2. President O'Dell with George & Charles in front of our tree
3. All the Elders around the Christmas Tree
4. George, Charles & Sister O with her gift from them
5. Christmas Day at the O'Dells
6. Our 2010 Christmas Tree
7 .Elder Moorcroft showing off one more time
O'Dell After Christmas Letter
December 26, 2010
Dear Family, Friends, & Loved Ones,
Christmas is over and time to write again. It was really a great Christmas because we got to talk to the O'Dell family on ICHAT plus Connie later. Than we got to talk to Linda's family after that on the vonage phone. That's what made Christmas so GREAT (family) We Love and miss you so much.
On December 11, we had a baptism of a lady named Vumile Ntombiyakha. I also got to confirm her on Sunday. What a blessing this is. She is really a great lady, but again we have the problem of real poverty and no transportation. I think she will really be a strong member as time goes by.
We wrote earlier about an Elder that joined the church. He was of Muslim faith & was converted to the gospel . Because of this they ( the Muslims) killed his family right in front of him and then beheaded his mother. They told his brother to kill him but he would not so they killed his brother and beheaded him also. This Elder has gone thru such trials but such a great Elder with such a strong testimony. Unbelievably, he is at peace as he has had the temple sealing ordinances done for his family and knows all will be well with his family. Later he found his father in England and they killed and beheaded his father also. What a trial for him before serving a mission for his Father in Heaven. His Uncle is Muslim and know where he is. He had a cousin that also joined the church and they killed him, cut his body up in peaces. They sent him a picture of this and told him he was next. What a trial he has. He needs to have some ear surgery before he leaves his mission. Sister O & I have gotten very close to him and Pres. Probst asked Sister O & I if needed could he spend 4 or 5 days with us while recuperating. Of course we said we would love to. There is also a slight possibility of him coming to Arizona but more than likely there will be a problem with visas (papers etc). He gets off his mission in a few weeks. His attitude is great in spite of all that has happened and what a strong testimony he has.
It seems so strange to have Christmas in the summer and so many people will be gone on holiday as we do at home when our summer vacation starts. They don't really celebrate it here like we do."Very little lights or festivities" Very few people have trees or any home decorations. A lot or a part of this is probably do to the extreme poverty.
We had transfers nearly 2 weeks ago. We lost Elder Grobler and got Elder Moorcroft who was the Zone leader and also Elder Bangerter from Centerville Utah. We had our Christmas program on December 18th and had a great program. Brother Barris talked on Love, Sister O talked on Traditions (America) etc & she gave a really fantastic talk. Sister Barris talked about traditions in Germany and I talked about gifts of Christmas & going home to our Heavenly Father. (He did a wonderful job and it was GREAT) The 4 Elders sang a beautiful quartet plus other Christmas music.
We had the Elders help decorate our Christmas tree on Sunday night the 19th. They enjoyed it and we exchanged names, sang Christmas carols etc. On P-Day the 20th I took the elders to Alexandria to play 9 holes of golf as it is cheap to play there. Monday night we had 2 senior couples spend the night with us. The Robinson's from PE and a new couple the Taylor's also from PE. We went to Fish River Sun for there fabulous breakfast where we met the Platerio's from Grahamstown. We then played a round of golf here in PA & the wives went shopping. Elder Taylor didn't play but walked the course with us. The Taylor's are from Wyoming.
We have had several opportunities to go on teaching lessons with Elders Moorcroft & Bangerter. Sister O and I spent all of Wed. evening taking a gift of a CD by the Tabernacle Choir (Called to Serve) to our members. Then on Thursday we along with the Elders took a food basket to most of the more needy people in our Branch, We fixed big Christmas stockings for the 4 Elders plus plus our 2 African sons from Tsitsikamma area, George & Charles. They spent 2 nights with us. Sister O fixed a big breakfast for the 8 of us on Christmas morning. Then we had a large (Bar BQ) Braa for dinner. That seems to be everyones favorite here. We had steak, lamb chops, pork ribs, wors and ham. Sister O also had a great potato salad, baked potatoes, plus salsa & jello salad ( from Sister Dell). It was a GREAT and WONDERFUL day. The best part was that we were able to talk to my family on ICHAT and then to Sister O's family on the vonage phone. We talked to Connie's family and Kristi's Family later on that day. That is what made Christmas so special. We love our families.
Well Christmas is over and it is such a wonderful time of year. Not only at home but anywhere that we can celebrate the birth of our Savior. We are such a blessed people. Having family, having the gospel and its blessings of knowing our Heavenly Father & his son Jesus Christ, and to know that we can have eternal families and living in their presence. That is his plan. Now we need to follow it. How blessed we are!
Sister O has really been suffering with a bad cough and congestion for about 4 months now and just doesn't feel well. I wish and pray that she will feel better so that we could better enjoy our services to our Heavenly Father,
Saturday on new years day I am taking the Elders golfing on our course here in PA along with a cart. That was part of our Christmas to our Elders. Yesterday for P-Day we went to the beach and tried sand boarding. They had fun but, we don't think it was as good as they thought it would be.
Well we love you and miss everyone of you so much. Not only our families but our friends also. "HOW BLESSED WE ARE"
All our Love.
President & Sister O'Dell
Mom & Dad Linda & Woodt
Grandma & Papa Woody Grandpa
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