VALUABLE COMMODITY

It didn't take us long to realize that toilet paper was never available when you needed it.   However, it did take many months to learn many of the nuances connected to toilet paper.   If you find a "toilet" that requires payment, you have a 80% chance you will have some toilet paper.   Otherwise, there is a 90% chance there will be none.   At any South African church we have attended that has nice (or regular) toilets there is NEVER any TP.   We learned why:   People come in and steal it all.  No matter how much they put out, it is taken.  So the person in charge of any event/meeting, brings TP and sets a little out the moment things begin....a very inconvenient way to live.  Churches in the townships have "permanent" porta potties.  No toilet paper.   A few women in the congregation bring toilet paper (how do they know who has it???).    If you need to go, you go ask them for paper.   They unroll quite a bit on their fingers and give it to you.   Each person, gets a certain amount as determined by the holder of the TP roll.   Needless to say, I try to bring my own toilet paper with me when I go anywhere. 
The same thing happens everywhere you go--an adult woman dispenses a little toilet paper to anyone in her group needing to use the bathroom.  

Toilet paper is also used as a napkin or rag.   We were visiting a family and they offered Elder Todd the most juicy plums (they gave him 6 and insisted he eat them all).   Juice was running down his arms and he was trying to decide if he needed to wipe his hands on his suit pants.   Suddenly the host jumped up and came running back with a little wad of toilet paper!   When you are invited to dinner there are never napkins.   However, in a few homes, at the end of the meal someone brings us a little toilet paper to wipe our hands.   They usually have a spoon or fork for us to eat with, but they rarely use any utensils.
 
The Public Library is the only public building we have found with a toilet.  The government, utilities, or city buildings have no public restrooms.     They (library)  have a basket by the desk, with small bunches of toilet paper.  You take one upon entering the restroom.    
This may seem funny, but when you are in hurry or there is an emergency, this is no longer funny.

 Called to Serve

Two young adults just received their mission calls.   Just like when we applied to serve a mission, they followed the same process...had dental and medical checkups, filled out applications, got police background checks and visas (required by South Africa, not the church), and then waited for their missionary call.   We know that the church leaders review the applications and then pray over where the young man or woman should be assigned.   These "calls" come from the President of the Church and are mailed to us because these young people do not have mail delivery.    So we had the great pleasure of delivering the calls and being present when they opened them.   

Let me tell you briefly about them.   Ntokozo Lwazi Myeza's parents died when he was 7 years old.  He went to live with his granny.   She became too old so she sent him to his aunt to live. While living there, he met some missionaries and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.    His aunt does not like Ntokozo attending church so now she only allows him to sleep at her home.    Another relative feeds him.   As he studied the scriptures, he felt the desire to go on a mission.    He had dropped out of high school, so he went back to school for another year so he could get his matric (diploma).  Then he applied for his missionary call. (You need to have graduated from high school to serve a mission.)   He had never been to the dentist, so he needed 2 root canals, 2 fillings, and 1-2 extractions. I guess brushing does pay off!     Then the doctor found he had a heart problem.   Luckily, it was resolved.   During the entire long process, he kept his eye on his goal of being a missionary.  He is going to serve in the Capetown South Africa mission.

Mpho Pine Ziqubu also lost her father when she was very young.   Then when she was about 6 her mother was poisoned.   She was one of 7 sisters left orphans.  Somehow, they all survived until the oldest sister was married.    She took the 3 youngest siblings to live with her when she got married.  Mpho was the youngest sister.  She still lives with her sister and brother-in-law and their 4 young children in very modest circumstances.   She received a call to serve in Zimbabwe.   Notice the family Christmas tree in the corner--one of the few we saw. 

We feel so blessed to be a part of their lives.   We will be taking them (one on February 3 and one on March 10) to the airport to fly to the Missionary Training Center.   Twelve days later they fly to their respective missions.  

 Special Sunday

 Sunday was a special day.   We witnessed the baptism of Aaron Schallies.   He is 20 years old and just finished his training to be an electrician.   He is the first person to be baptized from the group of 13 people we invited to church.   He bore a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ and the spirit filled the room.  Previous to meeting the Schallies, we worked almost exclusively with Zulu people.   Now we are teaching 4 Afrikaans families.   Most churches exclusively serve either the black community or the Afrikaan community or Indian community.   In Richards Bay we have members of all 3 races and it is wonderful to see.  Elder Odiambo (on the left) is from Tanzania and Elder Praetor (on the right) is from Westminster, Colorado.  

 

All Work and No Play....

