07 June 2010 – Monday

We went with the Zone to Umfolozi and spent about 4 hours touring the park. We were only inside the park 2 K or less when we came upon a group of 6 lions lying in the grass about 200 yards from the edge of the road. Unfortunately they were pretty much hidden by the grass and trees but some of them got up and walked around so the elders did get to see them clearly. It was the first game drive for elder Webster and imagine his camera was really clicking. Later we saw a group of five lions resting on the bank of the river and although they were quite a distance away they could be more clearly seen through our binoculars.

We managed to find a large herd of Cape buffalo, 3 rhinos – one of them quite close and drinking from the river, and one lone elephant. Of course there was the usual zebras, nyalas, wildebeests, and wart hogs. We only saw one giraffe but it was also drinking and that is always an interesting site. Since the elders wanted to get back to do their shopping and e-mail we had a quick lunch and said goodbye to them.

We then went on to the Hluhluwe. We were not having much luck in finding any animals – not even zebras or nyalas. We did have one elephant come out of the bush just as we were passing and storm across the road behind us. But that was it until we got to the part of the loop where we had found the large herd of elephants when the Mickelsens were with us.

We found a family of five rolling in the mud and then throwing dirt over their back. They were just finishing up when another group came in and this continued until we actually got tired of seeing them roll in the mud and decided to go further down the road. We did manage to see a small herd of wildebeest that we scared off the road as we came up but nothing else until we got back to the elephant hole where new ones had moved in. We watched a little while longer and then left them to enjoy the mud. We did get lots of pictures.

On another loop we found two cape buffalo having a great time in a large mud hole. The female even got up and showed off for us. As we continued down the loop Mary mentioned that we had seen only the one giraffe and she really would like to see more. Five minutes later we came across a herd of them spread out on either side as well as on the road and so we watched until we were again tired of seeing them.

We continued the loop and had to pass once more where we found the giraffes and they not only had not moved, but more had come. One of the big males took up a position blocking about half the road and since we had heard that their kick could easily break out a window or seriously dent the car we decided to wait until he moved. But he was not about to move and it was only when I started honking the horn that he moved enough to let us get safely by. It is not often in a lifetime that you get trapped by a stubborn giraffe. We then went to a lookout where we could see another large herd of giraffes mixed with zebras. Mary certainly could not complain about  not  seeing many giraffes.

As we headed for the Memorial Gate to come home, I said that we had a great day but we had not really got anywhere near a rhino. We had seen two at a long distance and one other one lying down under a tree but none standing where we could get a good look. Less then a minute later as we were driving along I noticed a rhino coming out from behind a bush and then noticed that there were a couple more already out. We stopped the car and a total of 6 rhinos came out to munch on the grass. They kept moving closer and closer to the road until one was about  20-30 feet away at the most. We got lots of great pictures but I carefully kept the car running and in gear just in case one of them decided we were upsetting their meal time.

As we left the rhinos I said I wondered if we started complaining about not seeing any leopards that a group of them would come walking out of the brush and pass by the car. Unfortunately what worked for giraffes, rhinos and elephants did not work for leopards. But we still had a wonderful P-day at the game park.

The drive home was not fun at all. The N2 was very busy, there was construction, and lots of slow trucks and high-beam lights. It seemed like it was a lot longer than a one hour drive from the gate. I was more than ready to pull into our garage and turn off the car after being in it for almost 12 hours.

06 June 2010 – Sunday

It was one of those Sundays that makes a couple feel needed but also shows how the branches may have come to depend too much on us for some things.

We picked up the Esikhawini elders and took them to the chapel. We then picked up the Nyawos and brother Nkosi for PEC. However we could not stay for it because we had to run home and get the baptismal programs for Esikhawini that we managed to leave on the counter. We will have to make some arrangements for getting them done when we leave.

We went to Esikhawini’s sacrament and enjoyed the testimonies of the members. I tried to write down the main thoughts of each testimony. I find it helps me to listen and feel the testimonies. There were a number of investigators at the meeting and the elders were very pleased.

