Our First Game Drive!!!

We just finished one of the most eventful & uplifting weeks of our mission! In our assignment as Assistant Directors of Public Affairs for the Africa Southeast Area, we work with 5 other incredible couples who cover various countries:

Our Area PA Family

Sean Donnelly, Elder & Sister Nance (Madagascar), Elder & Sister Hansen (Uganda), Elder & Sister Jensen (Kenya), Elder & Sister Cinquini (Durban), 

Elder & Sister Humphreys (Zambia), Berg's

Area Presidency - Middle Back Row: Elder Stanley Ellis, Elder Carl Cook, 

Elder Kevin Hamilton

Our week was full of spiritual highs, informative presentations, delicious food & lifelong friendships. We felt incredibly blessed to be surrounded by all of these spiritual giants every day! From the daily spiritual thought each morning, to the testimony meeting which closed our Conference, Bob & I came away from this week with an even greater gratitude for being called to serve in South Africa. We feel such a kinship to these wonderful couples, as well as our Area leaders & office personnel. Whether they are volunteer missionaries or paid employees, they all have one goal in mind each & every day: To serve our Heavenly Father the best way they can, & to "Come Unto Christ". What a blessing!

Our "classroom" of instruction for the week

Area Presidency & Sean Donnelly (our amazing leaders!)

We went to dinner at Moyo, which is a restaurant on Zoo Lake (in JoBurg), specializing in a buffet of authentic African cuisine, from springbok to lamb, calamari to hake, curries, fruits, puddings, etc. I took them up on the offer to have my face painted with an African design. Cute, huh?!?

We were entertained with some great African music, as we dined in our beautiful thatched-roof cabana under candlelight :)

The climax to our Conference was going on our first Big 5 Game Drive in Pilanesberg Game Reserve, just outside the perimeter of Kruger National Park. Bob & I have been waiting to experience one of these, & were anxious to see all of the majestic animals of Africa in their natural habitat. We rose bright & early to head out in 3 vans at 6:00 am. We arrived at the reserve about 9:00 am, which is usually a bit late to see most of the animals moving around. Well, as you will see by the pictures below, we saw LOTS of animals & had a thrilling experience! Unfortunately, the vans split up at one point & we missed a herd of over 20 elephants crossing the road in front of the other van...but, WE saw the giraffes on our route, so we still felt happy.

So, enjoy our South African experience via these incredible pictures!!!

Springbok

Warthog on the run!

Thorn Tree (typical to Africa)

Beautiful zebra (we saw hundreds!)

Impala

Baby giraffe

Giraffe, Wildebeest & Zebra along the shores of the huge lake in the middle of the reserve

This rhino was just a few yards from our car...AWESOME!!!

Guess he got tired, & lumbered down under the tree, haha!

One of the many varieties of birds we saw along the way

Family of hippos, basking on the peninsula next to the water

Either a springbok or impala - hard to tell the difference

Looks like a scene from "Out of Africa", right?

Wildebeest...love the beard, don't you?

We captured a picture of this lioness, checking out a herd of wildebeest across the lake. Apparently, this is rare to see lions, so we felt very lucky!

We've been told that giraffe can wrap their tongue around all of the thorns to eat the tender leaves of the thorn trees...amazing!

Femal Kudu

Our 3 groups met back up at lunchtime for a delicious meal prepared by the "braii chef", Sean! Yummy eggs, mushrooms & bacon, grilled on a wok-type grill. Sean is famous for his "bush-cuisine". It was so good! This was held in a cool thatch-roofed "gazebo" on the top of a hill overlooking the lake. Spectacular! Zebra, wildebeest, etc. just over the fenceline from where we were eating, haha!

Sister Hamilton, Sister Berg, Sister Shupe helping with lunch prep

Chef's extraordinaire - Elder Hansen & Sean 

I'd like to close with a message from our Area Seventy (who oversees Public Affairs), Elder Mkhabela. He challenged us to "watch over, care & love" the areas that we oversee, & to "leave the area stronger than how you found it." What inspired counsel from this devoted priesthood leader. In short, our job as public affairs missionaries is to build self-reliance in the southeast African nations, both with the members as well as the local leaders. Elder Berg & I have set this as our mission goal, as we follow the example of the Savior in making a difference every step along our African path.

Love to all of you...thank you for your words of love & encouragement & for your continued prayers.

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Welcomed a new baby into the family...and an apostle to Africa...LIFE IS GOOD!

We were SO excited to welcome our 18th grandchild into the family! 

Loren delivered little Jessie Jane on Oct 1st, to the delight of her big sister, Adelaide. 

Matt is a proud Daddy :)

A picture of some of the great young men with the missionaries in the branch we attend,

Some of our Secunda Branch young women. I LOVE teaching them!

On October 16th, Bob & I were off to Zimbabwe to welcome the General Authorities to that country & take pictures, etc. for the Africa Southeast Area history, & for Mormon Newsroom articles.

