Madagascar II

Dear Friends and Family, I thought I had sent you all our latest experience last night, but I think I forgot to push the send button. Anyway, if yo have already received this....I'm sorry. I can't find it. We arrived home last night after touring th Madagascar mission for two weeks. We spoke at several sessions of conferences, firesides, Mission Conferences, Auxiliary Training and met with the missionary couples alot. Our cup is overflowing. This will be a brief synopsis as we leave in just a few hours today. We are going to New York to see Todd's play and then to conference in SL. We loved our trip to these 3 islands. I am only going to mention one experience although we had many, many more. When we arrived in Madagascar we were immediately taken to an out lyingvillage where a humanitarian missionary couple took several of us to see their finished project. There is a small qne room school there that had it's roof blown off by a typhon. The couple asked the church finance this project and they did. A new roof was reinforced and replaced.....doors and windows were put in and a cement floor replaced the red dirt. Crude benches and desks were put in and we were going to visit so these people could thank the church for this gift. It was a bumpy trail on red dirt and up and down hills and through drainage ditched that took us to the school. It was on top of a little mountain with an exquisite view of the countryside. We saw terraced farms of rice, banana trees and other wonderful products. Chickens and mangy dogs were all over as well as women in bright colors with babies on their backs and loads of things like sticks, water, laundry, bread or whatever on their head. Everyone smiled and waved as we went by. They have nothing materially, but are a happy people. When we arrived at the school they were waiting for us. All the little pre school students were on the frist 3 rows and all of their parents and famililes were sitting behind them quietly waiting for us. We were greeted with song and smiles and gratitude for this humble little school house for their children. On the wall in front of us as we walked in were the words "thank you" pasted somehow on the cement wall in fern leaves. They had added a blossom or two to make it more beautiful. There were 3 or 4 vines hanging to decorate the other walls. Some vines were only 7 or 8 inches long. Some of the people had shoes and some did not. Bill and I were then asked to present each child a book bag that we presented to each child. Some wonderful RS had put these simple bags together and had sewn the bags and how grateful they were. They touched and loved those bags....as did their parents. Bill and I spoke briefly and then at the end the eldest man of the village came to the front in tatterd but clean clothes with his pants rolled up because they were way too long and he had barefeet and very few teeth. He had tears in his eyes as he thanked the church for this generous gift to their children. We all had tears as we watched this wonderful event unfold. The had all had a ameasles vaccination before we arrived. That has been the project of another missionary couple. These couples are making such a difference and are having the adventures of a lifetime. Non of these childre at that school were members of the church or were their families. It was a blessing to be part of that and to see such overwhelming gratitude from these humble people. The school project cost the church $3,000 and kept 2 people in work for months as they built it.

Madagascar

Dear Family and Friends. We just arived home after a 2 week trip that was absolutely wonderfu. I am tried and we leave tomorrow for New York to see Todd's play (we can't wait) and then off to conference in SL. Iwanted to share sn expereince or two while it is fresh in my heart. By the time I get back to Joburg the moment maybe will have passed. We have been to La Reunion, Mauritius and Madagascar and we traveled with President and Sister Harmon of that mission. We had a wonderful time with them. One of the sweetest moments happened in Madagascar. They picked us up at the airport and took us immediately to a little country pre-school way out in a remore village. The last 20 minutes of the ride was in a very hilly area on red dirt through the ditches and fields. This little school house had one room. The roof had been blown off in a typhoon so a missionary couple took this on as one of their projects. They got the church to fund help there. They shored up and put on a new roof....changed the red dirt floor to cement ...put in crude benches for the little ones and painted and cleaned and put in a door and window. We were going to the school so the people could thiank the church through us for the school. We we arrived to this humble tiny one room schoo the children and their families were all sitting on the benches waiting for us. On the walls written live pieces of fern was "Thank You". The were tattered and torn but clean. About halfof the people had shoes but allhad a smile. The children sang to us. I taught them "open Shut them, and we shook every hand and wept as we felt such tremendous gratitude from these people. After Bill and I said a few words, then the builder said a few things with a hammer in his hand, and then the oldest "little old man" in the village came to the front in his rolled up pants and bare feet and thanks us on behalf of the entire village. They clapped for us, then we for them. Bill and I then passed out book bags to each child as their name was called. These bags were made by some wonderful RS. Their eyes were big, and they were so excited, but oh so reverent and polite. The cost to the church was $3,000. What a beautiful gift. The missionary couple that found this project, started and saw it to fruition were so very touched too. Their hearts were full and their tears very evident through the whole time. What a way to spend 18 months after retirement. Everyone who serves that way doesn't always have such a defined success. Of course none of these children or families are members of the church. There was a measles project going on by another couple. They saw to it that hundres of children were given the vaccine. They were all saving so mnay lives....the couple had made up songs about the measles innoculation day and the members took flyers into the neighborhoods and hundreds were done in 3 days. The death rate from that disease has been tremendous......thousands and thousands of children have been dying. Another remarkable expereince. WE had many more things happen. We feel so blessed to be able to do this. ...more than words can express. We love you all....More when I'm not so tired. Love Grandma and Shanna We will send pictures of this when we get back from SL.....too much tonight. Hope you have a visual, though

