November in Nelspruit

I'm sorry you havent heard from us in so long.  As you can see above we are having a little trouble with housing!  Actually we are checking out what we can afford.  How do you like it?

Today we served as Mormon Helping Hands in Kamagugu.   We planted a lawn for a school for the disabled.  this is how you do it... Elder Moss take a broom handle and make a hole then  then I put a plug of grass in the hole and cover it. The closer you put the plugs the sooner you will have a lawn.
It was fun, there was a good turnout and it felt good to dig in the dirt.

This week we were able to take Nomsa to the airport.  She was on her way to the MTC in Ghana.
She is the first missionary to serve from KaNamazane.  She is wonderful girl full of fun and loves the gospel  She is the only member in her family..but her family was very supportive they came out to the airport to see her off.   The branch had a party for her with a big turnout.  Everyone loves Nomsa!

Our landlord showed up one day to paint our flat.   I invited him and the painter in and left the room!
When I came back in the painter had started painting.  It was NEON lime green!   I said "ohh you can't paint that in all the rooms in the house."  "Whats the matter don't you like green"  "Yaa but not that green all over the walls!"  I finally convinced him that he could not paint the walls that color and they returned with an off white!  It was actually quite funny!

This pictures doesn't even begin to show what the true color was!

Nov. 4, 2012  the first stake in Botswana was formed. We were so excited for them, the only thing better would have been if we could have been there!  It will really make the work go forth in Botswana.  We are also expecting that Botswana will be made a mission seperate from South AFrica,
but of course we don't have any idea when.

We were so excited to hear the announcement about about the change of age for missionaries.  The Lord is truly "hastening" his work.  this is a time when the only safety is in holding to the rod.  We must go forward and look upward.  Pray for each other in your families and pray for yourself that you will stay strong through these troubled times.  The Lord is truly watching over us we have experienced so many miracles while on this mission.  I could never deny that I know the Lord knows each one of us                              
and our sorrows and our joy's.  He is standing at the door, the handle is on our side we open that door through pray.

We have been here for 1 year already only 6 months left.   I will miss these people and their spirit but will love to see our family and friends again.

Remember how much a missionaries loves to hear from home.  Don't forget us we will be back.
Love Elder and SisterMoss

SPRING TIME IN NELSPRUIT, SOUTH AFRICA

This tree is called a Strangulated Fig  it appears to be strangulating the rock.  The tree grows out of the top of the rock with the roots squeezing the rock. Interesting!

We are getting settled in Nelspruit  learning our way around without getting lost most of the time!
We have connected with the Branch Mission Leader who is inactive.  His name is Sfiso.   He is a young unmarried man in his 20's.   He goes with us everyday now as we drive around looking for the inactive's in the Branch.  He knows where everyone lives etc.  He even prepares a message to give.  I do not know why he as been inactive but this lat Sunday he came to church!  And we have appoints this week with him to go out finding again.

Last Sunday there was no one in Primary except kids!   I ended up in Primary for 2 hours with no manuel, pictures, or paper and crayon's and no music!  We sang....tried to tell them about Christ when he appeared to the Nephites and gathered the children around and gave them each a blessing. 
Only the older kids understand some english the younger ones do not understand English at all.  They speak Swazi or Swati.  Two different languages!   We played the "Hoky Poky"  "Do as I'm Doing" and a few more gems like that!

On day I stepped out of the door and a little boy was walking by..I always talk to the kids...He said to me," Do you know you have white hair."  I said acting surprised,  " Really!" 

I took Larry's suit pants into the cleaners...When I went to pick them up they were folded up in a plastic bag.   I asked why they didn't put them on a hanger.  The answer was that I hadn't asked them to.!

I don't think I told you about the run in we had with a cow in Botswana.  We were driving home from Gabrone at night.  When out of the night appeared a herd of cows walking across the road.  Because of the car lights coming  towards us I couldn't see them until about 30 seconds before I hit the cow!

You've heard of the "cow jumped over the moon"  well this was the cow tried to jump over the car but didn't make it!  Larry and I were okay but the cars was banged up on one side.   But the car still ran so we kept on going.

Will you allow Grandma and Grandpa to brag about our 6 grandson's who are currently serving a mission or will shortly by leaving for the MTC.   Preston is in Ecuador, Jacob is in Germany, Steven is in Colorado, Christopher Wiley, Peru; Christopher Bradshaw, Japan and Luke Butler will be going into the MTC Sept. 25th bound for Boise Idaho.

