J-Burg Trips

During the month of June we went to Johannesburg twice and enjoyed both trips immensely. The first trip was a senior couple retreat for the missionaries and the CES and PEF missionaries that labor in the SA Johannesburg Mission.  Since the MTC is in the same building as the mission office, the new MTC President and his wife also joined us.  There were 38 of us at the retreat.  The first day we went to a lion and rhino park.  We didn't get to see many lions, but we did see a mother rhino and her calf.  After eating lunch we went to the temple and since there were so many of us, we had two sessions that we were in.  Going to the temple is always special.  Then we went out to dinner and we sat by a great couple that will be going home soon.  They are the CES missionaries that get to enjoy a big nice building for the youth.  It is on the same complex as the mission office and MTC and a stake house.  We just look at what they have in J-Burg and hope and pray that some day our dear saints in Francistown get to have chapels.  The next day we met as a group and Pres. Omer spoke to us and then we had Q & As.  The afternoon was free so we went with others to an African Market.  It had lots of fun things to look at.  Then that night Sister Omer had fixed a very nice dinner for all of us. 

The very next week we went back down to J-Burg to the temple.  We took three dear young people to go to the temple.  One was a couple that was married in May and were going to be sealed and the other is a missionary that will be going on his mission the first of August.  Other than the weather was FREEZING, everything was just perfect.  That Thursday afternoon when we got there, the temple was waiting for us and we had the three get their endowments and the couple was sealed that night.  The next day we did the work for our missionary's mother and her parents.  It was such a special experience. 

But as the saying goes, 'there is no place like home.'  We are glad to be back in Francistown and among our dear members.

Wedding Bells

Our cute couple eating the wedding cake - this is at our church.

Dancing at the wedding.

Which came first - the egg or the chicken?

All of the chicken coops have been made and assembled at all three branches.  Elder Riser and Elder Woolf had quite the experiences with the chickens and getting the coops ready.  Our favorite was when the two Elders were picking up the chickens at the store and there were 20 chickens "stuffed" into a small box.  We were only taking 12 chickens and so our Elders had to grab the chickens and put them in a box in the trunk of the car.  Yes, there was chicken poop and feathers all around  - it was great.  As they were driving away from the store Elder Riser was heard to say: Sometimes I think I am in a foreign country!!  Yes, I think we are.  We are trying to help the members become self-reliant with the eggs and harvesting vegetables grown at the church.

The egg and the garden getting prepared.

Marty and Melman - at last!

We were able to go to a rhino park a few weeks ago with the Risers and the Elders for a P-day adventure.  We had to leave at 4:30 to get to the park early enough to see the animals.  We woke up to a "cold and dreary" morning.  We did get a few rain drops on us, but we lucked out because it certainly looked like it  could have rained hard.  The wind was blowing and it was cold.  But it was soooo worth it.  We were in one bakkie (pick-up) and we had a great time.  We laughed a lot and saw many animals.  As Elder Woolf commented, it was even better than we had hoped.  There were many zebras - which were black, brown, and white.  I didn't know there were some zebras with brown in them.  And then we saw three rhinos.  One large one named Jack was quite a ways off when we stopped.  He came right over to check us out.  Jack was on the other side of the bakkie and Elder Woolf wanted to get out of the bakkie to take his picture.  Our guide told him no, that Jack could easy charge him.  In fact, the guide drove the bakkie a little ways away from Jack because he was getting a little bit too close.  Then we got to see giraffes.  I love them!!  The are so large and graceful when they walk and so comical when they run.  They  were just in front of us and they took off running and it was great to watch.  It was such a fun morning!

                                                     Black and white and brown zebras

Our friend "Jack"

Melman's Friends

The Elders of our group.

It was a COLD day!