Plains

Amazing animals

Beautiful

Uganda

Hi everyone: This is us in Uganda at the head of the Nile. Our hotel was right there on the waters. We saw a few monkeys playing around....the hotel had hot water if you asked for it daily and it was a lovely location, but aa little hard as afar as some things. We were very careful with water and food....but we loved it. The animals were from that watering hole in Tsavo National Park in Kenya.
Have some disappointing news. It lookks like we won't be seeing any of the California people this trip. We are ging to stop in New York to see Todd's play. (How do you feel about that Todd?) We are very excited about that...but after that there are too many meeting and medical things we both have to see about. I will be in Alamo for a day and a half...but really in SF at the clinic getting a mamogram. Dad will stay in SL to get a colonoscopy and then there are meeting and just too much. We are leaving for Madagasca on Tursday of this week plus Reunion Islands and someplace else and we will be gone about 10 days with 1/2 day before we leave for NEW York. ....so you can see we are super involved right now. Tonight we speak at the MTC in Johannesburg. We are about settled, just a few more boxes to unpack but that will take time as it is papers, etc. We love you and wish we could be with you but not this time. Maybe we will come home in April...I don't know. We'll call you all from the USA when we get there. We don't know what hotel we will be in in SL but we'll let you know. It is great to hear from you. I am hungry for info from you....Love Mom, Grandma and Shanna

At the head of the nile in Uganda

Ha-de-da

This message is for only these people: Jenna, Allison, Josh, Eli, Ethan, Zane and Isaac>
I want you to know there are some funny birds that come to our front yard every day. They are very very loud and they often wake us up. They are called Ha-de-das. They are much bigger than a chicken and they have a long skinny beak, and they come to our grass and stick there beak in looking for things to eat. They must find things because they come every day. I like them even though they are noisy. The top of their head is a little bit yellow and their body is black. I wish you could see them. Love Grandma

