My Favorite Day!

I always liked Winnie the Pooh!

"My favorite day." said Pooh.   My favorite day..... I had to think about all of the days I have spent worrying about the past or the future always knowing there is only today, but not able to let go and enjoy TODAY!!!     I am just now beginning to grasp the idea of keeping this day sweet and beautiful by thinking only positive and beautiful things and letting go of concerns for things that will never find fruition, finding hope and faith in the best things I can imagine.  

"Today, my favorite day"

Eliminating worry is just to have faith...faith in God who created us, loves us and is caring for us in every situation.  We constantly remind ourselves of His promise to those who are in His service. 

Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

...I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

One reminder we see everywhere in Burundi that just doesn't exist in the U.S. is 

signs we see on buses, taxis and businesses.  

A little difficult to read but "God is Good".

           This is Kirundi for "God is Great".

Sometimes the burdens we carry are like this one.  

They seem SOOOO Big!  But they are just full of air!

 Then we need this one .................

                                And................................

 Remember this from
 the Old Testament 1 Samuel 7:10-12 and Joshua 24:26-27 and Bible Dictionary pg. 269.  The Israelites had lost two battles to the Philistines and at last they won.
Samuel placed a stone of gratitude to remind them how the Lord had helped them and called it the Ebenezer Stone.  "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" says, "Now we raise our Ebeneezer...".

"Before your face" 

and................."Got your back" 

in the rear view mirror, "The Gift from God"

This is how we see these piano students, who are so dedicated and the generous people who provide a keyboard for anyone who will practice and share their talent by playing for meetings 

and teaching others.  

 It was a miracle that these 10 piano keyboards were ordered on line and in nine days they were here in Burundi!  thanks to the "Powers that be" and DHL.

We continue to be thrilled by the diligence of Rebecca who is only ten years old and has no access to a keyboard during the week.  She comes to the twice a week practices and is doing so well that she played "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet" in Sacrament Meeting today with both hands. 

It is a huge blessing to have Frida who speaks not only Kirundi, French, English, but MUSIC!  

This week in sewing we concentrated on quality.  We practiced different seams and skills.  They are each wearing a tag with their name on it.  As they "mastered" each skill, I put a smiley face on their tag.  If they are completely up to date, they now have three smiles and a butterfly.  The butterfly shows that they can effectively sew on a treadle machine.  (They are a butterfly brand from China.)

 And for whatever success we have TODAY....................

We love you all and pray for your joy on this your favorite day of all............ ENJOY TODAY!!!!!!!

How to Skin a Cat -- There is more than one way!

More than one way........................

Here are some very innovative ways to do things.  I always thought I had to have a truck to haul things like a bicycle and a big load like the one on the left.
 And, I NEVER even thought of carrying shoes on my head.  Shoe salesmen here commonly walk around with one shoe on top of their head.

A Degree in music not required..................

Our piano recital was wonderful.  Everyone played two or three songs on an electric keyboard.  Rebecca, who is 10 years old, played her songs and  then stayed on the bench to watch the others. 

People wore shark T shirts, curlers in their hair and turbans, but no one cared.  Everyone was just encouraging and building each other.

Frida is giving lessons.  She has barely started herself, but she is successfully teaching  others.

Billy and Jody are Judith's sons.  They are working hard to do well in school so they can earn a scholarship in another country for college.  

They also help teach Rebecca who is doing great!  She played "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" at the last baptism.    

Another way to shop and eat....................

Not exactly COSTCO!
But take a close look at those tomatoes!
 So red and delicious and not modified! 

Remy prefers beans and rice to almost anything.
 He turned down green beans and watermelon.

The sister missionaries came home with a big bunch of  Casava leaves.  We watched them prepare it.  First they picked them all from the stems.  Then they were immersed in water that had been boiled, to wilt them.  Then they were put into this wooden  container where they pulverized them and added other vegetables like cucumbers, garlic, potatoes,  and, can't say what else.  Then it is cooked for a long time.  One recipe of Sombe lasts two days.   We have tasted sombe.  I really like watermelon and green beans! 

This road made us happy to have 4 wheel drive (like many others we traverse frequently).  We took Frida and Aimable to visit a garden project the members are working on. 

