At the end of March they start to plant the beans, gnuts, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and maize along with other vegetables. The rainy season begins and they don't have to do anything else other than go out and weed once. Things grow like crazy here so they are very blessed unlike other places in Africa that experience drought. We had eighteen missionaries going home this last transfer and we will have 22 missionaries going home next transfer in July. We will also lose another two senior couples with no one scheduled to replace them. It makes it hard for us to leave in August when we know there is such a need but somehow the work goes on. I think serving may be more for us than for Heavenly Father because he can get the work done but we need opportunities to show our faithfulness.
Back to maize, President Chatfield used it as an example for his closing remarks to the elders and two sisters going home. The maize here is nothing like the sweet corn we have at home. It is very starchy and does not taste nearly as good as the corn at home. One of President and Sister Chatfield's children came to visit and brought some sweet corn seed with them. He is growing it at the mission home and so we will see how it turns out. Where was I...oh yea, so in his closing remarks to these missionaries he talked about how corn grows and matures. Like us, it grows quickly but at some point it stops growing and the fruit will be picked and it will die. The roots die off and soon the entire plant dies. No more nourishment will go to the plant because the roots system has died. His caution to the missionaries and I think for all of us, is that we need to guard against maturing and then quit nourishing ourselves with knowledge and spiritual things. We too can die off and quit growing as individuals. How long since some of us have picked up a book or done something to continue learning. We don't ever want to look back on our lives and see the point where we quit growing. This is both as a spiritual and a temporal individual. We have so much potential and we need to continue to challenge and improve ourselves throughout our lives. I believe that is why my belly is so large, constant improvement.
With the passing of an apostle I was interested what his last words would be for us. At the funeral Elder Ballard recounted the advice that Elder Perry wanted the people of the Church to hear. “[I wish I] could get every member of the Church to go and partake of the sacrament, and when they took the bread, they’d ask themselves, ‘Who am I? What am I doing? How am I living? Where am I going? What should I be accomplishing?’ as they renew their covenants with the Lord.” He finished, “The minute they’d pick up the bread, something [would] happen.” I think we all should give it a try, I did today but could only remember two of the questions. I need a better plan....
Last year I talked about Martyrs Day and how millions hike and ride to be part of the celebration. The last week we saw several large groups hiking along the highway as far away as Kenya to attend the celebration. It was interesting to see sisters with their backpacks, not on their back, carried high on their head.
We had a marvelous opportunity to go and teach with the Elders. One of their investigators invited them to come and talk to their security trainees where he works. There are 90 men and two women in the class and so they wanted us to come with them. Here are the four elders along with a member piled into our back seat. Cozy
The lead security guard was names Chocolate. He was very kind and since Sister Squire loves chocolate he agreed to be in the picture.
This was their dormitory room. No beds because they have to sleep on the floor to help them
"toughen up". I also pass them early in the morning when I am out walking and they go out on a group run. It is fun to clap and have them cheer as they run by.
Here are the elders getting ready to teach. They talked about faith, repentance, baptism, the holy ghost and Sister Squire talked about enduring to the end. For me, I used Alma 37:33-37 to give advise any loving parent would give their children.
Outside the kids were put to work helping the family of the trainers to keep up their houses.
Spit shine those boots.
This is a picture of most of the class. Many went off to lunch after our lesson.
You will have to ask Sister Squire why she felt the need to hold the elder's hand.
Nancy was in charge of a sisters P Day activity where all the sisters got together to learn some cooking and do a service project. She has help from Suzy and Sarah from the office, Sis Hannon the humanitarian couple and of course President and Sister Chatfield. President Chatfield and I went to a meeting with the District Presidency but got back in time for lunch. We had the eight sisters in Jinja for this one and will do it again in two weeks for the rest of the sisters in the Kampala area.
Watching/learning how to make something.
Suzy helping on the service project. They made a few pillow case dresses that will be passed out at the remaining two jigger projects. It is Suzy's non-profit that organizes the jiggers projects the church humanitarian funds.
Besides making the pillow case dresses they also were able to decorate some headbands and wrist bangles for themselves.
You can see the before in her lap and the after in her hands.
A completed project and a model.
The lesson.
Meat and potatoes in a crock pot.
She looks and acts like a ray of sunshine.
All done.
OK, "work it" for the last one sisters!
So they didn't get too many of the pillow case dresses done so for the weekly service hours required by the missionaries Sister Squire had them come over and finish them up.
They seem happy enough
Not all of them got into the service mode too quickly.
Candy is never safe when the house if full of girls.
Learning a new skill
Even Elder Erau got into the sewing frenzy.
Buttered popcorn is a girls best friend.
The photo album of the family never goes unnoticed.
OK, let see what you made.
Nice
Here are two kids that run up to meet me when they are waiting for their bus. Today, the bus was there and they were running to get on. This is at 7 in the morning and these little ones are off to school and the line in the video is a ray of sunshine just coming up for the day.
Just another day in Paradise!
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