CHRISTMAS BELOW THE EQUATOR

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It's not beginning to look like Christmas
Anywhere we go

Haven't seen many trees with lights,
 Santa or mistletoe.

But, the prettiest sight to see

Was red and green

Perfectly wrapped around

the old palm tree.

 

It's not beginning to look like Christmas

We miss sparkling lights and snow

Here it is summer....

And the perspiration does flow.

We wondered if Santa would  come on

An Elephant or Giraffe

Would he be black or white

Either could make us laugh.

It IS beginning to look like Christmas

Any where we are

Because we know Christmas is in the heart

and is attached to a His shinning star!

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Oh, we miss you all....near and far.   As you can see from the pictures our Christmas was pretty traditional in many ways.  Christmas Eve was spent going to the Baxter's playing games and eating pizza with all the missionaries.  On Christmas Day we had a great devotional with the other missionaries.  Then partook of a very traditional Christmas Dinner.  The month of December was busy making treat boxes (lots of them) for the members of the branch and for some of the people we have met in the township.  It was not much but they do get excited. 

Christmas is very low key here compared to the states.  In our branch most people do not give gifts to each other.  The celebration consists of getting together with their families and having a braai (barbeque).  No one I know of had a tree other than the Baxters (other missionary couple).  I know some of the Afrikaners (whites) do have trees and  have a more traditional (as we see it) Christmas.   There are very few outside decorations.  The Christmas program at church was a typical meeting but with  talks and music focused on Christ.  It was the first time all month that they even sang Christmas Carols in church.  We missed the good musicians in our home ward.   The best part of Christmas for us was talking to and seeing our cute little grandchildren (and of course children).  They are growing and changing so fast. They are all busy. 

Wade, Katelyn, Tessa, Bode, and baby Whitt are still living in the Middle East in Dubai. They always have fun experiences to share with us and they seem to thrive there.

Adam, Lori, Parker, Addison, and baby Cameron are still in Sandy.  They do a good job  going down and taking care of our abode there.  Addison always has lots to tell Grandma, not many secrets there.

Rian, Jim, Carter, Morgan, and Gavin are skiing fanatics and are very good.  They love all the snow! My little lovelies are very good students (honor roll) and are swimmers, skiers, soccer players and busy.  Jim and Rian visited us in September and it was very fun.

Bob and I are busy, busy.  We do like it here and love the people we work to support.  They are amazing.  Sometimes I forget my skin is white.  The work can be hard, we have not seen the branch move along as it should, but there have been some changes.  But, I know we have made a difference in the individual lives of a number of people.  We have been so appreciative of the kind generosity of our family and ward friends in supporting our work.

 

There are miracles all around us.  Nana passed in October in her 104th year.  It was a blessing.  This year we are  also thankful of the miracle of new life in birth of Cameron and Whitt.  We know that Whitt is evidence of the kind hand of our Heavenly Father.  We will be ever thankful for the many prayers and fasting from our family and friends.  Prayers do make a difference. 

As usual our thoughts this season turn to Reid.  We miss him terribly, but the sting is easing. We know he is where he should be.  And, that brings us to our thankfulness for the redeeming sacrifice of our Savior.  He lives, as does Reid and those we love, as we will also. 

 

 Merry Christmas and a Peaceful New Year!!

 

 

 

 

 

A MONTH FOR THANKSGIVING AND MIRACLES

Definitely one of the big sacrifices of being on a mission is leaving your family, children and grandchildren. This Thanksgiving I was on one continent and Bob on another.  He stayed in Africa had a traditional meal with the Baxters (bless Sister Baxter's heart) and other missionaries.  The next day they were off on a five hour trip to Tzaneen for a Zone Conference.

I flew to Dubai to check out the Hunts there and especially the new little Whittman Hunt.


Since leaving on the mission we have been blessed with two new Grandsons.  We are Thankful.

Mr. Cameron Robert Hunt was born in May.  With every picture I see how much he a grown and I realize I am missing a special snuggly part of his life. 

                Cameron Robert Hunt
                       Six months old



Mr. Whittman Wade Hunt arrived November 1, 2013. 

Whittman Wade Hunt

Four weeks old

 Little Whitt entered this world under very trying circumstances.  It is hard to be far from you children and know they are suffering, There were a number of very anxious days worrying about what would happen.  I am so thankful for the many, many prayers offered in his behalf.  Many of our family and friends from around the world and from many religions prayed hard for his recovery.  A testimony that God hears all righteous prayers.  Wade and Katelyn know many folks that love and support then.  While visiting in Dubai he got a clean bill of health from the pediatric neurologist.  I do believe in Miracles and Whit is one.