The Wedding

 

This has been a busy week like most weeks are, but that is how we like them. We spent time at the immigration office and got one of the new missionaries paper work done. That same day we had another missionary stop by the office to see if his residency is in and they told him that they were meeting on Wednesday to decide about our church - if the missionaries could get residency or not. Elder Woolf called the mission president and he called the area office. By Friday, Elder Clayton was up here in Francistown meeting with the immigration officers. Pres. Mabota (from Monarch branch) and Elder Riser and Woolf also went to the meeting. We hope that that meeting helped clarify any questions they had about the church. We should know the outcome this week. Fun side note; Elder Clayton is the father in law to Spencer Nelson. Spencer played basketball at USU and his mother is a very good friend. We also had an open house for the Monarch Church and the second soccer game between Monarch and F-town/Gerald. We had lots of people out for the 'football' game.

We have a wonderful family that is in the Monarch Branch. Br. Burman read the whole Book of Mormon in five days and knew it was true. The couple have four children - one girl and three boys. And like most couples, they weren't married. The wife is from Zimbabwe and had to prove that she hadn't been married before. It took her two trips to Zimbabwe to get the right papers. Last Thursday we went to the government building to see their marriage. There were seven couples that were married that day. We all crowded into a large room with people standing and sitting everywhere. A man spoke for 1 and 1/2 hours on marriage and giving advice to the couples. Then the man who married them spoke for another 1/2 hour. It took 2 hours to get the couples married one at a time. They exchange rings at that time. Br. Burman's family came to support him and that was great.

We went to the church and had a short program and then the family had provided a meal for all. They had goat for the main course along with rice and pap. The Elders had asked me to make a wedding cake and so I made a two tier white cake . You learn to adapt and so I just did with what I had. Br. Burman was thrilled with it and so that made me feel good. Many people came from the branch to support the family and now the family is getting baptised this Saturday. It was a great day.

Servants of our Heavenly Father

The Taylors

In a wonderful mall where I found hair spray!!!

Just wanted to introduce you to an amazing couple.  They are Elder and Sister Taylor and they serve in Gaborone, Botswana.  We stayed with them this past week while we were in Gabs for our Zone Conference.  They have been in Botswana for two months.  This is their fifth mission, fourth as a couple.  When they retired, they sold their home in Utah and are now going to serve missions until their health no longer allows them.  They have six children and when they are done with a mission, they go around and visit their children and grandchildren.  And then after six months they are off on a new mission.  They have been on missions for the past seven years and only one in the states.  What a wonderful service they are doing.  I commented that their flat is decorated so cute.  Sister Taylor said that the flat is the only home she has and she wants it be attractive and pleasant.  My new heroes!!!

A jouney into another world!

The Risers and we decided we were definitely country bumpkins when we traveled to the BIG city of J-Burg this past week.  Francistown is a small city and has a few restaurants and small downtown area.  It has both donkey carts and BMWs on the same road.  We consider it about the size of Smithfield, Utah.  As we journeyed southward and reached one larger city after another, we kept commenting on how big the cities were and what they had for stores and people.  We even drove on a freeway and even if it was a toll road, we enjoyed the freedom of driving on a divided two lane highway.  We haven't done that since our drive to the SLC Airport!  We were amazed on how large Johannesburg was.  When we were there before at the Mission Home, we were in a residential area and then left for Botswana through the back part of the town.  We got to the Temple very easy and got settled in the Patron's Lodging, which was very nice.  We had hoped to make it to the 5 o'clock session but it started to rain with an electrical storm that was so close and so loud.  We couldn't even walk the short distance to the temple because of the heavy rain.  We eventually made it to the 6 o'clock session and enjoyed the Temple and the peace felt there.  Afterwards we went to eat and had a great meal just a few blocks from the temple.  Elder Woolf had his first steak since he has been here and he loved it.  The next day we were busy in the temple all day and it was great.  We met Bert Ashcroft and his wife in the temple.  They are on a mission as temple workers for 18 months.  Bert was from the 5th Ward and was a year older than Dennis and I went to school with his younger brother, Scott.  You do meet the nicest people in the Temple.  You cannot get the feeling of peace anywhere else.  There is also a distribution store and we had a good time there too.  That night we met up with Bobby Lewis and his wife Renae.  Bobby grew up in Riverdale and is just two months older than Dennis.  We went out to eat at a Mediterranean restaurant and enjoyed the company and the meal.  We laughed at every one's experiences that we have had here.  We got up early the next and did one more session before we left to return to Francistown.  Elder Woolf started driving home and then asked me to drive.  All three were asleep and I was not sure where to turn off to head to Botswana.  I had muted our GPS because we didn't want to hear the lady tell us where to go - big mistake!!  I drove into some city that I didn't recognize and the others woke up just then.  We finally realized that we had  - or I should say - I had driven 40 km too far and was headed to Zimbabwe!!  Elder Woolf got behind the wheel again and off we headed back the way we came.  We finally had our one meal of the day about 3:30 p.m. and we were hungry.  We didn't want to take the time to eat it at the pizza place, so we took it and ate it in the car and a pizza never tasted so good.  We enjoyed the Temple trip very much; it was a great diversion for us.  We even got to see some animals on the way home. 

