July 14, 2012

 We had another baptism today.  Vuyisile Matshotyana, was baptized by his friend, our new Elders Quorum President, Patrick Nteyi,  (in dreadlocks).

 Vuyisile has all the potential to becoming a strong leader in the branch, and hopefully his whole family will join him. The problem with his wife is that she works a lot on Sundays. This makes it hard for her to come to church, which is necessary to complete the missionaries’ requirements for baptism. She is always being encouraged to come, but time will tell if she will try to get Sundays off. 

July 13, 2012

 Today may be the worst day we have spent here in South Africa.  We received an SMS (text) from Sister Tunye this morning saying her daughter had been attacked and later we learned she had died from her injuries.  We assumed it was her daughter at home, however, we found out shortly after from Sister Cockbain, the RS President, it was her daughter in Zimbabwe.  The world here is so different. In the states it seems like death comes only occasionally, but here people must face it often, much like I think it may have been in the early days of the United States.

The Elders held another branch get together tonight.  This time it was on a “Family Home Evening” format to show the branch families how to conduct one.  We sometimes take it for granted that members know how to hold a FHE, but here they have not been shown what one is. They have been taught that they should hold one but most have little idea how to.

One complete family showed up and a fair number of other families had at least one member there.  We had hoped for a better attendance and especially more complete families, but we will take what we’re given.  The Zone Leaders were here also and added a great spirit to the evening. (Elders Giles and Naylor) The evening turned out good and everybody enjoyed it.

July 9, 2012

 

P-day today and the Elders came at 7 am to make us breakfast and get haircuts.  They sure are brave!!  Actually Elder Dale made the pancakes while Elder Scicluna was looking up scriptures Rick needed.  The food was good and the haircuts actually turned out fine.

July 2, 2012

 The missionaries were eager to go to the Addo Game Park on this P-day.  I had a lot of stuff to do and was hoping the weather would cooperate with my scheduled and be rainy, but the Elders won this time, the weather was good and so we went.  Our adventure started when I learned the Elders hadn’t researched how to get to the park, but only had a general idea on where it was. When I learned this, we were too far from home to go back, so “no worries mate”, off we go. 

Elder Scicluna has learned to speak a little Xhosa so we figured we would stop at one of the local farms and ask the workers where we needed to go. Good idea, they knew exactly how we could get to the park and proceeded to give directions. With new found confidence, we were off again to see what adventures and sights lay ahead.  We turned off the main road and hadn’t traveled more than a few minutes when “adventure” found us. I have taken some back roads in my time, driving my truck in quest of a good camping spot, wood to cut, or a Christmas tree to find, but never have I taken a compact car filled with people on a back road that continued to worsen, in the middle of somewhere in South Africa, with no real idea where we were going.

I thought, Hey this is going to be fun!!!!

We had traveled about 10 kilometers, when we encountered a full size game gate across the road. We pulled up to it and a security guard approached us. I tried to explain to him in my very best Kings English that we were trying to get to the Addo game park. I have no idea if he understood anything I was saying, because I didn’t understand a thing he said. He had a clipboard with him on which he proceeded to write down our license plate number, had me sign his sheet and then opened the gate for us. He was very polite and waved as we drove by, but I swear I saw a slight smile and a laughing look in his eyes as we drove away.

We only drove a short distance when I realized that the road we had been driving on, before we went through the gate, was a proverbial highway compared to what we now were encountering. As I tried my best to negotiate the lunar landscape we were on, my mind went back to the ever so slight smile and laughing eyes of the guard we just passed. We must be the source of some great entertainment to the locals and especially that guard. I’m sure we gave him a good story to tell his friends and family about these crazy Yanks. I think he still might be laughing at us.

We drove for quite a while without seeing another person. I was beginning to wonder if we were all alone. Then, off in the distance I saw a vehicle coming. Good we’re not alone, there are others out here. The vehicle was moving fast. It was a big truck coming fast toward us, A BIG TRUCK full of oranges coming fast right down the middle of this “too small for big truck to be able to pass a small car full of people road”. Now I’m no timid driver and can play a really good game of chicken with the best, but I don’t think this guy was going to play fair. People tell me I don’t have any common sense. Well I’m here to tell you that they are wrong. I do have common sense when needed. I just have been saving it for times when it is needed, like now. I pulled over as tight as I could into the brush and stopped, just as the truck flew by bouncing oranges out with every bump. That guy never even slowed down, I wonder if he even saw me.

We survived!!!!! 

