Visiting Mama and the Tots

We went to visit Mama at Tembesa Tots today.

We were first introduced to Mama (Regina) and the tots a few months after our arrival here in South Africa.

Our friends, Tom and Kathy Barnes had invited us to go with them as they delivered some things that were donated by the Senior Missionaries

I fell in love with Mama and the tots

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A few months later we took our family to meet Mama and the kids.

I will never forget Mama. She is one of those people that will leave an imprint on my heart forever. She is always so happy to see us. She greets us with warm hugs and lots of laughter.

Mama is 70 years old. Twenty years ago Mama began taking children in.  Mama had been earning a living as a seamstress. She saved the money she made from sewing and bought a small piece of property with a small home on it. Mama's refuge became a drop in center for children, battered women, and homeless "go, go's" (grandmothers). It's just a small building with a kitchen, and two sleeping rooms but it is filled with love. 

Every time we visit Mama she sings and dances

 Her light shines through to these beautiful children

  

Today Mama runs a small daycare for about 15 toddlers that helps support the orphans. The Go, Go's that she takes in, assist with the cooking, laundry and caring for the children.

We took Walt and Susan Peterson, the couple who work in the Area Office with us as Area Welfare Specialist, with us to learn more about Mama and her drop in center. We don't currently have a Humanitarian Couple serving in South Africa to do welfare projects so we decided that the four of us might be able to develop an Area Initiative Project that may help Mama and the kids.

When we asked Mama how the children end up in her home, she said that most of them are brought by social workers or the police. She said they are removed from homes when parents are fighting, or abusing the children. The government facility doesn't have enough beds so they bring the kids to Mama. She said it is very hard for her to turn kids away. She does not receive government assistance because she can't license her home as an orphanage since it doesn't meet the building code

Sister Marva Peterson and Ruthann Stokes admiring the new quilts that members of the Church donated

  

The LDS Senior missionaries who have served here in South Africa over the past 5 years have been instrumental in helping Mama and the kids with donations.

This group recently took food, blankets, and balls and spent a few hours loving on these sweet children

The one thing that is currently an urgent need is beds. Mama has about 17 children at this time and only 7 beds. She has had up to 30 children at one time. At night the children double up in the beds and then they lay mattresses on the floor for the rest of the children. Mama has a home nearby but she sleeps in the same room as the children to assure their safety. 

I explained to Mama that we didn't have a lot of money. I told her that the money we had was gathered from donations that members of our church donate to help the poor and needy. She got tears in her eyes. Later she came up to me and put her arms around me. She patted my chest and said, that "she loved my heart, and that my heart was big".

This coming from a woman who has dedicated the last 20 years so that hundreds of children can have a better life.

One of the blessings of serving a Humanitarian Mission is meeting people like Mama.

I love this woman. She makes me want to be a better person.

Orange Farm

 

When we arrived in South Africa we were assigned to attend the Orange Farm Branch. We were asked to take another senior couple to church with us whose assignment was to work in the Temple. The Temple Missionaries do not have cars so they ride to church with the couple missionaries  who are assigned to the Area Office. The first couple who rode to church with us was the Ekland's from Canada.

Everybody loved the Eklunds 

 

Elder Eklund  with the Branch President, and Sinethema (who is now on a mission)

 

 

Then we were assigned to bring the Moyers, from Utah, to church with us.

We loved getting to know the Moyers. The 45 minute drive to Orange Farm gave us time to hear about their experiences serving in the Temple and share our experiences with the Humanitarian Program.

 

Sister Moyer loved to take pictures on the way to Orange Farm. Every week she looked for the man with the mule pulling the cart. It seemed like every time we saw him, the Moyer's weren't with us.

 

                         Last week I thought of Sister Moyer as we passed the donkey cart

 

The end of April the Moyer's returned to Utah and we were assigned to bring the Taylor's to church with us. The Taylor's are an amazing couple. They have served 5 or 6 missions.

They love missionary work.

 

Last week as we left church, Sister Taylor and I decided that we would bring sandwiches and cookies for Conference Sunday. I checked with President Nyama and he said, that would be nice.

For those of you who are not Latter-day Saints,  Conference is held on Saturday and Sunday. Two, two hour sessions each day. We thought since the members would be at church nearly 5 hours, it would be nice to have a snack.

 

The Branch President, President Nyama,  told everyone to be at the church Sunday morning at 8am.

We left our flat at 7:10.

 

I was quite surprised when we met the Tayolor's at the car and they showed up with these beautiful trays filled with 350 home-made cookies.  

 

 

 We filled the trunk with sandwiches and cookies

and headed for Orange Farm.

When we arrived at the branch at 7:55 there was one Sister, Sister Viola,  sitting in her seat near the front, President Nyama, his son, Pardon and another young man.

