Christmas in Johannesburg

 

One of the workers at the Area Office announces the birth
of our Savior.

The old garage was fittingly turned into a stable setting for the nativity reenactment.

Sister Susan Martineau produced the most amazing Christmas Devotional.  The actors were so humble you could
almost feel that you were at the actual event.

Christmas in Soweto in 2011

Merry Christmas to all of our loved ones.  We are thinking of you as we celebrate the season in Africa.  We have
found great joy in our service to the children and good people of Africa.  Following are some memories of several
evenings of Christmas Caroling and spreading the love of our Savior with the Young Single Adults of Soweto. 

The Young Single Adults sang in full voice as they visited friends who
had not participated with them for some time.  After each visit they would
encircle the brother or sister and give hugs and love.  Some of the young
people even joined with us as we continued caroling.

The children of all ages loved Father Christmas.  They really seemed to relish the hug even more than the "sweet"
that Santa had for them.  And the amazing thing--not one child expected more than one treat, and they all had a
smile and a hug for Father Christmas.

They brought these fun glasses for the children.  They loved them almost
as much as they did Father Christmas.

Christmas at the Squatter's Camp

This couple posed with the Bishop.  They just got married.  

                            

One area that we visited was the Squatter's Camp.  Last August it burned to the ground. The YSA's were very involved helping them rebuild their homes.  Yes, they actually live in these small shacks.  They have no running water, no electricity, and no bathroom facilities.  They put scraps of carpet on the ground to help control the mud from the rains.  But even though their living is very meager, their homes were clean, the children are clean, and everyone had smiles and love for us.







Below is called a Donkey Boiler.  The YSA's built this for them.   A young man will arise every morning before 5:00 A.M. to start a fire to heat the water that is in the Boiler.  Then when the people get up they can have a hot drink or warm water to wash.  It is quite a luxury for them.

Elder and Sister Hatch pose with some of the Young Single Adults and the children of the Squatters Camp.  The green
barrel behind them is their water source.

The Jollys, The Stonehockers, Father and Mother Christmas, The Hatches, and The Piedgrasses.

Our First Training Session in Mozambique

It is fascinating, to say the least, watching the women carry huge
loads on their heads.  They have incredible balance and their necks
must be very strong!

This is a pickup full of fresh bread being transported to the local
market.  Paper wrapping would be extra charge I guess.

The Heningers and we did a Public Affairs Training for these good folks.
Sister Nelsa, is the National Director for Mozambique,  and members of the Stake Presidency
were in attendance.

Animal Park in Swaziland

We were told not to expect to see any animals today.  It is the wrong time
of year and the wrong time of day.  Imagine our excitement as we found
amazing sites of animals on almost every turn.

The gentle Springbok were so friendly and very plentiful.  They were not
the least bit shy either.

Fascinating animal--the Wart Hog

The Kudo is very hard to film as they are quite timid I'm told.

Now this little guy is quite amazing.  I had to get out of the car to catch
his photo which is against the rules!  Imagine Grandma breaking a rule--
Grandpa couldn't believe his eyes!  This is called a Dung Beetle and it is
moving a huge ball of elephant dung.  We don't exactly know why.
Grandma thinks it's because they just want to.

Now Grandpa on the other hand was determined to get out of the car and slap a rhino on the butt.  They were about
10 feet from our car.  He knew he could make it because they are told to have very bad eyesight.  But we
convinced him that they would probably take out the car and leave Grandpa alone so he gave up the chance to
earn $100.00 that Elder Heninger offered him for the feat.  

Now I am quite impressed with these two photos!  Not bad for an amateur photographer 
wouldn't you agree?  I am very glad we bought the new camera.  I'm really having fun
 learning how to use it.  This bird is called an African Hoopoe (Hupu).

This beautiful creature is called a Weaver.  Notice the unusual nest.  The daddy bird makes
 the nest for the mommy but if it's not satisfactory she'll refuse it and he has to build another 
one.  Even the animal world has high maintenance women.

The first animals we found were these hippos.  

Mozambique and the ride home

Mozambique became an independent country (they were under Portugal)
just a few years ago.  It actually felt safer than South Africa, but we
were told we were just lucky.  Most people are stopped by the police
and have to pay a bribe to continue on.  In Joburg everything is closed and
all are off the streets by 9:00.  Not so in Maputo.  The night life was much
more evident.  We even went for pizza at a local restaurant which was
excellent by the way.

The streets are lined with produce and things to sell.  No white people
anywhere.

Now for the adventure ride home.  We stayed at the animal park too long waiting
for the elephants, which never showed, so we had to travel after dark.
Big mistake!  It was a two-lane road and extremely narrow.  At one point a Combie
(that is a mini-bus that they use as taxis.  The drivers are insane.  I call them
Kamikazis not Combis.)  Anyway, one driver actually forced us off the road.
There was no shoulder so thank goodness Grandpa used to drive on the ditch banks
when he was a kid because he kept the car from rolling.  Then not 10 minutes later
we came up over a rise and there was a huge cow right in our lane of traffic.  Grandpa
slammed on the brakes and we slowed just nose to nose with the stupid cow.  It didn't
even flinch.  We were so grateful when we made it to Swaziland and seriously said
a heart-felt prayer of thanks.

Mozambique and the Indian Ocean

 Many live in nicer homes but
some still live in small huts
without water or electricity.

The Indian Ocean was as warm as
bath tub water.  It was smooth and
the sand was very soft.  I think
Mozambique is a well-kept secret
now that they are an independent
country.

We saw very few bathing suits.
It was more a feeling of going
to the park to relax than of going

to the beach to play.

A long line of devout Muslims praying to the east.

A Zulu Wedding

Toba took us to her neighborhood in Soweto for a Zulu Wedding.  The dancers did a dance similar to the
Mauri Haka War Chant except instead of their tongue at the end, they fly backwards and land on the ground on their bums.  Meanwhile, all of the women are doing a loud, sustained,  high pitch trill and dancing on the fringes.  It means they are very happy.  The people seated are the groom's family.

Some of our Special Friends

 The Jamesons who are the Mission
Presidents in the DRC (The Congo.)
They are currently evacuated from that area because of the elections.  Two have been assassinated already.  Very
scary area.

The Heningers from Canada serving
in the Durbin Mission.  They are the
ones we are going with to Swaziland
and Mozambique.

 Susan and Stephen Harms who were
our trainers and were so helpful to us.
They have returned home to Arizona.
Toba works at the office and is
invaluable with her contacts and knowledge of South Africa.

Elder and Sister Cook.  He is the
Area Seventy and oversees Public
Affairs.  They are delightful people,
so sincere and humble.  They are from the Ogden area.

The history of Apartheid at Soweto