"Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us."  

Stephen R. Covey

11 December 2013

It is the rainy summer season.  We have been having huge thunder storms. Everything is green and lush!

Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home at Christmas.  
Weird, but home, none-the-less

November 24  We visited Vereeniging Ward in the Bedfordview Stake.  Elder and Sister Renlund attended there on that day as well.

We had the opportunity to train in Ward Council on Self Reliance Principles.  We discussed the need for the Council to take the burden off from the Bishop and the Melchizedek Priesthood Leaders and Relief Society Leaders to lead out in helping individuals and families fulfill long term welfare needs.  We utilize the Needs and Resource Analysis Form to discuss how the Council can help families become Self Reliant. 

YSA, Plan for the future.

Second from the right is Brother Calvin Gorman.  His mother, Renee works here in the Area Office in Patron Housing, housing and meals for families that come to the temple from other areas of South Africa as well as 12 or so other countries.  It is a huge job!!

 We also had the opportunity to teach the Youth and YSA on making critical choices.  During Sacrament Meeting the Seminary and Institute graduates were honoured and received certificates.

After church we went to Zoo Lake and had a family picnic with the Tsabalala family:  Dominic, Moipone, their children, his mother, his aunt, and several cousins.  We had a nice lunch and enjoyed getting to know the extended family and witness the love they share.  The park was like a zoo.  Many were enjoying a beautiful day outside!

These are days we will not forget!  You will notice, I am doing what Grams does best!

Silly Awande!

Elder and Sister Renlund

November 28   We had a Thanksgiving Dinner in the White House garage with all the Senior Couples and the Area Presidency.  We have much to be thankful for. 

Elder and Sister Cook

Margaret made delicious gravy and we shared left overs with several in the Employment Resource Center and they LOVED the gravy.  Flora, one of the custodians, said: “I will never drink any water, I don’t want the taste of the gravy to ever leave.”  Thabo asked for the recipe, it was a definite hit.  I told him the secret is MRS. DASH

November 29   We had a Senior Couples Zone Conference with Elder Cook, First Counselor in the Area Presidency.  He shared the fact that the church is growing in Africa at a faster pace than anywhere in the world.  In fact, the estimate is that in 2014 there will be 156 new units created.  This is wonderful news, but causes the need to build or secure many new meeting places.  

The Area Presidency counselled with the Quorum of the Twelve and the Presiding Bishopric and they were counselled to study out the problem, pray and come up with “out of the box” solutions.  The plan is to have smaller units allowing smaller meeting places where people can walk to church in less than an hour in most cases.  Transport is a large problem.  Elder Cook mentioned that places in the Democratic Republic of Congo are actually doubling in membership between 3 to 4 years.  In Kananga, Elder and Sister Cook attended a Stake Conference where they met in a big old building.  The Stake Membership is approximately 2500 and there were over 2300 in attendance.  They all had to walk to conference.  What faith!!

Following the Zone Conference, we attended the Temple together for an Endowment Session.  Margaret and I had the opportunity to officiate in the session.

November 30  We participated in a Self Reliance fair at the Centurion First Ward.  We had the opportunity to work with some youth on their aptitude and career choices.  We used material from BYU Idaho that was very helpful.  We made comments at the end of the event emphasizing the need for seeking self reliance to do three things: 1.  Learn how to work.  2.  Obtain an actual skill.   And 3.  Learn how to communicate both verbally and in writing and be computer literate.

Wow, November is over, and we didn't see any animals!  

Elder and Sister DaBell December 2013 Visits and Activities

1 December We attended Church at Pretoria First Ward at Sunnyside Chapel.  We were warmly welcomed.  It is nice to return to wards where we have many friends:  Sivu and Pheladi, Spencer Chatora, Felix Jena, Daniel Mnisi, Amanda and others.  Bishop Schmidt and family were on holiday in the Eastern Cape.  After the meetings, we trained Brother Alex Jena, High Councilor over Welfare and James Smith, the new Pretoria Stake Welfare Specialist on how to be an effective Specialist.  Brother Jena works at the Church Warehouse and Brother Smith is finishing a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.  The Pretoria Stake is well led and organized.

Sister Beauty is the Self Reliance Specialist.  Wonderful person!

2 , 6 December   Monday and Friday of this week, Elder Adams and Elder DaBell taught a Self Employment Workshop in Hospitalview Ward, Centurion Stake.  On Monday there were 12 in attendance.  On Friday, 7 returned and presented partially completed Business plans.  They formed a Self Employment group under the direction of Ward Specialists Thembelihle Cindi and Beauty.  




These two specialists will meet with the group monthly and we will attend as needed.  They have good beginnings on several small businesses:  cleaning homes, transporting school children, confectionery, make up artist, laundry, construction,and food catering.  We see progress being made on their marketing plans and the financial analysis.

