28 January, 2013  

19 January, we went shopping at the Bruma Market.  It was quite an experience.  We did purchase a piano............a thumb piano.  

On the way there, I snapped a quick shot of an interesting corner.  Who would EVER dare to go to this doctor's office for anything?????

A chicken and a pig lived on a farm.  They made a commitment to the farmer.  They would provide breakfast for him.... As is shown on the cornflakes box, the chicken only wants to be “flakey.”  If flakey isn’t acceptable, the chicken will furnish eggs, and maintain her life.  The pig, on the other hand, does not have any choice.  His contribution is total commitment.

Last Monday, 21 January, our devotional speaker was Emmanual Mashonganika.  He is our adopted son.  He handles the maintenance for the missionary apartments and area offices.  He is a very pleasant young man.  While he was on his mission, 5 members of his family were murdered.  (Political Assassination) He remained on his mission.  He spoke about total commitment.

Mrs. Dash has come to our mission...............Thank you Garrett and Jessica, for the Mrs. Dash, and thank you Bridger for the beautiful picture.  There is not anything here that compares to Mrs. Dash.  Now I can make gravy, grill chicken and a lot of things.  Also thank you to you who have sent pictures, cards, letters to us.  We really, really appreciate the news from home.

January 20^th   We attended church at Rabie Ridge Ward.  Bishop Ranake talked to us about finding workshop opportunities to teach the trades to adult men who are out of work.  Many of these brothers are foreign born and need more specific help than the Self Employment Workshop offers.  We are brainstorming with the Bishop and searching for more resources to help these brethren.

January 21-25, 2013   Taught Self Employment Workshop with Elder Basso to 7 individuals.  This is a lively group and we will be critiquing their business plans on Friday.  Also, I met one on one with Deon and Filston to finish up Career Workshop material.

January 23^rd   We were interviewed by Elder Colin Bricknell, Area Seventy, Second Counsellor in the Area Presidency.  He is warm and welcoming.  On two occasions, Pretoria Stake Conference with Elder Holland and when we attended Kempton Park Ward, we have received instruction from him.  I was particularly impressed at Kempton Park when he used the Brightly Beams Hymn (one of our favourites) as a teaching theme to teach the priesthood brethren the importance of being a “lower light” and leading others to Christ.  He told us to continue searching for and teaching individuals Self Reliance and Employment principles and particularly to train Ward Councils as often as possible.  We appreciate his leadership.  A few years ago he and his dear wife served as Mission President of the Idaho Pocatello Mission, so we felt a special kinship thorough that experience.

January 26^th  I met Filston, (a returned missionary who grew up in the DRC) at the Employment Services Center to finish up his Career Workshop.  I was able to give him a French copy of the Career Workshop manual.  He was very grateful.  He is very sharp, but still struggles with English.  He served a mission in the Ivory Coast.  While there he served as a District Leader, Zone Leader and Assistant to the President.  (French was the main language)  He wants to be an Engineer.  He is married to Vanessa and they have one daughter, Princess.

They are working with their Bishop, Joburg 2^nd Ward, to be prepared to be sealed in the temple.  Filston has a security job in Sandton.  They live in Berea and he leaves home on work days at 4 am to walk for 2 hours to work.  He then works a 12 hour shift and walks home.  He says he walks to save enough money to pay tithing and the rent. 

This next year he will work nights and take classes in the day to gain computer training and work towards his long term goal.  His determination and faithfulness are exemplary.

January 27^th  We had the opportunity to speak in Sacrament Meeting in Hospital View ward on Self Reliance.  President Sheasby, 2^nd Counselor in the Centurion Stake Presidency presided and Bishop Cindi conducted.  

We also taught the young men / young women in the third hour about the critical two decades of decision:  12 years old to 32 years old.  We spoke of gaining a testimony, deciding whom and when to marry and deciding on education and career choices.  

 5 areas of focus for good decision making were:

1.        Learn to receive personal revelation in your daily living

a.       D & C 9:8-9  8:2 know the Holy Ghost  Elder Packer you cannot force spiritual things

b.      Feeling of peace.

2.       Set priorities

a.       Right place, right time, doing right thing, with right people to have right choices occurring in your life.  If you are doing a nice thing instead of the right thing, you are doing the wrong thing.  Have a plan.  Seek training and education. 

b.      Serve others  mentor someone

3.       Make obedience a quest

a.       John 14:15 Don’t make obedience a choice you are facing every day.  Make the decision now and live it.  All the Rules all the time.

4.       I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I know who I am.

a.       Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.  For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.  Show you are who you profess to be. Stand as a witness in all things, all places.

5.       Act.  Make the decision.  Work. Live your testimony.  

Accept the responsibility for your choice.  Know the process of repentance.  Understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Sunday evening we went to the East Region Young Single Adult Fireside.  We had a table by the refreshments where we handed out a great deal of information on LDS Jobs and employment and provident living.  









On the way back from Bedfordview Stake Center in the dark, Lucy the Garmin quit, but we were blessed to be led safely home.  Seriously, momentarily, I was a bit confused in the dark as to our whereabouts, but I said a silent prayer and we made a few turns and ended up at Dukes Court in a very short time.  We have been constantly blessed in finding directions, finding people to teach and being led to priesthood leaders willing and receptive to training. 

January 28^th   Monday’s Devotional speaker was Melanie Mukonda from Physical Facilities.  She spoke of two of her sisters’ experiences with fasting and prayer.  One sister had been searching for employment for several years.  She was getting somewhat depressed, and came upon an article in the Liahona.  In the article, a mother had a child who was very ill with bronchitis that did not respond to treatment.  She realized that she had not tried fasting.  She fasted for her baby, and he recovered very quickly.  