When we arrived in South Africa we were befriended by the Alvana family.    They insisted that their home was "our home" and have treated us like family.  We have wanted to do something special for them.    I heard about a place to Mini-Golf from the elders.   We asked the Alvanas if they had ever been miniature golfing and they had no idea what we were talking about.   We set  a date and treated the family to an afternoon outing.    They LOVED it!   But I think Elder Todd and I had the most fun of all, watching them have such a great time.   It was sprinkling rain and I thought they would want to cancel.   The Zulu people hate rain and cancel almost anything if it rains.   But the Alvanas insisted that we go anyway....which is what we hoped they would say.   

Girls After My Own Heart

The youth in Enselini have been begging to learn to bake cupcakes, which are very popular here. They didn't have to twist my arm, because I love baking (or rather, eating, cupcakes).   We set a date for Saturday but when I arrived, only one girl showed up.   It felt like I had packed up my entire kitchen because I had to bring every pan, utensil, bowl, mixer and ingredient--which included soap, dishrags, towels, hand sanitizer etc.   While Elder Todd and I hauled in all the supplies, Qinso walked down the street and invited 2 girls who were complete strangers, to "come and learn to bake cupcakes."   They were so excited to join us.   For the first 30 minutes we had no water, but someone brought a bucket of water from 2 blocks away, so we were able to start mixing.   We made 68 cupcakes--vanilla, chocolate chip and fresh apple. Elder Todd offered great support by washing dishes in a bucket outside and tasting the finished product.    It was a VERY hot day, the oven increased the heat dramatically and we didn't even have a fan!  What sacrifices we make to create yummy things to eat!   My heart was so happy as we watched these young women having such a great afternoon.   I had boxes for them to take their goodies home.  

 

  Thieves Abound But Members Remain Hopeful

Last month the church kept busy replacing items that disappeared.   One Sunday we arrived and there was no water.   This has happened once before, but for another reason.   There was no water so the toilets could not be used.   Also, there was no water for the Sacrament.   Someone left to go home to get a jug of water, so we sat patiently for 25 minutes until they returned and we could begin the service.   We were unable to get buckets of water so the toilets were "out of order."   There was NO water shortage, someone had stolen the outside pipes for the water.   The pipes were replaced, and 2 weeks later, they were taken again.  They were replaced again. 

Same story with the outside street lights.   These light poles are regular metal poles--tall and heavy.   They have been taken 3 times in the past year.   So they were replaced by fiberglass (something like that) poles that are not as valuable.   But they have been taken twice in the last 2 months.  

While we were having a missionary meeting inside the church, someone came in and broke into the locked cabinet and walked off with the sound system!   We were very close, but did not hear anything.   We did not think it was necessary to lock the front door while 12 of us were sitting right inside.   But now we know.

But no matter what happens, or what is missing, they replace it or do with out.   And the work of the Lord carries on.  I admire them for not getting so discouraged or bitter.  

No Flowers But Beautiful Plants 

We drove 2 hours to the Botanical Gardens.   This is the oldest Botanical Garden in all of South Africa.  We spent 2 hours walking around in a peaceful setting just a few yards from bustling traffic.   It is summertime here, but there were only 3 flowers blooming in these large gardens.   We are still trying to learn when plants, trees, flowers bloom in this part of the world.  Evidently, February is not the best time.   Because it was a Monday, there were no staff to answer any questions.  The man taking donations was just there to collect funds.   But we saw interesting trees and ducks.  

Spoonbill

Larry looks pretty small compared to these wonderful trees.

Farewell to Great Friends

After the Botanical Gardens we headed to Elder and Sister Snell's apartment.   They were hosting a Family Home Evening to say goodbye to the senior couples in the area.   We are NOT in the area, but we wanted to drive to Durban to say goodbye.    They have trained us in the Self Reliance program, assisted us when we had too many students and needed an extra teacher, and spent the night with us many times as they traveled through our area.   We will miss their dedication and commitment to helping the people of South Africa become self reliant.   They have traveled all over the country and helped countless people.   They are from England--and very proud of their country.   They used every opportunity to teach us about England.   So it was fitting that they served Bangers and Mash for dinner.   We had never heard of this traditional English meal.   They special ordered the Bangers because they are not normally available in the stores.   Mash is just mashed potatoes.   Also, for dinner we had lukewarm pork and beans (they called them something else).  You make a big pile of Mash in the middle of your plate, stick one banger into each side of the mash, put the beans on the side, and smother it all with onion gravy.    

When we arrived at the Snells, their power was off and had been since noon.   So dinner was not ready. 

We jumped in to help.   Elder Todd peeled a huge pot of potatoes while I began fixing an English dessert according to the recipe.  The Snells were busy on the phone trying to see if the power would be turned on soon.   During all this work, we looked up and saw monkeys INSIDE the house!   They were looking for something to eat.   The Snells shooed them away, but very soon they were back.    I wanted to get a picture so badly, but I couldn't stop stirring the custard or it would burn and Elder Todd was frantic to get the potatoes done in time!   At 5:00 they still had no power, so they called another couple and asked them to host 17 people at their home at 6:00.   Like all senior couples, they said, "Of course."   We hauled the uncooked food (we filled 2 cars) and drove the 45 minutes to the new location.   During that 45 minutes, they called each couple to let them know of the new venue.  At 7:20, the food was done and we sat down to dinner.   We had a fabulous time sharing mission experiences and other memories.  

