O'Dells Update from SA - Sept. 14, 2009

September 14, 2009

Dear Family, Friends & Loved Ones,

Well it is that time again! Greetings from BEAUTIFUL SA again. We have really been busy and time is flying by so fast. We had a baptism on Sept. 5 (Sat). We had it at the river again. It is such a beautiful setting but the water is really cold. We went back to the church for refreshments & for them to get warm.

We met with Pres. Matsaluka about a week ago trying to set goals and branch goals for our missionary program. It was really a good meeting, and we accomplished a lot. We then had the elders over for a braai on Saturday. We had hamburgers, sausage & hot dogs before we had workshops and interviews with Pres Probst. It was supposed to be from 7 to 8:30pm, but it lasted almost until 10:30pm.

The next morning Pres Probst was at church and we had the confirmation. We had one of the most spiritual testimony meetings that we can remember. We had nearly all the people at church that we have been helping to teach. We had one lady that couldn't be there because of the death of her father. She has invited all the missionaries to their farm (where they buried her father) for dinner. We are hoping that we can make it but we are not sure as it is 150 k's away.

We have been visiting and teaching this lady for sometime and she has a pink Bible. You know how Sister O'Dell loves the color pink. Sister O has commented on how much she likes her pink Bible. Well we were at the mall and we saw her there; her name is Desiree. She went to the mall to get Sister O a pink Bible and she gave it to her while we were there. Sister O was nearly in tears as she was so touched by her kind & loving act. She is a large lady and her heart is large & kind also.

Last Sunday we had a senior couple come by and stay the night with us and they had dinner on Sunday with the elders & us. Then on Monday (P-day) we all went to Oudtshoorn to go to the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm. We couldn't leave until after 11:00am. We took 3 elders with us and the Millers took 3 elders with them. We went straight to the caves. I was able to get a discount for the missionary group. They have a standard tour and an adventure tour. The elders went on the adventure tour (about 11/2 hr.)
You have to crawl through a lot of cracks and crevices and can see a lot more rooms. Sister O and Elder Maseko get very claustrophobic and the Millers couldn't do it so we did the adventure tour.

When we finished the caves it was too late in the day to do the ostrich farm so we did another farm closer by. A couple of the Elders rode camels, and so did Sister O. I got a good video of it all. Sister O is so much fun to be with and the elders really love her (me too). Then we rode a zip line across a little lake. I guess you know who the star of this was. RIGHT! Sister O. I got a good video of this as well.

Then the elders did some bumper boats, but they were so slow that there wasn't much to it. We all had hamburgers, chips (fries) and a drink and then we needed to get started back home. It is such a beautiful drive there and back through Outeniqua pass. Everyone enjoyed this day a lot.

We were really busy Tuesday & Wednesday with teaching lessons etc. On Wed. Pres. Probst called and asked if we would like to come to Cape Town on Thursday & Friday. There is an orientation at the office that we didn't get that he thought we may enjoy. We met with him for about an hour and 2 other couples and then he let us go.


He said he mainly wanted to give us a few days away and enjoy ourselves. We thought that was so nice of Pres. Probst.

One of the couples there (the wife) was from Franklin, AZ like I was. Her dad was my Bishop at one time. Small world. Their names are Elder and Sister Harms.

The next day we went to the top of Table Mount on a cable car. Talk about vertical. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! You don't always get good weather up there but it was a perfect day! After that we went to Cape Point which is the southernmost tip of Africa. On the way we stopped at one place and had lunch and then we went to see some penguins. The Cape Point is the point that separates the Atlantic & the Indian Oceans. Then on the way back we saw about 30 baboons with a lot of baby ones. They are quite cute when young. I guess they are like humans and then we grow up. We then had dinner with the other couples (3 couples in all).

We left to come home about 9am the next morning and Pres. Probst told us to go by Hermanus if we wanted and that we probably could see some whales and we did. It is probably about 100K round trip out of our way. We did see some whales, and I got some fair videos. About as good as possible. We also saw a few penguins. It was really a nice place to spend a little relaxing time. We got home about 6pm.

We had been told that we would have no power on Sunday from 6AM to 6PM. Sister O fixed a large potato salad & sandwiches for dinner and would've made cheese crisps if we had power- which we didn't. It wasn't her big Sunday dinner but it was still good.

Well it is getting long and Sister O has to type it and she doesn't like them this long. We want all of you to know of our love for you and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are really enjoying our time serving, even though it can get a little frustrating.

May you all be blessed in your lives and live as our Heavenly Father would have us do.


Love to All
Elder & Sister O'Dell