Hello From Harare!

 I am loving working as the Mission Secretary.  My job is to help and support the young Elders and Sisters so they can do the work they have been called to do.  Everyday, I hear, "Sister Stephens, we need...." many times.  Those needs include, cases of Book of Mormon, pamphlets, badges, International Driving Permits, English Connect materials and more.  I help missionaries when they arrive and depart.  Much of my time is spent at my second job as Rent Coordinator paying landlords and keeping up with everything involved with processing new houses and landlords.  I stay busy but happy because I get to interact with fabulous young missionaries almost every day.   I love the Arcturus Branch we have been attending for the last month. There are about 60 in attendance each week.  This picture was taking at the end of Sacrament Meeting.  Nobody has a car except the Branch President and missionaries.  They walk to church, some taking ab...

I have been so busy in the office this week and haven't taken many pictures.  I will make this short this week and just post 2 pictures that I took before Sacrament Meeting began of little girls sitting beside us and in front of us.  I love these people!     

On our way to church this morning, Diana and I gave little wooden cars to children we passed who were walking on the dirt road we were SLOWLY driving on due to potholes and huge puddles.  These two were on my side so I rolled down the window and asked if they wanted a car.  They were a little hesitant but  they each took a car.  Then they looked at me, gave the biggest, sweetest smiles, put their hands together and did a single clap to say, "Thank you.".  I felt their gratitude.  As I looked into their humble, grateful faces, I also felt thankful.  Thankful that I can be among these wonderful people. We returned to Arcturus Branch.  After Sacrament Meeting, we told the Branch President we would be attending the branch for about 3 months (Diana leaves in May).  His face lit up and he so humbly thanked us. I witnessed more genuine gratitude.  We taught Singing Time and a lesson in Primary again and will probably do that while we are there....

 We attended the Arcturus Branch today.  They were not expecting us.  Diana and I went prepared to do Singing Time and a lesson in Primary just in case we were needed.  We were needed.  The Primary President was the only person with the children.  She normally does not do Singing Time because she does not know the songs.  She was very happy that Diana was prepared to do Singing Time and me  the lesson.  We will do the same next week and probably for months to come.      The Branch is only about 17 miles from our house but it took us almost an hour because of this. The rain has come back.  Everything is so green and the corn is flourishing. We are all so thankful! THIS!  In one area in one day!  There were 2421 people baptized in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission in 2024.  That well exceeds 1286 baptized in 2023.  What will 2025 bring? I leave tomorrow to go to Johannesburg, South Africa to attend the sealing ...