For extra security measures, you can have them
shrink-wrap your bags. They must use miles &
miles of this stuff every day, haha!

We had the opportunity to greet the visiting authorities at the airport: Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder L. Whitney Clayton & Presiding Bishop Gary L. Stevenson and their wives.

The jacarandas were in full bloom & Sister Clayton said it

looked like a sea of lavender as they flew in!

The young boy on the right volunteered to be Bob's

"assistant", helping him with his camera equipment,

etc. He was a really sweet kid.

 As Elder Cook finished the youth devotional, the audience broke into

singing, "God Be With You Til We Meet Again". 

It really touched the apostle's heart :)

These African women have the most beautiful voices...

and wow, do they know how to sing!!! 

Sister Stevenson, Sister Clayton & Sister Cook

 Elder Clayton has such a tender heart & powerful way of teaching!

I loved this picture :)

Our Area President, Carl B. Cook & his wife, Lynette

President Mutariswa of the Harare Stake

Elder & Sister Clayton

Over 1000 members attended the Harare Stake Conference.
Incredible!!!

 The faces of these children just melt my heart! The little boy in the suit came 

running up to Bob after the meeting & wanted to shake his hand.

Look at those eyes, SOOOOO darling!

 We flew back from Zimbabwe on Monday, after a whirlwind of meetings & spiritual highs. It was such an incredible experience to listen to the counsel of these wonderful men & women day after day.

After being home for an evening of washing clothes, trying to catch up on writing articles & a couple of hours in the office, we took off on our next journey to Swaziland. The last time we were there (our first week in the mission field), there was smoke everywhere & things were so dry. This trip, it was gorgeous blue sky, rain each night, & green, beautiful fields. So far, this little mountainous country

is our favorite...We LOVE Swazi!!! Check out these pictures & you'll see why :)

This is a little shop that ALL the senior missionaries frequent often...The Silver Smith.

They make custom-made jewelry & I got a beautiful CTR ring, that is braided with 

silver & giraffe hair...I love it! Isn't that a cool tree, too?!?

This chapel in Manzine, Swaziland is in such a gorgeous setting.

Check out this view...breathtaking, isn't it?

Sister Clayton & Sister Ellis were in awe as they walked in the door! 

The hibiscus outside the chapel were such a brilliant red. 

This was one of the most beautiful chapels & landscapes I've seen!

I can never get enough of these lovely jacarandas. They are in full bloom all over South Africa,

& as the blossoms fall, they lay a carpet of lavender on the ground below.

Sister Kretley, wife of the Mozambique Mission President. 

They are from San Paulo, Brazil & were close friends of my brother, Randy & his 

family when they were living there. They are a wonderful couple, & we are 

excited to spend more time with them during our mission, since we oversee 

that country for Public Affairs.

This is the hotel we got to stay in while we were in Swaziland. It was just as

gorgeous inside as it looks from the outside. We had a wonderful time

there & will definitely be back! As we drove up the driveway, we were greeted 

by a momma spider monkey, carrying her little baby on her back. I was

so sad I didn't have my camera out & ready...won't let that happen again!

 Elder Berg was having fun checking out the wild animals at one of the African markets.

I found this fun tablecloth & decorated wood balls. The spikey things in the bowl

are porcupine quills! They're about 6-8 inches long & super sharp!

We continue to feel like we are just so lucky to have been called to serve the Lord in such an amazing place. The people are all so warm & friendly, & the countries are all very unique & spectacular. We love working in the Area Office, & have grown to love all of the other senior couples & employees there. This week, we will finally get to meet the five Public Affairs couples who work throughout the Africa SE Area (Durban, Uganda, Kenya, Madagascar & Zambia). We are holding our Couples 

Conference in JoBurg & after training for a couple of days, we are all going to enjoy our first 

Game Drive at a park just outside Kruger. WE...CAN'T...WAIT!!!

So our next post should be filled with lots of wild animals!

Love to all..."Hasten The Work", wherever you are!

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One Month in Africa!

It's hard to believe that we've already been out for one month! The time has just flown by, & we have had some incredible experiences! So, where to start?!?...

Our second weekend here in South Africa, we travelled to Zimbabwe, which is northeast of Johannesburg (about a 2 hour flight). Thank goodness our Area Director was with us to help us through the ropes of customs, etc. One thing we had never seen before, is all over South Africa, they have "wrapping stations" for your luggage. What is that, you ask? So did we! Thankfully, Sean knew the routine & took us over to a station with miles of plastic wrap on spools. We proceeded to hand our bag to the employee, & he wrapped...& wrapped...& wrapped our checked bags with this plastic wrap. Wow! Talk about an interesting way to insure no one gets into your bags, haha! Then on to the gate...

