Entering the Gate...

December 7, 2014 was a sweet day for Sister Beaulah Muchenga.  She is pictured third from the left.  Beaulah is from Zimbawbwee and is living here with relatives.  She is the mother of eight children.  The thing that I love the most about Beaulah is she has a true "mother's heart".  She is currently employed at an orphanage for children responsible for six children from age two to 14 years old.  Elder Branch performed the baptism.  It was his last baptism in Port Alfred before he transfers to Cape Town.  Pictured from left to right are Sister Noma, Praise, Beaulah, Elder Branch, Ackson, Agnes, and Elder Rasmussen.

We always have a little picnic lunch after a baptism.  Today it was PBJ's, apples, cool drink, and cake.

Our Cape Town Claim To Fame...

It is our privilege every transfer to have the Zone Leaders come to Port Alfred for a visit, to attend District Meeting, and to go on splits with our Elders.  Since our flat is so large we have all four of the Elders stay with us.  From left to right in the red shirt and kneeling is Elder Judd from California.  He goes home in six days.  Elder Mchunu from Durban, South Africa, Elder Branch from Tooele, and Elder Rasmussun from Lehi, Utah.  They helped us put up the Christmas tree, ate a lot of food, gave some great spiritual insights, and talked and laughed and had fun.

 As we chatted with Elder Mchunu, he asked if we had seen his picture in the Liahona.  We put two and two together and remembered the article that was written about him.  Every month in the South East Africa edition of the Liahona we have a center section that is dedicated to the church here in South Africa.  He is pictured here holding the article.  I have also included the article below for you to read.  He has an amazing story.  He is an amazing missionary.  We are so blessed to work with these fine young men!  (And I got his autograph)

The Book without a Cover

When Lwazi Mchunu was sixteen years
old and visiting his mother in Durban, South Africa for the Christmas holidays, he came across a book without a cover. It had been given to his mother by his uncle, who was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). His mother, who had to work every day, had never read it, but Lwazi was intrigued. As he read, he discovered it was a copy of the Book of Mormon.
It had an immediate impact upon him. He said, “I have always been interested in religion and attended the Catholic church as a child, but when I read that book I didn’t know what I felt, only that I had a special feeling.” He later identi- fied it accurately: “I felt the Spirit.”
When he returned to his father’s home after the holidays, he took the book with him, and completed it in four months. He knew that the message within it was true. He didn’t know what to do with that knowledge, so he contacted his LDS uncle, who was thrilled for him. His uncle en- couraged him to continue reading it, which Lwazi did. He waited for the household to fall asleep, and then he would read it quietly. He read the book three times.
In 2007 his uncle moved to Pietermaritzburg, and Lwazi was finally able to attend an LDS chapel for the first time. Lwazi says, “I would go to my uncle’s house for the weekend, and that is where I met the missionaries.” Lwazi was baptized on March 18, 2007, two years after he first read the coverless Book of Mormon.
Lwazi finished his matric at the top of his class in 2007, and his parents expected him to enter college. As the oldest child in the family, he was expected to set an example. He wanted to serve a mission, but his family thought going on a mission would be an “opportunity wasted.” After struggling with his family’s disapproval, Lwazi capitulated and went to college. In 2009 he accepted a teaching position at the school where he graduated. He later worked in sales at two large corporate companies where he worked his way up to manager. “The company had a vision to promote young black Africans and I was identified as one of those men,” said Lwazi, “They wouldn’t understand that I wanted to quit because of a mission.”
During this difficult time he was only able to go to Church once or twice a month because of his work schedule, and it took three taxis just to get to his ward. He was surrounded by other temptations because of the type of people that he was living with in Durban. Worse, Lwazi was approaching age 24 and was running out of time. He said, “I knew the Church cut-off date for missionaries was 25 years old and I needed to do something, but I had many responsibilities. If I resigned, I would disappoint a lot of people.”

However, shortly afterwards, the company started to take a different direction. Lwazi remembers, “I think it was God that was preparing a way for me to quit. It was a good time for me to say that I didn’t think the company was going in the direction that would fit me. I quit my job in 2013 and began to spend my time preparing for my mission.”

