I just can not seem to get enough of the birds that drop into our yard for their meals. Most of them are weavers, sparrows and doves but we do get an occasional hadedah. And sometimes we get some really big birds dropping to roll in the mud hole!

Just wanted to see if anyone really reads what I write!

Yesterday we got a text from elder Allred saying that they would be coming to Potch to deliver a new washer to elders Liera and Perez. About noon we met them at the elder’s apartment and while our elders and Allred worked hard to take out the old and put in the new washer. We got to spend some time talking to sister Allred about their mission and their family.

It had been raining most of the morning and it was still coming down when were leaving the apartment to take the Allreds to Ikageng and let them have their first experience with African street food at our favorite Ikageng restaurant – Lagoz. I kidded elder Perez about having an umbrella as real missionaries do not use them. He explained that elder Lohmann had left it behind when he went home. It is a neat little umbrella that fold up into a very small package.

We have shown pictures of Lagoz in other posts. Where Coke usually makes display signs for businesses, Vodacom made this one. The Allreds got a real taste of a township as they chose their sandwiches. They choose to follow Mary and ordered the Backstage. It consists of two slices of fresh white bread filled with a Russian sausage, egg, cheese, tomato, lettuce and chips – French Fries for those who do not know – and sauce. It is a very full meal and costs a full $1.50 US. The elders and myself had the Rhythm City which is just a Russian, chips, tomato and lettuce. I was surprised when Elder Liera ate two faster than I could finish one. BTW the paper on the wall behind the Allreds is the menu. They have lots of sandwiches to choose from including one that is made with a full loaf of bread stuffed with goodies. Elder Perez does not believe any one can eat the whole thing. He gets stuffed with just a quarter loaf sandwich.

While waiting for our sandwiches, I started talking to these two young men. I kidded that the one man was really talented as he could text with one hand while eating a big sandwich with the other. They started asking about where we were from and what we were doing in Ikageng. They were soon getting passalong cards, pamphlets and then a Book of Mormon. Sister Allred talked to them about the gospel, the Book of Mormon and the restoration. Elder Liera got their names and phone numbers. We also told them about the YSA family home evening that we would be holding at 5:30 at the school and they said they would come but it turned out they did not.  But hopefully they gave the elders their actual phone numbers and they will get a chance to teach them about the Gospel. We have found that opening out mouths is a very effective way to find those the Lord has prepared to heat the Gospel.

Our new friends took pictures of all of us. Unfortunately elder Allred got pretty much hidden by his wife.

After lunch we took the Allreds on a quick tour of some of Ikageng. We went to an area of the township where there is a lot of informal housing – we would call them shacks in the US. They had seen some at a distance but this was the first time they got to see some up close. We talked about the fact that for many of those living in these very humble dwellings it is step up from what they had in their home countries or areas. Our last stop before taking them back to their van was to show them the school where we hold Church.

it was great to have another couple with us for a few hours and to share some of the experiences we have as we serve.

In the evening we went to the YSA family home evening. Unfortunately only 4 young men showed up – president Kwaikwai, two new converts – Audrey and David, and an investigator who we met last week when he returned the phone the elders left in his home when they were teaching him. But we had fun playing Book of Mormon bingo and eating the small marsh mellows that we use as markers. They agreed that this was a better idea than the dried beans we have used at other times.

On Saturday I got an SMS from the principal of the school where we hold our meetings telling me that a pipe had burst and basically the school had no water until later in the week.  I conveyed this to president Kwaikwai and suggested that it would be hard to hold a three hour + block of meetings without any of the toilets working. He agreed and so we only held sacrament meeting and then released everyone to go home.

While greeting members as they arrived we noticed a couple coming towards us. Since they were white and not any of the senior couples we knew about, I thought at first that they might be looking for the other church that meets at the same time we do and has a white pastor.

However on meeting them we found out that they were brother and sister Futter and they had served a mission here in South Africa from 2011-2012. At first they served in the Durban mission in the Bloomfontein area but after 6 months they were asked to change to the Family History Center in Johannesburg. While serving there they drove down to Potchefstroom on Sunday and attended the meetings. They live in England and are visiting South Africa to do family history and genealogy for his family.

It was fun to watch them meet some of the members who were here when they were serving. President Kwaikwai asked them to bear their testimonies during the meeting. After sacrament the Futters asked to have a branch picture. And then I took other pictures of the gathering before people left for the day. Most people love to linger a little longer to talk to the friends they only get to see on Sundays.

There was a good turnout! We were actually surprised at the number because we knew a number of members were away from home. Elders Liera and Perez talk to brother Futter about how it was in the branch a couple of years ago. The Futters had first gone to the old school where church was held when they were here. They said this one is much nicer.

President Kwaikwai was a member of the branch presidency when the Futters were here. I alway like to take pictures of my bride when I get a chance. You can see all the people behind her talking to their friends.

