SmithsAfricanAdventures

Elder Swift had this cool tie with giraffe's on it!  I had been unable to find one like it - I have some with zebras, cheetahs, lions and the big five animals in different colors.   He told me to take a picture of it and next time I was at the store that sells ties, to ask them to order one! Briella was selling some of her artwork online - I love it!  and her!  The writing on the back of the pictures is precious also! She hadn't signed this one - what a fun talented girl!! Sam's Father's Day card for Elder Smith!  We are blessed with wonderful children, their spouses and our grandchildren - very blessed.

Sister Carolyn Sims made all these wonderful cakes - plus chocolate covered strawberries!  She is a great cook and baker.  Sister Debbie Goodson helped her all day on Saturday - Sister Sims had baked layers for weeks and frozen them in the Office kitchen freezer.  They looked like they came out of a Cooking Magazine!!  I made a card that said: Cakes by Carolyn!   Everyone eating - handsome Elder Smith in the center front!! Elder Dube at the head table - we sure enjoy using this nice room for our senior dinners.  Elder Michael Goodson playing the guitar and leading the sing -a-long! Notice pretty flowers! Senior couples singing the songs!  "World Without Love', Annie's Song, Just the Way You Are' and I'm A Believer." Elder Dube enjoying the musical entertainment!   Elder and Sister Walter - we were their host couple.  They arrived the 14th of May - serving in Family History. They are a lot of fun!!  Elder and Sister Goodson - arrived in April - another really f

Each month, on the fourth Saturday - the senior couples enjoy dinner together.  Each couple is assigned a month and you only do it once- usually - on your whole mission.  We were assigned to do June.  When I asked senior sisters what they thought about when I said "June" all four said Weddings!  So a few months ago I began planning our Celebration to Marriage - evening. As we were finishing setting up - Elder Smith noticed the sunset out of the window - beautiful world we live in. This is the Ruth Room.  We have conferences here, Monday Staff Devotionals, Zone Conference, etc.  We also use it for our senior dinners.  We borrowed the white table cloths from the the area kitchen - and I insisted on china plates - real glasses, but Elder Smith got his way with heavy duty plastic silverware!   A little closer look - we found pink rose paper napkins - the flowers were on sale - great since we needed them for all the tables.  We made nut cups with white mints, mixed nuts and M &

  I wanted a picture of all the dear cards my sister Sue has sent us - January, February, March, April and May!!  Plus Sam's Mother's Day card and I like the quilt and picture above our bed.   This, Stan and Silas on Father's day!  so precious and fun to chat!   Thia drew us these cute pictures - also other on the back of these.  We love getting mail!   When Sister Peck left she gave me two of her plants - this one was very small and didn't look too good - now it is growing and we like it. This shamrock plant is very happy!  We like to have living plants in our living space!  We'll give them to other senior couples when we leave! Elder Swift and his giraffe tie!   Cute baby girl at our ward - I really liked her hair do! I wondered how she held still long enough to have her hair done !  Beautiful children here.

  On Thursday, June 16 we drove from Johannesburg to Gaborone, Botswama.  We had our PW gathering that evening at 8 and it worked great from the Hotel!  Then Friday morning 10 -we had our other one - it also went well.  We stayed at the Protea Marriott Hotel -suite, breakfast included.   We had a Pathway Devotional scheduled for Saturday, June 18th at 1:00 pm.  After the morning gathering we set the GPS for the Stake Center and headed out to find where we needed to be the next day.  It was about halfway there when the wifi went out!  We made it okay but got lost coming back.  We drove the streets for an hour before Elder Smith recognized a corner and we found the hotel! Here I am with two of the great people who came for the meeting.  About 9 when we started - 23 when we ended!  We gave out pens, masks, and phone holders. The parking lot of the Stake Center - two wards meet here - we came back to Church on Sunday - Father's Day - we were asked to share out testimonies!  Great saint

Elder and Sister Elggren leaving for home - Sandy, Utah!  They have been the best Executive Secretary and Assistant Executive Secretary ...served kind of like our Mission President over the senior couples.  Several of the couples are out on mission assignments - but everyone who could came to say goodbye. We will miss them - Elder and Sister Richman will do great in their place.  We all sang: God Be With You Till we Meet again!   Loading the van - we were able to serve them at the last minute - they needed to print out the customs list of all that they were declaring  - and we have a printer that Elder Elggren used!  happily! We know we will see them again - a far distance from Johannesburg!