August 10, 2012

 We had another branch activity night.  The intent of the branch activity was to bring the families in the branch closer together through spending time together playing games and other activities.  However, what has happened is that the parents don’t come, but their children and a lot of the friends do.  That is all well and good, but it isn’t meeting the intended purpose of the activities. We have told everyone if they get to activity and a ride home will be provided.  Most people do not have transport and by the time the activity is over it is dark and unsafe to walk home, so we have been doing it that way.  If they make the effort to get there, we can get them home.

Tonight was another night as usual and maybe 3 adults came and about 20 kids from about 8 years old to 15, members and non-members. One member girl brought 5 of her friends.  We made 3 trips to Station Hill and the township that night taking people home.  The missionaries also provided rides home to members as they cannot take nonmembers in their car.  One group we took home consisted of 8 mutual age kids.  When all were in the car, one of them immediately started to run their fingers through my hair.  They rubbed it, twirled it, pulled it into a ponytail, and massaged my head.  It really did feel good, but it was a little weird!  When we stopped to drop them off, a number of the girls rubbed the top of my head and said “soft hair”.  Now their hair is usually kinky and quite course, so mine did feel quite different from theirs and they were fascinated with it.  They are also not used to being in close contact with white people, so we were quite a novelty to them, I guess.

August 6, 2012

 We made some zucchini bread and chocolate chip cookies to take to the manager of the Rose Hill Super Spar grocery store as a thank you for letting Rick have the Saturday produce each week, which was to be thrown out because it was not sell able. The produce is either spoiled, out dated or being thrown away for some reason.  Brother Hola will use it to feed his pigs and save on the pig food he is now buying to feed them. We took the manager one plate for his family and two others to share with his employees and then went shopping for some stuff we needed.  When we checked out, the girl at the register leaned over and whispered “what’s the secret to your cookies”.  She really liked them and wanted to know if I sold them.  I told her no, but would bring her the recipe.

August 4, 2012

 Our adoring Elders invited us to go to a birthday party for, we thought, a Young Woman age girl who is a non-member friend of Magret Tunye and attends church and seminary with her regularly. She is about 14 years old, and is very shy so we thought that it would mean a lot to her if we attended.  Sister Tunye had also told us about the birthday party, but she isn’t always that easy to understand and we just assumed it was for Magrets friend. 

We met the Elders at the Tunye’s then proceeded across the road to find a big circus-like tent covering the area between some houses. In the front was a table covered with a large bug net on which set soda pop, bowls of snacks, and a big cake with happy birthday 21 on it. There were balloons all around and five rows of chairs set up. We found some available seats in the rear and sat down, saying hi to those around us and just making small talk between ourselves. We started to notice that we were the center of attention for most people. Soon some of the adults told the children sitting in the front to pack up and get out I guess, because the children moved and we were motioned by hand gestures to occupy the seats in the front. We found all of the attention rather flattering but the whole set up was a little strange. We were going to a 14 year olds birthday party who we didn’t know very well, and were going to sing happy birthday to her, maybe have a piece of cake and leave. Now we find ourselves the center of attention at what we can only guess is the birthday party for someone we have never met but is turning 21 years old. What do we do and how can we get out of here after all the attention we have been given? We figured there is no way we can leave without insulting somebody, even if we don’t know them, so we decided to just smile a lot and ride this one out and see where it takes us.

After we sat there for some time more people showed up and the event started.  Behind the table were chairs where the guest of honor, her mother, the aunt, somebody we never did figure out who she was and the Master of Ceremonies sat. 

The MC began by saying that we are here to have a good time and that people were invited up to say a few words about Xabilsia but when you speak you pay. She then took out some money, put it in a bowl and said some stuff to Xabilsia. Then somebody in the back started singing and everybody joined in singing, clapping and dancing. Now we don’t know what they were singing about because it was all in Xhosa, but we joined in clapping and moving and just having a good time. Then all of a sudden they just stopped and sat down, so we sat down. Then somebody else did the same thing. They got up, spoke awhile, put some money in the bowl, people started sing, dancing and clapping and just having the best of times.

Next to speak was Xabilsia mom who expound on her child for well over 40 minutes all in Xhosa. I swear she talked the whole time without ever taking a breath. It seems that here when a woman turns 21 it’s the rights of womanhood and they make it a very big deal.

