A Week in the Life of a Public Affairs Missionary...

One of the highlights of our mission has been hosting various opinion leaders from all over Africa at the Area Office. This past month, we had two amazing visits with government officials from Gabon & from Uganda. We have literally seen people's countenance's change from the time they arrive through the time they leave to go home. Some know very little about the Church and so these hostings give us a chance to expose them to various departments such as Humanitarian, Employment, Family History, and many times visits to the temple & the MTC. Hearts are softened, spirits are touched, lives are changed forever...it is SO inspiring!

Our first hosting was with Seraphin Ibouanga who works with the Minister of Home Affairs office in Gabon (a small French-speaking country next to DR Congo). He reviews all of the missionary Visa's that come through for entrance to Gabon, as well as registering churches. Visa's are always a huge concern here in Africa, & so building positive relationships with these officials is extremely critical. Monsieur Ibouanga was accompanied by Hugues Moubouyi, our National Public Affairs Director in Gabon. He began his visit attending church meetings with our Area Director & his wife. Sean speaks fluent French & so interpreted the messages given. He said our guest listened intently & was very touched by what he heard. 

On Monday & Tuesday, we were able to show the guests around the Area Office departments, to the temple & to the MTC. Here are some of the pictures with this wonderful man:

Started off the day attending our weekly Monday Devotional.

Sister Cook, Elder Carl B. Cook (Area President) with Mr. Ibouanga

Sister Kinghorn explained the Church's Humanitarian program.

On the hill behind the temple, which overlooks all of Johannesburg.
We met with Elder Chatora of the Quorum of the Seventy, who is
the Temple Recorder. Our dear friend, Sister Clayton, served her mission in
France & was our interpreter. Mr. Ibouanga asked some very honest
questions about the temple. He was very inspired by the doctrine of eternal families.

Next stop...Johannesburg MTC

Lunch with the missionaries! Great fun! The cute sister missionary seated
across the table is from Madagascar & will be going to Botswana. This is huge,
because we have not been able to get many missionaries into that country. She was so cute,
& spoke French, so it was great for our visitor to converse with her over lunch.

Missionaries in their classroom. A few were from the States, but most
were from Africa. This group will all be serving in either Zimbabwe, Zambia or Botswana.

MTC President shows our guests the "Wall of Fame" of all the missionary
groups who have attended the MTC since he came to Johannesburg.

Sean Donnelly, Elder Berg, Hugues Moubouyi, Sister Berg,
Seraphin Ibouanga, President Collins

Visit to Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton
(just north of Johannesburg)

Nelson Mandela is such an icon in South Africa.
This was a really beautiful square.

Hard Rock Cafe here in JoBurg

Group pic in front of Mandela statue with Dianne & Sean Donnelly

 At a closing luncheon, Monsieur Ibouanga shared tender & powerful feelings he had experienced over his 3-day visit. He shared counsel of how to work together with his government to insure missionaries are able to preach in Gabon, as well as members being able to leave Gabon to attend the temple in South Africa. He closed his remarks saying, "Members of the LDS Church not only talk about doing good, I have SEEN them doing good during the time I have been with you." It was such a touching experience!

We had one day to catch up on our work, etc. & then welcomed our next group of guests on Thursday. This time Sean was out of town, so Elder Berg & I were on our own! Whew! 

Rosemary & Margaret both work for the Minister of the Interior in Uganda. Rosemary is the Assistant Director of Immigration & will be retiring soon. She has become a very close friend of the Church, & wanted to have her successor, Margaret, learn more about the church. Margaret expressed that she did not know very much about the LDS religion, & what little she did know was incorrect. She had been told things from co-workers, etc. about Mormons not believing in Jesus Christ, that we practiced polygamy, etc. From the moment she met us wearing our missionary badges that clearly state: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as walking down the hall filled with beautiful portraits of the Savior, she knew what she had been told was wrong & that we were Christians. That was only the beginning of what was to be some of the best days of our mission!

Area Presidency & their wives: Elder & Sister Ellis, Elder & Sister Cook, Elder & Sister Hamilton
Margaret, Rosemary, & Richard Okello (Seepa Branch President from Uganda)

These are the darling secretaries of our Area Presidency: Chatty, Thoko & Diane.
They askedElder Berg to take their picture for something they were putting together.
We love them!!!