Transfers

Transfer week is always a sweet and sour experience.  We hate losing the wonderful missionaries we have worked with here, but we seem to always get the best ones to come and fill the empty spots.  We lost four wonderful missionaries in this past transfer: Sisters Lovell and Hadlock and Elders Sithole and Van Herdeen.  We have a going away social and have the ones leaving bear their testimonies AND have ice cream.  The next week we have a welcoming social and have the new ones introduce themselves and bear their testimonies AND have ice cream. 

Goodbyes and Ice Cream.

Elder Van Heerden and the Sisters

Some of our new missionaries



Nose to Nose (Trunk)

We were able to go to Kasane this month to take the members their church supplies for the new year - manuals and such.  We left Francistown later than we wanted and didn't get up to Kasane until 3:30 p.m.  We went to see Cornelia at her work and visited with her until it was time for her to leave work.  We went down by the river to check it out and there must have been a sand bar near by because there were four hippos playing in the river and they were standing in the water.  There were two smaller ones and two larger ones.  We must have watched them for half an hour.   They were playing with each other and splashing around.  It was too bad it wasn't just a bit closer.  The sun was going down and Cornelia used our camera and got some wonderful pictures.  She is a great photographer and just published a calendar with some of her pictures.  They are just incredible.

We checked out the place were we are hoping their group will be meeting soon.  There was a lot of work still to be done, but it could be done by next month.  They are so anxious to get in the building.  We went and ate at an Indian restaurant and it was very good.

  Then Cornelia took us on a wonderful adventure.  Because Kasane is right by the Chobe Park and there aren't any fences, animals move at will.  In fact, Cornelia told us that there had been a lion kill just the week before just below her house.  (You do not go out at night for a walk in Kasane)  Across the street behind her house is where we went in her SUV.  It was dark at the time and she wanted to look for hyenas.  We saw some getting a drink by the watering hole.  Cape buffalos were roaming around, but the most fun part was the herds of elephants we saw.  One group had around a dozen.  A very young one was nursing while two big elephants were jousting with each other.  They had their tusks and trunks interlocked and pushing each other around.   Cornelia left the lights on and turned off the SUV and we sat their and watched them for a long time.  Did I mention that they were VERY close!!  They didn't seem to mind us at all.  I kept saying that I couldn't believe how close we were.  We drove on and came upon another herd.  This one had one of the teenagers just off the road.  We waited for him to move and when he finally did, as we drove by, if Dennis' arm had been just a few inches longer, he could have patted the elephants behind.  There were so many birds out and calling to each other.  It was a magical night for Dennis - Elder Woolf and I.  Thanks to Cornelia.

The next day was Sunday and we went to church with the Kasane Group.  We still met in a home and because of the holidays, Botswanas take off two to three weeks for the holidays, there were only nine of us at the meeting.  The President of the group had to work and didn't make it until Priesthood/RS meeting, so counselor took charge and Elder Woolf blessed and passed the Sacrament.  The talks were so good and again, the spirit is so strong there.  We love going to Kasane!! 

                 Elephants on the road to Kasane.  Yes, they are that close to the road!

Cornelia standing by a picture she took - amazing, huh??

The beautiful Chobe Rive at sunset.

Why you come to Kasane - the beautiful sunsets.

The hippos are playing in the water.  I know we weren't close enough to get a good picture.