2017 Are You Kidding Me?

   It's hard to believe we are 17 years into a new century!

   We started the year off with new haircuts from Jenny Baur our cute English beautician.  She is so sweet and easy to talk to and schedule, so it's one easy check mark to check.  Kent was sick that Tues and had to cancel our class.  They didn't show Thurs so it was a bummer for the first week of the new year.  We were busy preparing for our first in-service  in Richards Bay because the new school year starts on the 9th.

Entering above Durban countryside.  It is beautiful around here!

  We decided to stay 2 nights and visit a township for church on the way home.

Pine trees along the way.

We left Friday and stopped in Durban to get more manuals and student supplies(didn't get enough).  We stopped at Bake a-ton and got my chocolate chips, had lunch at the close-by mall and were off.

The Little Blue Engine that Could at non-functioning train museum in cute town- Hilton.

We tried to get close to the train on this old platform but  it was occupied.

  Getting a B&B (Bed & Breakfast) is tricky because it is hard to tell location and exactly what you are getting .  Kent asked me to screen the B&B's and do the leg work and I chose 3 or 4 and then he booked online.  They don't let you reserve --just pay for the 2 night stay on the spot.
  There are B&B 's everywhere and not many hotels.  Richards Bay is a resort of sorts and this is summer but school is about to start and it  wasn't hard to find a place.  B&Bs are more fun and do give you a nice breakfast,  When we get to our place the neighborhood seemed familiar but we didn't think too much about it.  Our room was  upstairs and rather small but nice with a fridge.  We brought food stuff and it was rainy but warm and the chocos would have melted.  We called the Collins, the missionary couple in Richards Bay to visit and go out to dinner with them Saturday at about 5 since things close early on Sat.  We put them in our GPS as we were leaving the B&B.  It showed that we were there at the Collins boarding immediately!  Turns out we were right next door to them and didn't know it!  We had only visited them once and came into the B&B another way.  We all had a good laugh!
   In S and I we have a budget to feed people at our in-service. (I guess it is expected!) Since they live far from the church and we go till noon, we did lunch this first time.  We picked up KFC this time and

they loved it. (African's and Americans love their chicken it turns out.)

 We met together for the first 1/2 hour, did devotional and talked Doctrinal Mastery and then I went in the next room with Institute with my computer. Africa is on the verge of having as much technology as the US and the youth are pushing for it.  For now they do everything on their phones and never have enough data to do all they want to do.  Kent and I downloaded all the videos that they suggest for the next 8 lessons.  We are pushing for all seminaries to get out of home-study seminary completely and stretch to at least 3 days a week seminary.  Some "stakes" are going 4 and 5 days.  You have to know that hardly anyone has cars and it is a stretch, but Richards Bay, even though they are a small District are trying for 4 days a week.        
   We put the short New Testament  videos and my Eternal Family videos on flash drives and DVDs.   The flash-drives are going to be the most used because the DVDs won't play in their players.  In the end we hope that most of our teachers will be able to use one of the technologies so that they can show the great church videos to enhance their lessons.  Most buildings have at least 1 computer and all have flash drive capability.  We only had 1 teacher not come and we got his stuff to him when we went to his Branch in a small township on Sunday.  It was a success we thought--now we need to keep track of them, encourage, and go back every 6 weeks for in-service training.  We headed for Dundee on the Sabbath to do a 2 week late boarding check for Elders and then home.

Sugar cane fields outside of Richards Bay. It takes a few years to harvest.

    On Monday,  the 9th we ordered KFC for our Zone Conference that happens every 6 weeks in Ladysmith.  The Browns always come from Newcastle to help.   This is our 3rd time to do this and we will start over next time and have a Braai (bbq). I feel like  a catering fool -cause I'm always thinking about and fixing or ordering and buying food. Monday also we had our 2 seminary teachers that are both primary grade teachers over for dinner at our boarding.  We ate and had an in-service and they would start Seminary the following week.  Tues we rushed home from teaching and set up our Zone Conference  KFC for 35.  We finally got home at 2;30 but I  played hooky (I was dead).  Kent helped and went back to our Branch President and went with him to give our dear Suren a blessing at the hospital.  He was being treated for meningitis but we don't really know what it is. Kent was home at about 5:30.  We crashed on Wed and cleaned and washed and prepared for Thurs class.  That afternoon we went to see Suren again to see if he was better.  He was really out of it, but by Friday he was well enough to go home.

