Deliveries are delightful

The movers pulled up with three large boxes packed full of our items from home.

We received our delivery within a month of being here and it was a delight to see familiar things from home arriving at 21 Carnation Street, Roodepoort, South Africa!  We are excited to have more pictures for our walls and books we love from home. We even packed some favorite handmade quilts and our bikes, tennis rackets and golf clubs. We don't know how much time we will have to use everything, but it is comforting to have things from home with us. I chose to use my  scrappy star pioneer quilt  for a tablecloth for our 24th of July spontaneous dinner with our office couples, the Hansen's and the Thompson's. Great new friends that are adopted into our family now.

Quilts, pictures, books all make us feel more at home!

We could not have unloaded the truck without the help of the movers and also Irene, our trusty housekeeper. Irene has been with the mission home for the past 5 mission presidents. We couldn't do all of this work without her wonderful spirit and help. She knows how to help us make a house a home! We needed to leave the day our delivery arrived for a weekend visit to out-lying areas of the mission. (Nelsprit and Tzaneen). We couldn't have made it all happen without theirgreat help.

The Elders in Nelsprit got deliveries this week also. The best delivery was of the Swans, the new senior couple we drove up with us when we came. Senior couples are the lifeline for our Elders far from Joburg.  The Swans are from Vancouver, Canada and were so willing to take this assignment to serve in the outlying areas of the mission, supporting missionaries and strengthening the branches.

The Elders in that area also received some long awaited packages. They were so excited, they tore into them immediately. These Elders get mail even less regularly because they live 5 hours away from the mission office.

Welcome to Elder and Sister Swan all the way from Vancouver, Canada.

It is fun to see any Elder's get a package from home.  I knew it meant a lot when I sent them to our boys on missions, but it is really  fun to see the delight on this side when received. However, it can be expensive to get packages through customs.  It costs Elders to retrieve the packages, even though the shipping has been paid by the senders.  Just one of those Africa things!!  We have heard horror stories of how camera packages get opened and replaced with old tennis shoes. In general, it seems that smaller packages with simple items are best and most appreciated by the Elders.
Elder Bodily getting a birthday package!

Below are the zone leaders coming to the mission office on a Thursday morning to pick up mail and any deliveries.  It is a big deal weekly to get mail and supplies and then distribute to each missionary in their zone.

Happy 24th of July!!

On this pioneer day in Utah, we are celebrating South Africa style! We honor our pioneer heritage which showed great faith and determination in traveling from Denmark, Scotland and England to come to the promised land. They made many sacrifices in search of religion and the freedom to worship  in America and on to Zion.
Today we started our day on our red, white and blue mountain bikes and took our first (of many) bike rides in South Africa.  Our road bikes are getting assembled this week and ready to go on our next P-day for a more serious ride.

Watch for more posts in the coming days. I have just recovered from 2 weeks with an African Flu Virus and then our first round of transfers with 15 great Elders returning home and 11 new Elders arriving.  We have much to catch up on.....and it is coming! Stay tuned!!

Fun to ride the hills of FloraCliffe. Perfect residential area for a fun up and down 8 mile ride. Great workout!!

Welcome to Florida!! (our new home ward)

Our mission home address finds us belonging to the Florida Ward in the Soweto Stake.  We attended our meetings here today and had Elder Worton and Dzowa there early, joined by their investigator family they have been teaching.

 We were fortunate to sit on the stand and watch all the rows of members fill in. The meeting started at 8 am and by the end of sacrament the congregation was filled with about 100 people. We were able to attend the Gospel Essentials class with 4 investigators and a few members getting re-activated. It was great to discuss the concept of repentance with these people.  

I then attended Relief Society with 25 sisters. The discussion was about the blessings of the priesthood for women. The teacher and the women participated in such an honest and open discussion about the blessings of the Priesthood  in their lives. Many women commented  how they want the men in their lives to be empowered with the Priesthood and share in the blessings of the gospel with them.  A lack of men that have been ordained to hold the Priesthood is one of the greatest challenges with the church in Africa. There is a need for more men to be involved and take the responsibility of the Priesthood. The women do so much already, they need men to take their role and be empowered and involved.
I was honored to be in their midst and be able to participate in the dialogue.

