Our African Adventure

On August 25, we packed our lunch and our friends, the Leavits, and headed for Pilanesberg National Park.  We left at 6 a.m. and drove for about two and a half hours.  It was a beautiful warm day and so we entered the park hoping to see an animal or two.  This is what we saw:

We don't get to wear our casuals very often.

A big white Rhino

Plenty of Wildebeasts

 Kudus

An Ostrich prancing down the road

We didn't bother him one bit

Many Zebras - aren't they cute!

We thought the three zebra behinds were especially cute

We think these little guys are Duikers

A troop of Chacma Baboons walked across the road

We saw lots of these cute little Impalas.

A Crimsonbreasted Shrike

Three lazy hippos - they only come out of the water at night to graze so we were lucky that we even saw these lounging on the shore

A Pied Kingfisher - we watched him bang a big fish on the limb until all of it's bones were broken so he could swallow it - quite the procedure

A herd of elephants with about five or six babies

This baby couldn't have been more than a few days old

We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch

This big guy was just having lunch

This big dude treated us to a mud bath demonstration - he spent about 10 minutes splashing his whole entire body and then he said "Oh what the heck

I'm just going to roll in it."

Hilarious!

His trunk was just exhausted after all of that splashing so his tusk is a good place to rest it

A Cape Glossy Starling

Yep, he/she just posed for us - I'm printing this one and hanging it on our wall

And last but not lease, a mama Rhino with her baby.

We only missed the cats but we'll have to catch them in the early morning or late evening some day.  What a fun adventure we had!

 

 



Transfer Day

The MTC Elders getting ready to meet their new Mission President.  There were 15 of them from the MTC coming to the Johannesburg Mission.  The rest went to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, etc.

President Omer leading his new missionaries to the church where they would meet their new companions and head out to their new areas.  No plane ride, etc.  They've already done that.  Now they can go to work with President and Sister Reber's great preparation.

President and Sister Omer's 15 new stripling warriors.

Us with Elder Fagg.  He got transferred to Pretoria.  We have a date to meet him in London in the spring of 2014.  He says he's an awesome tour guide.

The car fiasco on transfer day! Elder Bishop is in there somewhere helping Elder Leavitt.

Elder Hill's last day.  No they aren't his sister and brother but his mom and dad.  Man we're getting old.  We'll miss you Elder Hill

 



Life at the Office

Elder Madsen and Elder Hill were the Assistants to the President when we arrived.  They prepared a delicious dinner for us on July 29, 2012.  They served pop, a local favorite which is like overcooked cream of wheat that's been setting out for five days - yummy?  It's a corn based mush.  But their vegetables, rice, and chicken WERE yummy. 

Elder and Sister Leavitt are from Bunkerville, Nevada and our next door neighbors.  They have a bigger kitchen table than we do so we eat Sunday dinner there a lot.  They are great people and great friends.

Here are Elder Hill and Elder Madsen at the Mission Office.  They are in and out - work all hours of the night and day and are great guys.  They have been very patient with us and very helpful. Elder Hill will be going home on August 21st :(

Elder Bishop at his desk - he spends many, many hours there trying to untangle cell phone problems and others.  The rest of the time he spends helping Sister Bishop untangle her problems anyone else who needs help.  He's the go to guy if any one is having phone or computer trouble.

This is where I spend most of my day.  I'm up and down from one office to another, to the MTC, to the Bunker where we keep our apartment supplies, or off to the store to buy more.  I answer all of the incoming calls and direct them and greet everyone who comes into the office and direct them also.  I sort all of the missionaries' mail and many other duties. It's a lot of fun, some days it's stressful but we love it.

It looks lilke snow out the front door but I guarantee that it is not.  It snowed here in SA for the first time since 1981 one day in August.  It's mostly warm weather with sunshine.

This is Elder Leavitt's office.  He's over the fleet and has a tremendous job because driving in South Africa is dangerous - the Elder's have many accidents, tickets, and car problems. 

Sister Leavitt is the President's secretary and Sister Bailey is from the local Stake and does convert baptism entries. 

The South Africa MTC is right next to our office so we work close with them.  President and Sister Reber are wonderful people and good friends.  (They like to play games and have invited us over)  There are 29 missionaries in this group but the new group that came in on August 23 has 37.  They only have capacity for 38 so they're about maxed.  The Sister missionary on the front right had a miserable time at the MTC but we understand once she got to her mission, she was a different person.

Elder Fagg is from London and really cute and fun.  Elder Reese is from Hurricane, Utah - not as flamboyant but a very good Elder.  We see them often as they live close.  Elder Fagg was transferred on August 21st so this was he and Elder Hill's last supper.

Left to right:  Elder Leavitt, Sister Bailey, Sister Bishop, Elder Bishop, Elder Madsen, Sister Leavitt, Elder Fagg, Elder Reeve, and Elder Hill after our last supper which was yummy I dare say.  I made chicken cordon bleu and orange rolls.  Sister Leavitt made potatoes, salad, vegetables, and a dessert to die for.  I will bring home the recipe.

Elder Fagg, Elder Madsen, Elder Hill, and Elder Reeve.  Great Elders!

This is the Soweto East Zone plus three senior office couples - the Oborns, Leavitts, and Bishops.  I don't know how it started but they get together every other Sunday night for a testimony meeting and treats.  The three senior couples take turn making the treats.  The Elders love the treats and we love the testimonies so it's a win win. 



All of the Soweto East group - Elder Parks and Elder Hansen (from Norway)

Elder Skeen and Elder Baldwin (from Idaho not Asia)

Elder Beanfield, Parrish, and Mubuza

Elder Seaburg and Elder Peterson from Bear Lake.  He is Tom Roger's nephew's son.  He also went home at the August 21st transfer.  He was the Zone Leader and an awesome missionary.

Elder Mackay and Elder Khumba

Elder Kumba, Elder ?, Elder ?, Elder ?, and Elder Rawnsley.  I'm terrible still with the African names.  The only one I can remember is Elder Rokomanananana.

The Elders always sing the mission song at the end of the meeting.  It's a really pretty song and we're still learning it. They were writing in each other's journals as some of them were being transferred.