Hello From Harare!

 Yesterday we went to Imire, dedicated to rhino and wildlife conservancy.  We rode with a group through the park with a guide and were able see lots of animals.                                                                                                                              Mother and Daughter This elephant loves to hang around with the wildebeests I have gone to the temple site for the past 3 weeks to help some of the workers with family history.  There have been 41 baptisms as a result of the missionary work done by Bruce and Lottie Anderson, the missionary couple assigned to oversee the construction of the temple. The two men on either side of ...

The people of Zimbabwe have been praying for rain for almost 2 years.  The rain came on Tuesday.  And oh how it came!!  I haven't seen rain like that since being in the eye of Hurricane Erin in 1995 when living in Pensacola.  Our office conference room and hallway flooded from water coming in at the base of the wall.  We worked frantically to keep it contained so it would not flow into other areas.  We are still thankful for the rain. As a result of the rain, this is what I saw on my morning walk.  On the way back, I saw this man chopping wood.  I stopped and talked with him for a few minutes.  He was delighted to be the first one there.  He said this wood is excellent for cooking.  Somehow he would manage to get it home on his bike. We saw missionaries come and go this week.  These fabulous missionaries were treated to dinner at a nice  restaurant and a trip to the temple before going to the airport to depart.  They ...

 This is President Bomba.  He was called to be president of the new Chitungwiza Stake formed in the mission last week after serving two years as a counselor in a Stake Presidency.  He is 32 years old and is married with three children under the age of 7.  After completing a two year mission, he returned home and married 4 weeks later.  Three months after that, at the age of 20, he was called as a Bishop.  I see him frequently at the office.  He owns a car repair business and the mission keeps him very busy with our need for frequent car repairs. He jokingly tells us that he is probably the only person who loves the potholes in Harare.  They help to feed his family.  I am so inspired by him and the many other very young church leaders who sacrifice to serve the saints in Zimbabwe.   These missionaries will return home tomorrow after faithfully serving for 2 years (Elders) and 18 months (Sister).  I teach a Self Reliance class th...

 We attended Stake Conference today.  The chapel was filled and there were over 200 people who had to view conference on screen from a small room or stand outside one of the many open windows.  Nine of us senior missionaries were escorted to a pew on the second row when we arrived to a completely full chapel.  I hated that.  I wanted some of the members to be able to sit there but it was not to be.  The Stake Presidency was reorganised after President Sawman Machukarie had served 8 years.  The music provided by the choir was beautiful, the testimonies of outgoing and incoming leaders were uplifting and just being surrounded by these wonderful Zimbabwe saints left me in awe.  The Church in Zimbabwe and most of Africa is expanding at an unimaginable rate. The work is indeed hastening.                                               ...