Hello From Harare!

The monument sign has been installed.  From the outside, the temple looks complete.  How can it be so complete and seem like it will open so soon, yet be so far away?  The projection is still sometime April or later 2025.  I was able to go into the building where our office will be.  It is much smaller than the rented house we are in, but there won't be the issues we are having.  More on that at the end of the post.                                                     There are frequent visitors at the temple. Bruce and Lottie Anderson are the missionaries assigned to oversee the work at the temple.  Oh, so beautiful! Here are some random pictures taken by some of the senior couples who are out and about all week in areas outside of Harare.   The sweetest watermelon I have ever had. This woman is stirring sadza for ...

 I enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Chris and Shennie Keeley.  He works at the American Embassy and is my Bishop.  The food was delicious and the company even better.   Shennie's friend was there with this beautiful baby girl, Shalom. I wanted to experience this method of carrying babies that I see everyday.  It is very comfortable.  I wish I had known, when my children were little, that all I needed was a beach towel to keep my babies happy.   Keeley Family.  Yong man looking out window is their son.                                               Beautiful young Sister Missionaries. Hungry Elders.  The African Elders loved their first Thanksgiving. Everyone.  We made a short video for the Keeley's oldest son who is serving a mission in Albania.          On Saturday, all of the s...

 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.                                               ...

 This is the Borrowdale Ward Primary.  They blessed us today with beautiful music and sincere testimonies of Jesus Christ.  I love being a part of this ward family.  I was also able to see two of my grandchildren in their Primary Program via Zoom.  I love being able to communicate with family via WhatsApp and Zoom.  I thank the geniuses who developed these technologies. Even though my nursery babes were not a part of the program, they were invited to come to the Primary room after the program for meat pies, cookies, banana bread, fruit and juice.  This is my little shadow, Lorraine, eating her meat pie.  She wasn't much interested in the cookies and banana bread.   While out walking this week, this little boy approached me and asked if he could walk with me.  I was delighted.  He is Michael and is 8 years old.  He walks alone about 40 minutes each day to get to school.  We walked together for about 20 minutes before w...