Hello Again from Africa!

Dear Family, Friends & Loved ones, July 27,2009

We thought it was time to write and give everyone and update. We are still enjoying being in this BEAUTIFUL area of George, South Africa. We have had a lot of rain the past few days. It is about noon on Sunday th 26th and the sun is starting to shine through. It looks like it is going to be another beautiful day. We just got home from church. We had a change in our little Branch today, one of the counselors is leaving for a 6 month trip around the world. They put a new member (only been in the church a little over a year) in his place. We are sure he will be fine and learn much.

We stay busy but not doing some of the things we would like to or as much as we would like to in the way of missionary work. It is hard to fined the time to take care of the 8 missionaries, feed them run them to there appointments, which is about 25 to 30 minutes from where we live. Sometimes we go with them to the appointment. This we really enjoy, but some time we just sit in the car and wait for them to teach and then take them to another one and then it is home for the night. We try and keep some of our appointments as well.

Right now Elder O is teaching the gospel principals class & the Priesthood class. Sister O is 1st counselor in Young Women. She likes it and the young girls really Love her as well. Brother O spends most of his time studying through the week. He says he thinks it is really good. He learns much more by teaching than the class learns, and he is liking it quite a bit. It is going well.

We are working with an older couple right now, the Elders started visiting them some 3 years ago. The husband has read the Bool of Mormon several times and says he believes it is true and a very good book. He says he knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet and did receive the Gold Plates and translate them. They love us to come once a week and see them and read the B of M with them. They belong to the Dutch Reform Church as do all their children. This makes it hard for them to change an go to another church. They are in there 80's and we think they just feel it will be to hard on the family and them to change what they have been doing for so many years. We will still visit them each week but I'm not so sure they are willing to change there life for the true church. The wife has told us that her husband is much kinder to her since the missionaries have been coming to see them and she still wants us to come. So we will.

We received a name of a lady who lost her husband about 3 months ago and she asked the Elders to please come to see her but they can't go to a single ladies home so they have given us her name and information for us to go see her. We hope we can get there this next week. Exciting! We will be spending time in Mossel Bay with people who are less actives as well as Wilderness. Two very beautiful areas in SA.

We have a Single Sister who we have Family Home Evening and Study with at her home once a week. She has 2 children who are not members of the Church. The Father says NO, but we really think in time they will be. Sister O and this sister really like each other and are some what alike in personality. They really have clicked and we think it is going to help her a lot. She was just made the RSP in the Branch.

We have other Families we go to with the Elders to teach as well. One Family, Elder O has met with and spent time with. He is sure they will be members soon. Sister O has been with them in church. They have a new baby girl so cute. As soon as we can get them married then we will get them into the church and we both feel they will be geat members of the kingdom.

We have a family, Father Son & Mother baptized about 2 weeks ago and they are very nice people Brother O has spent time with them an feels they will be a great help to the Branch. They have a son 10, who loves to play Golf and has been asking Elder O to take him to play Golf. He says “When are you going to come pick me up so we can go and play Golf? He is really cute. He asked the Elders if Elder O would be upset if he beat him ? Funny and cute. Elder O told the Elders he wouldn't be up set with the little boy if he beat him BUT he would be up set with himself. Ha!!

We spent all day Saturday the 25 at the church. There was a workshop and Interviews for the Missionaries with President Probst. He is a Good Man and is respected by all the young Elders and the Senior as well. Sister O had a great lunch for everyone. She works really hard to get her great salsa chopped which they all LOVE. She didn't get to bed until about 2am the night before the meeting.

We had a Senior Couple come and stay with us on Sunday night, They got in about 4pm and we fed all the Elders around 6:30 So we were all together for dinner. The Senior couples name is Elder & Sister Tenney. He really likes to play Golf so Elder O and Elder T went to playing Golf on Monday for P-Day. It is the first time for Elder O but Elder Tenney has been out about a year and has played several other times. Sister O and Sister T went shopping ! Both Elders & Both Sisters had a great time golfing & shopping. Elder O says they really have some nice and beautiful courses over here.

It is so nice where we are and we both love being in George SA BUT somethings are strange and a little hard to get use to. Like driving on the other side of the road. Elder O does a great job but from time to time he kind of forgets which side he is to be on. We have to buy our electricity so we go to the service station to buy gas and get electricity or go to get food at the store and buy electricity then go home and program it into the box. The trunk of a car is called the boot, stop lights are called robots. speed bumps are everywhere so you really can't go to fast except when you are on the highway. They make it very hard for the blacks to get a drivers license over here and it takes a long time. Some times they wait until the are in their 20 before they can drive. There are three types of people here, Black, Colored & White (African) Blacks are really black and Colored are a little lighter skin, African are white. They all speak about 3 to 4 different languages but they all speak english, the accent is hard to understand. Elder O has a harder time because he has trouble hearing them. But it is getting better and soon it will be old hat for both of us.

There is no middle class in SA you are either poor or rich. The poor are so poor it is really hard to see, an you feel so sad for them. The rich live a very different life and really don't want to hear about religion at all. They all have there church they go to an don't want to change. They pay no attention to the poor people at all. Sad! You either live in a Mansion and drive a Mercedes, BMW or Audie or you live in a cardboard house and walk or take the taxi to and from town.

Sister O fixed a big Mexican dinner for every one Sunday night. You can't fine corn chips here except for one store. They are not that great but they are corn chips to eat with the salsa. Tomato sauce as we know it in American does not exist in SA. All the sauce that says Tomato sauce is very sweet and is like ketchup. So Mexican food doesn't taste the same as in America but the Elders seam to like it fine and they eat it.
Well this letter is getting long and Sister O still has to type it and get it sent so guess we had better sign off.


We want to thank all our children for the fine people they are, Chuck & Troy thanks so much for the pictures they are GREAT and we are so happy to have them. We look forward to getting Dee Ann's and Connie's soon.

Everyone stay close to the Lord and live the Teachings of the Gospel. We all very much want to be together for eternity with our Father in Heaven and we know this comes with righteous living and doing the things we have been asked and taught to do by our Father in Heaven.

We love and miss you all so much. If only we could share this beautiful experience with all of you it would be GREAT. Know that you are in our prayers always!

Elder & Sister O'Dell
Mom (Linda) & Dad (Grandpa Woody)