Last June Letter for Africa !

Last June Letter

Dear Family Friends & Loved Ones,

Well a few weeks ago Sister O and I went to East London for P-Day. Elder Cooney invited us to come and play golf over there. It is 11/2 hours from Port Alfred so the Elders had to ask permission from the Zone Leaders. Our two Elders wanted to go they had never really played golf and they really wanted to play. We were to meet at a McDonalds and all of a sudden we had 16 Elders there besides ourselves. They heard that Sister O & I were going to be there and may wanted to see & visit with us again (we had them in George at one time or another) and some just wanted to meet us. I'm glad they didn't all play golf as we only had 3 sets of clubs. We had lots of fun. It was a long course and it only cost us about $5.50 a person. I wish we could do that in America.

On Tuesday I was quite busy with church and paper work plus taking Sister O visiting teaching. I have been working a lot on trying to get a lease on a larger building for the Branch to meet in and I think we are getting close. It would really nice, as at times we are really crowded.

Sister O & I left to go back to East London early Wednesday morning to go to Zone Conference which was on Thursday morning. We stayed the night with another Senior Couple that is from Arizona, the Jones. We really enjoyed the company of another Senior Couple for a change. It rained really hard all day & night. It rained for about 3 days and was so great as we needed it so bad. We have all really been praying for rain. Our tires were really thin and I had a real problem with the car hydro-plaining. I got new tires when we got home and the car runs so nice now. Our Zone Conference was really nice, as always.

I spent a lot of the time the next day working with some people that has a morality problem. I think things will be OK and I hope so as I really don't like to have these things come up, it can be very stressful for me. But we do what we have to do I guess.

On Saturday we had a Branch party at the Church. The world Cup is starting and there is so much excitement here about it. Sister O sent you some pictures I'm sure. Everyone is wearing Yellow and Green shirts with Bafana Bafana on them which means Boys Boys. They had a car parade everywhere with honking & honking. Then there is the vuvuzalas that everyone has and blows that is really loud. We had hot dogs, drinks, popcorn etc. It was fun but S.A. Hasn't enjoyed the outcome of their team. But some say they did better then they expected. They opened against Mexico and played to a 1-1 tie. They lost 0-3 the next game. They play one more game tonight. (June 22) and will probably be out.

Monday June 14 was another P-Day and I worked on a lot of things at home that needed attention. In the afternoon I took the 2 Elders and let them hit a few buckets of golf balls, they enjoyed that. We then had the Elders from Grahamstown come over as they had baptismal interviews to do and then Sister O fixed a real nice Mexican Dinner that we all enjoyed very much.

Well it went for nearly a week before I got time to write in my journal, thus I am really late writing our letter. Pres. Probst wasn't too happy about the 2 baptismal interviews that were done and wanted me to re-interview them which I did and it was really enjoyable. We had a baptismal service for the 2 young girls on June 20 and that is always exciting.

I have been quite busy with church work all week, visiting and meeting with people. We have some really wonderful people in our Branch. We have really fallen in love with this area and the people. I hope they all grow in strength in the gospel as Sister O and I have. It is amazing and so wonderful how much our testimonies have grown and strengthen while serving our Father in Heaven. The work is amazing and wonderful. We wish everyone could experience and feel the Saviors love & blessings as we have since being here.

On Sunday we really had a large turn out with visitors and investigators. We can hold about 40 people and we had 54 in attendance, the hallway & kitchen was full. (We meet in a small house) But it was exciting to have so any in attendance.

I have been having the opportunity to give a number of blessings lately. It is so humbling to have this opportunity. We had a lady from Alexandria, which is about 50k from PA she is not a member and she had a friend from Grahamstown call and ask if I could give her a blessing. She seemed like a wonderful person and after visiting with her, I really felt honored to give her the blessing. She has great faith and we know that one must have faith in our Heavenly Father to receive a blessing.

