Our early visitors this morning

Hi,

It was the zone leaders that showed up at our door so early this morning.   I said, " you are out early today' - and they said they had been up since 12:30.  They had three robbers/thieves break into their house and into their bedroom where they were sleeping.  Elder Ngcobo woke up and tried to find his phone (under his pillow) but they saw it first and grabbed it. The theives ask for money.   They hit him on the leg with a stick and told him to put his hands behind his head.  They got in his closet and got one of his ties to use to tie him up.  At this point he was mad and he saw that they only had sticks and flashlights and they were small men.  Elder Ngcobo is a good sized guy.  He jumped up and started hitting them and they got scared right away and ran.  He says they weren't very brave.  The Elders are taught to just give them what they want but he decided since they were small and had no knives or guns that he could see, that he would do something.   His companion, Elder Owens, had woken up but lay still trying to assess the situation and the theives thought he was asleep and didn't bother him.  It all happened pretty quick.   Elder Ngcobo's hands/wrists are sore from punching them and he has a bruise (hard to see on black people) on his leg where they hit him with the stick but he is alright. 

They called for the guard 3 times and he finally appeared and yelled 'thief, thief'.    It was dark so they couldn't see their assailants but they suspect it was the guard and perhaps the two guards on either side of their place.  They say that they are all small men.   They had no phone now so the guard must have called Gabriel (his boss) and he came and then they went to the police station and reported it.  The police have taken the guard in for questioning.   We are just happy that everything is okay and no one was seriously hurt.

Our alarm system should be finished today.  We will have several 'panic buttons' throughout the house and also 2 remote panic buttons - one for the guard and one for Davie, the gardener.  We ordered an extra one for Davie because we know he is nervous after the last break-in when he and his wife were hurt.  Plus it helps protect everyone if he has one and can alert the security company if there is a need.  We will  have a remote but ours can activate/deactivate the alarm as well as have the panic button on it.  We will  feel better having this done.

 

The good news today is that Davie, our gardener, has a smile on his face again and his wife will be cooking for him today!!!  :)   President Chinyumba and Gabriel spent a couple of hours talking to he and his wife this morning and helped them resolve their 'friction' and now they are both happier.  Davie thanked us for suggesting that they talk to their church leaders to get some help and advice.  We are glad it all worked out.

 

Elder Bullock has gone with Pres. Chinyumba to get the clearance, insurance etc. that we need for our truck to be able to drive it to Harare for the couple's conference.  Pres. Chinyumba knows about all this kind of stuff because he drives to SA to buy vehicles and brings them back here and sells them.  He knows all the ins and outs of getting through the borders.  It is great to have his help.  

This afternoon he will also go with Elder Bullock to Immigration and they will help and pay for Passports for a family that is going to the temple in June.  We have been waiting for the confirmation of the temple trip so that they can get their paperwork in order to make the trip.  There are two families going for the first time and so they get assisted by the 'temple patronage fund' and there is a couple going along as well,  that have been before, and they are paying their own way.  

The Stevens have booked two trips for October  so we will need to make sure families are prepared to go by then and taught the temple preparation classes.  It is exciting for them to go. 

 

I better get busy and work on the TEP's for 5 Elders.  We just got the transfer letter so now I know who is staying in Malawi and who needs TEP's.   A TEP (temporary employment permit) allows them to stay in the country for up to 2 years.  There are several forms to fill out, passport pictures, letters, etc. to do for each one.   Two of our Elders are going home this transfer and we are getting 6 Elders transferring in from other parts of the mission.  This transfer decides who will be in the new mission or the old one. 

 

Love to all our family and friends,

 

Elder & Sister Bullock