Oops!   The picture above is Elder Moss getting eaten by a Crocodile ...this one showed up in a bakery in the form of bread!

Trouble with the pictures, you can decide which one is the crocodile!!

Thank you for the letters, emails and prayers.   The gospel our family and friends are the most important things in our lives so please take care of yourself until we can get home  and please keep the email's and letters coming!

Love Elder and Sister Moss, Grandma, andGrandpa, Mom and Dad, or Elaine and Larry...and if you have another name for us I guess thats okay to!

Moving From the Bush to the Jungle

This is my seminary class in Labotse, I love these girls so much it is hard to leave them behind as we move to a new area.   Their names are Bame, Malefo, Keletso, Thsehgofatso,Tumisong, Refeliwe. and Gorata.

This is couples we have worked with in Botswana.  We will miss them.  Every month we spent a P day together.  This was a trip through the Bush looking at the wild beasts!  From left to right they are the Taylors, Rands, Moss, and the Kimballs. 

My very dear friend Amina.  She has been our landlady in Botswana.    I will miss her.
I think I have spoke of her before.

This  is a picture of a Grandma (GoGo), and a mother.  The Mothers daughter is our primary president in Kanye.  I love the face of the very old women and men they tell the story of their life.

This is Elder Moss and his buddies.   Elder Banda the one with the blue tie is from Malwai.  He came to our house and cried and talked how much he would miss us for 2 hours one day!  He almost had me crying.
This a lot of pictures but I want you to see a few of the reason's why we love Africa.  We love these people so much.   Botswana will always be one of our wonderful memories.

We have been transfers to Nelspruit, South Africa.  It is in Northeast South Africa close to Mozambque and Swaziland.  It is in the state of Mpumalanga...love these African names they are hard to get your tongue around.  We are living in a 2 bedroom flat which is nice.  We will be working in a township 24 K from town by the name of Kanyemazane.   We met with them on Sunday.   they meet in a school room.  There were only about 30 people there.  Many inactives..We have our work cut out for us and understand why we are here.  

My good friend Patty Abraham from Solana Beach and now St. George has been called to serve in the Johannesburg South Africa mission.  It will be so fun to see her in the land that I love.

We miss our family and friends, but the Lord gives special blessings to his missionaries one of which has been a heart full of love for all people  that we meet.

We  look forward to emails.It is a wonderful day when we hear from our family and friends.
Love Elder and sister Moss

elainermoss@gmail.com

A FEW MORE TALES FROM THE BUSH!

This picture is all of the couple missionaries in the South Africa, Johannesburg Mission.  Many good people to be associated with.   We are gathered together for a couples retreat in Johannesburg.  We've been looking forward to these few days for several months now.  This is our 3rd mission and our 1st Couples Retreat.!  It was so fun to get together with the other couples.  those of you from Bend will see Pres. and Sis. Chastain in the picutre.  They have been in the mission for only 2 weeks now.  Our mission president and his wife are on the far right in the front.  Wonderful people from Salt lake.
We ate many good meals, went to an animal reserve, did a temple session, then had an afternoon to just go where we wanted to go.  We went to the Organic Market where we use to like to hang out 10 years ago.   Friday we jumped (actually we slowly got into the car) we don't do much jumping anymore, and drove home.  We are about 5 hours from Johannesburg.   One evening we gathered at the mission home for a meal and some entertainment.  Have you ever heard of "spoonerism's"?  I hadn't but Elder Wolf from Preston Idaho got up and recited "Rindacella"   I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.  I think everyone else felt like I did.  It was a good way to end our days together.

Getting ready for Sacrament meeting in Kayne.   We had 6 people baptised in Kanye on Sunday.  The font is outside, the tempature was 33 degrees F.  the night before the baptism, the water in the font was 36 degree's when they were baptized.
I keep a little notebook with me all the time to write down Africa English.  they have a way of saying things that are very discriptive...Last Sunday one of my favorites was  Elder Mnada....the lesson was on pray, "Satan doesn't eat food like us.  When we don't feel like praying and don't pray we are feeding Satan,,When we pray we make Satan hungry and weak...may we all make Satan hungry and weak as we say our prayers everyday."

Time to be on our way for another evening of visiting, teaching etc....Whatever comes along
You never know!  

Love Elder and Sister Moss
Just a reminder we love love hearing from friends and family.  Our email address is
elainermoss@gmail.com

You never know what is going to happen!

