Service Projects in Mdantsane

We have found that oppressive poverty often prevents our friends in the gospel from focusing on the things of the spirit.  We have found that we bring great joy and strength to them by meeting their physical needs and thus opening their hearts to the spirit in their lives.  Here a couple of our recent service projects:

Sister Lishwa's  outhouse before repairs.

Sister Lishwa is the sole income provider for 13 people who live in her small township home.  They have survived with a broken outhouse and no wash sink to wash their clothes for about 8 years. There is no money for such repairs so we decided to solve this problem.  We enlisted the young missionaries to tear out the old cement sink and broken sewer line. We installed a new sewer line, then prepared a pad for cement and pillars for the sink.  Sister Fowers worked on the inside to rehang the door, coat rack, leaky pipes, repaired shower and even installed a new toilet seat.

Elders Sutherland, Palelei and Fowers down and dirty.

It took five men to carry the cement sink up the hill.

Tata Mkwando, a new member, served as our expert mason.

Sister Lishwa and her grandchild celebrate their new wash sink.

Sister Asanda, an unemployed, single mom decided she was going to take control of her life by starting her own "creche" (preschool).  With courage and resourceful determination, she found a small space behind butchery and opened her door to seven little children.  

Team Work !

With a team of our awesome missionaries we were able to clean garbage and debris from behind the building to create a little outdoor play place for the kids.  

A little makeshift fence completed the project for a very happy Sister Asanda.

Sisters Fowers and Asanda...Sisters in Zion.

*Special request:  If you have any used toys, puzzles, books, puppets, dolls or balls (collapsed) that you could contribute to Asanda's kids, please mail them to:

Elder and Sister Fowers

54 Hazy Ridge, 9 Swallow Lane

Gonubie, 5257

East London

SOUTH AFRICA

Hints:

International Flat Rate boxes are the cheapest way to mail. 

List contents as "Missionary Supplies" on shipping label.

We will make sure that they are delivered to her school.  

This is your chance to make a bit of a difference!

South Africa Cape Town Mission Presidency

Mission Presidency and Wives, July 2012

July 18 2012, we attended our SACTM mission presidency meeting in Cape Town.  Mark I. Wood, Mission President and his wife Kathy. J. Clarke Fowers, first counselor and Steven R. Smith, second counselor.   The Smiths cover the entire country of Namibia as the only senior couple with only 6 missionaries.  We (Fowers) cover the Eastern Cape Province which is about half the size of California with 44 missionaries and three Zones.

President Wood and President Fowers

While there, we took a p-day and hiked to the top of Lion's head mountain with the mission presidency. The hike was 2 miles   going from sea level to about 2,800 feet to the top.  Ascending upward, the narrow trail wraps around the small but steep mountain affording breathtaking views of  Cape Town, Table Mountain to the east and the Atlantic ocean.

Winter flowers overlook empty beaches.

Smiles amid the pain of unused muscles.

On the top of Lion's Head...Victory Dance.

Far Away... Missionary Grandparents

Mazie Lorraine Molen, our 13th grandchild was born July 16 at 9:38 a.m. weighing in at 9 lbs. 4 oz., 22 inches long and so cute!  Being long distant grandparents has been made easier through the miracle of skype, but Grandma is itching to cuddle her, so she does the next best thing and holds every little African baby she can find.

Meet Mazie...

Next best thing, holding sweet African newborn.

Surrogate baby.

If the US postal service comes through, a little bit of Grandma will be there when Mazie is blessed. Here is her special blessing dress made with love in South Africa.

Handmade with lots of love.

 Imported!