As the road worsened my mind began to think of all kinds of things. Can this road get any worse? No don’t think about that, if I think about it, it might happen. Maybe that truck driver was going so fast because he was lost too, turned around and wanted to get out of here before it got dark. No it is too early to worry about getting dark, it must be something else. Maybe the road doesn’t go anywhere, but I’m not a quitter we’ll just have to see where it does go. I wonder who would have made such a bad road. If this really is the road to the game park, I bet they don’t get any return visitors. Why don’t they fix it up some? I wonder if they want it to be this way. What if it’s all part of a grand South African plan? Thy didn’t have enough money to build a game park, staff it, bring in animals and feed them so what did they do? Maybe they built the refuge, fenced it with locked gates on the roads, put animals on it, and then sset a trap. We’ll advertise it to tourists, make the roads so bad that they either break down or get lost and then run out of gas. Then, when they try to walk out, the lions get fed. No.. stop thinking like that.. we’ll, find the real park any time now. What’s that up ahead? It’s a sign at a crossroads. Good now we’ll know where we are and where we should go. Darn, the sign is in Afrikaans, that doesn’t help, nobody in this car knows Afrikaans. Well we’ll just keep going. Be strong, because if there are lions out there watching, we don’t want to look timid, weak or lost. That will get them all worked up, they always go after the weak ones. Is my mind playing tricks on me again or do I see another gate? Did we somehow get turned around and are back to where we started? Doesn’t matter we are going to get out of here either way. 

We survived again!!!!!

As it turned out we had been directed to the back way into the park which must be only used by crazy truck drivers hauling oranges or lost foreigners. Once inside the real park, we started to see what we came to see. There were lots of interesting birds

small animals, mirror cats, impala, wildebeest, springbok, waterbuck, kudu, eland, black back jackal, bushbuck wart hogs,  monkeys, mice, a few zebras 

Wo..wo..wo..a huge herd of elephants crossing the road ahead of us!!!!  No, they were  not ahead of us but all around us.

It was amazing…we just hoped they didn’t want to walk across our car. 

Our missionaries, Elder Scicluna and Elder Dale, were both eager to go out and get pictures.  However, when they did, one elephant took exception and started after them.  Elder Dale bailed reasonably quickly, however, Elder Scicluna, always the over eager one stayed a little longer. Whenever the elephant took out after Elder Scicluna I honked the car horn. This made the elephant backed up a step or two.  That was interesting.  We had elephants basically all around us.  Some walked very close to the car,…only two or three feet away. It was a very exciting experience.  Elder Dale was hoping to see elephants and Elder Scicluna told him not to be disappointed if he didn’t.  There was no disappointment this day!! It was a great day at the game park!!

June 24, 2012

 Our new elder, Elder Dale is having a hard time with the township….the dirtiness, mud, garbage, rats and everything.  

It is hard to take at first, but we know he will get used to it because he has a great desire to serve the Lord wherever he is called to serve.  He is a greenie and will weather through it, it will just take time.

Okay, I admit… I am still not feeling that comfortable there either. It has taken me a while to accept the township living conditions.  I know the people really don’t know any other way to live, but it is hard for me to understand how they can live with all of the garbage around them. 

 Then there is the mud, the cold dark homes, the dim lighting, cows, chickens, goats, pigs just wandering around wherever they want.  Oh and watch out for the do-do stuff it’s everywhere!!  

 It seems like I am always cold.  We layer our clothes but it would be nice to just be warm. We have a small propane heater but you can’t heat the house with it, you just have to sit up close and personal if it’s going to do you any good. I sure miss our wood stove.  It is such a different world here than I am used to.

There have been a couple of times I have been particularly desirous to just go home.  I got over it when I remembered why we are here and who we are serving, but nevertheless they did come. The first time was when I was the teacher in Jr. Primary. I only had 4 children to deal with, but it was overwhelming for me.  Two of them were off the wall…throwing things, hitting each other, climbing (or trying to climb) the shelves and running around.  One of the other boys doesn’t speak or understand any English…he just looks at you and does whatever he wants.  All I could do at that point was call it “the nursery from my worst nightmare” and try to survive!!!  

Enough of the whining. Now for the good stuff.

As hard as it can be some days to go into the townships, it is also wonderful. To visit with the members and share in their joy of the gospel is amazing and so fulfilling.  When we visited the Nteyi family, Patrick Nteyi who was asked to do a lesson in Elders Quorum, wanted to know how he did. He was so grateful for a chance to teach and felt pleased to be of service. He was also glad to know that Rick felt he did a good job.  Sister Priscilla Tunye, the Primary President, is so happy to serve. When asked by Rick to teach the primary children the Articles of Faith, she went at it full speed ahead. Three weeks later the children sang a song in Sacrament Meeting and from memory gave the first three articles of faith, afterwards bearing testimony about what they just gave. They are now set every third Sunday to do the same, sing a song and have children give from memory four or more articles of faith. Now that is magnifying your calling.  They did very well, and brought a wonderful spirit into the meeting with the testimonies they bore.  Sister Tunye is eager to do all she can to serve and welcomes any helpful suggestions we offer.  There is the Mgadi family, who open their home once a week so seminary can meet there and they always join us as well. Then there is Sister Dell, who would give the shirt off her back, and did give the shoes she was wearing to young sister she saw who’s shoes were falling apart. She walked away in just her socks but had a smile on her face.  Brother Nobebe loves to go fellowshipping with the missionaries whenever asked and is always doing something for his neighbors.  The list can go on and on of those who are helping others and are so grateful for any help given to them.  We are very humbled every day at the wonderful spirit these people have about them and the kindness they have toward others and us. 