The month of November has been good to us through the years; Reid was born in November, Gavin was born in November (both the 16th) and now Whitt.  We are thankful.

THE CLEANING LADY

I now have a cleaning lady.  It is presumed the mission is all sacrifice and the question is why do I need a cleaner for a two room flat?  Well, I don't need one. Meeting Martha started my need for the cleaning lady.

MEET MARTHA

                                

Martha came to church one day.  She just showed up.  She was peppy and interactive with everyone.  She told me she had moved from a town between Joburg and Nespruit.  I liked her pretty much right away.   She is in her early to mid fifties with lots of energy.  She told me she joined the church in the early 90's.   

I gave her a ride home and she had me let her off on the main road.  She explained she lived like a "squatter".  I told her it didn't matter where she lived.  That I would like to come visiting teaching to her.

The next week I drove the same ladies home.  They live in a big circle of maybe 12 to 15 miles and it takes a while.  Elder and I are teaching some temple classes.  But, that Sunday Elder Hunt came out and told me that I need to take someone to the clinic. So I drove them to the clinic, dropped them, then came back and got the ladies for the big take home trip.  I could hear the ladies chatting in the back seat.  When we get to Sister Solita's House she asked me to wait for a minutes.  She ran into the little tack shop (small neighborhood store that people run out of their garages) and came back with two bags full of groceries.  After I dropped the others off Sister Martha and I were alone in the car.  I asked if she was alright.  "Ahhh Sister Hunt life is hard."

MARTH'S STORY                            

    Martha had been married and was an active member of the church.  Both she and her husband had been to the temple and had been very active.  They were never able to have children.  He did have an decent job and she sold clothing that she would go to Durban to buy, then bring it back and sell it on the streets.  She said they had build a nice home and she loved it.   Her husband had the roving eye, or as Martha tells it he liked the young girls.  One  day he came home and kicked her out of the house. He explained that his young girl friend was moving  into her home.  He physically moved her out.  He also told her that he was divorced from her.  He went to court and divorced her without her knowing it.  He took someone to be in her place pretending to be her.  She then took him to court to divorce him.  When the judge heard the story, he reprimanded the husband then motioned that she would have 1/2  of everything they had.  The husband  then started threatening her that he would have her killed if she tried to get anything.  He would hire someone and blow her away (common here in Africa).  She was trying to hide from him.  She had grown up in KaNyamazne  and had some family here, so she ran away to here.  She had no place to live.  She noted that when she had things her family were always coming to stay with her, but when she had nothing to offer them they had little interest.  That was about 5 years ago.  She thought the only church was in Nelspruit, and there is no way she had money to attend church, then one of her sister's children told her about the church in KaNyamazne.

I asked her how she got food.  "Ahhhhh, Sister Hunt, it has been so hard."  I go around to see if I can get a piece job."  Washing window, racking a yard, etc.  And that is how I got Martha the cleaning lady.  I told her she could come one day a week.  Here in SA domestic help is not expensive Rand 100 per day  ($10). Think of it $10 a day, they show up at 7:00 am.  Work until 3 or 4.....$10 a day.  All the whites here have domestic help for 5 days a week.
So I struck a deal with her to clean for me one day a week

 

and she has been coming for the past 3 weeks.  I always try to send food home with her and pay extra to pay her way home. Most weeks Elder Hunt and I drive her one way

One of her sisters sold her a small stand (building lot) in back of a house she was selling. She paid Rand 50 for it  ($5.00 American).  She then became very ill.  She started building her own house on the stand with things that she could find that had been discarded. 

THE HOUSE THAT MARTHA BUILT

This is the house that Martha built.  I has no electricity, no water, no outhouse.

It is about  8 by 10 feet.   There are not chairs, not even one to sit down on during the day.  She cooks using a paraffin stove.

She bathes in a tub in some trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



                               SIDE VIEW

 



                  

This is a view of the inside.  For a bed she puts a blanket on the floor and sleeps there.  Since working she bought herself a used foam pad to sleep on.  The rains have been bad, so she has dug a big hole around the house and piled the dirt up the sides so the water does not get in from the ground, but the roof leaves something to be desired.   

WHEN POOR IS POOR

 I can remember telling my children when they were growing up that they could not have something because, "we are poor".  I know now that most of us have no idea what poor is.  Sister Martha is a reminder of how blessed we are.  Elder Hunt took a friend of ours from the township to her house to get some advice. He has seen plenty of hardship, but when he saw this, it he had to leave for 5 minutes or so because  he was so overcome with emotions that someone had to live in such deprivation.

I explained to "Builder Bob" we have to do something about this and he agrees.

  But, for now I know I must never forget this picture.  My cute little cleaning lady, that in all reality has nowhere to clean of her own.