We think is sugar cane that will be harvested in a few months,but still bitter.

home from teaching and picked up and set up the
   Thursday was class and time to get our act on the road again for in-service Saturday an hour and 20 minutes away in Madadeni.  We had about 15 teachers come and more food to prepare and set up. This time it was Herman, crackers and cheese and fruit salad and more chunks of melon and fruit juice.  They love cheese because they never buy it.  They ate everything but I'm rethinking.  We had more people than we knew about because a new branch was formed in Madadeni and they had called two new seminary teachers.   We lasted till about 12:30 and then had left overs I kept out of the mix with the Browns under a tree at the church for lunch.  Yeah peanut butter and crackers! We didn't have time to leave and come back.  Our next meeting we wanted to  stay for was the  self-reliance meeting.  Since we keep being asked about this program we decided to find out about it.  We got out of there at about 5 and followed the Browns to a hole in the wall Chinese place in Newcastle.  It was ok--we had sushi too!   Got home at 8;30 PM --in time for me to make cupcakes for the Seminary fireside in Dundee after their church the next day.   Branch President and wife ( DeKlerks)  have lunch with just the youth and we had to hammer out the particulars of whether we were teaching seminary and institute this year or not.  They have about 16 youth with 1 institute student included.  This is so complicated I will report later when I'm sure what will finally shake out.  We probably won't be teaching this year-- long story short, because they will be trying early morning class (6AM before their 7AM school).  We meet on Saturday the last of January for Doctrinal Mastery kickoff!

DeKlerk's Mango crop from their 40 trees.

Burned cane fields after a harvest. (I think)

Christmas Blur

This was the only pic we got of the Temple -it was such a tight day!

I'm going to zip through these next 2 weeks.  The 13th to the 23 was a blur with outstanding fun.
We did the standard Missionary Prep on the 13th and 15th, cleaned house and home stuff mixed with last minute Family History stuff.  Our Branch President Madonsela's brother died 1 year ago on the 15th so Family Search does not let you in-put his name till then.
    We were leaving for the Temple on the 16th and spending the night in Joburg, finding Chinese food, going shopping and going to our first movie. We had only one night in which to do this and we found everything.  Our B&B was great!  (There was a holiday on Friday and the temple compound was closed on Friday.)  Since our Branch was arriving in the morning by Taxi, (They don't turn on the air at all!) we needed to be there before 7:30 AM and submit our names for baptisms and get the process going.  It was a long day and it turns out that the temple only had 1/2 of their volunteers because of the holiday and it was very crowded and over booked for this small temple. It took until 2:00 till we were done.  Kent and I were the escorts for our couple and when it was time to seal our couple, that we worked with for months, the Branch President(brother) had to be hunted down.  He didn't go on a session and it turns out 1/2 the taxi didn't go on a session either.  They went to the Family History Library.  31/2 hours to Joburg just for the Library.  We don't know what to think about this!  
   We saw the Tom Hanks movie(Sully) and it was of course predictable but that was not the point.  Movie popcorn was the point!  I'm sad to say they don't pop it!  They warm already popped popcorn--disappointment but better than no popcorn.  The trip home was uneventful but I needed to prepare for my nursery experience in Ezakeheni on Sunday.

   This branch is really in"the bush".  The Elders go every week and almost always have multiple baptisms after meetings.  They make sure the day before that water is available and that the pump has pumped or they have bailed out the font.  There is no air-con just a few fans that work in the whole building.  My little-ones in the nursery are given nothing to play with so I bring play dough and crayons and story of some kind.  The big problem is they don't speak or understand a lick of English and we can't get an adult called that won't stop coming to church altogether if they are called. Shongalulu is the only word we all knew for that long centipede that comes out when it rains.  We just made those for about an hour. It was a real longggg 2 hours in that stuffy kitchen room with 5 little kids. I forgot the cookies but not the cups.
    On Monday we bought 20 sandwiches, at the local grocery store and all the fixins for these Elders lunches to eat on the fancy taxi to Bloemfontein and our mission Christmas party.  Pres and Sis Brown came at noonish and helped me put the lunches together and we sent them off with the Elders with their send off time at 5:30 AM. It takes us about 5 1/2 hours to get to Bloem , but we, the adults, started about 8.  We  took a road trip with the Browns and just chatted all the way.  It was great fun, even though we were in our little Corolla with not much room.  (we managed to take 2 carry-on suitcases total with computers and backpack and guitar) The Browns seemed to not mind being in the back and Kent liked driving.  We planned to be gone for 3 nights with a little touring and exploring along the way.

The party was in full swing when we got to the chapel.  Skits were being performed and it was a huge group with over 1/2 the elders -63 or so and 5 couples  counting the Pres and his wife.  There was eating and games and a talent show with a cute magician whose trick didn't work and he hurt himself.

 We did Silent Night with the guitar and had the audience sing with us at the end. We had it catered so we didn't have to worry about food.  It  all lasted from 12-8 PM and we were exhausted.  Couples were there for moral support and help with the spiritual program in the chapel at the end.  We did a Nativity story with costumes and script written by Sister Thompson along with Christmas  music. My Elders did not remember their music so didn't do their part but Kent and I sang a Sally Deford song.  Big slide show of pics that Elders sent in of their last year.  All in all a great night with lots of preparation.  We all got in the Christmas spirit even though we were fanning ourselves until we got to the chapel.

