Make sure to tell Sister Gates Happy Birthday!!
We love you Grammy!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
New Members in Pointe Noire
We love our new members! This is a sweet lady that Ed had the opportunity to give a "special" interview before her baptism. This means that there has been a transgression in her past that requires the the Stake President or District President to interview them to make sure they are prepared to make the baptism covenant. (Dad is the acting representative of the Mission President, who is also the District President.) After the interview, the missionaries asked her who she would like to baptize her. She said "Him" and pointed to Dad. He had to memorize the prayer in French, and did a good job.
This is us at one of her followup lessons after she was baptized. She is a wonderful woman and we are very proud of her. Her home is humble, but very clean... and their yard is spotless, with raked dirt.
These are some of the people that we have seen baptized since we have been here. I make a poster with each of their pictures, so the ward members can get to know them. We hang it up at the ward.
These are photos of our first 4 baptisms. We have them posted on our glass patio door. It is fun to see how strong some of them are. One of the 3 brothers, Tecle spoke at sacrament meeting today and did a great job, after only being a member for a month!
This is us at one of her followup lessons after she was baptized. She is a wonderful woman and we are very proud of her. Her home is humble, but very clean... and their yard is spotless, with raked dirt.
These are some of the people that we have seen baptized since we have been here. I make a poster with each of their pictures, so the ward members can get to know them. We hang it up at the ward.
These are photos of our first 4 baptisms. We have them posted on our glass patio door. It is fun to see how strong some of them are. One of the 3 brothers, Tecle spoke at sacrament meeting today and did a great job, after only being a member for a month!
Odds & Ends....
We live on the Atlantic Ocean. We are only about a 5 minute drive from the beach and we enjoy going down to walk or go out to eat for dinner on the water.
This is our "pet" that lives in our pump cabinet close to our front door. We have named him Connor after our cute red-headed grandson.
We had a General Authority, Elder Watson, and his wife stay with us for 2 nights. He is one of the Area Authorities over Africa. They were touring the mission and stopped here for a Zone Conference. They were wonderful and very interesting people. He served 35 years as the secretary to the First Presidency of the Church. He was the one that used to read the statistical reports for General Conference. His stories about the prophets were wonderful and we enjoyed having them with us.
We did have lots of mosquitoes when we first came. However, Ed has eradicated the problem! Every night he would climb on the bed, or a chair, and anything that hinted at being a mosquitoes was crushed or sprayed. We have almost no mosquitoes in our house anymore!
This is our "pet" that lives in our pump cabinet close to our front door. We have named him Connor after our cute red-headed grandson.
We had a General Authority, Elder Watson, and his wife stay with us for 2 nights. He is one of the Area Authorities over Africa. They were touring the mission and stopped here for a Zone Conference. They were wonderful and very interesting people. He served 35 years as the secretary to the First Presidency of the Church. He was the one that used to read the statistical reports for General Conference. His stories about the prophets were wonderful and we enjoyed having them with us.
We did have lots of mosquitoes when we first came. However, Ed has eradicated the problem! Every night he would climb on the bed, or a chair, and anything that hinted at being a mosquitoes was crushed or sprayed. We have almost no mosquitoes in our house anymore!
Our First African Wedding
We got to go to our first African wedding!
First of all, they have what they call a “Dote Ceremony." When a couple become engaged, the family of the bride get to decide what the dowry (Dote) is that they will require for the groom to pay before he can actually marry the bride. (I will write a separate entry on my opinion of this.) So, two days before the wedding, we went to the bride’s home with about 100 other people and we watched the presentation of all the required gifts. Besides the money, the groom had to present the bride’s dad with a new suit and new shoes, and all the uncles with cases of wine, and something like 10 cases of soda pop and beer, and new blankets and towels and lanterns and of course...machetes, etc.
The actual wedding was quite nice. We live too far from a temple for it to be feasible to afford to go to be married in the temple. (About once a year we take a temple trip and take those who want to go to the temple to be sealed. This couple will probably go with us in March.) Therefore, this cute couple wanted to have the spirit of the gospel blessing their marriage, so they had a gathering in the chapel, between the wedding at the civic hall (the only places marriages are performed) and the reception outside on the church grounds.