I really had a GREAT "Fathers Day" I got to talk and visit with all my family. This was wonderful as Sister 'O and I really love and miss our families. Several of Sister O' families even called to wish me a Happy Fathers Day. This really meant a lot to me. Jeannie he got your card and pictures they are so cute and it was great. Thanks!

We have had some really cold weather but the last few days have been a bit warmer. In SA they don't build homes with heating & cooling in them. A lot of things here really make you appreciate how good we have it at home in America (even with Obama)

Well it is time to close but not with out telling all of you how much we love and miss you! It was so good to hear from you and really good to see Chuck and the whole family on i-Chat. It was great to meet Brenna new Wife. And see Tessa she is so cute.

Take care and we will keep in touch from time to time and look forward to the new Year 2011 then we will see you all !!!!

Love Sister O & Pres. O'Dell
Mom (Linda) & Dad (Woody)
Grandma & Grandpa Wood

Soccer FEVER

Date: Wed, 16 June 2010

Dear family and friends,

Well it finally arrived, the World Cup, that is. What a spirit if celebration has gripped South Africa. Cars with South African flags attached to them, and vuvuzelas (plastic horns) hats, colored hair and almost everything else you could think of has been seen.

On Wednesday everyone was to go outside at noon and blow their vuvuzelas for 5 minutes. It lasted longer than that, we can tell you.
On Saturday we had a branch party at the church to see one of the games We had a great time!

Afterward we went to a mall to walk and as we entered the mall we were nearly overcome with the LOUD sound of vuvuzelas blowing, with children to grannies participating. It WAS AMAZING to see AND HEAR.

Love Sister & Brother O'Dell Mom & Dad

Hi From Africa June 2010

1.The Bridge at Storms River Mouth

2. Elder Far (going home to Utah) Elder Cooney & Elder Schamel

3. Out with the Old and in with the new Transfer Day (one stayed, one went to Cape Town, and one is new)

4. Sister O and her Elders

5. Elder O on the Bridge at Storms River Mouth

6. The pet giraffe with the Elders

7. All the Elders having Dinner at the O'Dells on Friday night

June 8, 2010

Dear Family, Friends & Loved Ones,

Well it has been several weeks since we have written. Sometimes it is hard to find time to write as we should. A few weeks ago we had the Grahamstown Elders come to PA for P-DAY. We went to a small game preserve right here in PA on the edge of a township. It was only R 150.00 per car which is about $20.00 a car. They really had a lot of fun and an enjoyable time. There was one giraffe that was really tame and wherever we would stop, it would come over to us. He liked to be pet and he would lick the Elders. They spent a lot of time doing this and got some fantastic pictures. I saw one really great Nyala bull but I could never get a good picture of it. We did have some beautiful views of the Kowie River. That runs there in Port Alfred.

On Saturday we had a baptismal service for Constance Ruziwa. She is a really small girl and the wife of Charles Ruziwa who I am calling to be my 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency. I believe Pres. Probst will be here next Sunday the 13th of June, and he will be set apart and sustained. He will be a great and strong man in the church here. We had 4 really great and strong melchizedek priesthood holders that I'm sure will be the backbone of the growth of the church here in PA. The 1st counselor will be Canny Nobebe.

On Monday we went with 3 other senior couples to a game reserve called Kwanto and it was kind of a going away get together for another senior couple that is finishing their mission and going home. He is the Branch President in Grahamstown and they are President & Sister Fullmer. The reserve is between PE and Grahamstown.  There must be 30 to 40 more in the area that we went to.  We met 2 of the other couples in Grahamstown for lunch before going to the reserve. It was really a beautiful place and if you stayed overnight the accommodations were very luxurious When we got thru we were allowed to pet and hold some lion cubs and I wanted to get some pictures of Sister O doing this but she wasn't feeling well.