Sister Thulo is our branch music director and I had to take a picture of her in this great hat. The Ratema sisters – Maisie and Dolly in the back ground while in the foreground is sister Lydia who was baptized two weeks ago and confirmed this morning. She has to work every other Sunday but comes when she has it off.

I noticed sister Dorcas and her grandson – he is wrapped in the blanket and is under the hat. Sister Dorcas was baptized last month and seems to always have a smile for everyone.

Elder Perez has his thumb up while elder Liera makes a teaching appointment.

While we were setting up this morning I noticed this whiteboard. It was from a lesson given to the youth last week and it must have been a well prepared one because the board is not only filled with great thoughts but it is also a step by step discussion of how to become more spiritually self-reliant! I am sure the youth went home spiritually fed by this lesson.

Thursday is Seminary where Mary teaches the Book of Mormon. She has from three to six students show up. Much depends on if it is raining, if there is school events going on or if there happens to be a dust storm that makes walking very unpleasant.

Friday is District Meeting. Usually I take a number of pictures but this week I forgot until right at the end when the meeting was over and everyone was busy eating delicious cocoa-chocolate chip cookies. You can see in the picture on the right that elder Graham has one in his mouth and is busy procuring more on his way out.

After DM the senior couples went to lunch at Mugg and Bean in the new Klerksdorp mall. It is advertised as the larges mall in the NorthWest and after seeing it, I certainly believe it.

There is a large Spur restaurant in the Mall and the Spur mascot was passing through. When he saw I was taking a picture he stopped and posed. Spur restaurants are named after states in the US – the one in this Mall is the Nebraska Spur. The fountains in the picture below are in the middle of what is a very large food court that features both inside and outside dinning. Children seem to love to run through the water – especially now that it is getting rather hot here. I wonder if they will keep it going in the winter when it can get low enough to freeze?

Saturday as were coming out of the Moori River Mall near our home Mary noticed this beautiful rainbow in the distance.

It is getting into late spring here in Potch and while some flowering trees and roses are starting to lose their blossoms, there are plenty of other beautiful flowers emerging. The first five are from our neighbor’s front yard or other areas in the complex

 

The red and yellow weavers are regular visitors to the Pier’s free food stand in our back yard. Also there are lots of Cape sparrows and doves of every size. The lower left picture captured one male and three female red bishop weavers, two or threes yellow weavers. It is fun to watch them eat but if I try to get closer to them to take a better picture the whole flock takes to the air.

  

One of the great blessings of being in the Johannesburg Mission is that the temple is only about 90 minutes away if the traffic is not terrible. This Saturday we were there with a sister from the branch who was taking out her endowment so she can be married later to her returned Durban missionary. We did not serve with elder Bryan Vilakazi but some of our senior friends had that opportunity. Sister Kgolagano Ratema – we call her Meisie – is the Primary president in the Potchefstroom branch. 

We all enjoyed the peace and spirit of the temple which was very, very busy with a number of personal endowments and marriages being preformed. The temple staff is very kind and thoughtful and while busy never seems hurried or harried.

Trying get the couple and Moroni in the same shot was not easy but worth it.

Branch president Kwaikwai and the Relief Society president sister Kujane went with us. Sister Kujane was her escort.

The big surprise was that in our session were some of the Baldwin family who we know from our time serving in Richards Bay. They were there to support Lara Baldwin – the sister in the white blouse – as she went through for her endowments. She is getting married in the temple at the end of this month and we hope to be able to be back for that. It was a choice experience to share the temple session with these fine Richards Bay saints.

As we walked back to our car I noticed this big, very beautiful red tree in the area offices yard. As I got closer to take a picture there was a plot of rich agapanthus in full bloom and I could not pass up a quick shot of one. While the grounds are beautiful, the real beauty and peace is found when you enter the sacred temple itself.

Elder and Sister Dummer car-pooled with us to the Vaal Zone meeting in Vereeniging. It is great to have another couple close enough that we can do some things together, talk about what is happening in our areas, ask for suggestions on how to be more effective in our callings as missionaries and just enjoy each other’s company. It is not that we do not love the young elders and the members of the branches, but sometimes we just need to share time and experiences with other senior missionaries.

Zone training is held once each transfer. The zone leaders conduct the meeting, go through the calendar for the next few weeks, share messages from president and sister Dunn, and train the missionaries on a subject that they have been trained on by the mission president and the APs.

Mary played and sister Dummer led the opening song.

 The elders joined in the singing. Elder Reese and elder George as the zone leaders for this transfer. This was elder Reese’s first training meeting with the zone.

I managed to get all the Ikageng district’s elders as they sat across from us. Elders Perez and Liera and elder Rami, elder Mayende, elder Graham and elder Mukasa.