Shaking hands with Nelson Mandella in JoBurg airport 

Upon arrival in Zimbabwe (Zim, as the locals call it!)... we quickly learned that airport procedures in these smaller countries move at a snail pace. We had to purchase a Visa to enter the country, which was a lot of waiting in lines, just to find out you were in the wrong line & having to start all over again in a different area...oh well. I just kept thinking of the counsel Elder & Sister Shupe keep telling us, "T.A.B., That's Africa Baby!" Haha!

We stopped at the Zimbabwe Mission Office on our way to the hotel. It was great to meet with the Mission Presidency & see what Public Affairs could assist them with. There are so many dedicated people who are serving our Heavenly Father throughout this area, & we feel very blessed to associate with them & feel of their spirits & love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is Samantha, who has been learning how to do the Mormon Newsroom for Zimbabwe.
I look forward to working with her to  spread the gospel throughout her country through
the blessings of technology.

This is a thriving garden, on the church-owned lot next to the Mission Office & chapel.
A local man has taken it upon himself to plant & grow these wonderful vegetables.

Our Area Director, Sean, grew up in Zimbabwe & had not been back for over 20 years.
So this trip was a "coming home" for him :) What a blessing!
He was thrilled to reconnect & spend time with his "mate", Alex Nichols (they were former
rugby mates, back in the day!). Alex & his wife, Kelly, treated us so sweetly to a
scrumptious dinner at their home. They are truly saints, in every sense of the word
& are doing their part to "Hasten the Work" in Harare, Zimbabwe! 

We took a trip by the Town Hall in Harare, that Mormon Helping Hands from the church have been working to clean up & paint. Here are some pictures of this huge undertaking. It was fun to talk to some of the volunteers & see the smiles on their faces as they help to make a difference in their community. BTW, watch for an upcoming article I will be posting on the Zimbabwe Mormon Newsroom re: this project. Sean took a great video the day we were there with the Stake President, President Mutariswa, explaining how this project was organized.  Quite remarkable :)

We had a great trip, & loved meeting many of our national & local Public Affairs people. Zimbabwe is one of the countries Elder Berg & I specifically oversee, & so we are looking forward to many more visits there over the next 18 months. The church is growing by leaps & bounds there, which is incredible to watch & share their excitement. We will actually be going there again next weekend, to assist with the visit of Elder Cook from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Whitney Clayton from the Seventy & Bishop Stevenson, Presiding Bishop of the Church. These General Authority visits are HUGE & take SOOOOO much preparation...but what a blessing for the people in these countries. They LOVE the Church & their leaders so much, & are very grateful to have some of them visit.

I continue to be in awe of the beauty of this country! I wanted to share just a few of the pictures of God's creations we have seen:

Jacaranda trees like this were in full bloom all over Zimbabwe. They haven't
quite come out in Johannesburg, but I can't wait until they do.
There are dozens of streets all over town that will be covered with an arch of lavendar!

Sean, & his wife Diane, invited us over to their home just before the Kyle's left for a little "going away dinner". Well, let's just say that it was anything BUT little! We were celebrating National Heritage Day in South Africa that day, & the tradition is to have a braai (which is what Africans call a BBQ): 

Sean, the braai-master...grilling up mounds of mouth-watering meat in his incredible indoor grill-oven.
Yes, Elder Berg was in heaven!!!

Sister Kyle, Diane Donnelly, & Elder Kyle. Diane is one of the most amazing cooks I've seen!
She went to culinary school & used to work at  The Savoy in London & her dinner was heavenly!

Diane, Bob & me, in front of their photo gallery of missionary pictures from
Madagascar. Sean was the Mission President there in 2006.

I had a wonderful two weeks of training, under the supervision of Sister Kyle. I am so indebted to her for her patience, love & knowledge. I don't know what I would have done without her mentorship! Well, the Kyle's left last Friday to go home to their family in Austin, Texas...so, I'm on my own. Wow, it was a huge weight on my shoulders, coming in to work Monday morning & muddling through tons of emails, payment requests, Newsroom & Facebook posts to be done, etc. etc. etc. But, each day I feel a bit more at ease. There is still alot to learn, because new things come up. But everyone at the Area Office is so incredibly helpful & understanding, & best of all... I am on the Lord's errand, & He will NOT let me fail! As long as I remember my purpose as a missionary, I will be just fine. I am so blessed to be serving with my sweetheart. He grounds me, & continues to offer his help & love when he knows I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. This mission has already taught me so much about humility, faith, love & service. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for entrusting this little part of His work in my hands. I love this mission...I love the people...and I love my Heavenly Father & Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for the many, many words of encouragement & support we have received from family & friends. Thank you, & enjoy every minute of every day, as you make a difference in this beautiful world our Father created for us.

This is my "home away from home" each day at work in the Area Office.
I love having all the windows around me, & looking out over the trees & foliage.
Best part is that we are just a walk through the trees to the Johannesburg Temple.
We are truly blessed!!!