All the same, he didn’t want to go to Church alone all the time. He approached his mother and expressed his feelings. She said that she had been thinking about going to Church herself. The next Sunday they all went as a family. Since then, his mother and four siblings have been baptized.

Elder Mchunu is now twenty-four years old, and left for his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints January 9, 2014, to serve in Kenya. When asked how he felt about serving a mission he said, “I have two feelings; first I am very excited because I always wanted to go. . . . I believe this will be the foundation for the rest of my life; and second, I am emotional that I’m able and worthy to pay my Heavenly Father back for His kindness to me.”

He also intends to offer hope to others who feel restricted because of their family’s beliefs or traditions. “I would tell them to continue doing right . . . and trust in God and His timing!” 

Merry Novembermas….

In the Southern Hemisphere it is Summer.  Therefore, beginning the end of November until the middle of January school is out.  During this time our attendance drops as people travel to visit family.  So, if we want to get a Christmas Branch party in, we must hold it in November.  We did.  It was a blast!

The Primary presented a pageant.  Each of the children were wrapped up like a parcel.  They wrote on a heart what gift they were going to give to the Savior this year.

In this picture Sister Dell, our 70 year old Primary President, is surrounded by the children in the Primary.  Sister Dell is my hero.  She is so patient with these children.  She is like the Pied Piper.  They all listen to her and follow her direction so well.  Our Primary is blessed to have Sister Dell.

The Elders and our Young Men put together to play some holiday games.

We had so much fun with the photo booth that the young women put together!

We had a lovely luncheon that was put together by the RS Presidency and their many helpers.  Sandwiches, salads and ice cream cones.  So sorry we didn't get a picture of this yummy spread.

And finally.  Look at Santa's little elfs!

Push the Pause Button

There are several reasons we love to have company come.  First and foremost is that we love them and miss them and it is just so great to be with them without a computer screen between us.  Second, is that it gives us an opportunity to "Push the Pause Button" for a few days and enjoy the wonders of Africa.  Matt and Loni arrived on Friday, November 21st.  They were in pretty good shape since they got bumped up to First Class.  Ahhh…the benefits of being a pilot!  Those red eyes you see are tears of joy!  Pure joy!

We were able to cram so many things in to our time with them.  I will just highlight a few here.  Who does not want to pet a giraffe when you come to Africa.  Right?  Gambit is our resident pet giraffe here.  His parents were killed when he was a baby and he was raised by humans.  If you look in the background you will see a tent and a car.  He just hangs out with the campers and eats leaves.  He is a friendly giant….well, read on.  He is just checking out Matt here.

And Loni Anne gets a sloppy wet kiss from her new buddy.

Now here is where the fun begins.  We told Matt that when we brought Elder Stratton and Elder Tonge to meet Gambit, Elder Stratton ran underneath him.  Now, Elder Stratton is about 5'8" and weighs maybe 145.  Matt on the other hand is taller and, well, let's just say larger.  But how could he be outdone?  So under he goes, only to startle Gambit who decides to take off on a run.  All I can say is we were lucky, to just buy the drugstore out of neosporin and Epson Salts for Matt to doctor his toe up that Gambit ripped the toenail off.  (I could have posted the pix of the toe, but I will save you that image in your mind).  As Matt, not Gambit, came limping towards us after being kicked by a giraffe some of the campers approached us with this information.  "Did you know that a giraffe can kill a lion with one kick from his leg?"  Good information to have when you decide to run under a giraffe.

I have made many posts showing the wildlife in Africa.  May I just say here that the beauty of these animals never grows old.  My heart just wants to sing a couple of verses of "How Great Thou Art" each time we spot one.  It is one thing to see these beautiful creations in a Zoo, but it is an "experience" to see them in their natural habitat.  In South Africa a highlight is to be able to spot what they call "The Big Five".  These are the five most dangerous animals.  Ranging in size from the largest to the smallest are the Elephant, the Cape Buffalo, Rhinoceros, the Lion, and the Leopard.  On our game drive at Kwantu, we were able to spot four of the Big Five.  The Leopard is nearly impossible to spot since he is usually hiding in trees.  Kwantu is a "circle of life" game reserve meaning all the animals are out in the open and it is kill or be killed.  Our guides for the day were Freedom and Innocence.  

