Lunch with the Missionaries, President and Sister Merrill in Port Alfred

This morning we picked up President and Sister Merrill to drive to Port Alfred.  As we were getting ready to depart, we followed up with the Elders who had transferred to the mission from Sierra Leone and Liberia.  We had delivered them their new MSF cards at Zone Conference.  We were called by them yesterday when they did not get any money in their MSF accounts.  We had asked them to check again at the Bank this morning.  There was still no money.  
 
I called Elder Petersen and found that the money will only be deposited beginning next month.  We then visited each Elder and deliver their monthly MSF prior to leaving East London.  As a result, we departed a bit late.

We then drove to Port Alfred and as we arrived we called the Elders and had them meet up with us at the Port Alfred Spur.  The restaurant is right at the end of the pier.  I took our family in 1999 to this Spur when we visited with Alan Martin at his time share.

This lunch had to take the place of the “Welcome” dinner for Elder Branch.  When he arrived on his mission a week ago his plane arrived late into South Africa so the President went to the airport to meet with him.  They had a “welcome” interview and then be boarded his next flight so he could get to East London and then on to Port Alfred for his first assignment.

You can see Elder and Sister Thomas with the “Port” behind us.  At lunch are Elder Branch, Sister Thomas, Sister Merrill, President Merrill and Elder Prisbrey.