You never know what you are going to get on Sunday at church but today was great.  The Sacrament Meeting went better than it has since we have been here and the speakers were excellent. The Spirit was very much in attendance today.  Last testimony meeting was also amazing. It is so humbling to hear people who have so little, and struggle so much to just provide food for their families, testify about the love in their hearts for our Heavenly Father and the Savior and how blessed they feel.

This is what mission is all about. There are hard things to endure, but the blessings are so great.

June 23, 2012

 Today is the two month mark for being out on mission. Just a note… a couple of days ago Rick took me to the store and purchased a pair of fleece pajamas…..much warmer now. 

This morning I once again baking cookies for another baptism. This one was for Tanisha Denston.  Her family was baptized last week, however, she turned 8 two days after their baptism so she had to wait until today.   Yesterday Rick interviewed her for baptism and she requested that Elder Stumm baptize her.  That was a big surprise.  We thought she would certainly want Elder Scicluna, who taught the family the gospel, to baptize her and we asked her three times just to make sure.  Nope….Elder Stumm!  

While I was baking cookies for the baptism, Rick and the missionaries were back at the investigators home with the big bad tree and with the new chainsaw Rick got this last Tuesday. They made short order of the project.  RRRRR….more power!!!!!

The Elders did all the work teaching Tanisha but Rick had the privilege at 2pm today of baptizing his first person in South Africa.

The baptismal font is outside and was quite cold.  It took her breath away as it did with her family last week.

 We forgot to bring Rick’s baptismal clothes to the church, so he would just wear something from the church….a jumpsuit. He didn’t have dry garments to wear so he simply dried them as best he could with a towel and went on with the rest of the program.  She will be confirmed tomorrow at church. 

June 21, 2012

 This is just some notes on interesting things and happenings around here, typical of South Africa.

This isn’t really typical of all of South Africa, but here in Port Alfred we are not to drink the water from the tap.  It is bad, smell and otherwise, so we buy bottled water to drink.

Shortening does not exist in South Africa, so it is only margarine or butter for cookies.  Actually, that is what I always used anyway, however, I wanted to make biscuits once and all I could use was butter, which I did.  I thought they were great; however, Rick was not impressed.  They were not the ones he liked with his beans, therefore, not okay.  I fed some to Elder Scicluna and Elder Moangare and they inhaled them, especially Elder Scicluna.  Guess I will make more of them before he leaves.

Brown sugar is definitely not the same.  Their brown sugar looks like a lightly colored white sugar, except maybe the granules are a little larger.  Doesn’t have much brown sugar flavor. They do have treacle sugar which has a molasses flavor. I now use it in cookies to give them better taste and is really quite good.  Brown sugar as we know it does not exist here. 

There is absolutely no central heat or air conditioning here, either.  Most people have portable heaters of some kind.  We have a propane gas heater which I often cling to in the “winter” nights. 

 Now winter isn’t quite like our winter.  They think it is cold, we think it is just spring weather, but it is chilly here in the evening.  Often times it is warmer outside than it is inside.  I should have brought more warm clothes.

Mail is delivered by a man on a bicycle.  

 We also have a PO Box where mail, mostly for the branch, comes. I am not sure how they decide which mail comes to our home address and what goes to the PO Box because it all has the same address on it.  It’s just weird.  We get packages both ways.  Mail from the states still needs to come through the mission home and they post it to us.  The mail to our home address is delivered to the guard at the gate and they give it to us when we go through.  There are a number of different guards, and it is amazing how they all know who we are when we come through.  

They are now painting the buildings in our complex.  All of them are 4 stories tall and they use ladders to reach the top.  

 The ladders are just tied together.

 You won’t find that in the US.  It looks a bit precarious to us!!

In most parking lots, there are usually young men there eager to show you where to park and to help you back out of your spot.  Of course, you are expected to tip them.  We spend a lot of rand just tipping people, even if they don’t help.  They also seem to know which car is yours as they will stand behind it as you arrive.  Rick will tip them after we back out of the parking spot and many of them say “Thank you president” after they receive the tip.  It has kind of baffled us on how many of them call him that. How do they know? 

 While we were in town, Rick found the car and bakkie of his dreams.  The little truck (bakkie) really is kind of cute!!

Because everything here in South Africa, like electricity, internet, phone, and water cost a lot of money, most people have water tanks to hold run-off water from their roofs. 

It does rain a lot here, so filling them up is usually not a big problem.  They use the water to bathe in and do laundry, and some even drink the run-off water, even if it has wiggly things in it!!  Not us!! NO, we do not have a tank.  We are spoiled with regular shower and washing facilities. And, yes again, bottled water.  The people in the townships usually only have a small barrel size tank they use for fun-off.