3-5 December    We attended a Couples Conference on PEF/ Self Reliance.   We were instructed effectively by Thabo Lebethoa, Vivien Roberts, Thembinkosi Mkhize, Dominic Tshabalala, and Tirhani Ngomane.  Several of the Couples, including us also had parts to present.  We learned about the “NEW  PEF/SELF RELIANCE INITIATIVE that will be fully operational in March 2014.  

We will continue to train on Self Reliance, but there will be added emphasis by Priesthood Leaders.  Each Stake will have a Self Reliance Committee composed of most of the Stake Council members who will deal with and lead out on Self Reliance issues. Our role will be specifically to train “trainers” and encourage and help each unit become more self reliant in their efforts to help families and individuals do the same.  



The big concern will be timely and adequate training and follow up.  Spiritual Self Reliance in Africa is on a high trajectory, Temporal Self Reliance needs to catch up.  At the end of our conference, the 30 people in attendance attended an endowment session at the temple and ended the conference by dining at Moyo Restaurant at Zoo Lake, an African restaurant famous for face painting.  Yes, we saw some lovely artwork on the Couples.

Herding Cats?!

Most of us are inside the temple gate.  One of us isn't!

This baby was with an aunt while her parents were inside the temple.  What a performer!

Dominic and Moipone

Elder Adams

Dominic and Moipone

I need a healthier complexion color for my painting to show up!

Thembinkosi and Nonhlanhla Miniski

Glen and Vivien Roberts

Tlhalefang and Moipone

7 December   We visited the Tembisa Orphanage and assessed the needs of the 23 children now living at the Orphanage.  Mama was away at a funeral.  We will return 21 December for a Christmas Party.

There are now cubby hole desks for studying and certificates and trophies up above.

At one time, I had four children on my lap.  They didn't mind sharing.  Then the hair salon started up.  The tall girl by me (not her best shot) is A.J.  She has been there about 2 weeks and will be staying permanently.  She proudly showed me her notebook from school.  The work was beautiful!

  Definitely memories of days gone by!

Notice BoBo behind me fixing my hair?!

The garden is doing very well.  the yard and room are so neatly kept!

DubaDuba is doing well.  She does not like me to come too close, though!

8 December We attended Tembisa First and Second Ward Sacrament Meetings and met the new Bishops who were ordained when the ward was divided in August 2013.  Bishop Donald Molefe Kobyana, Tembisa First Ward, and Bishop Prince Ramokgola, Tembisa Second Ward, were welcoming and invited us back in January to speak and do training.  We enjoyed listening to a Sacrament Meeting talk by Tlhalefang, our ERC intern, and a Gospel Doctrine lesson on Tithing taught by her as well.   She is an outstanding young mother of 4 who will work with us in the Employment Resource Center for the balance of our mission.

Bheki and Mohanwa Sello married two weeks ago.

Elder Somi, serving in the Tembisa Wards.

John Gosling, High Counselor in the Centurian Stake, served a mission in the Pocatello, Idaho Mission.

8 December we were invited as Senior Missionaries to the MTC to share a Nativity and cookies with the missionaries there.  It was wonderful, and nostalgic.  

This is Elder Milne.  His dad is the head of security here at the area offices.  He wrote on the Serviette, I am making you proud of me.  He has been very homesick.

5 December 2013:   Nelson Mandela, 95 years old, First President of South Africa after the end of Apartheid, died.   He spent 27 years in prison, many of those years on Robben Island.  After he was set free and became President, he was instrumental in unifying the country and starting the long and dedicated effort heal deep wounds and prevent potential Civil War.  He set a great example of restraint and forgiveness.

9-10 December  Elder Adams and Elder DaBell taught a Self Employment Workshop in the ERC.  On 10 December a memorial service was held in the FNB Stadium in Soweto where the World Cup was staged.  The stadium has 95,000 seats.  The Memorial Service was attended by many Heads of State:  United States, Great Britain, France, Cuba, Brazil, China, many African nations, on and on.  President Obama was one of the speakers and keynote address was given by South African President, Jacob Zuma.

10 December we attended Sleeping Beauty on ice at Monte Casino.  A Ballet on Ice Skates.  It was Fantastic!  It was Wonderful!  The Ice rink was built on the stage.  a 3inch deep tray was built the size and shape of the stage.  coils were laid.  A waterproof sheet was laid over the coil.  Crushed ice was put throughout the "tray"  and then frozen and finished.  The skating was spectacular!  The costumes were modest.  The music was Tchaikovsky. 

11 December we attended a Christmas party at the Area White House.  It is a beautiful home divided into four apartments.  We had dinner, visited and sang Christmas Carols. Then we had a Christmas message from each of the Area Presidency.  Not to often you have a personal experience like that with a General Authority, but around here it is a frequent blessing!

Sister Renlund let the singing.

This is Elder Renlund sitting on the stairs.

Until Next time........................
DaBells