The Florida ward building is part of a complex that houses the Missionary Training Center and the Mission Offices.  It is probably one of the few ward parking lots that has a security gate attendee letting you in and out.

Meet our great missionaries assigned to this ward and serving in the Soweto Zone
Elder Dzowa from Malawi and Elder Worton from Idaho! They are doing such a fabulous job here.

Elder Dzowa's scriptures are threadbare, due to his constant reading and studying. It is so amazing to see how much he had marked them and how mature he is in the gospel for such a young man.

Meet the Mthombeni family.  One of many strong members we met today. Brother Mthombeni served a mission in Kenya and has been home 8 years. He has a beautiful wife and darling children and represents the future and hope for the Church in Africa. 

The mission office is on the same property, so we ducked inside today to grab a few things.  Pretty nice set up for President Dunn. Great AP's make all the difference.

Outside the mission office

The Mission President has a big van to drive around Joburg and throughout our mission area. This big car comes in very handy!!

There is even a plaee for me to work alongside. In one week we have discovered how much goes on in a mission office. (all records, transportation, phones, medical, visas, passports, travel, supplies, housing, bedding, etc. etc.
We would love to have anyone come join with us in the work if you have the time and interest!!!!!:)

A Visit to the Apartheid Museum

We had a few hours on our Preparation Day to explore some historical sights in Johannesburg. We thought it would be most appropriate to start with the Apartheid Museum.  The tag line for the museum reads 

“Apartheid is exactly where it belongs-in a museum.”

The basic principle behind apartheid was simple-segregate everything. Cut a clean line through a nation to divide white from black and keep them divided. This museum showed us that any form of racial inequality leads to destruction.

We particularly loved the new Constitution Mandela was able to pass just two years after he was elected President of South Africa in 1996.

Mandela’s new constitution has guarantees of equality more explicit than any other nation in the world. At it’s heart are seven fundamental values. The pillars in this new constitution are democracy, equality, reconciliation, responsibility, respect and freedom.

Coming late to democracy, South Africa was able to draw on the collective wisdom of the democratic countries of the world in creating its Constitution. Having come along a route of struggle and pain, the country took the process deeply to heart - and takes great pride in the result.

Here is a link to a great interview with Nelson Mandela by Richard Stengel, the author of his biography. Well worth the read!

It is meaningful in this month of July that celebrates our American history. We have had many of the same struggles in America, but not this recent and intense.  We applaud the forgiveness that has been a strong value modeled in South Africa.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/mandela/interviews/stengel.html

thanks to Kathryn Knudsen for sending me this link.

It is fitting with the work we have come to engage in with 200 missionaries, to be mindful of this great land and it's past. It is why this country, in it's healing, is so primed for the message our missionaries have for them.  They are a faithful, God fearing people with a heart full of forgiveness for past mistakes and injustices.

Missionary Leadership Council (MLC) Today!

 Every 6 weeks the leaders of the mission gather together and have a 2 hour planning meeting.  This first one for President Dunn was held in the complex where our mission office is. This is a great area where there is a ward/stake building, Church Education Offices, the Africa Missionary Training Center and our Mission Office. It is a 10 minute drive from the mission home.  What a great facility for meeting with all of the amazing mission leaders. This is a great group and I was honored to be in their presence. It is fun for me to be the only "Sister" in the group.  I am able to participate with all the mission issues and plans.  I love it and love these amazing Elders.  They are an inspiring group.

AP's Bodily and Davies prepping for their meeting

Elder Mukarati and Louw made it early because they stayed at the mission home the night before. Their zone is in Tzaneen and Polokane, which is 5 hours away.