This is another of our animals pictures from our trip to Kruger National Park

                                                                  HEADLINE NEWS

 ROBBERY SUSPECT ELDER MOSS TAKEN TO POLICE STATION FOR QUESTIONING

Saturday began as an uneventful day until Elder Moss decided he needed to go pick up some meds from the pharmacy.  Should have been a 20 minute trip...2 hours later he shows up with a tale to tell.

He had spent an hour and a half at the police station!   He stopped at the ATM to get some cash  took out 1000 Pula stuck it in his pocket and then walked away to a more seculded spot to put it in his wallet.   He then went on his merry way to the pharmacy and the grocery store after which he returned to the car to find a very angry woman waiting for him.   She started screaming at him and he was clueless as to what her problem was but as the crowd gathered and they started glaring at him he figured out that she thought he had taken her 2000Pula.  He assured her that he would never do that..She screamed she had seen him do it!   Shortly the police showed up and tried to get the  bottom of the problem.  They finally said lets go down to the police station and figure this out.  So Elder Moss drove to the police station with a policeman.  He was taken in to the station where he sat and told 5 policeman what had happened.  The woman said she saw him put the money in his pocket and then he  walked where it was hidden and moved it into his wallet.  They searched his wallet and found only the 1000 pula minus what he had spent at the pharmacy and the grocery store for which he had the receits.  They searched the car and his pockets and wallet and could not find her money.  She finally agreed that she had made a mistake..She shook hands with Elder Moss.  And he came home with his tale to tell.   I thought it was really funny, and so did he!  Another  memorable day in Africa!

The picture above was suppose to be here.  It is a picture of my seminary class getting ready to go for a hike up the mountain (hill) with the Elders and Young Adults.  They were so excited.  As you can see there are no laws restricted riding in the back of a bakkie (pick up).  I really love these kids..they are fun to teach.
Now lets see if I can get the next picture in the right place:

Ohh well!

this is Sacrament meeting in Kanye.  Electricity was out in the village of Kanye, the church has no windows!  Sacrament meeting was very nice in this setting.  The baptismal font is off to the side.  After the cllosing prayer the Branch President got up and said because we can't have any classes today Elder and Sister Moss will talk to us for the next 2 hours!  Suprise!  I talked for about 45 minutes and Larry talked for another 30 minutes and church was over!!

I love reading the scriptures the more time you spend in the scriptures the more time you want to spend with them.

We really appreciate every email, facebook post, communication of any kind, from our family and friends.  thank you for your prayers and support.  We love you all.  I want you all to know that the Savior lives and is aware of each of us and our situation's, he is there waiting for us to turn to him so that he can heal our sorrows, forgive us of our sins as we repent and help carry our burdens through his atonement.  What a wonderful gift.

Love Mom and Dad, Elaine & Larry, Grandma and Grandpa  or what ever you want to call us!

Winter is coming to Botswana

It feels like winter is here.   Today is really chilly!  I'm glad we stuck in a pair of sweats to wear around the house in the evenings.  There is no inside heat!  Brrr!

Our yard has finally been cleaned up.  A nice yard here is no weeds just bare dirt with an occasional tree.   We had done nothing since we moved in so you couldn't even see the dirt (bad mistake).  Weeds had grown to about 3 feet and we have a large back yard, in fact once the weeds were cleared we discovered an orange tree in the very back corner!  Two men in the Branch spent the week pulling up weeds...Now you can see lots of bare dirt....The women here sweep the dirt in their yards with short brooms about 2 1/2 feet tall.  They bend over and sweep a pattern into the dirt!  This woman won't be doing that and neither will the man who lives here.  lol

We appreciate the emails and letters we have received from you.  Thank you!  Mail to a missionary is like Manna from Heaven.

On Easter Sunday we were in Kanye for church.  During Gospel Principles class they were talking about the ressurection.  One man raised his hand and said, "If you lose your hand you can get an artificial hand, if you lose a leg you can get an artificial leg, but if you cut off your head you will have to wait til the ressurection." 

Since the weather has turned cold  we see many donkey carts with a load of wood for their fires.  You can smell wood smoke in the air all around just now!  Africa English!  If someone tells you that they will be right back just now.  You know it may be tommorrow before you see them again.  But if they say "I'll be right back just now now"  that means they really will come right back!

