The Holidays

Holidays on a mission are NOT like they are at home.

Christmas in Africa

 was especially unusual for several reasons, 

FIRST OF ALL IT IS SUMMER HERE!

WE ARE RUNNING OUR AIR CONDITIONERS WHILE YOU ARE SITITNG BY THE FIRE TRYING TO STAY WARM

THEN THERE IS THE FACT THAT WE DON'T REALLY WATCH TV,

 SO WE HAD NOT BEEN BOMBARDED WITH BLACK FRIDAY CHRISTMAS ADS, OR CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWNS CONSTANTLY REMINDING US HOW MANY DAYS ARE LEFT TO GET OUR SHOPPING IN,

THE MALL ACROSS THE STREET DID HAVE SOME HOLIDAY DECORATIONS BUT

THERE WAS NO HOLIDAY MUSIC PLAYING IN ANY OF THE STORES,

THERE WAS NO MAN WITH A FAKE WHITE BEARD

AND A BELLY STUFFED WITH PILLOWS,  DRESSED IN RED FROM HEAD TO TOE, SITTING ON A RED VELVET CHAIR,

AND NO LINES OF CHILDREN ANXIOUSLY WAITING TO SIT ON HIS LAP.

  

THERE WERE NO HOMES DECORATED WITH CHRISTMAS TREES IN THE WINDOWS AND RED AND GREEN LIGHTS TRIMMING THE ROOFTOPS. 

WHEN YOU SERVE A MISSION YOU MISS THE FAMILY TRADITIONS THAT COME WITH CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS, LIKE BAKING COOKIES OR FUDGE FOR THE NEIGHBORS, OR FINDING THE "PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE".

WHEN DECEMBER ROLLED AROUND THIS YEAR, WE DID NOT HAVE VISIONS OF SUGARPLUMS DANCING IN OUR HEADS.

 WE TOOK A TRIP TO RWANDA AND MOZAMBIQUE TO TRAIN TWO COUPLES WHO ARRIVED FROM THE  STATES TO BEGIN THEIR HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS.

ONCE WE RETURNED TO JOHANNESBURG, WE BEGAN PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING HUMANITARIAN COUPLES CONFERENCE WE ARE HAVING IN JANUARY.

EVEN THOUGH WE WERE EXTREMELY BUSY AND FAR FROM HOME

AND IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT BEGINNING TO LOOK ALOT LIKE CHRISTMAS.......

SLOWLY WE BEGAN TO FEEL A CHANGE IN THE AIR......

 OUR AREA PRESIDENCY MADE SURE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.

PRESIDENT COOK, ELDER HAMILTON AND ELDER ELLIS AND THEIR WIVES INVITED US INTO THEIR HOMES FOR A WONDERFUL DINNER AND TO HEAR THE STORY OF THE SAVIORS BIRTH, SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS, AND TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE FAMILY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS WITH US.

Sister Ellis introducing the story of the birth of the Savior

PRESIDENT COOK SHARING A TENDER MESSAGE ABOUT HELPING THE BEAUTIFUL SAINTS OF AFRICA PREPARE TO BRING THEIR FAMILIES TO THE TEMPLE TO BE SEALED AS ETERNAL FAMILIES.

Sister Hamilton shared one of her favorite family traditions was making snowflakes with her family

 WE ALL MADE OUR OWN SNOWFLAKES AND HUNG THEM ALL OVER THE HAMILTON'S APARTMENT.

DURING THOSE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF DECEMBER SOME OF THE MISSIONARY COUPLES DUG BOXES OUT OF THEIR CLOSETS AND MANAGED TO STRING A FEW CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND A STRAND OF GARLAND ON THEIR FRONT DOORS, SOME WERE EVEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND AN OLD FAKE CHRISTMAS TREE

(THIS ONE WAS IN THE HAMILTON'S HOME AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL)

BY MID DECEMBER IT WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS.

ONE DAY WE ARRIVED AT WORK AND FOUND THAT THE AREA OFFICE EVEN HAD CHRISTMAS TREES AND DECORATIONS ON EVERY FLOOR. 

IT WAS FUN TO SEE THE CREATIVE DECORATIONS THE OTHER COUPLES WERE COMING UP WITH TO DECORATE THEIR LITTLE APARTMENTS.  

