........You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, 

You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, 

You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd............

BUT YOU CAN BE HAPPY IF YOU'VE A MIND TO

May 4-12, 2013 Visits and Activities

May 4  We taught 13 Benoni  Stake members the Career Workshop.  This included several who could now teach others:  Thembinkosi, High Councilor, Present, Stake  Welfare Specialist, Cassie, Benoni ward Specialist, Albert, Daveyton Ward Specialist and Roshelle, Rynfield Ward Specialist.

May 5   We attended and trained in Benoni Ward Council.  Bishop Ndaba was very welcoming and he  had us meet with a Single mother during Sunday  School and discuss self reliance matters.

May 6-8    We taught Self Employment  Workshop.  We had 4 registered, but for various reasons only one attended, Brian from Uganda.  He is very intelligent and has excellent work experience and skills in IT.  He is meeting with the missionaries and hopes to be baptized within 30 days.  He has a job offer in IT that will allow him to save money.  He has access to family ranchland in Uganda.  He would like to return home and develop either a dairy farm or cattle ranch. 

THIS IS A THANK YOU NOTE FROM BRIAN. 

Dear Brothers,

I want to thank you for the workshop. It was a wonderful time, with great pleasure having met you. You reinforced my hopes and desires.

There is an indescribable feeling when interacting with members of the latter day saints. You are awesome feeling. The God Mormons worship is indeed alive and true. The temple grounds feel so serene and unique. I want this experience for myself forever as I can live. I will be very excited to become a member of LDS, hopefully, extend the invite to my siblings and family.

I am so grateful that God allowed for the workshop as it turned out to be. My will to succeed is now stronger than ever before. This time with a great belief and trust in God. It was so fulfilling when we discussed the possible opportunities. For the first time, I believed my wild thinking (dreams) can indeed be realized. Now I have learnt to put God first in everything I desire to accomplish, and I want to maintain this philosophy ever more.

Next time I communicate, I hope I will have joined the LDS church. I am very much looking forward to it. God bless you and the work of hands!

Kind Regards

Brian Nabusiu 

Elder Merkley, humanitarian water specialist and rancher from Trydell, Utah, met with us and gave Brian invaluable information that will help him more accurately research this possibility.  Brian was so very thankful.

It is somewhat of a miracle that the Merkley's were in the area office the day that Brian was here attending the Self Employment Workshop.

May 6 FHE:   The Merkley’s shared  their Humanitarian Mission experiences from Mynmar (Burma)  where they served for 2 years and the experiences they have had in the Africa Southeast area for the past 6 months.  Their daughter is married to Dan Erikson,  Margaret’s cousin, son of Guy and Leola Erikson.  (it is a small world)  they have now returned home to the ranch, but will continue to act as short term water specialists for the Humanitarian group in the Africa Southeast Area.

May 8  We had an evening with Isaiah under the direction of Elder Bruce Nielsen.  He has diligently studied Isaiah and it was inspiring to spend another hour listening and discussing the prophecies of Isaiah.  We particularly spent time in comparing the Isaiah passages in 2^nd Nephi and discussed the 4 empires Isaiah speaks of:  Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian and Roman.

May 9 Nombuso planned a reception for her former Kenya mission president, President Broadbent.  He and Sister Broadbent were in Johannesburg for a mission president's seminar.  He is an orthodontist from Pleasantview,Utah.  It was quite a reunion.

May 10 We visited the orphanage.  Mama said that things went well in settling her mother's affairs. She is happy to be home again.

There are now security lights on the outsides of the buildings.  It is very nice for the yard to be lit up at night.

There is new paint in the class room.  The children said Gooooooooooood Morning to Youuuuuuuuuu.  these children do not speak English.   Very cute!!!  Wearing a hat and jacket during the day even when inside is just a way of life...no heat.

There is now a ceiling in the class room.  It is the room we showed last time that now has a nice laminate floor.  It was cold bare cement before. 

New Paint on the outside

The Geyser (geezer) now works!!!! for the first time ever mama can bathe the children without heating the water on the stove and carrying it to the bathroom.  Mama says "I shall never die"...We are thrilled that she has been saying that a lot since we got here.







This is the new library.  It has a door and the windows painted since last time.

This is the inside of the Library.  Notice the tables for studying, the bookshelves and the pictures on the walls.

The garden is still producing.

Our sweet mama looks so beautiful.  We mentioned that one of our families is coming to visit in August.  She is excited to meet them.

May 10-12  We drove to Mokopane, Limpopo, in the Tzaneen district.  It is North and East of Johannesburg.  Beautiful farm country with mountains in the distance.  It reminded me of South Eastern Idaho.

Hauling wood, preparing for winter.

Taking pictures from a moving car is, what it is.  Mokopane is a beautiful city of about 80,000.   There are beautiful trees in bloom.  It was about 75 degrees F. in the day time. 

The Mokopane Branch Building

We were welcomed by Elder and Sister Chastain from Southern California, Bend Oregon and most recently Nampa Idaho.  He serves as the Branch President.  

There is one church branch here with about 65 members who attend on Sunday.

We went to dinner with the Chastains.  Our server was Beauty.  She was interested in what we are all about.  She came back 7-8 times during our meal to ask more questions.  She has three children she is raising alone.  She said, "It is about time for a change.  We's like to come to your church."  She was delightful.  I hope she does come.

We enjoyed visiting regarding the branch on Friday evening and then Saturday, we taught 9 members including a member of the District Presidency and the Branch President and Employment Specialist from Polokwane Branch  the Career Workshop.  The full time Missionaries joined us, Elders Lopez and Xaba.   Johannes a 20 year old who has been a member for only 30 days was in attendance.

Garbage is put up in these baskets for pickup.

We stayed at the
Ananza Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast.

It was very Afrikaans

 Clean and a good breakfast.  















Saturday is market day on the main street. 
It was very busy and colorful.

Pretty little town

Sunday morning we spoke in Sacrament Meeting and focused our talks on Mother’s Day.  (in speaking of good mothers we were able to mention many self reliance principles)    

After the Sunday block we taught a Self Reliance Fireside and laid the doctrinal foundation for proper planning, self reliance and resource management.  We discussed how to bring a business idea to reality and how and why to use profits in helping build the Kingdom of God. 

We look forward to returning to Mokopane in September to teach and train and help individual members with business plans. 

One highlight of this visit was witnessing a father ordain his 12 year old son to the office of Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood.  This family, parents and 3 children, were sealed in the Joburg temple on Saturday, 4 May 2013.  The parents received their endowments the  same day.  This family lives 2.5 hours away from the branch chapel.  They attend church every Sunday and are on time.  The father teaches Gospel Doctrine class and  does a fine job.

May 12 After returning to Dukes Court from Mokopane, we enjoyed a Mother’s Day dinner with the Senior Couples.  The evening was spent visiting with children from back home who called to with their mother a happy Mother’s Day. 

May 14 Elder and Sister Knowles came into the office.  They are from Vancouver, Washington, and know the Adamsons, Lisa parents!!  Sister Knowles is originally from South Africa.  They serve as member leader support in the Potchefstroom Branch.  

By the way Bloemfontein District will become a stake this weekend!

Our best to you all.

Until next time, watch out for rollerskating giraffe in your buffalo herds.