   We stayed in a  Marriott hotel (at least affiliated) and it was nice for 2 nights.  As tourists do, we packed up the stuff in the hotel about Bloem and picked a few things to go see.  There was this"Naval Hill" in the brochure that had a plantetarium and the biggest Nelson Mandela statue in the country-so we decided to get the overlook.

 We talked a long time to an Africaans couple on holiday and geocaching,  and the 2 Elders gave them a Book of Mormon.  After the statue we started to go to the closed planetarium and so followed the signs.  Sis Brown screamed, " stop" for there in the brush just eating a tree was a giraffe.

Ostrich were huge

Bonus!

 We had read there was a game reserve up there but we were in the middle of the city so didn't think much about it.  There were more animals with no fences and come to find out there is a "Fun Run" up there every year where you run with the animals.  We went to the big cool mall that was close by for lunch, shopped a little and met this kid in one of the stores that was home from a mission for

a year, soon to be non-labola-married to a member and was 4th generation African LDS.  We took his pic -he is so rare.

The Border of Losotho

   We had talked to the Chandlers before the party and during and reminded them that we wanted to go to Lesotho this trip.  They are the only couple in this tiny country in our mission.  They have about 12-14 Elders there as well. ( Note to self don't go again at Christmas because the border was awful to get through when showing passports.)  This is a different tribe (Bosotho) different language and they did not have townships per-se-just villages.  We went to a Bosotho village early on our mission, when we were in Golden Gate Nat Park.  (remember baboons) This country is very green and not far from Maseru (the capital city) it is very rural.  People use cows to pull carts

and plow their fields.  They have food to eat,but their shacks look more poor than the Zulus.  It's very hilly and in the center of the country there are high mountains that have snow on them in their winter--it's just cooler all year long. Lots of goats, cows, and chickens just like here but I started to notice mohair goats along the way that were different.

Sis Brown ended buying this one-notice the snow capped mountains and I think the pink colors are different blankets on people.

   When the Chandlers got us to our destination -a small building in a very rural area, we were slow to get out of our car.  This was not a commercial store at all.  The building was made of painted tin cans, but larger than the regular shack.   Sister Chandler had bounded from her car with armfuls of banana bread and fruit and when we got into the front room where the finished weavings were being displayed, we could hardly talk because of the noise. The singing, chanting and clicking in the other room, overpowered us.

We thought we were interrupting something until we peeked into  next door room.  These women in blue shirts, the weavers, were surrounding Sister Chandler and her goods and were so glad to see her they were literally dancing in her honor.  She is their rock star and she visits them often, with people like us who spend money and buy their beautiful weavings.  We did not disappoint!  They spin that mohair themselves and weave by hand all their own creations and commissioned work for the state.  I think Sister Chandler has put them on the map because they charge more now for their work. It was still very cheap for such authentic creations.

I had to have this cow in the picture because it was the only one in the store!

 They are literally painting pictures of their daily life in thread that they dye and spin.  We spent a long time there.  When we got back to the Chandler's boarding she had a lovely dinner waiting for us and we had the best time chatting and eating. We needed to scoot before dark to get to a different border town and spend the night at a very nice B&B.
Watch the Weavers video. ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me8xZeGg0oM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me8xZeGg0oM

 

We got home Friday late afternoon in time to go shopping for the big Christmas Eve dinner for the Elders the next day. They decided to do all their phone calls that night starting at 5 so I needed to be on time with dinner and coffee-cakes! (note: my good brown sugar still did not melt ) Rush- rush!

We have way too many food pics and I do lots of fixing food!
Elder Takau is missing because they stole him at the Christmas party to be an AP.

Ladysmith  Branch President for Sunday (Christmas) announced that we were meeting at 8 AM  for only an hour.  It was dark and cloudy because it had been raining and probably about 75 degrees.  (people show up in coats and complain how un-Christmasy it was!)We were there to set up our recorded Christmas Devotional (Kent's idea),  but no one else was there till about 8:30.
    After the meeting we went to visit the Chingwenas and pass out our  car full of balls.  A big shout-out thank-you to our children that helped finance that Christmas present!

It was a fun project this year and we actually took every ball from one store before Christmas.  The Elders all helped to give them out to kids or we wouldn't have been able to finish the project.  They loved it because it is a little slow for them around Christmas.  You hardly ever see kids playing with anything outside except rocks and sticks.

 

On Monday we had boarding checks and Tuesday we taught our class and got involved with transfers.

 2 new Elders changes the complexion of our little group.  The rest of the week is study and regroup and teach Thursday.  At some point the week after Christmas I talked to Dr Jubber from Joburg about why he is stopping the paperwork for my African Missionaries and what he is looking for -for complete paperwork. Finally! It was great!
  New Years was uneventful except our Branch President didn't get speakers--so Kent was it along with the Branch President.