One speaker after another followed the same pattern. Someone would speak, they would sing some more and then someone else gets up.  There had to be at least 15 people do this….singing…someone gets up…singing…someone gets up…ALL in Xhosa….although every once in a while someone would say “President” everyone would look at Rick nod their heads and smile.  We had no idea what they were saying about us but we trusted that they were kind words.  Sister Tunye tried her best to interpret for us, but like I said she is also hard to understand especially when speaking softly.  About 1 ½ hours into this, the Elders, you know the ones who got us into all of this, told us they had an appointment they needed to be at, got up and left us sitting there. They said they would be back but somehow I think they had just found a good way to exit this situation while we didn’t. 3 hours into the celebration they came back only to find things going just the same as when they left.  Yes, they were surprised!  None of us had ever been to a Xhosa birthday party before so we don’t know if they are all the same, but we can tell you how one went on August 4, 2012.  When things finally did get towards the end, the young lady conducting the party asked President Stumm if he would like to say something to Xabilsia which he nodded no….she wouldn’t let him off and said it would really be an honor to have him say something.  Of course, he didn’t know what to say since he really didn’t even know the girl.  But, he went up, put some money in the bowl and said that he really didn’t know Xabilsia but said if she was as nice as her mother then she was doing all right.  Of course, the mom loved that.  After that, a man, we assumed was a minister of some sorts stood up and said a few words and since Rick spoke English, he would also.  It was then his duty to pour champagne and offer a toast.  They went around giving everybody glasses and the pouring them some champagne for the toast. When we told them that we don’t drink alcohol they stopped the toast and everyone waited until some sprite was found for us to drink and the toasting began.  

After all the toasting the minister asked Rick to leave a blessing on the young woman and then offer the final prayer. He managed to, but it was quite uncomfortable for him.   Evidently, anytime a white person comes into the township, especially after dark, and attends anything like this, it is quite an honor to the Xhosa people and you are treated with great respect, which we were.  Food was served afterwards, we ate, said our good byes and then left after only a short 4 ½ hours.  It was certainly an experience we will always remember but hope to not have to do again. 

August 2, 2012

We took the carrot cake to the editor of the local newspaper, Talk of the Town.  We were told by the previous senior couple that he could be influenced considerably with a good carrot cake and he was happy to get it.  The last time he was only given a piece of carrot cake, this time we gave him the whole cake. He loves carrot cake but was going to share with his co-workers anyway. When he asked if we had any projects coming up, of course, we told him about the Helping Hands service project on August 18^th.  He said he would have someone there to report on it.  That will be great.

Our home teaching appointment cancelled on us so that was rescheduled for next week.

Today we decided we need to be more focused and schedule our time better.  We are going to get up at 6:30 and exercise, shower, have breakfast and read scriptures then do individual study and companion study just like the regular missionaries do.  We really haven’t been studying probably like we should and have been feeling a little out of sync with the mission.  Need to be on track better.

 

August 1, 2012

Can’t believe it is August already.   It is winter here….no snow, of course, however, it can snow in South Africa and we heard reports of it just a couple of weeks ago somewhere between here and Johannesburg.  But it has been cold today. .. rainy and windy.  We have been wearing our raincoats today and sitting close to the heater….it will be interesting to see what summer in December is really like. 

I made a carrot cake to take to the editor of the local newspaper, because he likes carrot cake and he did write a nice article on us when we first arrived here.  We hope to get coverage of our Helping Hands service project on August 18.  I am willing to bribe.

We had seminary again….every Wednesday.  The only people there were the host family.  I think it was a good evening, however, as the family really participated in the lesson…the father is not active, but sat right down with the scriptures.  He told President we were always welcome there.  We then went over to the Tunyes’ to see how they were doing.  They seem to like us to come and Brother Tunye always asks ME to leave with prayer. 

July 21, 2012

I love Saturdays that include a baptism and we have had many good Saturdays lately. This Saturday Sister Nompumelelo Vulindlu made a convent with Heavenly Father and entered the waters of baptism. We have been in on a few of her teaching appointments and were very impressed on how well she understands and can remember what she had been taught. She asked Elder Dale to baptize her.  She was sooo happy.  

After the baptism, the Relief Society had an enrichment meeting which was very well attended. There were somewhere between 15 and 20 sisters who attended. We were taught how to make these really cool scarves.  They are knitted from a lace-like yarn and turn out very pretty when done.  Even I am making one.  

July 15, 2012

 Today was nicer than last night, weather wise.  Not everyone made it to church, but the turnout wasn’t bad.  Our primary president was in Zimbabwe, and her counselor didn’t show. It turned out that she had taken her daughter to the hospital but the fact still remained there was nobody to take care of primary….of course, that meant I had the duty as they are the only people in primary.  I had been previously asked to teach the children the song “As a Child of God” by Janice Kapp Perry.  It is for the Children’s Primary Presentation.  It is interesting how things seem to work out when you’re on mission. There were only 8 children and no Jr. Primary children to take care of, so I had the Elders bring in a keyboard so I could teach the right tune, and we had fun learning the song together. I wrote the words on the board and played the keyboard while the group sang through the song a number of times. Then I had one of the children erase two of the words and we sang it again, another child and two more missing words till almost all the words were gone and we could still sing the song through with little difficulty.  Next came a short lesson on the creation and pictures to color, which they all loved.  At the half way mark comes snack time.  Most of the people here evidently don’t eat breakfast, but only have a noon and evening meal so a snack at 11:00 works well.  Rick could only help me on the first hour of primary, so the second hour I played the Book of Mormon video for the children, and then we practiced the song again. Finally I used some Gospel art pictures and had the children tell me who or what they were. They knew the pictures of Jesus and I helped them with the rest.  They were very engaged with the pictures and listened when I explained what each one was.