President Dunn is excited for his first meeting with the mission leaders! He shared a great thought from Elder Ballard's recent conference address on being persistent and using follow through!

Here was our activity demonstrating where each zone is geographically in relation to each other. This helped the newbies (us) to get our bearings on where our missionaries are serving.

The council is convening and considering many important issues. Notice my one empty seat...for the one sister in the group.

After the meeting we were able to pause and enjoy a fun lunch together before all the zone leaders gather their new office supplies and medications, mail and packages and head back to their areas.

We had delicious pizza with special flavors, like sweet chills and chicken,
we also had greek salad and homemade brownies.  

Elder Ryan and Flynn head back to The Vaal Zone with a load. Both of these Elders depart  for home in 2 weeks. Darn it!!

Elder Kyole and Ndikumana taking mail and supplies to the Benoni Elders!

Elder Searles and Martin are great Elders leading out in the Pretoria Zone!

Elder Wilkerson and Hallmann in their matching gray sweaters ready to take items back to Pretoria.

Elder Farnes and George show a lot of enthusiasm and leadership!!

First House Guests and Dinner Gathering for us!

On Wednesday July 10th we received our first new missionaries. We welcome Brother and Sister Campbell from Prescott Arizona. They arrived on the early morning flight coming from London and they had been traveling for 36 hours since they left the states.

We welcomed them to the mission home and gave them a place to lay down, rest and make themselves comfortable.  Later that evening we gathered with missionaries traveling for a meeting on Thursday and they brought the Harwards, another wonderful senior couple with them. Our home was filled with 2 couples and 2 missionaries for the night. This was a great opportunity to host our first dinner party. We invited our wonderful AP's to join with us and I made a family favorite, Lemon Chicken! Thanks to our daughter Emi, I had the recipe on a cutting board she gave me with as a thoughtful mother's day gift. 

It was so fun to gather and share inspiring stories and experiences in this area that the Campbell will be serving in. Brother Campbell accepted a call to be the branch President in Tzaneen, so now he is President Campbell.

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It is fun to finally feed Elder Bodily and Elder Davies a home cooked meal at the mission home.  Our first week was busy with our Meet and Greet and also our road trip to Tzaneen. This makes us feel at home when we can gather around a meal. These guys have been so good to us. They are our trainers in every sense of the word!

Just wanted to remember what winter look alike down here below the Equator. There is still plenty of green on the trees and it is beautiful in the mornings and evenings.  You can tell it is winter, but it is still very mild and temperate. We are enjoying the climate so much!

Mission Song: A new favorite

This song has really grown on us since the first time we heard it.  Each zone stood and sang this song during our meetings last week. Each time I got chills listening to the words and the melody. A missionary wrote it a number of years ago and I believe it is truly inspired. It has a wonderful, inspiring impact on you when you listen to it. This is just a small taste of the music and melody.  I loved it when an Elder could accompany the song. It was also beautiful A'capella.


Lyrics:
There's a land we have all come to, chosen from on high to serve with our Lord's guidance leaving all behind. Giving light to those who never knew the way. Bringing gifts restored in latter days.

Chorus:
We've been called to build the Kingdom in Johannesburg. We will serve the Lord with strength, love and faith. We shall go forth proclaiming with the Spirit of truth 'til all people learn the things we know are true.

Tumelo hunya kitebe, remember what we have. Hlanganani nonce in this land our banner stands. Giving light to those who never knew the way. Bringing gifts restored in latter days.

Chorus:
We've been called to build the Kingdom in Johannesburg. We will serve the Lord with strength, love and faith. We shall go forth proclaiming with the Spirit of truth 'til all people learn the things we know are true.

In this land of many colors with its transcendent past, uniting all God's children with the plan of happiness. Giving light to those who never knew the way. Bringing gifts restored in latter days.

Chorus:
We've been called to build the Kingdom in Johannesburg. We will serve the Lord with strength, love and faith. We shall go forth proclaiming with the Spirit of truth 'til all people learn the things we know are true.