They were challenged to begin working on the two week PP assignments. It has been so amazing, the girls come to Seminary now almost every week with their Personal Progress books and journals with them asking me to sign off from 1-3 or 4 values that they have completed.
October's first weekend was the Richard Bay's YSA Conference. I was happy it all went well; the second one was easier to do. After lots of detours and too many dirt roads, we arrived at the dock of the Hippo-Crocodile Cruise liner one minute before it took off. It was fun to be in the ocean and to get to see the animals. That night we got to see the re-broadcast of Saturday mornings General Conference. Oh so wonderful! ...5 new temples announced; Wow.
Then to Ladysmith for General Conference on Sunday and golfing on Monday, but Elder Dibb caught another cold because the weather was so cold and windy, but he's an endurer. We also witnessed some amazing tender mercies unfold as we reached the doctor who reached the chemist and we arrived in Newcastle in time to pick up the prescription. The Zone Leaders gave him a beautiful blessing and he was soon good to go.
Then there was the powerful time when we went to visit Sister Miller to learn of her back pain. Elder Dibb gave her a beautiful blessing. She insisted on walking us to her front door. She stood up and only took 2 or 3 steps before stopping and began to cry. I went back to give her a comforting hug - to only learn that because of her blessing and faith - her back pain was gone and she could walk standing up straight and without any pain.
We had one of our rookie Elders come down with chicken pox; interesting. On Sunday after church, one of the YSA was waiting for me to finish up my class to tell me hi. After my hug, she unwrapped her woolen neck scarf to show 'n tell about her mumps on both sides. Aaaahhhh, well I remember only having mumps on one side. Oh well.
This young lady is the same one who earlier in the month had called me at night saying she'd done something and needed to talk with me. When we visited the next day, I learned it was a situation for the branch president. I was so blessed to help get her convinced to go see him --and especially blessed that for some unknown reason he was home on this weekday night. Well we did go to the branch president's office, and I did hold her hand, as promised. The miracle of forgiveness is wonderful.
Phakamani is 25 years old and served as a counselor to Pres-Elder Dibb in the branch. He decided he wanted to serve a mission. So we had the opportunity to help him process the necessary medical and other papers in getting his application submitted. We are hoping he gets his call before we leave. It is amazing because he had given a recent convert of about six month a wedding proposal. She is the one that asked him about his Patriarchal Blessing and encouraged him to follow it in serving the Lord on a mission. One day he was here at the boarding for a mission photo with a borrowed tie and white shirt, and suit jacket when we realized he needed a shave. So we gave him some shaving cream and a razor before we learned that this was his first shave.
I got to have lunch with Lungile. She and I served as RS counselors together in Madadeni. We were able to discuss some of her challenges and give her some hope and more light.
One morning I got to do some good Visiting Teacher training applicable to Branch One. We were trying to figure out how to begin eating the Visiting Teaching 'elephant' one bite at a time.
One day the zone leaders accompanied us on our day-long-trip to Visit Teach and Home Teach some of the branch members who live far away from our branch.
We are thankful for absentee ballots and for the freedom and privilege of voting. We need to pray for our elected leaders. We are also thankful to know "Mike" at Telecom. He secretly, quietly helped us again get our phone and internet services back after a couple of days.
FHE Dinner of chicken enchiladas and hot chocolate chip cookies [yes with real American chocolate chips] were both a treat for the Elders. One night for dinner, we got to have some Rotary friends over for dinner
As part of my planning our upcoming Newcastle District Young Women's Conference, we had a meeting with the branch YW presidents to discuss the girls' needs. The YW presidents that live far way could not come, so we went to them. Elder Dibb also go to deliver some PPI publications to a young, rising agronomist in eZakheni.
In Seminary we studied Jeremiah and Daniel. Fortunately Elder Dibb was available for one of my Seminary girls when she needed help. During Seminary time he ended up taking Wendy to the police station for a report.
The Jo'burg curriculum saga continues. Our 2009 order came in. The supplies were nicely packed and delivered, but I am not sure there was one order that was correct. Now to look for a solution again to get the extra supplies back to Johannesburg. Some of which had already been sent back to the Distribution Center. I guess they believe in re-cycling.
Thanks for the birthday greetings. Elder Dibb took me out for dinner and a movie. The missionaries came that night to surprise me with birthday cake, ice cream, and a song.
Oh my, the last Sunday of October, the only primary counselor in attendance came up to me after Sacrament Meeting and said "Sister Dibb, the children have learned their song and I promised them we would do the Sacrament Meeting Presentation in November.” Now imagine my shock because when I trained the Primary president, she asked me what was this program. Well I quickly calculated that the only November Sunday possible would be in two weeks. So I told her after I taught my Sunday School class, I would come into Primary to help her.
Within an hour, I learned what songs they knew, we assigned out a few parts, and I wrote a note for the children to take to their family asking for help to teach the children their part. Yesterday, we had our one and only practice -- Oh My! I know miracles happen, I am hoping for one next week.
Our last week of October was highlighted with the pleasure of having Cynthia and her friend, Amanda, come to South Africa. We went to the game park and during the last minutes of our drive, a miracle happened in that we got to see an elephant and watch him eat the tree branches. We saw lots of rhinos, cape buffalo, nala, impalas, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, and warthogs....and a crocodile. But we saw more crocodiles in St. Lucia on our Hippo-Croc cruise, and we saw lots of hippos. With Amanda's photograph skills we got lots of photos. Cynthia and her friend had an interesting scuba diving experience where they saw a humpback whale, but ya'll want to hear the story from her.
A spiritual highlight was having them with us after the mission presidency meeting and dinner; wherein we were invited back to the mission home where Pres. Mann did a little spiritual social meeting with us.
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