Sunday, January 31, 2010

Our day is winding down and it has been a good one! We attended meetings at the Highlands ward and Elder Bullock confirmed Dzikamai. Merci gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting and did a wonderful job. You would never know she was a recent convert. Malaika (her 5 yr. old daughter) sat with us and so did Seka and of course, Dzikamai. As I sat there I thought, "Here we are sitting together with our Africa family" because they feel like our family. These are the ones we will miss the most when we leave here.

Dzikamai was looking really happy and feeling great. His countenance has really changed since the first day we met him. He wants to prepare himself to serve a mission in a year. When he was in Boston he met a black girl there from Tucson, AZ and she took him to church a few times and she is now serving a mission in Washington DC. She will be excited to hear that he was baptized.

We left there early and drove to the Kwadzana Branch at the West end of Harare. We were to meet Answer and Mary and their two little boys there. Answer didn't come as he had to go visit his ill sister in Norton, but Mary came with the boys. We attended all the meetings there with her and Honest, the 6 yr. old liked primary and Trust the 2 yr. old slept most of the time. It was good. We went on Saturday with Elders Law and Crosley while they taught them and will go again next Saturday. Mary met a lady at church today who lives close to them so we are hoping they can become friends.

Anyway -- it was a great day!! Makes being here in Zimbabwe all worth it!!!! :)

I'm sure there is more to write but my mind is blank at the moment so --

Here are some pictures from the last little while.

26 Jan 2010 - Marondera group that gave us a tour of possible borehole sites and then took us to lunch (chicken and chips)

26 Jan 2010 - Books LDSC donated to this library a few years ago in Marondera

26 Jan 2010 - Elder Bullock and librarian in Marondera

26 Jan 2010 - 012 Giving newborn kit to brand new mother and baby

26 Jan 2010 - I liked the opening and closing times on this sign - funny

27 Jan 2010 - Gave quilts to these two ladies - They gave me us a tea set

27 Jan 2010 - Merci

28 Jan 2010 - Beauty (our housekeeper & she does our laundry). She came in a new outfit today (cute!)

30 Jan 2010 - Bullocks with Dzikamai

30 Jan 2010 - Elder Bullock & Dzikamai

30 Jan 2010 - Dzikamai & Seka

Love to our family and friends, Elder and Sister Bullock

Our visit from Bishop McMullin

Our visit was only about 3 hours in total because of airline flights that didn't work out too well. We had Bro. and Sis. Watson from the area presidency here as well and also Bro. Cowan, who is the temporal affairs director for SE Africa (he is the head guy over humanitarian). There was a training meeting with us and the Stake and District Presidents this morning. Bishop McMullin's message was basically that different kingdoms come and go but the Kingdom of God stays. As we obey, God blesses His people. He can bless us no matter where we live. We need to establish his kingdom in our hearts, families, and homes. Be dependent upon God. Care for ourselves and then reach out to others. Walk out of impoverishment. If people will pay their tithes and offerings they can walk out of poverty on their own two feet. Work brings about self reliance.
Temporal and spiritual self reliance go together. Lift people temporally so they can lift each other spiritually. All His work is spiritual (D & C 29)
Exercise your faith. Pray and Do.

That is kind of the jist of the training. We didn't have time to show them a project or two that we are working on but we did get to talk with them for a while. It was a good visit. We have about 9 projects that we are working on and hope to get them organized and submitted before the end of the year so we can get them approved on this year's budget. We think we have some good projects. We are working with the community members to get a good committee that will sustain the projects and take care of them - that is the big challenge!

We have a new granddaughter, Lydia Marie Bullock (Brad and Nicole).

Love, Elder & Sister Bullock