SOME PEOPLE EVEN COMMENTED THAT IT REMINDED THEM OF THE DAYS WHEN THEY WERE NEWLEYWEDS AND HAD NO MONEY FOR STORE BOUGHT DECORATIONS SO EVERYTHING WAS HANDMADE.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DECORATIONS WERE THE HANDCARVED AFRICAN NATIVITY SETS THAT MANY OF

THE COUPLES DISPLAYED IN THEIR APARTMENTS.

WE SPENT ONE EVENING WITH THE OTHER COUPLES, TALKING ABOUT OUR FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITIONS, ( which I have to admit, made me a little homesick)

WE ENDED THE NIGHT BY SINGING CHRISTMAS CAROLS

THEN, ON CHRISTMAS EVE, WE ALL HAD  A PROGRESSIVE DINNER AND READERS THEATRE

JOSEPH AND MARY WERE AWESOME

(BRUCE AND I WERE THE INNKEEPERS CHILDREN)

  

WE ENDED THE EVENING BY DIMMING THE LIGHTS AND SINGING SILENT NIGHT.

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENING THAT HELPED US TO REMEMBER THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS.

I WENT HOME THAT NIGHT FILLED WITH GRATITUDE FOR MY SAVIOR AND WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR ME AND YOU.

HIS SACRIFICE WAS FOR ALL MANKIND.

ON CHRISTMAS DAY

WE JOINED ALL THE COUPLES FOR A BRUNCH AND ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR. 

CHRISTMAS TRULY WAS DIFFERENT IN AFRICA

HOWEVER, I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE TENDER MOMENTS I FELT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF DECEMBER AS I REFLECTED ON THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR.

I AM GRATEFUL TO BE A MISSIONARY. I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONSECRATE EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE TO SERVE MY HEAVENLY FATHER. I KNOW THAT JESUS CHRIST IS MY REDEEMER. I KNOW THAT I HAVE A FATHER IN HEAVEN WHO LOVES ME. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE RESTORED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.

MAY YOU HAVE A BLESSED YEAR AND FEEL THE SAVIORS LOVE FOR YOU IS MY PRAYER.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Bruce and I would like to wish all of our friends and family a wonderful Christmas.

We miss you all and want you to know that you are always in our hearts and prayers. 

We have missed the sights and sounds of Christmas, 

the Holiday Traditions,

Christmas Parties, Christmas Lights, Trees, and Cheerful decorations

Taking the Grands to see the homes brightly lit in Christmas gala,

Baking fudge and Chex Party Mix for our family,

and most of all a home filled with loved ones.

However,

We have truly felt the true meaning of Christmas as we have served the Lord's children. We have been blessed to see the Humanitarian Arm of the church bless so many lives in South Africa. Each day we review projects that 13 couples submit to our office with the purpose of relieving suffering, and helping people become more self-reliant. 

I recently received the following pictures from our Public Affairs couple (Elder and Sister Berg) who went to visit one of our Clean Water projects in Kinshasa with our Humanitarian Couple.

Our WORK

I would hate for you to think that all we do is play so this post will be dedicated to the WORK we do in the Africa Southeast Area Office. Elder Kinghorn and I leave the house every morning,  Monday through Friday by 8:15 to work in the Area Office. Most nights we return home by 5:30 or 6:00. Some days we force ourselves to leave by 4:00 or 4:30 so that we can do our grocery shopping. Our mission call is to serve as Area Welfare Specialist (AWS). The Lee's, who our the friends that invited us to come to Africa are also AWS. The four of us support 13 Welfare Services Couple Missionaries who serve in: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Lubumbashi, DRC Kinshasa, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Gabon, Tanzania, and Madagascar. The couples develop Area Initiative Projects and also help support Major Initiatives that the Humanitarian department at Church Headquarters initiates.

Our job is to train and support the couples with the work they are doing as Welfare Services Missionaries. Bruce works with Finances. Our office processes the request for all 13 couples for the funding of their projects. My job is reviewing the project request and submitting them to our Area Welfare Manager for approval as well as reviewing the contracts for each project submitted. We work very closely with the Lee's as well as our Area Welfare Manager.