Visiting the Family History Centre with Sister Jarvi (FH missionary).
Sister Jarvi had pulled up one of Rosemary's relatives on Family Search.
When Rosemary saw the name, she was amazed & said, "That's my brother!"
He had passed away a few years ago. Both Margaret & Rosemary took "My Family" booklets with them
& were committed & excited to start researching their own family history. Yay!!! 

Elder Berg explains what kind of materials people are able to purchase from
the Distribution Center in Johannesburg. They each took a Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD,
a Book of Mormon, picture of Christ & a Church video. They were so thrilled to have these to
take back home as a reminder of their visit. 

Elder & Sister Mkase (member of the Area 70), Margaret, Elder & Sister Ellis,
Brother & Sister Matsoso (from our Travel/Visa dept.),
Rosemary, Sister Berg, Richard Okello
This was taken in the lobby of Sunnyside Park Hotel, where we ate dinner. It's a beautiful
historic hotel built in the 1800's as a mansion for a local aristocrat.

Gorgeous Johannesburg Temple at night

Visit to the MTC in JoBurg. I love Rosemary & Margaret's smiles! 

Rosemary was excited & proud to find her Uganda flag hanging in the entry of the MTC.

Operations Manager of the MTC accepts some Uganda currency from Rosemary
to hang on the board behind them.

Rosemary is such a cute lady! She was so proud to have her country
represented on the board!

Bank of Uganda 2000 note, thanks to Rosemary :)

Haha...Margaret is showing her strength while visiting the gym where the
missionaries exercise & play games.

Visit to the Johannesburg Temple. This is in a building next door called "The Gatehouse"
where they watch the children of parents attending the temple to be sealed
as a family. The temple missionaries, as well as some of our senior missionaries
volunteer their time to watch these darling little children before they are taken
in with their white outfits to be sealed to their parents. Margaret & Rosemary were very touched
by the emphasis on families & the doctrine of having eternal sealings.
Pictured are Richard Okello, President Eppel (Temple Pres), Margaret,
Rosemary, Sister Eppel & Elder Chatora (Area 70)

Our glamour girl, Rosemary :)

Styling Margaret :)

Overlooking the beautiful temple grounds

Posing in front of Mandela's statue in Sandton City Centre before dinner.

This is our "good-bye" picture. I'm wearing a beautiful scarf Rosemary gave me.
I truly love these ladies & consider them dear friends!

I took this picture the day after Rosemary & Margaret left, so I could
send them a picture with the other gorgeous scarf that Margaret gave me.
I already miss those two so much! We will definitely stay in touch :)

 There have been many spiritual experiences throughout our mission so far & the time we were able to spend with our "new" friends, Rosemary & Margaret has to be one of the best. Rosemary shared some very personal stories with me...being a single mother, raising her boys. Sometimes I would forget what a powerful woman she is in her government, because we began relating as mothers & as friends. I think this is what the gospel does for us. Through the Spirit, it brings hearts & lives together. Both Rosemary & Margaret said they left as changed people...more happy, more hopeful, more dedicated to doing good & following Christ's example. They said they were so impressed & touched by every person they met - their genuine spirits & their love of the Savior & dedication to their religion.

To top off a fantastic week, I received this cute "Flat Stanley" letter from my 5-yr-old grandson, Malosi. He had written a note that asked us to take "Flat Malosi" with us & take pictures of him in various places. I just FaceTimed with him & said we'd make sure to see some wild African animals & scenery to take pictures with. He was SO excited! I told him he'd probably be the only kid in his class that has Flat Stanley pictures from Africa! I love that little boy!

Here's the "Flat Stanley" (aka Flat Malosi). This time the picture was just
with a picture of a leopard, but we have promised to find some
REAL leopards, elephants, giraffe & rhinos to pose with!

As you can see, our mission is keeping us very busy. We are loving every minute! Elder Berg is such an awesome missionary! He continues to amaze me with the great ideas he comes up with to assist in our Public Affairs work. We have such a fantastic team & especially love our PA Missionary Couples throughout the Africa Southeast Area. We just finished an incredible National PA Directors Conference here in Johannesburg, so we are exhausted! Our next post will share many of the fun pictures & stories from that conference.

Love to all! Stay warm, safe & happy!

Elder & Sister Berg