Melanie's sister decided that she could fast in her quest for employment.  After fasting, she was able to secure not only one, but two jobs with in a weeks time.  The other sister had a similar experience.  After finding out that fasting had helped her sister, she tried it.  Within one week she, too had a job.  That is MIRACULOUS for South Africa!  Simple faith and following the counsel to fast and pray are such a profound example for all of us.

It is still the rainy season.  The skies are spectacular!!!!

Love from the Senior DaBells

13 January 2013

Home is the place where you can scratch where it itches!

5 January  2013 we finally made it to the Rhino Lion Park.  It is a drive yourself game park.  We tried going in November twice.  The first time, we got lost.  The second time, it was just after a big rain storm, and we ran the risk of getting stuck with the wild animals.  January 5 was a perfect day.  We took the Hoffmans and went for an adventure.  We saw wild dogs, Lions, Cheetahs, Rhinos, Tigers, Buzzards and other stuff including DLA (deer like animals) who knew how to scratch where it itched.  

Saturday evening we enjoyed a birthday dinner at Turn and Tender with the Curtis’.

3 January,  Friday afternoon, we served in the temple.  It is inspiring to step into a quiet, clean reverent place and feel the peace.

January 6, 2013   Visited Kempton Park Ward.  This building is unusual.  There are two beautiful stained glass windows in the front of the chapel.  








Coming to the building, we were following a bakki (small pickup) with two children in the back and a well used stroller.  We followed them into the church parking lot.  In the chapel, I saw the family again.  This time, I saw a 7 year old boy in the stroller.  He was friendly, smiling and offered me a postured hand to shake.  He probably has something like Cerebral Palsy.  We will check with his Bishop to see if there could be a possibility of a child’s wheel chair, or something a little more adequate than the well worn baby stroller.

 Testimony Meeting was inspiring as usual.  Elder and Sister Bricknell attended.  He is the new second counsellor in our area presidency.  He replaces Elder Soares who has been called to the Presidency of The Seventy.

In Priesthood,  Elder Bricknell was inspired by the Hymn: Brightly Beams and he instructed the Priesthood about being a “lower light” for someone and inviting them to come unto Christ.  He also reminded us of President Monson’s Prophetic Priorities building our faith in Christ, being Missionaries and “rescuing”.  It was inspiring to witness a presiding authority teaching by the Spirit as prompted at the moment. 

Brightly Beams comes into our life, yet again.

January 7-11, 2013   This is a new year and we worked this week to set up training opportunities in wards and branches over the next month.  We scheduled a visit and training opportunity in Hospital View Ward for January 27 and a “business / self-reliance” fireside for Etwatwa Branch for February3rd.   We spent time with Papy from Ennerdale reviewing his business plan and helping him make a list of potential funding sources for new equipment for shoe repair. 

The Employment Resource Center is a busy place.  Sister Piepgrass is a PEF missionary who helps with education loans.

January 12^th   We visited the Orphanage and found some additional repair needs. 

We have introduced Simphwe before. She has been with Mama since she was 7.  She calls Mama Grandmother.  She is a wonderful help.  She completed a level of her schooling at the end of the year in December and was very proud.  

There are currently 2 other teenage girls in the orphanage. 

They have been removed or kicked out of their homes.  I don’t know how long they will be at the orphanage, but they are very good helpers and take on some of the responsibilities of the daily routines.

This little guy has been in and out of his home.  He is currently at the orphanage again.  It is a safer place for him to be.

This is “Shorty” AKA  Siphwe.  He and his brother were brought to the orphanage by their mother shortly before she passed away.  He has been very silent before, sucking his thumb and “twirling” his hair.  Today, we saw him playing and interacting with the other children.

January 13^th   I drove Elder Hoffman to the airport at 6:30 am for his trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  He is checking out the medical needs of that mission and the medical facilities available.  

We then attended Etwatwa Branch with Sister Hoffman and Elder and Sister Anderson.  

This branch uses rented “speedspace” units.  They work out quite nicely, except the branch is growing too large for the space. 

Notice the baptismal font.

Wonderful children here.  We are always popular, because we look so different!

Stake President Von Reenen was in attendance and gave the branch some inspiring instruction.  The branch is growing and we will return on February 3^rd to participate in a Self Reliance Fireside.

The Relief Society and Gospel Doctrine instructors were very excellent.  I have never heard any better discussions.

January 14^th   We had a couples Home Evening where we watched a DVD on the History of the Church in Ghana and Liberia.   It was so inspiring to listen of members who waited 14 years for the Church to send missionaries to teach them.  The first baptisms were in December 1978 5 months after the “Priesthood Revelation.”   They had been reading the Book of Mormon and teaching the Gospel since the early 1960’s and faithfully waiting for the “proper time” to receive the authorized representatives of the Church.  When President Kimball sent missionaries in 1978, they already had 2000 people desiring church activity and baptism.  Would we be so patient and faithful??

When they sing “Come O thou King of Kings we’ve waited long for thee,” they  sing, “Come O thou King of Kings, we wait too long for thee.”

They have morning Glory here, it doesn’t look like the morning glory I grew up knowing, but it is a parasite never the less.  Sometimes things that are beautiful, are not desirable.  

This hydrangea is called the Christmas flower.   It is still feeding my soul.  Until next week, Elder and Sister DaBell.