The Area Office is a wonderful place to work. We are blessed to begin each week with a Monday morning devotional that is usually attended by a member of the Area Presidency or the Director of Temporal Affairs.  I personally believe that the best part of our mission is when we have an opportunity to travel to train and support the Welfare Services Missionaries.

We recently took a trip to Rwanda to train Terry Lieble and Dr. Peggy Toro who are the new couple serving as Welfare Services Missionaries in Rwanda. We had the opportunity to go with them to see one of the projects that had been done by the previous couple. It was a rain catchment system and water storage tanks.

Elder Lieble and Sister Toro with members of the water committee and their interpreter.



My favorite part is always meeting the local children

 

Then we headed off to Mozambique to train the Pond's who are the new Welfare Services Missionaries in Mozambique

Mozambique is a very colorful country
We saw some interesting sights on our drive to Church

 

We are very blessed to be called to serve in Africa Southeast as Area Welfare Specialist.

We love to work with the couples as they develop projects. It is really fun when they share the joy they experience when a project is completed. Each month the couples send us monthly reports about the work they are doing. Thanks to the generous donations of members of the Church all over the world the Welfare Services Missionaries are able to develop projects that relieve suffering, help the people of Africa become more self reliant and provide Christ like service.

Farewell for now

 All the bags were  packed

 with treasures of Africa for friends and family

But what we will treasure most are cherished memories of Africa with our family.

 

It was hard to see our children go.

We have been away from home and family for almost 9 months now. We have missed them.  

When we embraced one last time at the airport my heart ached. It was hard to leave my family again. As my husband took my hand and we turned to walk away the sadness turned to gratitude.

I am eternally grateful that I got to be the mother of these two amazing people. I am grateful that my children have found people who love them as deeply as I do. I am grateful that I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me and for each of my children. I am grateful that I know that our family will be an eternal family. I am grateful that I was called to serve as a missionary in the Africa Southeast Area with this amazing man as my companion. 

Dinner with friends

One of the highlights of our children's visit to Africa was dinner with Kenneth and Lesidi Mofokeng. Kenneth works in the Area Office with us as the Project Manager and Water Specialist. Kenneth and Lesidi prepared an amazing dinner for our family, Phillip Moatlhodi and his wife, (Phillip is the Area Welfare Manager), and Elder and Sister Lee.

 

After enjoying a wonderful dinner we all gathered around the table in the backyard. With the beautiful African sun setting, and the  sounds of the children playing nearby, Kenneth and Phillip began to weave a tale of Life in Africa. They talked about growing up in Africa, and about the customs of their elders. They told us how they met their spouses and about the custom of Labola.

 

"An African custom by which a bridegroom's family makes a payment in cattle or cash to the bride's family shortly before the marriage".

 

 

The time just flew by. I could tell that my family didn't want the night to end. Brad had told me before he came to Africa, that he wanted to meet the people and to learn about the culture and customs of Africa. When the night finally came to an end I knew that Brad had experienced what he came to Africa for. 

 

Kenneth and Lesidi were wonderful host and I will always consider them dear friends.  I know that we will all cherish the memories of that warm summer evening, listening to tales of life in Africa from two incredible men.

 

Orange Farm Visit

One of the things we were looking forward to was bringing our children to Orange Farm. Orange Farm is the branch of the Church we attend every Sunday if we are not traveling. My soul is lifted each week when I attend the Orange Farm Branch.  The members  are special people. They have wonderful testimonies of the restored Gospel. They love the Lord and although many of them face difficult circumstances they are filled with gratitude for their Father in Heaven. My attendance at Orange Farm Branch renews my spirit and fills me with joy.

 

I have chosen to spend my time in Primary when I am at Orange Farm because I absolutely LOVE the children. From the first day I attended Primary at Orange Farm, I knew that was were I was supposed to be.  I miss my children and grandchildren terribly but when I enter the  Primary room in Orange Farm Branch, I am overcome with love for the amazing children in this little school room chapel. There is not a Sunday that I don't have children either sitting next to me or on my lap.

 

Primary has been a highlight of my week ever since we arrived in South Africa but I do miss the sisters in Relief Society. The Relief Society meeting is held the same time as primary so I have missed meeting with the ladies of Orange Farm. The sweet Relief Society Sisters have always made me feel loved and welcome. I could write and write about the members of Orange Farm Branch and someday I will, but that is for another day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post is about my children and my Orange Farm family.