We continue to love these people and the gospel what a blessing to be able to serve a mission in Africa.   Next blog will be longer with more infomation also I am going to try to insert pictures again if I'm sucessful "Ohh Happy Day"   I've change a setting on our camera so the next pictures I take should be able to load faster.

We are going to a game park this week so will have some animal pictures to prove we really are in Africa!! 
Elder and Sister Moss

FALL IS HERE!

So far Fall looks about like summer.   The weather has cooled down considerably.   A sweater would feel good at night.   Apparently in the middle of the winter most of the trees will lose their leaves but there is no gold and red flush they just fall...............................................................................................

We are still spending alot of time with the classes we are teaching..Seminary in Labotse and Kanye.   I enjoy teaching these classes and preparing for them.  They are studying the Old Testament this year.

We had a young Adult party at our house a couple of weeks ago.  There were about 10 here.  They were suppose to plan the activity this time.   We had done it for the first party.   They read the 11th chapter of 3rd Nephi....and discussed it and that was the party except for the meal that I fixed................

We continue to see and hear from people who need food.   One day we went into "Chicken Licken"  Botswana version of fast food.  It only takes 30 minutes to get it

instead of an hour!  Anyway while waiting a man asked Larry for money.   Larry gave him 10 pula which is quite a bit to give to someone  usually you give them 5 pula.  Any way he came back again and asked Larry for more.  He said no I gave you all I can.   Our food came and we started eating ..this guy sat at the table by ours and stared at Larry, he watched every bite he took!    Larry couldn't stand it any longer and gave him his last piece of chicken..  The guy then asked him for the bones which he gave him also.  He ate it all including the bones. Another day we were in the house and three girls knocked on our gate  they needed something to eat.  We brought them in and fed them and then gave them a sack full of food to take home to the rest of their family who hadn't eaten...............................................................................................................................................................                                                                                                                                          

I am having a hard time inserting pictures into this blog so I will again send via email.   And I think I will be writing an email after this instead of the blog  it is faster.   If you want me to send it to you please give me your email.   Our email address is elainermoss@gmail.com

We continue to love hearing from home...In fact we love love it!!!!

Elder and Sister Moss

SUMMER IN BOSWANA

We are excited the internet has finally found its way to our house!  It only took  4 months!   A month ago we recieved notice that we had been approved for the internet...we thought they would surly be there in a couple of days....It was not to be...We had to get a landline installed before we could get the internet so I started going down to the BTC office every morning to let them know no one had came yet...About a week of that they finally showed up and put in the landline....Called BBI to let them know the landline was in so they could now put in the internet 2 weeks more still no internet.  I  started calling them everyday always very nice.   Finally they showed up late Friday to connect the internet...Alas!  BTC had not made a connection that needed to be made before BBI could put in the internet.   BAck to the drawing board!   I went down to BTC office Saturday morning and told the girl what had happened.  She said I can't do anything until Monday and took my number.   Said thank you and left.  An hour later a man called asking how to get to our house.  It was a miracle!!!  He came and did the necessary things and we had the internet!!!  Monday morning I made some cookies and took them to the girl at the desk of BTC and said THANK YOU!   

We  both are doing okay.  Just very busy.   We continue to teach  the Temple Preparation class in Kanye.  The Lobatse group went to the temple after  their class was finished.   During one of our last classes one of the Sisters in the class was asked to read D&C 109:22-23, she cried and said "those are such beautful promises."  I have read that many times and it never registered exactly what these verses were saying, but I will never read them again without thinking of this amazing woman in the temple prep class and that these promises are to all of  who go to the temple with a humble heart.

Larry has a 21 year old girl, LaTang in his Insitutue class .   She read the Book of Mormon in 4 days this month!!  She is teaching "the Book of Mormon class in Sunday school.   She looks like she is no older than 16.

I enjoy teaching Seminary.   It is an amazing class full of 14-18 year olds and I have no displine problems.   My star student is a 12 year old girl who comes everytime  is doing all the reading and keeping her notebook up to date.   This Friday night I am starting a Seminary class in Kanye, since they haven't been able to find anyone yet to do it.   Also we are starting a teaher development class in Lobatse.