 

The best part of the day was watching the members as they slowly began to appear on the dirt path that leads to Orange Farm Primary School where we meet.

(there are only a few members who have cars)

 

  I was so touched by this father with his four little children. They were one of the first to arrive followed by his wife and son

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At 8:30 several more members had arrived and we decided it was time to find our seats.

I had brought a few sheets to place on the carpeted floor in the front of the room because I thought we would all have to gather around a small TV to watch the pre-recorded broadcast of conference.

 

However, President Nyama had a projector and large screen set up which made it so much easier for everyone to see.  Some of the children preferred to sit in the front of the room so I joined them on the floor to be sure they were reverent and didn't distract one another.

They were so good.

They didn't have toys, drawing paper, conference bingo card, or coloring pages and they sat for two hours to listen to the conference talks.

 

In between the talks the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang. There were a few occasions when the congregation was asked to join in. President Nyama had told us before he began the broadcast that we should stand and join in when the congregation was asked to sing. Every time we stood to sing the children would make sure they were standing where they could see the words to the songs. I was so touched by the sound of their sweet voices as they reverently sang along.

 

Another thing that touched me was when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir began to sing a song that our children recognized from primary, their little eyes lit up and they began to softly sing along.

It was such a tender moment. They knew it wasn't a congregational song in which we were supposed to join in, but they love to sing and just couldn't help themselves.

 

As I sat on the floor, surrounded by 13 children ages 3-13, I experienced conference through their eyes. I watched as they studied the face of our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Every now and then one of them would lean over and ask me a question, "Is that President Monson?, "How old is President Monson", "Have you ever met President Monson?" 

 

When the first two hour session was over,

 we blessed the refreshments and had a quick half hour break.

 

I think the cookies were a big success 

 

 

 

When it was time to return to watch the next two hours of conference, those same 13 children joined me in the front of the room to sit for 2 more hours of talks and music. I was so impressed by the dedication of the members of the Orange Farm Branch.

 

Every week I go to church my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ is strengthened by the example of faith and obedience of the Orange Farm Branch members. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to be with these amazing children. I know that they were chosen to come to the earth at this time to help the church grow in Africa. I know they are truly choice sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and I am so grateful to feel of their love each week.

I am grateful for this opportunity to be a missionary in Africa and to be assigned to the best branch in all of Africa. I love Orange Farm. A piece of my heart will always be in Orange Farm.

 

LDS General Conference April 2015

Twice a year we hear from leaders of our church who teach and instruct us in a series of 10-15 minute speeches, interspersed with song, in two sessions: 10-12 and 2-4 Saturday and Sunday.

Millions of  people from nearly every country in the world watch by satellite broadcast, television radio, online or with mobile apps.

Interpretation into 94 languages made it possible for 97% of the Church’s 15+ million members to watch conference in their native language.

This past weekend was General Conference. If you are not a member of the church you may have noticed that your LDS friends were posting about favorite talks, or favorite quotes.

We had Family Home Evening last night at one of the couple's apartments and were each asked to bring our favorite quote from conference. I would like to share some of the favorites.

It was a beautiful evening as people shared the messages that were close to their hearts.

Bruce went first, this was his favorite quote:

  

 I am glad he is so easy to please!

Seriously though serving a mission with your spouse can be a challenge. We live and work together 24/7. We have to remember to have fun, to laugh and to be forgiving of one another's weaknesses 

.

 Sometimes it IS more important to be happy than right

 

 

This was shared by an Elder who said that this is the first time he has spent so much time with his wife

and it truly has been a special experience

 I believe that each of the Sisters in the room felt a tug at her heart as she reflected on special moments of her mission

that she has witnessed her husband honor his priesthood

"When the lost one is your son or your daughter, your brother or your sister and he or she has chosen to leave, we learned in our family that, after all we can do, we love that person with all of our hearts and we watch, we pray and we wait for the Lord’s hand to be revealed.”

This was a tender moment when one Elder said that this talk was especially meaningful to him because they have a prodigal son in their family. Some us come into the mission field, leaving behind wayward children, aging parents, or loved ones who are struggling with illness. We  consecrate our lives to  our Heavenly Father and pray that he will bless and protect our families in our absence

As parents we pray that we can teach our children of the love the Savior has for them. We pray that they come to develop a personal relationship with the Savior and that they know they are loved by a kind and loving Father in Heaven.

 

This talk was especially touching to us because Elder Renlund was the Area President here in Africa Southeast prior to our  current Area President. This quote came from a talk by Nelson Mandela.

