Primary Nursery - singing and doing actions

Primary Nursery - these toys are a big hit, and so are the bread and drinks.  One child said what he likes most about Primary is the food!

This is an elementary school just up the road from our home.  The children we see when we walk to the ocean mostly go to this school.  They walk most or all of the way, so it must be about 3 miles for some of them, and even the young children walk, some by themselves.  People seem to be very protective of the children and will stop traffic to help them cross the street.

While President and Sister Jameson were visiting and Sister Jameson and I were preparing dinner for them and the Elders, a hot water hose exploded and steaming hot water started pouring out under the sink.  Luckily Sister Jameson, who was standing at the sink, did not get burned.  Elder Wheatley and Elder McGrath are working here at trying to fix it.  It took a couple of days, a new hose and finally a plumber to find and fix a second leak, to get it all fixed.  And as soon as that one was fixed the one in our bathroom exploded again........ :) 

Our wonderful Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Jameson, and our Elders.  We love them all and are so very grateful for them.  Heavenly Father has blessed us with the best Mission President and wife and the best Elders in all the world!

Today, Elder Wheatley was supposed to take several Elders to get more Visa photos.  The truck wouldn't start, so they hoped in a bus and came over to help jump start it - and they were HUNGRY!  Monday is P Day/shopping day, and they said they had no food in their apartment.  Elder Tshibindi said, as he came in the door, "I need to talk to Sœur Wheatley."  I wondered why - it was to tell me how hungry he was.  I had little food because I need to shop, too - but there was a loaf of bread in the bread sack, which I know was not there earlier when I tried to find something for our breakfast, peanut butter and jam, a dozen eggs, leftover pasta and baked beans - and homemade frozen yogurt!  What a feast, they said and I believe they all left with full stomachs and there was even some pasta still in the bowl.

This is the Branche President's family, who came for the Open House.  His name is President Sombo, and he is the man with the dark tie, in the middle.  His mother is behind him with the green headdress, and his step-father is to the left in the white shirt.  His wife is to the right in the blue and he has 5 beautiful children scattered in the picture.  His extended family may not all be members, we are not sure, but his mother is and his step-father will be baptized by him soon.

President Sombo is a wonderful, delightful man.  He wanted a picture with us, so as Liz requested, here is another photo of Elder and Sœur Wheatley.  He is very enthusiastic about the church - I think he told us he has been a member for 6 years.  He studies the church Branche President instruction manual and asks for help because he wants to do everything correctly.  We love him and his family!

The following pictures were taken at the Pointe Noire Branche Open House on Saturday, March 10th.  There was a large crowd which included members, investigators and dignitaries.

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 This is the newly rented and remodeled Pointe Noire Branche building.  It is in a quartier in a part of the city that is much closer to many branche members, so they are now more able to get transport or walk to church.  There are also many investigators who come each week.  The branche is so big, it fills the building and the Primary has to do some of their activities outside in the fenced yard area on the other side of the building.

This is the chapel.  The wood stand in the front was just finished.  It looks very nice.  The Relief Society also meets in this room for now, because it is next to the Primary rooms, which are already too small for the number of children coming.  There are 3 floors to the building, and you have to go outside to the area where the stairs are. Sometimes there is no water, and that is a challenge for both church buildings - pumps that don't work, electricity not working, or no water available.

Elder Nash and Elder Hoiland helping me figure out how to make an Open House invitation to the newly rented and refurbished building for the Pointe Noire Branche.  I have permission for them to help me when I get really stuck - and that is  such a blessing.  We have reports in Excel, requests for things like an invitation for the Open House or a picture handout for Relief Society, and I do all of the distribution ordering of supplies for the 3 branches - all in French, of course.