Going Native

My good friend Noxola Mawindi, she is the one that dressed me up.  If you look real close the lady on my apron is smoking a pipe.  Oh my!

Branch cultural and talent night, They Thembuletu Relief Society sisters decided it was time I became one of them.  Elder Richins would rather I left the hat behind but the costumes are beautiful.  I just followed along with the dance.

June 11-17, 2012
It has been diverse week.  We have enjoyed so much this week.  Golf, 3 family home evenings, institute, and branch talent night, plus several visits with the elders.

Monday we enjoyed our first golf.  It was a beautiful day, you didn't even need a jacket.  Guess who won?  Yes, it was Elder Richins, he hasn't lost his touch, but remember Elder Featherstone has been on a mission for 2 years and only played a few times in his life, It was Elder Sheward's first time, and Sister Richins just loves being out and trying to hit the ball straight.

Elder Sheward, not bad for a beginner!

The Elder's know how to have fun, work hard, and follow the rules too be successful.

We thought you might like to see the way we keep warm when it dips to 10 degrees C or lower.

The radiators in the living room.  We keep all the other doors closed.

Mattress pad heater, notice the nice tiles.  The are super cold so we both bought warm slippers that we wear at all times.

       
     Tuesday is our Mossel Bay day.  We met a man at a coffee shop that was referred to us by a member that was recently baptized.  After which we had a few moments to enjoy the waves and the elders took some pictures.

The elder's resisting the temptation to get to close to the water!   Thank heavens looks can be deceiving, the picture doesn't show the other side of the rock with a large rock shelf they were standing on.

Two people taking home their finds for the day.

Wednesday is garbage day.  This is the recycle truck.  They pile the blue garbage bags onto this truck.,  This is the 2nd group that goes through the garbage.  The individuals take the first pickings.  You can hear the dogs barking late at night and early in the morning announcing the arrival of the savengers.  I don't think anything worth salvaging goes to waste.  The individuals always have something they are taking home.

           
Thursday we went to Knysna to inspect the Elder's apartment, which we do every 6 weeks.  Here are some random pictures of our travels.

You see this scene everywhere.  People thumbing or putting money out hoping for a ride. Notice the baby on the ladies back.  They carry the little ones like this everywhere.

Linda Stitler, can you tell me the name of this bird?  The birds here are so very fascinating. I love the red on the bill. 

One day I saw several workers putting together these retaining walls.  It is chicken wire with rocks piled high  in large square sections and then put together.  They are not cemented at all.  You see these all along the Garden Route.

Our 1st robbery.  Someone popped the back tail light and stole our  back lights. They new what they were doing and cut the wires so they could take the lights out whole and use them again.  They did such a great job we didn't notice it for a couple of days.  The Chevy dealer said they were real pros.  Elder Richins at first thought the GM plant had sent the car out with out any tail lights.  

I've been trying to take this picture for a long time.  I'm sure the picture doesn't do the situation justice, but notice the robot's(traffic light) color?  It is green and the people have decided it is time to cross the street, some are finishing and some are just beginning to cross.

This is also a picture I have been trying to capture.  This is a speed bump or hill would be a better term.  These speed bumps are all over George, but Elder Richins and I are sure that this is the highest one.  

This is the entrance to the N2 the freeway that goes along the southern part of Africa, or what everyone calls the Garden Route.  The entrance is always full of people trying to get a ride.  I guess it fascinates me so much because you would never see people sitting at the freeway entrance, thumbing in such large numbers and walking, crossing the freeway at any point.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Outside the police station this sky was so beautitul.  I was sorry I had  this power line in it but  Iwas inside the compound, enjoy the pictures.

 As I mentioned at the first of this blog we had a branch talent night.  Elder Richins and I were the first act.  We did a swing to the tune of Bloody Mary.  I believe we did OK because we have had several comments and big smiles.  It was fun, but so glad that we were first on the program.

The skit

Homemade and they did a great job, notice the blue plastic bucket and stick for a drum

Sister Richins doing a native dance

The branch presidency singing a hymn in harmony and then...

Rocking out, shades and all

Our very own elders doing the Magical Dance

The choreographer was of course Elder Featherstone

We had a great time and I made 4 Texas sheet cakes for refreshments.  They went like hot cakes. It was such a fun way for the branch to get out and have fun.

Sunday was Father's day and Elder Featherstone's last Sunday on his mission he goes home on Wednesday.  His family is sooo excited.  His mom said in her last 3 letters.  Elder Featherstone don't do anything crazy, come home in one piece.  He is following orders the best he knows how.  The Relief Society gave the father's a Lunch Box candy bar for being such great dad's, of course all men over the age of 18 got one.  Encouraging them to prepare to be great dad's some day.

We love you all,  Have a great week.
Elder & Sister Richins