We spent the night with the Snells and left early the next morning for home.   But we did stop to take a very short walk on a beach that was on our way home.  

The Indian Ocean is a dark color--not blue or green. 

We saw this man making sand sculptures.  He says he makes designs 6 hours per day.   His son stays nearby and plays in the sand.   He was about 3 or 4 years old and the only toy he had was a styrofoam take-out container.  I am always happy to give a big tip so we can take a picture.   I shared the message of Jesus Christ and his restored church.   He smiled and said, "God is great."

 

  I Agree

 I agree with the man at the beach, "God IS great."   As we teach of the Plan of Happiness, the Path to Self Reliance, and that Families Can Be Together Forever, I am reminded how much the Lord loves us.  He has given us his gospel and the tools so we can be happy on this earth and in the life hereafter.  

We feel his love for the people of South Africa.   We feel so grateful to be here.    It is amazing that the Lord can use any one to spread his gospel--even with our weaknesses and imperfections.   

Love, Elder and Sister Todd

  

 

  

Can You Stand It?

February 9, 2016

Dear Family,

Can you stand one MORE email so soon.      I am bursting inside and want to share a wonderful experience.   This happened Saturday and I had already written my last email, so I decided NOT to write to you again.   But I really want to share. 

Saturday morning while Larry did more training (he is still trying to help a branch president issue a "calling" or make a visits to a less active members),   I decided to help the Primary President prepare her lesson (so far she has not given an actual lesson.)   I also had a chance to visit 2 less active women.    In the past Larry and I have gone together while he trained the Branch Presidents.   However, we feel overwhelmed with the branch members who need help, so we decided to split up.  It worked so well.   We drove away at 12:30, we felt like it had been such a productive and rewarding morning.   

On the way home from Enselini, we stopped to see Freddy in Brachenham.  We had a message prepared for him (he was less active but is now active), but when we arrived, we saw a car in front of his house.    When we went inside, we recognized Frances--a man who is a regular visitor at Freddy's.    He has always been polite, but not friendly with regards to any talk about religion.  So we were a little disappointed to see him.  However, as we sat down, Frances asked Larry a question about marriage vows in an LDS wedding.  Next he said he was wondering about where we came from before this earth. He actually quoted the scripture from Jeremiah 1:5 (before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee.......)   He asked if all of us were with Jeremiah or if the scripture just pertained to Jeremiah.     Larry and I looked at each other and almost jumped up and hugged Frances. The question was so inspired!  This was the first of many inspired questions he asked us.  

The most amazing thing was, I had prepared a flannel board (but no flannel or board---just cut out stick figures to lay on the floor) lesson on the Plan of Salvation!    I pulled it out and looked at Larry.   He nodded.   I began telling the story of the Plan of Salvation with my visual aids.   Just as I would finish the pre-existence, he would ask a question about our earth life.  Next he asked about where we go after we die, which was answered by the next visual aid.   He asked about judgement and life after death.    I was able to give the entire presentation.   He asked the questions:   and they were answered by the Plan of Salvation.  

I felt as though Heavenly Father had prepared us SPECIFICALLY for this visit OR he prepared Frances for our visit.   I simply do not know how to convey how that made us feel!  I have never carried "The Plan of Salvation" in my purse. Frances never has been interested in the gospel or our view on religion.   Frances accepted everything we taught.   He knew from memory, the scripture about "in my house there are many mansions...."   In fact, most of the scriptures we used from the Bible, he had memorized.  

When I finished, Larry carried on.    He taught the apostasy and the restoration!!!!   As you can guess, this was NOT a short discussion.   But he was very attentive and responsive.   After Larry finished, Frances did not disagree with anything that had been presented. He announced, "Now I understand the scriptures." We kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  But he seemed in full agreement.    However, he shocked/disappointed us when he commented casually,   " I will share this with my pastor and my friends."    He continued by saying that he knew what we taught was true, but he could remain in his church and still believe this doctrine.    Larry had very clearly taught about the proper authority and the restoration of the priesthood, but he pushed this aside.

Even though he was excited to tell HIS church (instead of joining OUR church), it did not dampen our spirits.   We felt the love of Heavenly Father for us as he prepared us for this meeting, and His love for Frances.  As we drove to our next home, we did not speak.   We were both reflecting on the amazing experience we had enjoyed. 

I just re-read what a wrote and it does not seem to carry much power.  But we are so humbled to be able to participate in experiences like this.   We were instruments to share this great message and we were filled with joy.

Love,

Larry and Sandy

Mom and Dad