As we were getting in our car we found that I left the phone there and a number of calls had come in from the Enseleni elders. I called them and found that they did not have any sacrament cups. Usually we keep sacrament cups in the boot – something I had learned from brother B – but I took the box out because the latch was broken. I thought that would not be a big problem because I could just borrow some from Esikhawini until they could get an order in. Unfortunately Esikhawini  had used their last cups for today’s sacrament. It was a blessing for them that I checked or they would have been without any next week and we would not be there to help them. But this meant we had to go back to our boarding once again and pick up some sacrament cups and take them to Enseleni.

When we got there, the elders said that president Vilane wanted to come to church so we went and picked up him and his family. I asked if he was sure he felt up to going and he insisted he was. I told him if he got sick because of going that sister B would thump us both on the head.

I had forgotten that president Baldwin was coming to Enseleni to interview a brother to be branch clerk. He presided and brother Chiliza conducted. Brother Chiliza continues to get better at conducting and in a couple of more months he should be able to do it with little or no help.

After sacrament president Baldwin had his interview and afterward we talked for a while about the call and about his plans for when we leave. He is going to have the members of the District Council watch over the branches more closely and that will be a wonderful step in making the District self-sufficient.

I almost forgot that president Vezi had sent us an SMS saying that he needed tithing envelopes and that is one thing I could not help him with. President Baldwin is going to have the district order extra sacrament cups, tithing envelopes and other supplies that the branches might need that they can not safely store so they are available as needed.

05 June 2010 – Saturday

The morning just kind of went by with some shopping and waiting for the Zone Leaders to come by for funds to go to Kosi Bay.

After lunch we went to Esikhawini where Mary taught piano lessons and I had good talks with Musa and Percy. Percy told me that he applied some suggestions I gave him about being the best employee he could be and it has paid off with his boss adopting some suggestions he made on how to improve the way things work at the office. It seems he is being such a good employee that the other employees are giving him trouble. I told him that he should do everything he could to love them and do things for them for that is what Christ would do.

Musa and I talked about his mission and what he might do after he was released. He wants to work in some part the biological field which should be a good occupation. He has already looked into the best universities for his field and believes he can get into one of them.

In the evening we had dinner with the Griesemers and enjoyed it as always. We talked about the Engwelezane branch, what we were going to do after we are released, and other things. They are a wonderful couple and elder Griesemer is a good leadership trainer. They would like to go back to working with less actives when they get home. They do not know if they will go on another mission.

04 June 2010 – Friday

Our day started sadly when the Enseleni elders called to say that Mbali Seoka had died yesterday. 4 weeks ago she was singing in a choir at Church and now she will be singing in a celestial choir.

Martin finally got the garage door opener to work. It turned out that they had put a faulty board in when they supposedly repaired it in Joburg. We have become pretty good friends because I have been careful be reasonable about waiting for it to be done correctly. I told him we would probably be leaving before we had a chance to see him again and he said that he hoped we would be able to have a cup of coffee together before we go. I did not mention that would probably have to be hot chocolate but I was pleased that he would even say that.

After Martin left we went up to Enseleni and took president Vilane over to Mbali’s home. Her mother had already left for Maphelane to the family homestead where she will probably be buried. But we had a very nice talk with her grandmother and gave her our condolences. President Vilane is still quite weak so we could not stay long before taking him home.

We stopped by mama Zulu’s and met her son who was visiting her and his son who she is raising. She seems to be proud of him even if he basically abandoned the boy so he could continue to live with the mother who would not keep him. Mama Zulu is going to hem the material we bought to make a curtain to block one of the windows during church.

Our day continued that way with us visiting members in Enseleni , Esikhawini and Port Durnford before going to the Esikhawini chapel and helping with youth. We had stopped by president Nyawo’s to give him some pictures and ask him where the Home Affairs office was. Since sister Nyawo was ready to go to Youth we gave her a ride to the chapel.

Youth went well. Musa conducted and I reminded him about learning the theme. We did that for a while and then played the Book of Mormon match game. As young men and women kept coming we ended up having two groups playing. For the last game with my group I made them into two man teams and a couple of non-LDS young men won. They then went out and helped clean out the baptisimal font for the baptism on Sunday.

I think that between Musa, Solo and Sister Nyawo the Youth will be OK. But when Musa and Solo leave for their mission in a couple of months hopefully there will be someone called to help sister Nyawo.