Hello From Harare!

The most exciting thing of the week happened on Friday.  Miles Keylonnie Stephens was adopted.  He has been in our family for 2 years and has been my grandson from the beginning, but now it is official.  Thanks to Zoom, I was able to see him being blessed at church today with his big brother Michael standing in the circle while Devin blessed him.  Michael also gave his farewell address before beginning his mission tomorrow.  I have so much to look forward to when I arrive home in 13 days.   I have walked the same route early in the mornings while I have been here.  I will miss saying hello to the people I see most mornings.  Here are a few photos from Saturday morning at sunrise. I think this is the moon.  I don't know, but it was very beautiful. This is a scene I see every morning that I walk.  He is bringing wood home that he found somewhere so cooking can be done over the outside fire.  Some people have to go get water from ...

 I am starting to say my good-byes.  I will miss the association I have with the young Elders and Sisters.  Those who live in the area often come into the office on Mondays, their p-days, for various reasons.  Mondays are my favorite day at the office because I get to see them and help them with what they need.   This was Sister Graham.  She is now Haysannah Graham because she completed her mission a few weeks ago.  I felt close to her and she with me.  Goodbyes are hard.                                                        Sister Green and Sister Patrick.                                                         Transfers happen every 6 weeks.  This was the last...

On Friday, I attended a "Handover" with the Humanitarian Missionaries, Chris and Leslie Meacham.  The Church built 2 new buildings with 2 classrooms in each building plus 1 bathroom facility for the Rujeko Primary School.  They supplied desks and whiteboards for these 4 classrooms plus 2 existing classrooms.  They supplied a borehole for water and solar for the new buildings.  A Handover is a ceremony where the Church turns it all over to the school. This was an amazing day.  Can you see my joy?                                  Here is a picture of one of the classroom's exterior and interior. This is the ablution facility, the boys and girls bathrooms.  When one of the speakers was describing what the Church had donated, they mentioned that the ablution had flushable toilets.   The ceremony included speakers from the school, community and Senator C Z Tawengwa....