Happy Valentines Day!



After dinner at Mike's Kitchen with Joyce Tahla Modie, her husband Modise (left), son Ryan and brother Obekeng (right)

 

Happy Valentine's Day! It's not a real holiday here in South Africa, but you do see the promotions by the candy and card companies, although we couldn't find any African valentine cards to send home to family. 

This past Wednesday, 10 February, we spent another evening at the Johannesburg Mission Home welcoming the new MTC President and his wife, the Ashtons from St. George (Elder Mavin J. Ashton's son Steven, my age) and said farewell to four senior couples who are leaving soon for home.  

Bob was asked to officiate at a sealing session on Friday, during our normal temple shift, for two sisters who work in the Area Office. He was surprised and thrilled when the first couple joined the group in the sealing room. It was former Cape Town sister missionary Joyce Tahla Modie and her husband Modise, all the way from Gaborone, Botswana!  

Two brethren from Kampala, Uganda also joined us (one was Jimmy Carter Okut, stake president of the Kampala Stake). An ordinance worker, Ian Evans (another if Bob's former missionaries) rounded out the group. We enjoyed a wonderful sealing session using only family names provided by the patrons.  

We invited the Modies to join us for dinner afterward and treated them to steaks and ribs and great desserts at Mike's Kitchen. Their son Ryan and Joyce's youngest brother Obekeng (Praise),who is about to submit his mission application, also joined us.  

We also enjoyed dinners with two other of Bob's Cape Town missionaries. We invited Robert & Andrea Nel for dinner in our flat on Saturday the 7th, and Wayne & Tara Muller invited us to a braai (barbecue) at their new home in Roodekrans, near Krugersdorp, the next Saturday (yesterday), along with Sister Bobbi Swanepoel. Unfortunately, we forgot yet again to take a photo with the Nels. 

 

Wayne Muller (left) with his wife Tara and son Rogan (left)
and daughters Bree (center) and McKenna (front) with Sister
Bobbi Swanepoel and her dog Louie.

Sister Bobbi took this photo so Martha could be in the picture

 

Primary kids and cupcakes after Protea Glen Branch Primary

Martha's most accomplished piano student, Brother Mlu

In Church today, Martha played the music for Primary again, and even got top lead a few songs and teach the kids how to lead music. Afterward she taught her piano student Mlu his first lesson in two months because he left for the "festive season" in about mid-November and just returned. While he was away, he practiced on his cardboard keyboard or any piano or real keyboard he could find, and he finished the beginning lesson book and is now working on actual hymns from the simplified hymn book. She was blown away at the progress he made, while her other students found reasons not to practice at all through the holidays.

We are thoroughly enjoying our mission and feel so blessed to be able to serve here in Africa, where the Spirit is poured out in abundance and the growth of the Church is truly phenomenal.