It was sort of like a “fireside” in that we sang songs and there were speakers, but it was more fun and casual than Sacrament meeting. The bride is a counselor in the Primary, and the children made this banner that said "Choose the Right" and sang at the reception. 
We’d had a very busy day, and we went straight from running errands to the church. I was in a skirt and nice cotton T-shirt. Everyone else was way dressed up! We snuck in and sat on the very back row, because we weren’t dressed up as much as everyone else. The big surprise was that after the member of the bishopric that was conducting spoke, he invited “Elder and Soeur Gates, who are so happily married, up to the pulpit to speak and bear our testimonies of the importance of marriage and give some advice.”
We were stunned, but we both gave advice that was given to us at our wedding… and Dad talked about “the importance of making your wife your Queen!” We had an interpreter and everyone said it was great. Then they had a big party and African dinner.
First of all, they have what they call a “Dote Ceremony." When a couple become engaged, the family of the bride get to decide what the dowry (Dote) is that they will require for the groom to pay before he can actually marry the bride. (I will write a separate entry on my opinion of this.) So, two days before the wedding, we went to the bride’s home with about 100 other people and we watched the presentation of all the required gifts. Besides the money, the groom had to present the bride’s dad with a new suit and new shoes, and all the uncles with cases of wine, and something like 10 cases of soda pop and beer, and new blankets and towels and lanterns and of course...machetes, etc.
The actual wedding was quite nice. We live too far from a temple for it to be feasible to afford to go to be married in the temple. (About once a year we take a temple trip and take those who want to go to the temple to be sealed. This couple will probably go with us in March.) Therefore, this cute couple wanted to have the spirit of the gospel blessing their marriage, so they had a gathering in the chapel, between the wedding at the civic hall (the only places marriages are performed) and the reception outside on the church grounds.
It was sort of like a “fireside” in that we sang songs and there were speakers, but it was more fun and casual than Sacrament meeting. The bride is a counselor in the Primary, and the children made this banner that said "Choose the Right" and sang at the reception. 
We’d had a very busy day, and we went straight from running errands to the church. I was in a skirt and nice cotton T-shirt. Everyone else was way dressed up! We snuck in and sat on the very back row, because we weren’t dressed up as much as everyone else. The big surprise was that after the member of the bishopric that was conducting spoke, he invited “Elder and Soeur Gates, who are so happily married, up to the pulpit to speak and bear our testimonies of the importance of marriage and give some advice.” We were stunned, but we both gave advice that was given to us at our wedding… and Dad talked about “the importance of making your wife your Queen!” We had an interpreter and everyone said it was great. Then they had a big party and African dinner.
A Picture for Dad
This is a letter written from Kriss to her sister Pam: (Grandma and Grandpa Bodell went to Liberia, Africa on their mission as a couple over 20 years ago.)
Please try to print out this photo to give to Dad. This is one of his favorite guys from Liberia. Dad introduced him to his wife and taught him to love construction. He is a very productive with it and now is in charge of all the churches being built in this area of Africa (5 countries).
He sends Mom and Dad all of his love. I showed him their blog and he was thrilled. I have his email if Dad ever starts doing emails, Da Tarr would love to hear from him.
Thanks. Love, K
Please try to print out this photo to give to Dad. This is one of his favorite guys from Liberia. Dad introduced him to his wife and taught him to love construction. He is a very productive with it and now is in charge of all the churches being built in this area of Africa (5 countries).
He was thrilled to meet us... especially because he had to escape during the war and lost all of his contacts and had no way to get ahold of Dad & Mom.
In about 1994 he came to America for a vacation and Dad took him to the ranch and to the National Parks. His name is Da Tarr.
In about 1994 he came to America for a vacation and Dad took him to the ranch and to the National Parks. His name is Da Tarr.
Thanks. Love, K
Subscribe to:
Posts - Subscribe to RSS feed