Toti (11/04/96)

Dear Family-

Wow!  This has been a crazy week!  So much has happened that it actually feels like it's been a month!  First off, I'm training.  Sister Bennion is from Powell, Wyoming.  She is really cool.  We get along great!  She's having a hard time adjusting  to missionary life, but once she does she will be a power missionary.  I hope that we are companions for a while.  I fear that it will only be fore 2 months though because there are so many new sisters coming in before Christmas that they'll have to do a lot of moving around.  Sister Bennion was telling me this story last night about 2 of her friends Melissa and Brandon. The names sounded familiar to me.  To make a long story short, she was actually talking about Brandon Stienagle, you know, my friend, the one that is waiting for me and praying that he'll grow? It was just funny!  It is such a small world!  I guess Brandon is engaged.  Remember, he brought Melissa to my open house?  That's her.

On Saturday, of course, was my birthday.  It was a nice day. In the morning we had a district meeting and afterwards we all went out to eat. And then that evening some of the members here, Nomty and Ephraim Msane had a big braii for me and they invited a bunch of their non-member friends as well, so it was a good finding opportunity as well.  It was really fun.  I baked the cake that you sent.  they all loved it.  American cakes are so much different from the ones here in South Africa.  We also played pin the tail on the donkey. They loved that as well, they don't play that here. It was just a really good time.  I'll send some photos, I'm getting them developed today.

Then yesterday we had some baptisms. It ended up being really nice.  They will both be strong members of the church. We'll be having a baptism next Sunday as well.  Actually, we should see between 8-15 more this month, which will be wonderful.  Things are going so well here in Toti.  I love serving here.

It sounds like you had a good time in Kansas.  It sounds like a beautiful place.  I'd like to go visit Kim and Brian when I get home. I'd love to see Kansas, actually I really want to be able to see more of the states.

There is actually a good school in Kansas for sign language.  I don't know exactly where though.  Lately, I haven't felt good about attending USU.  I've been actually thinking that if UVSC has a 4 year sign programme when I get home that I'll just go there again. But I don't know for sure what I want to do.  Luckily, I'll come home in the middle of the summer and I'll have some time to decide what exactly to do.

It's kind of cool because Sister Bennion is studying sign language as well.  It's nice because we are doing our service at the school for the deaf or actually hearing impaired, but most of them are actually deaf. My sign is going to be messed up when I go home because I am learning South African Sign Language as well.  A lot of the children there know both American Sign Language and South African Sign Language and they tend to mix the two, so I'm beginning to do the same.

Oh, hey! I almost forgot. I promised everyone at my birthday party that I would say thank you to you again for the cake.

Well, I had better go!  I love you all very much!  I hope all is going well for you there in the U. S.! :)  Take Care!

Love,
Michelle :)