Making memories in Africa

We awake each day in South Africa and find aspects we love and find unique and special. Here are a few of the daily things that I love and don't want to forget.

The African Sky  

Unique Phrases and Sayings 

All the flags represented by our missionaries from 34+ different countries

The dress of African ladies living in the bush

The delight of having missionaries returning to visit with their families (Elder Ryan from the UK with his mom and brothers)

Visits to the Police Station-good we didn't have to leave them behind bars!:)

Girls Night Out

Spotting signs from home in random places- I saw this in a restroom in one of our favorite restaurants in downtown Joburg!

Gifts from home (Pictures of great memories and a new scarf!

Making favorite foods from home

Celebrating special holidays with special friends, that have become like family

Theo, Lynne and Tyler Van der Hover inviting us over for Easter lunch!

Wish we could take Tyler home with us in the mission van!

Having great new friends over to the mission home for Family Home Evenings!

Having fun on our P-days. This Saturday in March we entered a 75 K mountain bike race in the Limpopo Area. It was so much fun and tiring!

Helping Elders with their ailments. Elder Smith-Holley and Elder Bryner with in-grown toenail operations. 

Wildlife is everywhere in South Africa. 

Delicious food is plentiful.

Traveling around with crazy missionaries is always fun.

Road trips make us all a little tired. Haha

Potchefstroom and the Pier's hosts interviews

I am a little slow in posting this gathering with the 6 Elders serving alongside the Pier's in Ikageng.

During the week of Witnessing, On Tuesday April 8th,  we traveled to the Ikageng area and interviewed 6 Elders. The pier's were lovely to host the interviews and show the Priesthood Session of Conference during this time. We enjoyed snacks and the comfort of the Pier's flat in Klerksdorp.

Seated above are Elder Todd, Elder Avial, Elder Petersen, Sister Pier, Elder Barton and Elder Di Ruscio.

The talks from April 2015's Priesthood  Session were excellent and really related to missionaries. Elder Ballards interview discussion meant to be one on one was especially relatable. He discussed how each mission call is made and how inspiration is at the heart of each call.

After all 6 interviews we traveled to the mall to finish out some "Week of Witnessing" efforts.
Elder Oldroyd, Elder Barton, Elder Avial (front)
Elder Todd, Peterson and Di Ruscio (back) Elders filling every seat in the mission van is always a treat for us.

Elder Todd making contacts and sharing the message of Easter and the Savior's love.

Elder Avial and Elder Barton making contacts. 

We decided to have lunch together before we headed back to Gauteng.
Pictured:
Elder Todd, President Dunn, Elder Di Ruscio, Peterson, Oldroyd, Barton and Avial.

Over lunch we had a nice opportunity to discuss how things are going in this area and spend quality time together.  These Elders can feel a little isolated, because they are serving 2-3 hours away from the mission office.

Last picture by the Pier's flat before we head out. Thanks to Elder and Sister Pier for your wonderful service in this area. You support and love all the  Elders that serve with you in this area and make great advances in the branches due to your leadership and training. Keep up the great work and know how appreciated you are.

See you all soon!

A new Stake President comes to visit

We had a great family home evening a few weeks back, when the Krause family came to the mission home to enjoy a meal and a FHE message. President Krause was recently sustained as the new Stake President for the Roodepoort Stake. We felt delighted they were able to accept our invitation in their busy lives to come and get better acquainted.  We loved having this wonderful family in our midst. 

We gathered in the kitchen first and met all 6 of their children.

We enjoyed a little ping pong and viewed every part of the mission home while our hamburgers were on the grill. Elder Worton visiting above with President Krause!

We served a very traditional North America BBQ, with corn, salad, hamburgers and potato chips and pound cake and whip cream!

 

The Krause family's oldest daughter Emily (18 years old) has been in the mission home before. She came multiple times in December to help pack up Christmas boxes for our Elders. We love her and loved having her come again.

Our AP's, Elder Menendez and Elder Worton joined with us for dinner. They even got hold of the camera and took a few memorable shots! :)

haha...pretty clever!

After dessert, we gathered for a few FHE games. You cannot have a lesson with out a game, right? It was so impressive to listen to the Krause family each share their favorite scripture. They are really such an inspiring family. We hope to repeat this gathering. We loved having them all in the mission home.

One more round!

A few group shots. With the help of little brother, we even got to be in one. He insisted on being our photographer, and then took one of himself! :)

The photographer gets a selfie in between family shots!

One last one with Kermit the Frog. He was a hit with this gang.

Sunday in Rabie Ridge

On Sunday April 19, we had the pleasure of attending the Rabie Ridge Ward. President Dunn was asked to participate in some interviews for baptism for next week.
It was such a pleasure to be with these great Elders.
Elder Broadhead, Elder Ainsle, Elder Tye and Elder Thompson. These 4 Elders represent the United States, England and Australia.  They are doing a wonderful job in this assignment.

Just an update: President Dunn and I try to attend a different ward, branch or cluster each week. In the 42 weeks we have been here, we have been to 38 different wards.  There are about 52 in our mission, so by the end of our first year, I think we will have made it to everyone. That is the goal.

As church ends, members congregate and visit afterwards There are so many enthusiastic members in this ward.

A quick pic with our missionaries draws lots of ward children. They love being in pictures and we love it too!

One more picture for good measure. Rabie Ridge...we will be back soon!

Sunnyside Zone- Interviews on the road

We came to where the Elders were in the Sunnyside area of Pretoria!

Elder Bonifaz, Elder Hunt, Elder Richards, Elder Rogers, Elder Barendse, President Dunn, Elder Christie, Elder Tumarae and Elder Nicotra

Also seated below in the primary room, awaiting the interviews from President Dunn

We enjoyed time together today. I brought some of the service ideas, book marks and talks. Afterwards, we watched a great conference talk from the past, Come Join With Us, by President Deiter F. Uchtdorf
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/come-join-with-us?lang=eng

This as a great talk to discuss after we had the pleasure of listening to it with both groups.

Elder Kufoloar, Elder Smith-Holley, Elder Wambua*, Elder Benge, Elder Dutson* gathering in the primary room awaiting interviews. They were actually the first group that come on Thursday April 16th from the Sunnyside Zone.
*Thanks to our Zone Leaders for organizing and leading out!

Singing time, with Elder Smith-Holley conducting the music. 

We are lucky to have Elder Dutson able to play music.

Watching and listening to President Uchtdorf's talk from conference in October 2013. 

Elder Richards, Rogers, Barendse and President Dunn throwing around  a rugby ball for a moment was a nice way to end our time together in Sunnyside.

Sunnyside Elders. Loved being with all of them on this interview day on the road.