Week 16

 There has been so much progress made on the temple construction since I have been here.   Wednesday night they tested the angle of the lights.  The temple was lit up for the first time.  This won't happen again until it is opened, probable early 2025.  

Our new mission president, President Davis, and his wife arrived Thursday.  The senior missionaries combined efforts to prepare a delicious Mexican meal for them.  It, like many social events,  was held at our house because our apartment is bigger than most, has the biggest table and Diana has decorated it so beautifully.  

They spent Friday and Saturday traveling to 4 areas to meet all of the missionaries and hold the first zone conferences.  I helped with one on each day.  As they shook the hand of each of the 130+ missionaries, including the seniors, they called us by name without looking at our badges.  They had studied our pictures and names for the past 3 months.  I am excited to serve with them.  They have the last conference tomorrow in Mutare, about 4 hours from Harare.  

This is Elder Santos on the right.  He is the one of a few missionaries who came here having never learned English until being taught at the MTC. Most of the African missionaries learned some English in high school.  I meet him on Zoom twice a week to help him with his English.  His companion, Elder Barnes, certainly does more than I can do to help him. He helps Elder Santos every day and has also put Duolingo on their phone.  During their conference, President Davis asked each companionship to stand up and name a Christ-like attribute of their companion,  Elder Santos expressed his love for Elder Barnes and said he had patience.  

These young people and adults were standing outside the gate of the chapel we attended for one of the conferences.  The can access the church WiFi.  This chapel, like many others can only be entered through a gate monitored by security 24 hours a day.  Our apartment complexes, the mission office and mission home, the distribution store and other church facilities have gates and guards as well. 

This is Elder Grant Stucki.  He and his wife, Wendy, are the Fleets and Flats missionaries.  They are charged with what goes on with all of the 60+ apartments in the mission and the vehicles.  The vehicles are driven by the Seniors, APs and the 9 pairs of zone leaders.  All other missionaries walk.  This picture was taken after the Davis's meal on Thursday.  Everyone else was socializing except Grant.  He was on the phone, as he so often is, dealing with issues at the apartments: no water, no electricity, someone STOLE their electricity or water (yes, that can happen here), something is broken, they are locked INTO their apartment (yep, that can happen too), etc.  

Speaking of vehicles.  Most of them are trucks driven by senior couples, APs and 9 pairs of zone leaders. There are a few cars driven by sisters.  Three Toyoto trucks were ordered and paid for many months ago and never arrived.   Long story short, there was some deception involved,  they were told attorneys would be notified and now we have 3 new trucks.  Thank you, Elder Stucki.

On a Saturday a few weeks ago, we were without electricity, solar and water for about half a day and internet for about 3 days.  I survived with chocolate and a phone charger given to me by my son and daughter-in-law which allowed me to keep my mission phone charged which allowed me to access the internet and stay in contact with family and friends.  I can get this chocolate here at double the price I paid at Kroger in US, but it is worth it during difficult times.