31 December 2012
Well, after all, a holiday is a holiday,........
December 23rd We attended Mamelodi II Branch. Memelodi II Branch is the Chocolate Branch. Please check earlier blogs for the chocolate story from Montana and the Mamelodi II Primary Sharing experience. Wonderful hugs from this young lady.
The Branch President and the 1st counselor were out of town for the holiday. The Second counselor is just a young man. About 15 minutes after the meeting should have started there were 10 or so people there. So we started.....
By the end of Sacrament meeting there were 47 there. Sister DaBell played the music for Sacrament meeting. We were called upon to speak with the one speaker who was in attendance, Sister Sharon Mabaso. Sister DaBell spoke about becoming a joint heir with Christ as we partake of the Sacrament. I spoke about the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith and celebrating the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and the great blessings we have because of both of them. The Branch planned a Braai (barbeque) for a Christmas celebration.
December 24-26, 2012 We travelled to Mosethla Bush Camp in the Madikwe Game Reserve with Curtis’ and Knudsen’s.
The Hartbeespoort Dam is about 90 minutes from home and the Church has a camp there. Young Women and Scouts use it. Families can, also.
The river is the Crocodile River, and No, Bridger, we did not see any crocociles, but we watched out for them. It is really this green!
Madikwe is about 4 1/2 hours away. It is an area of former cattle ranches. The land became very depleted and was turned into a game reserve by the government. It has old remnants of the ranches. The former school is used for a Reserve Headquarters. There are 17 or so "lodges" of various types run by private ownership. One is a 5 star Hotel with all the perks.
The one we stayed at, Mosethla, (which is the name of a tree) is a camping experience without electricity, or running water.
The water we used was hauled in, and was safe. We experienced a "donkey boiler" to get hot water for a shower, and the usual camp loo. The shower was a suspended bucket with a shower nozzle on the bottom. You let it down, put your water in it and pulled it up. It was great!
Our "tent" had two half wooden walls, two full wooden walls, a wooden floor, and was about 4 feet off the ground. It had a wooden roof and comfortable beds.
We had a relaxing and exciting time. We sang Christmas Carols and read the nativity from Luke 2 on Christmas Eve.
Our driver, Justice, was very patient and drove around the Park for 4 different game drives. Monday: 4:30 to 8:30 pm, Tuesday: 5:30 to 9:00 am and 4:30 to 8:30 pm and Wednesday: 5:30 to 9:00 am.
We saw Lions,
Elephants,
Rhino,
Zebra,
Wildebeests,
Monkeys, Giraffes
Cheetah, (these were being introduced into the reserve and were in an enclosure).
Impala, and many DLA's (deer like animals), many kinds of birds, butterflies, and on and on. At one point I (MPD) saw a snake. I said oh...I just saw a snake back up. Justice said what did it look like? I said it was brownish and had a hood. Maybe it was a Cobra. Justice said, we cannot go back. The snake was a spitting cobra and can spit acurately up to 3 meters. It can cause blindness. I looked up the snake when we got to camp. Yes, there was the snake!
It was very hot and on Monday, I said, a little rain would be an interesting experience.
Well, by the end of the Tuesday evening game drive, we were in the middle of a “typhoon-like” rain storm with lots of lightning and thunder. Despite the storm, the sunset was spectacular!!!!!
We all got soaked, Justice, the driver was amazed that we all were laughing and enjoying ourselves inspite of the “drenching”.
These two sisters shall remain unidentified!
This beetle is a Dung Beetle. it is a little smaller than a quarter. It takes some dung, rolls it into a ball adds some more until it is about baseball size. Then the female climbs on it and the male starts to roll it. The female leys eggs as the male rolls it to a good spot. The ones we saw were rolling the balls 15 feet or so. It finds the spot it wants and starts to dig a hole. The "dung ball" and eggs are buried. Not quite sure how deep or what the male and female do next....I'll ask next game drive.
Besides the beauty and interest of the Game Drives, we enjoyed the fellowship of Knudsen’s and Curtis’, playing Rook, telling stories, and eating good food.
December 28th We met with Daniel Mnisi and his wife from Pretoria First Ward and visited with them about self reliance and coached them on their ongoing employment search.
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| Gareth age 3 |
December 29th we nannied 3 children 8-3 years for 4 1/2 hours, while their parents attended the temple. The family is from Botswana. It was the closest we have come to grandparenting since we left the USA.
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| Lisa age 4 |
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| Moses age 8 |
December 30th We taught the 5th Sunday lesson to the Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society of the Centurion First Ward. The Topic was Self Reliance and how to achieve Self Reliance as individuals and families. The Church has so many resources, we need to use our agency and make good choices that will lead to Self Reliance financially, spiritually, emotionally and physically.
December 31, 2012 the Senior Couples held a New Year’s Eve party at the Area Office from 6 to 9 pm featuring a Pot Luck, games and lots of laughs. Those in charge knew it would be midnight somewhere in the world at 9 pm in South Africa. We are very thankful for the blessings of 2012!!
Wow, what a Christmas! Seriously, guys, it's like looking through a National Geographic! Thanks for taking me along for the drive. Certainly something you don't go and do every year. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis question keeps returning... what do you eat on an average day? The same stuff you would if you were in the US? Have you picked up some new eatery since you have been there? Sorry, the foodie in me is getting the best of me. :)