Remember when I told about our friend
Powell Oketa a few months ago. While he was still recovering from his foot
operation, he went with Elder Oborn on mission business up to Botswana.
Apparently a very pretty girl named Lucia had met him when Elder Oketa was
branch president up in Kenya, Botswana on his mission. She had a little boy before she joined the church -
single mothers are very common because of what they call labola aka bride
price. Remember Johnny Lingo and his 10 cow wife - similar thing. The bride's
parents negotiate with the grooms parents and decide on a settlement. The
church is working very hard to get the locals to abandon this tradition as some
couples do not have parents to pay the demanded price and go into marriage in
debt. It also keeps many couples from even getting married because they have no
money to pay the demanded price. With our seven daughters, we'd be sitting
pretty spiffy and we would have demanded some pretty high payments for those
seven very valuable daughters:) Anyway, Oketa fell head over heels for Lucia
and asked her to marry him. Now, being the practical people that we are, he's 28
years old, a Ugandan native living in South Africa on a very sketchy visa, no
home, no job, a father in England, no mother, and he wants to get married.
Besides, how is he going to pay the labola? Well, none of this discouraged him.
He started making plans. He does have a sister who got married last fall who
lives in a small house with an extra bedroom. His father from England sends him
as much money as he can, and the Leavitts and us have helped some. So after
many frustrating weeks working on some details, Elder Bishop took him to the
bus station to go up to Botswana and work out some details. So if there are no
parents, which is the case with Lucia, then the uncles are entitled to some
settlement. The bride and groom have no say whatsoever. Someone represented
Oketa and he negotiated with the uncles. Now if you ask me, the uncles
shouldn't get one single solitary penny - she doesn't even know them. But
tradition.......We're not sure what the final outcome was but apparently it was
settled - maybe Oketa's father come through - we don't know. Then they had to
wait like three weeks after they got a marriage license before they could get
married. They had to get civily married before they could go to the temple to
be sealed so on December 27th, they were married in Botswana. Then the three of
them (little boy is almost three) came back to South Africa and Powell and
Lucia were sealed in the Johannesburg Temple on January 2nd.
So the sweetest story at the temple.
Little boy only speaks and understand Tswana so he was pretty tramatized with
all of these new people and the move. He would let Aunt Fiona hold him but no
one else. But Aunt Fiona needed to go into the temple to the sealing. The cute
matron of the temple went and got Grandma Rachel, a temple worker from Botswana
who speaks Tswana. She took the little boy, he cried for two seconds, and when
we came out of the temple, he was sitting on her lap just as cute and calm as
could be. More tender mercies for those who are trying to be obedient and be
faithful. So I said almost happily every after because Powell, Lucia and little
boy have to go back to Botswana to work on a visa for Lucia and her son so they
can all go to Uganda. Powell has been here on a missionary and medical visa and
both of those are expiring. We just have to get him to the doctor who puts some
special lifts on his shoes. His foot is straightened out but because of all of
the years and deformation of his leg, one leg is a little longer than the
other. He's about 6"7-8" tall with legs that go on forever but that
little lift will make a big difference. We're standing by to help them get back
to Botswana and then their flight to Uganda. He has great plans to go to school
and we wish them all the best and happiness in the world. I just kept reminded
them what Elder Hinckley says, "Everything will all work out." Powell
has never become discouraged in all he's had to go through. We admire him for
taking steps that seemed impossible. So far so good and with his determination
and desires, he will succeed at whatever he pursues. He will become a great
priesthood leader in the church in Uganda - we are sure.
Sister Leavitt, Malvin and Rory, Fiona, Lucia, Kevin, Sister Reber, Sister Bishop, and Elder Bishop
Very Happy little family
I almost got Angel Moroni
So cute