We just let the cows walk around us.(This is the same road where David was going to let them walk around him before.)   However, this time we stayed in the truck.  

 Juvenal and Aimable help the members with the gardens.  This one is quite far out in the country.  They told us they were going to pick the corn in two weeks.  David looked at some of the ears and decided to try them now.  We figured out why we haven't liked their corn.  They let it get really OLD!  Aimable tried the young corn and said he prefers it old.  We liked it young.  Do you think it is as high as in elephant's eye?

 While we were in the field, two men came by with eleven dogs.  We asked what they were hunting and they said Rabbits.  They had one in a bag over their shoulder.  They were carrying home made bows and arrows.



More than one kind of office..........................

 This is Terrance's office.  We never tire of the beauty of the Jardin Public (the park).  It is just great to exercise here with these glorious trees just pumping out the oxygen!  Wonderful!

 These flowering trees are in full bloom now.

 I couldn't help but think that this man would like to use our electric hedge trimmers, but it would take a pretty long cord, so maybe not.  Maybe hand clippers are the best way to do this BIG job!

Just love the colors of this bird's apparel.  Black doesn't look good on me, but it looks great on him!



                      So, there wasn't one cat in the whole blog, but You get the picture!  

"Live to learn, Learn to love, then you'll love to live."

                                                                                                      Matthew Cowley

Fruits of the Spirit - Love, Joy & Peace

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 1:4

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
Wordsworth

We don't sing because we are happy, we are happy because we sing. Angelic is a classy woman.  She always looks like a million dollars. ( I love her headdresses) She played all of the songs for Sacrament Meeting today.   She has had only a few piano lessons, but has a musical talent and is not afraid to use it. 

Alma 30:34 "And now, if we do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren?"

 Now that Claude is a member of the church and feels the joy, he fills his truck with his friends, neighbors, family and workers and brings them all to church every Sunday. 

Bananas make the workers happy!

They have made 750 desks we donated to public schools. 

These couples were in training with us in South Africa. They are marvelous people and 

so willing to serve. They are an inspiration to us.  

 Elder and Sister Moody are serving in Gabon.  He is from Delta, Utah and knows my Brother Clayton and Sister Deanna.  He had a pacemaker put in the week before leaving on this, their second mission to Africa.  

Elder and Sister Moses are a good example of hardworking people from Idaho.
 They have done so much good in Ethiopia and leave for home soon. 

Elder and Sister Lee are finishing their sixth mission in the Humanitarian work of the church.  They have been all over the world doing good.  They know the ins and outs of this work forward and backward.  They could do it in their sleep.  Maybe that is how they accomplish so much!




Three of us turned 70 this year!  We had fun taking Glamour shots and celebrating.
I was surprised that these two were as old as me.  Don't they look great?

No, this is not one of our vision projects.
This boy found a creative way to use the sacrament cups.  OH NO!

This boy in the center, Paul, is eager to learn the skill of sewing.  He is also learning English. 

 He is so willing to help with anything I need done when I am teaching. 

This city is a beehive of activity.
Smiles on the faces of hardworking people bear witness to the fact that working makes us happy.
James 2:22 "By works was faith made perfect. " 

These sister missionaries are a joy to us.  They are so sweet and beautiful!  We weren't prepared for the day any of them would be transferred or go home.  But it is here.  Tonight we take a trip to the airport at 12:30.  These middle of the night jaunts are simple -- no motorcycles, bicycles, cars, trucks or pedestrians.  It simplifies things greatly! 

 The Sister in the center is Judith, my translator when I teach sewing.  She is fabulous!  She studied in America for a year.  She is such a great friend and sister to me.

 Sister Randrianirina has a lovely singing voice.
(We have practiced how to say her name for months.)

We danced to celebrate Sister Petu's birthday!

And last but not least.....................

"And becometh as a child submissive, meek humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

 Mosiah 3:19 

"Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."  1 Corinthians 2:9


Mind is the master power that moulds and makes,
And man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of thought and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills;---
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking glass.
                                           James Allen

Don't worry, be happy!

 Have a Happy New Year!!!