Last week we went with the missionaries to talk to a couple who are having a hard time surviving.  He is the Elders Quorem President.   It was the worst situation I have ever walked into.   They live in a tiny room about 6 x10 with people living on both sides of them who are also living in one tiny room.
The bed takes up most of the room.  a hot plate with 1 burner is the stove   They have 1 little baby who was asleep on the bed.  I sat on the bed and Larry sat on a chair they got from a neiborer.   It was very very very hot and dark with only a candle to light the way.  There were cockroaches crawling all over the walls and on the baby.   Larry talked to them and gave them some good counsel.   Larry gave him a blessing and then Bro. Otlogetswe gave his wife a blessing.  The blessing he gave his wife was beautiful.  The spirit was there in that little hovel.  That night I didn't sleep very well thinking of the circumstances of this couple and what the solution could possibly be which you'd think would be a good job  but there are very few available.   I don't know the answer to these problems but I do know that the Lord is in charge and as we stay close to him through pray,keeping the commandents, reading our scriptures, and helping others we will blessed in whatever circumstance we find ourself in.

I will try to post a few pictures that tell a story better than words.  I have been trying all day to downloadpictures with no luck,  So I am sending this with only the one picture.  If I get it figured out I will send the pictures.
Love Elder and Sister Moss

I have been trying all afternoon to downloadpictures

Finally another post!

access to the internet has been real spotty!  Today I am in the Branch presidents office on his computer.  He is a kind man to allow me into the intersanctum for a while so I can let everyone know how we are and what we arre doing. 

We have moved into the new house here in Lobotse.  It is an unusal house in that we have 13 closets in our bedroom.  With locks on everyone!  There is a large yard surrounded by dirt with the maid quarters in the very back of the yard.  I told them I didn't need the maid quarters since I am the maid!  There are large trees all around us  which is great for two bird watchers.  So far we have had some unusual guests.  the first was a hornbill that flew into the kitchen checked out Elder Moss and flew out again.  The next visitor was a bat flipping around the room.  We shut the door and didn't open it again until the next day.  He had vanished!
Then there has been 3 fat frogs which we picked up and threw outside!! 

A couple of days before Christmas we went caroling with the Kanye Branch and the missionaries.  It was probably about the nicest thing we did during the holidays.  We walked through neighborhoods and sang to every house that had an open gate.  I really felt as I walked to each humble house and sang the songs telling about Christ's birth that I was really at the ends of the earth publishing the news that Christ was born!  We sang to many different people but our favorites were the older people whose faces told of the hard lives they had lived and to see them wrinkle into a smile with an added light to their eyes.

Christmas day Elder Moss and I spoke in the Kanye Branch then drove home to Lobotse (45 K).  I fixed dinner for six missionaries from Kanye and Lobotse our Zone.  They were all so excited to get their calls from home.  Each had emailed what time to call.  As it got close to their call they would pace around the room checking every minute that went by.  Some parents didn't call right on schedule which was a let down.
I had no idea how important those calls were to our missionaries.

I also got a ticket on the way back to Lobotse...I was going 92 K in a 80 K spot.  The reason I am mentioning this is because I really liked the cop.  I told him I was going to Lobotse to fix dinner for the missionaries..his response, "I wish I could come and have some american food."  I invited him but he was on duty at the time!  Then he told me his dream was to come to america and be a farmer.  And then he sang me his favortie christmas song!!  I hope I see him again when he isn't on duty.

I need to tell you about the Relief Society President in kanye.  She is probably about 30 years old.  Anyway in RS the lesson was on the atonement..She told us that after she joined the church 6 months ago she was trying to understand how Christ had taken on all our sins, she finally decided it was like a dry sponge put into a bowl of dirty water the sponge soaks up all the water and the bowl is clean.  Then she went on to say "Then I was wondering why Christ had to be sinless to take upon him our sins I again thought of the sponge if you put a partically wet sponge into that same bowl of water it will not soak up all of the water."   Christ had to be sinless.

Last Sunday we were in Lobotse for church.  there was a little lady setting there who doesn't speak much english.  She had a baby boy on her lap.  I gave her a that picutre by Lis Swindle Lemon of Christ with the African baby in his arms.  I wish you could have seen the look on her face it was priceless.  the baby took the picture and stared at it and got a small smile on his face.

Elder Moss and I are doing okay.  We are getting many things handed to us to do and we aren't sure we can do everything.  We want to train them how to do it!  We have hopes of an internet connection in the coming weeks at which time this blog will be every week.  We have lost our camera so there are no pictures this time.  It is very very hot here at times..42c  I think that is over a hundred.  But we do get some wonderful thunder storms with buckets of rain coming down.

We are just like those missionaries waiting for their phone calls at christmas ..only we are waiting for emails...
Love Elder and Sister Moss