September 2, 2012

Busy week again this past week.  Wednesday Thoba gave a demonstration on doeks (DUKES) (head wraps) and carrying babies on your backs.  She is an amazing woman who loves her Zulu culture and is happy to share and patiently teach.  She dressed her daughter in a rectangular piece of fabric and tied another piece of fabric around her head.

Thursday we took a day off and went to Philanesberg National Park.  We were very fortunate to see a lot of animals including 2 lions, 3 rhinos, 20 hippos, and 20 or so elephants including a mother feeding a baby, 3 small crocodiles, scores of zebra, impala, springbok and many other types of deer, water buffalo, wart hogs by the dozens, many types of birds including a king fisher killing a fish and swallowing it, baboons, monkeys, blue wildebeest,  8 giraffe, water buck, gave away one book of Mormon, two pass along cards, and had a great time.

The park is about 2 hours away from us and very inexpensive.

 

Yes, Bridger, we are watching out for crocodiles!!!!!!

 

Friday we went back out to the Tembisa orphanage and fixed a washer. We had a nice visit with beautiful Mama and the children.  And gave away some cookies.

This beautiful young girl had been living with a sister, who was not taking care of her.  The authorities put the sister in jail and took the girl to Mama's. 

This baby comes for day care.

Take a look at this little guy playing.  His toy is made from a piece of sturdy wire bent into a circle with a long shaft attached to a wheel from a toy truck.  I watched him play with this for a long time.  It was a prized possession.

Saturday we helped with a NICSA event.  This is an interfaith group.  About 500 attended at the Bedfordview stake center.  The singing as a congregation was something too beautiful to imagine.  Amazing that all of these different religions could join in the same music.

There was a state official in attendance.  This group could probably turn into a political activist group is it moved out of control.  Representing the LDS was Dominic Tshabalala from our Employment Resource Center.  He presented very well, emphasizing that social problems start their solutions in the family.

We attended church at the Atteridgeville Ward.  We got there a little early and noticed a Teacher setting up the sacrament table.  He had a cd playing hymns as he thoughtfully carried out the responsibility.  For the music, one teenage girl played a single finger melody and a teenaged boy played a single finger base line.  They did very well.  It was a nice accompaniment.  It was fast and testimony meeting.  These people are so strong.  Their testimonies are beautiful.