Sabbath Day

It was a cold, rainy, winter day. It was the Sabbath and as we drove to the Johannesburg Ward, we could see many people walking to their various churches. This particular ward is located in a very poor area, and most of our members walk to church. We saw a few under umbrellas, and some with blankets around them, some with plastic covering their bodies and many with nothing to protect them from the elements. All were scurrying as fast as they could.
When we walked into the chapel, I could smell a very unpleasant odor. Bill went to the stand and I sat in the audience in the middle of the black members. (that is where I love to be) My nose told me that the smell was familiar but it was quite a few moments before I realized it was a direct result of wet clothes. Some had on wool and that was a distinct odor, but the combination of fabrics made a very impressionable odor. A man sat down next to me and he was completely drenched. I couldn't’t imagine how far he had walked to get there. He pulled a washcloth out of his pocket as soon as he got there and immediately started wiping his head. He continued to his shoulders chest, arms and neck. As he was doing this he was singing the opening song with great gusto and with a beautiful, beautiful voice. He wiped his legs on the front and back several times, then he put his hands to the side of his legs and wrung the moisture out of the cloth. Water dripped on the floor. Then with this now damp cloth he shined his shoes. He spread the cloth out on the floor (I guess to dry) and then looked at me with a look of accomplishment and readiness to start his worship. He smiled the most beautiful smile you can only find in Africa. He shook my hand and said, “Good morning, Sister Parmley!” When someone has so little and can be so happy, I hope that our hearts can be touched with gratitude with all that we have and with the desire to give a little more to those who have so much less.

Relief Society sisters all over the world love flowers and beautiful things. This is very true in Africa too. In one little branch none of the sisters had a flower garden, so in order to have flowers for Relief Society for all to enjoy, the instructions were given for everyone to pick one wild flower on the way to church, or to bring a plastic one from home. As they arrived in RS each sister added her contribution of one flower to the basket on the table. As the president thanked them, there was a feeling of joy and happiness for what they had collectively contributed. It wasn’t the perfect flower arrangement or even one that would catch your eye with the combination of colors, lengths, plastic and real, but it would be one that would touch your heart as you realized the effort and love those sisters had put into that arrangement to have a spot of beauty in that old, rented unclean school building. I thought it was the most beautiful bouquet I had ever seen.