Understanding the past

WELCOME TO THE APARTHEID MUSEUM ON YOUR LAST DAY AS A MISSIONARY IN THE SAJM!

This was our activity on the last hours in Johannesburg. I have listed some of the questions and quotes the departing missionaries reflected on as we collectively toured the museum.

"To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”     

~Nelson Mandela, June 1999

The Pillars of the Constitution are placed so they are the first things you notice as you come into the museum. List them below and think about how each of these principles are also ones we associate with our freedom of religion and the benefits of following these principles.

Coming to terms with the harsh realities of apartheid and its lasting effects is a process of unburdening. It is painful to some and liberating to others. As you head home, reflect on the beauty of this country and all that has come before and is yet to come.

Journeys:   You have been on a 24 month journey that is coming to an end. As you head up the walkway, look at the people you are walking by. Johannesburg has always attracted a varied cultural mix. It is this robust blend of nations races, cultures and languages that have given Johannesburg its character.  Think of all the people you met on your journey here. List a few names that will forever be a major part of your life and memory:

 
Race Classification: South Africa is known for segregating people. How blessed to be in a land that no longer segregates people in the way they once did. As you walk through the classification area, think how divisive it was to label people and separate them. Isn’t it wonderful to serve here now, when these laws have been changed?

Johannesburg Panorama:

At the top of the ramp is a commanding view of the city of Johannesburg, the city of gold, the physical landscape of both past and present. 

Take time on the deck to have video tape a message and reflection on your last day on your mission in South Africa. This will be saved and part of our mission history. Notice the abandoned gold mines in the forefront that gave way to the city of gold being built. Gold was key to the establishment of Johannesburg and to a history of discrimination and segregation. Out in the distance is also the Johannesburg temple, a symbol of peace and unity in this land.

Hear your video taped responses by going to this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtvs74HdVUw&feature=youtu.be

Waiting for their interviews!

Clipboards in hand, these Elders took in as much as they could before departing for their flight.

Reflecting and reading explanations

When you first arrived at the museum you saw the pillars outside with the values from the Constitution. The same values are listed in the final room on the walls with the South African flag. Remember these principles as you return home.

As you leave the museum add a stone to the pile. What are you leaving behind? What legacy have you left for others to follow?

What a great group. We loved spending time with them during their last hours in Johannesburg.
Elders Olson, Henderson, Packard, Olson, Silvester, Perkins, Masoka, Delahoy and Henderson.
(Missing: Elder Edeyaouch, Robbins and Smith-went with parents or companions due to different flight plans.)