Hello From Harare!

The Sister I am replacing leaves on Tuesday so I have been working with her this week to learn what to do to make sure the rents get paid and the missionaries get taught their classes well so their English can improve.  I attended parts of 3 Zone Conferences because the missionaries who are enrolled in English Connect get an in-person lesson at ZC rather than Zoom.  The past two Sundays, I taught Primary at the branch we are assigned to.  The first Saturday I was here, I went on an outing with the other Senior Sisters.  We went to the Chinhoyi Caves.  Pictures are below.  On the way, we stopped at the home of a group of 5 young Elders and took them lunch.  We enjoyed visiting with them while we all ate.  This is the baptismal "font" used for baptisms in the branch to which they are assigned.  It is in their back yard.  When there is a baptism, the branch pays for Kombis to transport the members to the baptism.  A Kombi is a mini van...

 On Thursday,  Sister Nancy Turley and I went to a school in a rural area outside of Zimbabwe.  Nancy is a linguistics professor at BYU and currently teaches the English Connect classes to the missionaries.  I will take over the classes when she leaves next week.  A volunteer group goes once a week to do activities with the children to help them learn English and to be reminded of God's love.  Most of them speak Shona, one of the major languages in Zimbabwe.  The children are being taught some English through songs accompanied by sign language.  In this picture they are being taught the Primary song, "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus".  Nancy is accompanying on the piano.  I'm just enjoying the show.  T The middle and high school students were given English Connect books and Nancy gave them a short lesson on how to use the book to improve their English.  The boys sit on the ground on one side and the girls on the other.  The pi...

After shopping on Wednesday morning, I went to the office to begin work.  Sister Turley began teaching me how to pay the rents to the landlords who own the apartments where the 130+ missionaries in this mission live.  Wednesday evening, there was a dinner at the Mission Home for the 9 young sister trainer leaders and the senior sisters were invited to attend.  These pictures were taken there.  This is President Gary Judd and his wife, Jullene. Thursday was another busy day at the office learning more about rent payments and beginning to learn about teaching English Connect classes.  Thursday evening, I joined the Zoom group of each of the one hour English classes.   When I woke up Friday morning, there was no electricity.  That is not unusual here.  Electricity is often out most of the day due to the very, very severe drought.  I will talk about that another time. However, our apartment has solar energy so when the electricity is out our...

 I got to my apartment around 10PM yesterday.  The first picture is of the Nambi Desert near Johannesburg.  The second picture is me with Evelyn.  She has a booth at an outdoor market.  I bought the basket I am holding from her.  I told her she was the first person I had bought something from in Zimbabwe.  The people I have met today have been so kind and polite.   I'm not feeling any jet lag.  It has been a great first day.

I have my last class at the MTC today.  I will stay here over the weekend and fly to Harare on Monday.  I have been instructed about working with young adults, welfare, preparedness, Family Search, how to use Facebook as a missionary tool, how to teach and more.  I have sat for hours and hours and eaten too much.  It's time to live healthily again.   The Elder in the middle of the top picture was born and lives in Harare.  His mother and grandmother live very close to where I will be living.  He has told her to "look after me".  He and his companion (from another country in Africa) are going to Chicago.  There are 12 beautiful murals here.  I am standing in front of the one titled Martha with my friend Cinda Mason.  We have been the only single sisters in our district this week and have become quick friends.  She is going to the Scotland Ireland Mission.    Overall, the experience has been good but I am read...