 

The day we brought our children to church as we got out of the car one of the little primary girls ran up and put her arms around me and said, "Sister Kinghorn is this your FAMILY?" I had been telling all the Primary Children that my children would be arriving soon and it seemed as if she had been anxiously awaiting their arrival. 

 

Our family spent the first hour in Sacrament meeting. We sat towards the back. I noticed some of the children turning and catching quick glimpses of my family during the Sacrament service. I am sure they were fascinated by Daysha and Karrissa's nearly white hair and bright pink lips as well as my son-in-law Brad with his brilliant blue eyes and golden hair but I couldn't help but wonder what they thought of Nathan. Nathan had left the church as a young man and over the years he has accumulated many tattoos. The long sleeved dress shirt covered many of them but the tattoos on his hands, neck and face were still visible. After an hour of Sacrament Meeting we were headed to Sunday School when I got my answer. As I exited the meeting, I saw a small group of children gathered around Nathan. Each of his arms was raised in the air by a small child's hand that rotated his arm as the others carefully inspected each piece  etched on his hands and arms.  Nathan was smiling and laughing at their curiosity. I invited Nathan and Daysha to join us in Primary and Brad and Karrissa went with Bruce to Sunday School.       

There was no question about it, the children were fascinated by Nathan as I am sure he was with them. Nathan and Daysha took their seats and it wasn't long before children began to move closer. This particular Sunday the children were practicing for the Sacrament Meeting Program that would be held the next week. One by one each child walked to the front of the room and gave their carefully rehearsed lines. Then they all stood and sang the beautiful songs that testified of eternal families and the love our father in heaven has for us. The spirit was strong in that little room as I watched those sweet primary children deliver powerful testimonies of a Father in Heaven who loves us and of families that can be together forever. Shortly before the hour ended this little boy in the orange shirt inched his way closer and closer to Nathan until he finally climbed into his lap and fell fast asleep. 

 

 

The children were fascinated by Nathan, but it wasn't long before they stopped seeing the tattoos and what they saw was the sweet soul that dwells within my son. 

 

 I left the classroom that day feeling blessed for my eternal family and for my Orange Farm family. I had seen Christ like love as the children gathered around my son that day. I had witnessed the spirit touch the souls of both Nathan and Daysha as those dear children bore powerful testimonies through song and word.  It is a memory that will stay with me forever.

 

 Here is the chorus to one of the songs the children sang the day our family visited Orange Farm.

 

God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
This is how He shares His love, for the fam’ly is of God.

Mosetlha Bush Camp

 After our family had been in Johannesburg for two days we headed into the Bush for a few nights at Mosetlha Bush Camp in Madikwe Game Preserve. We were so excited to see so many of the Big 5. In Africa when they refer to the Big 5 they are  talking about Lions, Elephants, Rhinos, Leopard, and  Cape Buffalo. After the first two game drives we had already seen lions, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, as well as a herd of wild dogs, wart hogs, wildebeest, zebra and lots of elands and gazelles. On the last day on the way out of the park we even saw a leopard sleeping in a tree.

Our camp was an eco lodge which basically meant that we went without electricity and running water for a few days. However, the camp was very comfortable.  It was well lit at night by solar and kerosene lanterns. The  toilets were VIP toilets (ventilated improved pit) and the showers were bucket showers. We heated our water for showers in a donkey broiler. We slept in canvas huts with twin beds. The picture above shows the donkey broiler that heats the water for showers and one of the huts. 

 This is where you pour the hot water for your shower.

 VIP toilet

Our sleeping quarters

we came so close to this pride of lions

a group of cheetahs laying under a tree

 A family of elephants crossed the road right in front of our vehicle

We watched as a pack of wild dogs were finishing off a fresh kill. They would go and eat a little then chase each other around our vehicle. We were so fascinated that we just sat there for about 15 minutes.

 



We had a wonderful time with the other guest and staff at the bush camp. So grateful for this amazing opportunity to share the wonders of Africa with our family.

 

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Sharing the best part of my week with my family

Orange Farm Branch of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints