Are Happening

Miracles are happening in South Africa! 

Missionaries are reporting record numbers of attendance at sacrament meetings and teaching appointments! 

One investigator family invited 11 of their friends to a teaching appointment last week. 

Missionaries in Leribe set a goal to have sixty people attend sacrament meeting by the end of the transfer (that's next week!) compared to the twelve attending. On Sunday they had only two pieces of bread to break for the sacrament for 66 people! The miracle was not only they had met their goal, but that everyone was able to participate in the ordinance.

A husband and wife attended church for the first time, and when the meetings were over, the wife asked her husband, "how do you know these people?" He turned to her and said, "how do YOU know these people?" They had never felt so welcomed and so at home before. They were recently baptized and said, "we are home, and here to stay."

One congregation has only a little over twenty people attend church over the past few months, but this week they had over 65 attend.

In another growing branch there were over 80 in attendance vs the typical 35.

Our missionaries are working hard! The spirit of the Lord is pouring down.

The Dransfields Are Here

We are blessed once again to have the third couple arrive within a week!

 We are excited and feeling blessed to have this couple join our mission!

Find out tomorrow where President will assign them!!!

The Porters

The Porters are here! We are thrilled to have this new couple.

 They will serve in the Bloemfontein area.

 This couple is dynamic! In the airport, Elder Porter started speaking to the young lady in Dutch! They were from northern Germany, traveling through Durban.

Welcome Porters!

Scenes While Driving

Interesting scenes along our drive back to Durban from Ezakheni.

 Lot's of these types of houses.

 These white birds were in 3-4 trees, even though there were other trees nearby.

 Lot's of nests.

Not sure what kind of bird this is, or why they keep together even though there are lots of other trees nearby!

Newcastle District Conference #2

Our Sunday conference was held at a primary school in Madadeni. After this meeting we drove 1-1/2 hours to Ezakheni to hold another conference. The reason it is split:  because the distance is difficult for many members to attend. Most do not have cars and taxi's can be expensive!

 Setting up for the conference.

 Our home teachers from Alpine came to visit. They wanted to come here to serve a mission, but got called to Colorado. They squeezed coming to Durban before they go to the MTC.

 Elders setting up chairs!

 Our District President with children of the district.

 The choir members are arriving and practicing before the conference.

 Starting to fill the seats!

 This couple was baptized last week in Ozesweni.

 Elder Katimbo has the most beautiful smile, but he wanted a serious pose.

 Our fabulous missionaries!

 Saying goodbye!

 These two photos were taken at the Madadeni Chapel after the leadership and adult meetings of the conference.

Newcastle District Conference #1

The Newcastle District Conference took place in two locations. Because the branches are spread out, we held the first session in the township of Ezaheni. 

On Saturday morning we did the leadership and adult sessions in the morning. Then we drove to Newcastle (about 90 miles away) and did another leadership and adult session with that half of its members.  We repeated this on Sunday where we did one session in Newcastle in the morning and returned to Ezakweni in the afternoon before driving another three hours back to Durban! Whew!

 Our wonderful District President!

 The choirs here put American congregations shame! They sing loud, with harmony, and without accompaniment!

 Some of our faithful missionaries!

The missionaries were waiting outside before the conference to greet the members and investigators!

They were goofing around as they saw President!

 Investigators brought by the missionaries!

 Sweet faces!

This is a nice chapel! It was a hot, muggy day, with no air-conditioning and the fans did not work! However, the spirit was strong and it was wonderful to be with these people!

Port Durnford Last Week

These are the bathrooms at the church!

 Our couple in Richards Bay are doing a fantastic job! We are so grateful they are here!

Our friends from Alpine came to visit. In fact, they are our home teachers for the past three years! They came to check up on us! That's what I call "going some"! 

The Van Uiterts Are Here

President and I picked up our newest couple! So glad to have them join us!

 It was late when we picked them up. It was too dark to stop at the temple site, so we took them to a boarding to let them sleep.  

President had to take a district missionary to the airport and took the Van Uiterts with to see the temple site. (see below). They are standing at the entrance. A couple of weeks ago the palm trees were planted to line the entrance drive!