Elder Segil with elder Kalani, Elder Stilgoe who is training elder May.

Elders Graham and Stilgoe share a moment before we take a zone picture! I guess Elder Perez was afraid he would not be noticed so he raised his hand!

Elder and Sister Adams, the area self-reliance missionaries, came to Ikageng and presented a training session for the members of the branch who are looking for employment or who are interested in improving their employment. The Adams have been very successful in establishing contacts with many companies here in South Africa and introducing them to the high work ethics of the LDS members. Some of these companies now are willing almost any member who is qualified and applies for a job in their organizations.

Elder and sister Adams taught the group about self-reliance, budgeting, and how to prepare a statement about themselves that they could use when asking for an appointment for a job interview and during the interview. They are called ‘Me in 30 seconds’ statements.

The students practiced giving their statements to each other before getting on the phone and actually using them to try and get interviews. They were told to practice giving them to 20 people each day until they become natural. In checking with some students a few days later it seems they are not doing this.

With president Dunn’s permission we traveled out of our mission to the city of Kimberly which is famous for the diamonds that were mined there.

As we came to the edge of Kimberly there was a lake that had hundreds of flamingos spread across the surface. One flock can be seen in the foreground and another near the upper edge of the lake. Unfortunately we could not really get close to the lake to take any good pictures. Not far from the lake is the Flamingo golf course, hotel and casino with this sculpture near the entrance.

We went to see the Big Hole which Diamonds have not been mined since 1914 because of the flooding of the mine during WWI. If you read the sign it tells that about 5000 pounds of diamonds came out of the mine before it shut down.

Mary and the big hole. Elder and Sister Dummer and Mary in an “underground” area of the tour that was really at ground level.

Some of the trolleys that were used in Kimberly at one time.

The bar was not open for business when I looked in. Loved the display of bedpans that were in use at the turn of the century.

A very modern dental office for the period – before this the barber was often also the dentist in town. We had lunch at the Occidental Bar. Mary and I split a very good BLT sandwich.

So I did not feel bad about having this delicious frozen peanut butter cheesecake for dessert.

Some scenes along main street.

There were a pair of 2 1/2 foot gauge donkey steam engines that had been preserved. When I had my N 2 1/2 model railroad, I had a model one of these. They were the work horses of mining all over the world.

On Tuesday we went to the McGregor museum where I managed only to take pictures of the grand staircase and the outdoor chess set. The museum had one of the best WWi displays I have every seen. They also were featuring a display about slavery, segregation, and it’s end in the US. I guess they wanted to show that other countries were not all that good about how they treated their black citizens.

Our next stop was the Duggan-Cronin art museum. It featured the work Duggan-Cronin who traveled around africa taking pictures of the people and their surroundings. Also featured the recordings of native music by another explorer at about the same time. It seems that marimbas/xylophones were used through the world – this one is from Mozambique,

The lyre is from Uganda. Duggan-Cronin took about 8000 pictures of native africans and just a few are on display in the museum. I particularly liked this one of the woman and child. They still carry their young children this way but today they usually use a blanket that they wrap around themselves.

After visiting the two museums we thought it would be fun to go to the Widlebeest Kuil rock art centre where there is hundreds of images carved into rocks on the surface of the ground. While we were traveling there I felt that I should call to make sure they were open. The phone was answered by David Morris who said due to budget problems the centre was not open for tours. I mentioned we had come 400K and were now only 5 minutes away. He said that since we were so close that he would stay and let us in. He was waiting in his car when we got there and turned us over to Amos – who I missed photographing – who showed us a movie about the centre, the art and the Sans people who now live nearby. Then we got a tour of the hillside with many examples of the art that goes back between 1000 and 10,000 years. The wild pig has been split in two.

Since we will probably never get back to Kimberly, I feel that the fact that I called at just the right time and got the one person who could let us take the tour was one of those simple tender mercies that we often receive but do not recognize as we go through our days as senior missionaries.

The most feature animal is the eland but there were also ones of an elephant and rhinos.

There are also many geometric designs which some feel were made by shamans and had to do with spiritual ideas but no one is sure because of course there is no written record available.

As we traveled around Kimberly we saw some beautiful flowers and lots of avenues of jacaranda trees in bloom. These are young trees but we saw some that were very large and very old.

We evening we had dinner in a small mall. When we were served water we noticed that Mary’s glass seemed to be leaking water. When she picked it up she noticed it was cracked near the bottom. While she was holding it the bottom fell out and water went all over the table and her. At one of the petrol stations we stopped at the doors to the toilets displayed these great pictures.

 

Some farmers really do not like people coming into their yard. Where some have dogs this one seems to have guns. As we drove home I noticed this cloud and it looked to me like a flying ghost.

On Wednesday morning the elders and us drove up to Parys to visit sister Swanepoel and Louis. It was elder Liera’s first trip to Parys.