Two things that were new for us was to see an elephant in the wild.  We found out how you can tell if an elephant is ready to charge because this one charged us.  It happened so fast.  His ears get tucked in against his body, usually he coils his trunk in and then he trumpets!  And that is just how it happened.  We got a little too close and a little too loud, and this was a Mama elephant protecting her baby.  Loni was filming it and was so scared she threw her camera.  

 Luckily our guides new just what to do and got us outa there!

Now really.  Is this not majestic?  Here is Mufasa….

And his pride of lions.  Breathtaking!

The next day on our drive we spotted Mufassa's brother Scar with his kill for the day.  

 Addo Elephant Park was our destination the next day.  This is a park we have been wanting to visit for a year.  Matt and Loni gave us the perfect excuse.  What can I say.  Hundreds of elephants just roaming the jungle, in waterholes, and meandering along.  This guy just walked out right in from of our car.

And look at this little baby boy with his Moma finding some nourishment that only a Mom can provide.  

We even spotted a couple of lovebirds.  Ahhhhh!

Well, what do you think.  See any family resemblance?

We cried tears of joy when they came and a few parting tears when they left.  We had a super time.  You would too!

Bussi has me pegged!

While visiting the Dayile family one evening, my little eight year old Bussi sat next to me and colored while the adults talked.  

This is her final product.  This little one has me pegged.  She knows that I love the Lord and my service as a missionary.  When I first looked at the bottom picture, I thought it was an African drum.  "No Sista Wheela.  It is a hamburger!" I love the Lord, I love food, and I even think her background on my missionary tag looks like a quilt.  This is a picture of my life!

We Give Thanks Oh Lord….

Over the river and through the woods to Wheeler's Flat they came!

Seven couples from left to right.  In the dark shirt and his wife in the pink shirt is Elder and Sister Blatter from Montana.  Next to them with the pilgrim hat and in the yellow shirt are the Silcock's from Burley Idaho.  Our newest couple from Layton, Utah are Elder and Sister Kjar (pronounced Care…he was a school counselor and they called him Care Bear).  The Stapley's from Gilbert Arizona.  He is the tall one in the back and his wife is the Indian.  Working clockwise now are the Chase's from Northern Utah.  You know the next two turkeys, and in the front are Elder and Sister Thomas from Draper, Utah.

We had a blast.  We love the people we serve in Africa, but it sure is nice to talk to someone occasionally that knows what Costco and Target are.

 The birds went in the oven at 10:30.  Turkey's are a rare commodity here.  I paid R 500 or 50 American dollars for these two birds.  They were worth every penny.  

A few minutes of girl talk.  I'm thankful for that.

We had many volunteers to carve the birds.  Everyone brought delicious dishes to share.  Appetizers, drinks, sweet potato soufflé, green bean casserole, homemade rolls, green salad, jello salad.  It was hummers.  And Oh my for the pies.  Elder Silcocks blackberry pie was the hit.  

After dinner we played some Thanksgiving games, took our photo booth pictures, and had a wonderful lesson led by President Thomas on Faith with a great discussion to follow.  We love our fellow couple missionaries.  They all bring such a different aspect to SACTM.  

Yup…We Do Give Thanks, Oh Lord!

Helping Hands

I have made many posts about Shaw Park Elementary School.  Think of Laura Ingalls and Little House on the Prairie African Style.  We love this little school tucked away in the farmlands of Africa.  We were thrilled when the Principal gave us the opportunity to paint their school.  The school has four buildings.  They were hoping to get one building painted.  Twenty-seven people (including four investigators) and five hours later, ALL FOUR buildings were done.  

We not only painted buildings but we managed to get a little paint on ourselves.  Our Young Women were troopers.  

 And here's the gang.  This was one of our last projects with Elder Prisbrey before he was transferred.

 Sanding came first.  Prep work is always the hardest part.  I didn't hear one complaint.  

"When we're helping we're happy"  We felt a bunch of happiness!

When the lunch whistle blew, we had what every one has for school lunch, Peanut Butter Sandwiches.  The transport in the background was furnished by the school.  We were so grateful.  It would have cost a pretty penny to move 27 people from Port Alfred to Shaw Park.  We were grateful.  They were grateful.  Job well done for the Mormon Helping Hands!