"DON'T BE SAD IT'S OVER, JUST BE GLAD IT HAPPENED AT ALL"

Dear Family and Friends,

Our mission is coming to an end and we can't believe it has been 18 months already. We leave for home in two days and we are giddy with joy. Saying that please don't misunderstand we will be very, very sad to leave South Africa. We love the people dearly and we love the country. Our mission is the best mission in the whole world and we feel blessed to have served here.

We are now in the process of training our two replacement couples, this has been our hope all along to have two couples to cover the vast distances that we have had to travel. It seems that due to the fact we have 7 mission,400 units and 23 countries it's been impossible to be everywhere we needed to be. Even with us traveling 50% of the time and not always in pleasant conditions, we just couldn't be everywhere. Now with them splitting up the responsibilities between two couples it is our hope that twice as much work will get done , as my granny used to say "more hands makes the work load lighter".

Jan finally finished making the 300 blankets and hats she had committed too and finally delivered them last week. It was a lovely sight to see those blankets wrapped around those precious new babies, we won't soon forget the warm "fuzzies" we felt as we saw the smiles those blankets placed upon those dear little mothers.

We so appreciate the prayers that you have offered up on behalf of the missionaries serving all around the world, it has given us and all the other missionaries a sense of comfort to know that we are remembered.

We will continue to maintain our blog when we return home to family and friends who are interested in "Bob and Jan's other adventures". We are sure there is much to do and ways to serve when we are once again "civilians". We will be keeping our eyes and ears open to find them.

May God bless you for all you do to further the Lord's work and in helping others along the road in this troubled world.

Love,
Elder and Sister Taylor soon to be Bob and Jan once again!

CAPE TOWN AUDITING TRIP

BEAUTIFUL CAPE TOWN

TABLE MOUNTAIN IN THE BACKGROUND

Dear Family and Friends,

Much to our surprise it looks like time has caught up to us and our mission is quickly coming to an end. We leave South Africa on the 13 of February to return to America the home of the brave and free. Those words mean so much to us as we realize that not all people are so blessed. We have so many gifts bestowed upon us as Americans and members of the Church of Jesus Christ that one cannot contain or properly show gratitude for them all. Sometimes we feel like an ungrateful child who doesn't properly thank God for all the blessings He has given so freely.

With the end of our mission so close, we have stepped up our pace and lengthened our stride even more. We have very been busy since before Christmas and the rush to the finish line is in sight. Bob and I have, by assignment from Elder Watson, gone to several Stakes in South Africa and done in depth audits on 23 of their Units. The Audits were very revealing and helped us better determine what training is most valuable in the future. We are grateful that we have two couples arriving to replace us, we could have used 3, due to the heavy work load that we have had. We have 22 Stakes,9 Missions,18 Districts and 404 Units which are assigned to us and no way to handle everything and be everywhere we are needed. It has been fun trying though. We have loved our calling, it's been the best mission anyone could ask for.

MISSIONARIES DO HAVE FUN

While in Cape Town last week we had a morning of not doing audits and went to Simon's Town to see the famous African penguins which we have heard of but not have had time to see. What a delightful sight they are. I have inserted some pictures and a short video from U-tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwiQopbkP9k