On Tuesday we met with a brother in our branch and his sister and mother and found them in utter poverty. They had two pineapples in there "home" to eat that someone gave them. We spent most of the PM taking care of some welfare needs.  He did have a job. I told him that if he would be prayerful, keep God's commandments and pay tithing that he would be blessed. I told him that God would bless him, but that he had to do his part. I was in tears as he called me last week and thanked me and to tell me he now has a good job. God does love and bless us. I was so excited at Sacrament Meeting when he paid tithing and also fast offerings. I was literally in tears.  This calling has many challenges but is also so rewarding. I wish everyone could feel the blessings that we feel. What a wonderful blessing Sister O and I have to be able to serve our Heavenly Father.

Last week we had transfers and lost Elder McGregor who we loved dearly. But we were blessed with another GREAT missionary in Elder Marler from Idaho. This is only his 2nd six weeks and he is doing a great job. Of course Sister O is doing her best to spoil all the missionaries she can with her cooking and feeding them.

The kitchen in our flat is so bad and after 51/2 weeks of promises, Pres Probst gave us permission to find another flat. We did find a great place in a few days. It has 3 bedrooms, 21/2 baths, a garage and yard and a lot of storage and is fully carpeted.  I think we will really enjoy it.  It even has a TV in it.  We will move in the last of June.

On Sunday we had 40 people out which is the second highest our Branch has had. The most is 42. On Sunday we had a great meeting showing the Saturday PM session of General Conference.  Then I talked after for a bit. The spirit felt so strong and it is such a great opportunity when we can listen to our General Authorities.

On Monday the Robinsons and us are going to breakfast at Fish River Sun then back to PA for to play a round of golf  at Royal Port Alfred Golf Course.  It is a beautiful course that is like a game reserve as there is so much wild life on the course.  You get a view of the ocean on every hole. I know that Sister O really enjoyed driving the golf cart around this beautiful area. While we were golfing Elder Hurbert called me from the Mission Office in Cape Town and needed help in George in finding a new flat for the elders there and helping the elders there as well. So when we got through golfing we came home, cleaned up, packed and left.  We went as far as PE and stayed with the Robinsons that night. We left early the next AM and headed for George. Sister O has really been wanting to have a chance to return to George and this was her chance. We found a flat for the Elders in short order and then did a lot of visiting many of our friends there and worked with and helped the new Elders there as much as we could.

The next day Sister O was able to get her hair cut and her nails done. Also lunch and dinner with some of our convert friends. We were really busy the whole time we were there. We met the Plateros coming down from Namibia they are going to Grahamstown to be the new Branch Pres there. They are replace the Fullmers who are leaving to go home to Utah.  They stayed the night with us in George at our old flat . They are Navajo from southern Utah. (They are the first American Indian senior couple to serve a mission for the Church.) We left early the next morning to come back home and showed them some of the sights and things to see on the way home. We stopped at the Bridge to see Elizabeth but she was not there. They really enjoyed the Bungy Jump area and we got to see 2 people jump. We stopped at Storms River Mouth and hiked to the 3 swinging bridges and really enjoyed this. We then stopped to visit our Africa Son George. He is doing so good and has such a strong testimony. He wants to go on a mission so bad and I hope it can happen. We couldn't get the volunteers we needed to help support him but he is trying so hard to save for this.  We then went to PE where we both spent the night at the Stones' old flat and then home to PA the next morning.  It was a long and hurried and busy trip. Sister O enjoyed it so much and I'm sure that Pres. Probst won't let us do it again.

After Sacrament Meeting Sister O'Dell asked me to give her a blessing. The elders assisted me and we felt such a strong spirit with us.  It is amazing the wonderful blessings we have and receive here while we serve our Heavenly Father.  We are really loving the people here and serving them and really appreciated the love they show us.

Well I guess I had a grandson get married recently, we feel kind of bad that we didn't get an announcement, a call or an e-mail. Congratulations Brennen!  We love you but wish some of you would keep us up to date on what is happening. We do love you all and want to hear what is going on in your lives. Thanks Troy.  We enjoyed hearing from you and your poem was really GREAT.

Well it is time to close please e-mail and keep in touch.

All our love: President O'Dell & Sister O
Mom & Dad Woody & Linda, Grandpa, Papa, Papa Woody & Grandma