Nairobi and Kenya

To all who are interested: Our trip these past 2 weeks have been incredible and unbelievable. We seens sights and learned so much that it is almost impossible to describe.Arrived in Nairobi running as we were met by President and Sister Barger, the mission president and wife. We traveled to Chulu, Kenya frist which I'll never forget. We traveled by car leaving at 5:30 AM. It took 4 hours of hilarious driving....first crowded streets with millions of cars driving on the wrong side of the road, with people selling everything they could as they approached our window when we stopped for lights...if we stopped for lights. About 2 hours out the highway became very rough and narrow and it got worse as we approached our destination.. We found ourselves on a red dirst narrow lane with people walking on either side of the car...some on bicycles with live chickens on the back or a person or water....many ealking were carrying water or children or bundles of sticks on their heads or bananas or something. we also shared the road with many goats and even one pig...the people waved a smiled as we drove by ....mud huts were spaced among the thistled trees with wash hanging on makeshift lines and women bending over washing in tubs....either their clothes or their children. the road often became river beds and our teeth were about jarred out but we loved seeing the sights....out of the blue we rounded the corner and out of nowhere we saw a beautiful little brick chapel, with a wall around it and gates and beautiful grass and a few flowers. It was like an oasis in the desert....which it was....Did basic auxiliary training with a translator (have a presidency meeting, be on time, start with prayer, have FHE...here are some ideas), 12 were there when meeting started.....about 25 by the end....they all walked....Then went into the district conference....it was right after as people couldn't go home and come back....ABout 650 saints were there. ....as we sat on the stand we looked out the window and saw 2 trucks arrive with people smashed together standing in the back of the truck....they had come to conference....the branch had hired the cattle looking trucks so the saints could come....it was a sight that brought tears to our eyes as they came in ...some in bright traditional dress and some in modern dress.....all looking clean which was amazing as they also came over the dusty red dirt road...Everything was translated for us so we didn't say much. I told the children I wanted to say something to them....I said, "watcha" in sort of the whisper I had learned and they replied, "ahhhh" in a whisper which is sort of a respectful hello to their elders. I then asked them to stand and sing "I'm a Child of God" with me....just the children. I couldn't sing because of the tears that flowed. They couldn't speak english but they knew every word of tht song in english. I will never forget them or their smiles or the smiles of their parents as they sang. That night we stayed int game reserve because that was the only place to stay....It was right by a watering hole and becasue of the drought the animals never stopped coming....elephants, zebras, giraffes, baboon, wildebeasts, gazelle, hyenas, warthogs and others. It was sight to behold....all day and all night. We kept looking all night to see what was there. We also went to a river and saw Hippos. We then traveled to Uganda and also did a mission tour their a fireside and a district conference....a different landscape...very tropical and lush....best pineapple in the world...missionaries are incrdible....very few from north america...the most amazing thing is that 95% of missionaries are converts of 1,2 3 or more years. They are first generation members and are so good a faithfu.....many never recieve letters from family....they sing like angels as all the people do......their skin is all variety of black from light brown to very very black....they are beautiful. i love the missionaries...One commented that their chldren will be the first to be born under the covenant.....the missionary couple are amazing and are crucial to the church...some are on humanitarian missions and are out in the boonies looking for place to dig wells, or are doing things about eyes or prenatal care or are in the office, taking care of missionaries.....just serving and loving it....they touched our hearts....We then went to Tanzania, where again the landscape was different....more humid as we were right on the Indian Ocean....we have been eating fish like crzy....from there, from Lake Victoria and even from the Nile. We slept rigth next to the Nile in Uganda. In Tan. we trained agian ina little more advaned way than Chulu and had conference and firesides again....had that in each place...so we are talked out and handshake out, but we loved it. i've held beautiufl black babies and watched the mothers as they showed me how they warp their babies to carry them on their back. We have felt very safe, butwe are careful...always locking cars, always locking doors...watching our things which aren't much but we are careful There are guards at every airport, every gate, every branch, everyhome we have been in. The church buildings have gates and bars on the windows and the libraries have steel doors and combination locks to protect their hymn books and maybe a manual or two. We love the people...they are so hapy to see us....a little shy but wonderful....They have a grasp of the Gospel which is wonderful to see. We are so blessed to be here. Bill and I still love being together .....we l great. My energy is amazing. We are back to our "HOME" in Joberg and it is good to drink the water and to feel relaxed and clean. This is a small summary of the last 2 weeks. Hope you are not bored with it all. This is an experience of a lifetime and we feel so blessed to be a part of it. We love the people we have met here...the Snows are across the hall and are great....we feel safe....you have to pass guards and 2 security fences and we have grills on all of windows...the view is beautiufl and the temple is a 2 minute walk right behind us. We are going for the first time tomorrow night. We love you and want to hear from you. We miss you. Love Mom and Dad Ps I will not proof read this...I am too tired.