 

 This talk was for returned missionaries. We were reminded that even when we return home we should continue to be missionaries. While serving as missionaries some of us develop better habits of regular scripture study and prayer. We feel closer to our Father in Heaven and our testimonies are strengthened.  We should return to our homes and continue to do all we can to feel the Saviors influence in our lives

This was my favorite quote.

As I have served my Heavenly Father as a Missionary, both here in Africa and in Ukraine, I have had so many tender moments when I felt the Saviors love for his children.  

As I have wrapped my arms around an orphaned child, or looked into the eyes of an old woman wrapped in rags begging on the cold streets of Ukraine, I have felt the Savior near. 

 I have had a witness that he loves each one of us and he knows our circumstances.

I know that he does not leave us comfortless. I know that in those rare and precious moments he has allowed me to be an instrument in his hands I have felt his love for me and for those I have served.  It has been the greatest blessing of serving a mission.



Gates, Walls, and Electric Fences

All these cities were fenced with high walls , gates, and bars; beside unwalled towns a great many

Deuteronomy 3:5

Each morning as I walk the streets of Johannesburg I think about the high walls and gates that surround the beautiful homes.

A few times I have stopped to peer through the gates.....

 Hoping to catch a glimpse or reflection of life behind the walls

In the 13 months we have lived here I have never seen any indication of who lives behind these walls..

Nobody out watering the lawn
Nobody sitting on the front porch
Nobody walking their dog
Nobody washing their car
Nobody playing in the yard

 

 

 

 

 

Every home along the 3 mile walk we take each morning is surrounded by a wall with either spikes on the top, electric wire, or barbed wire.

Every 100 yards or so there is a guard shack 

 

 

Each morning we greet the guards as we pass
We greet the black women wearing maid uniforms who wait patiently by the gate for someone to let them enter
We greet young black men with the traditional raggedy blue uniform of  laborers
We greet an occasional black man or woman walking a dog

We have been told that the walls didn't always surround these houses. There was a day when the walls, electric fences, and iron gates didn't exist.

No doubt the walls were erected to protect the occupants of the big houses, but I wonder what price they have paid to feel safe?

I grew up in a neighborhood where we went outside to play and didn't come home until we were hungry. We walked to school with a group of neighborhood children. We walked to the neighborhood ball field.  On those rare occasions that we did go inside, you could always tell where we were because our dog, Bridgette would be laying in the  front yard of the house we were in.  We never locked our front doors. We knew the names of every family on our block. We had block parties to celebrate holidays and we had sleepovers in our neighbors backyards. If our neighbors were gone we took in their mail, or watered their lawns.

As I walk past these beautiful homes each morning I wonder what life is like living behind the wall. What price have they paid to feel safe.





















                

 

 

Destined for Greatness

 

 

Not long after we arrived in Johannesburg we attended the baptism of two special people. Nomsa and her brother, Thabang. They had been attending Primary but I didn't know they hadn't been baptized. I had never seen them at church with their parents. The day they were to be baptized I met their father. He is not a member of the church and neither is their mother.  Thabang and his sister come to church on their own.

 

 

Nomsa, Sister Ellen, their primary teacher, and Thabang after the baptism

 

 

 

The first time I saw Thabang after he was baptized,

 he was wearing a suit. I was so touched by this. He loves the missionaries.  

There is something special about this young man.

One day Thabang and I were walking to class. I asked him how his parents feel about him coming to church. He said "they like it". He went on to tell me that his mother promised that one day she will come to church with him. He told me that he is a missionary in his home. He said he reads the Ensign articles to his parents. He said, "the missionaries told me once I am baptized I can be a missionary in my own home. So that is what I am doing."

One day the Primary children were given gift boxes Thabang told me he was taking his home to his little sister

A few months back we had our primary program. The children sang and bore their testimonies about the Savior. It was a very powerful meeting. When it was over we returned to the Primary room. When I came in, the children were bearing their testimonies. I was so touched by their sweet spirits and their firm testimonies that God lives and loves them. I got up to bear my testimony. I spoke to them about the importance of remembering what they felt that day. I told them how much I loved them and how I wanted them to always stay active in the church and to make good choices. My heart was full. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I bore my testimony of God's love for them. When I sat down Thabangl got up and stood in front of everybody and began singing and leading the group in, "I will follow God's Plan for Me".  It was a very touching moment.

 

 

Here are the lyrics

 

 

My life is a gift; my life has a plan.

My life has a purpose; in heav'n it began.

My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth

And seek for God's light to direct me from birth.

I will follow God's plan for me,

Holding fast to his word and his love.

I will work, and I will pray;

I will always walk in his way.

Then I will be happy on earth

And in my home above.

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes you just know

 

that a person is destined for greatness

 

I don't know the details of how Nomsa and Thabang found the church

 

 but I do know that it wasn't by accident

I know that one day he will be an awesome missionary