Good-bye

Our time ran out with the Visas and the last three elders had to leave for Cape Town and new Assignments. We miss them so! Thank you for your service Elders Chatora, Nkala and McDonald. 

Mission Call

My mission call is inside!

I think it is to Africa.

KENYA!

November 3, 2011

Thank you, Loini for letting us share in your JOY! You will be a great missionary.

Etosha National Park

This is one of Africa's best loved game parks. Etosha means "place of dry water." Of course this year that is NOT true after all the rains in Feb. and March. The park encloses a large depression called the PAN 5,000km.  When heavy rains come, thousands of flamingos start arriving. Can you imagine that in Namibia?

This wildlife sanctuary covers about 22,000km and is home to 150 different mammals. Enjoy the pictures.

Onote

The scene on the way to Oonte.

This is the office.

The kitchen that serves one meal Mon., Wed. and Friday for 450 children.

Where they recycle glass bottles, have a library and a preschool.

This is a group of preschool children being taught English, wonderful songs and Love by example.

 What a woderful greenhouse. They are teaching others in the neighborhood and grandmothers how to grow their own vegetables. They have spinach, carrotts, onions, tomatoes.

 This is where they grew their corn/grain crop. The soil is very alkaline and needs a lot of compost.

A wonderful playtime for all the 450 children that they bless.

They dug a fish pond by hand and grow 2,500 Tilapia each season to sell. They start with fishlings.

 A group of women (with Pres. Ladle)welcoming us with song.

Their beautiful choir (only 1/3 of the total) sang a variety of songs for us. We 4 sang "I am a Child of God."

Oonte means Rays. The mission is to take the rays of Jesus' love to each needy child so that each child may reach his or her God given potential.  The children may have parents or not due to HIV/Aids. Usually they are cared for by grandmothers or by older siblings. This program gives them a sense of belonging, they develop leadership skills and are taught the importance of staying in school and making healthy life choices. What a blessing to be there. Our lives are changed because of them.

The North

Our trip to the NORTH was prompted by a Humanitarian couple inviting us to go and view the flooding that occurred in February/March 2011. Normally this part of the country gets 400mm of rain yearly. This year they received 1,024mm of rain. The picture below was taken July 19, 2011. That should give you some idea of the devastation to this area of Namibia. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated $500,000 N in supplies one month ago. We went to see what we could help with now.

The water had been in the front by the fence and receded to it's present position.

Trust

Have you ever thought how important it was for Heavenly Father to trust His son to do what He said He would? President Probst shared many insights on Trust with us at our Zone Conference this week. Can the Savior trust YOU to do what YOU said YOU would do?

New pictures

Front row: President and Sister Probst (mission president), President and Sister Ladle (2nd counselor)

Back row: Elders Lewatle,  McGregor, Lindstrom, Umeh, Bangeter, Larrabee and Slabbert

This was our Zone conference  picture taken in May 2011.

Front row: Elders McGregor, Larrabee, Chitora and Lewatle
Back row: Elders Nkala, Lindstrom, Umeh, Bangeter, McDonald and Slabbert
This was taken June 5,2011

We had a quick change today. Normally our transfer day would be Wednesday, but today Elder McGregor left for Cape Town. He will finish his mission on Thursday.  Elder Larrabee left also for Cape Town to serve in another area.
No new elders until we have Visas approved, hopefully this week. Then we will lose Elders Lewatle, Umeh, Slabbert and Bangeter.

As each group of Elders leave, a little bit of my heart goes with them. I hope my heart starts to enlarge, otherwise, I will have to come home.  These are wonderful missionaries and I so appreciate the families sharing them with us.