Animal pictures

Come to South Africa. These animals await ones
viewing pleasure in every direction one might travels from Johannesburg. We hope you find these so intriguing you will want to come visit us.

This watering hole is shared by all the animals. All of the big 5 were seen here one morning. The Lyon, Elephant, Water Baffelo, Rhino & Hippo.

It is very hard for the giraffe to drink water. When they do they are very vulnerable. They are very cautions at the watering hole.

Every animal is cautious at this spot.

Mongoose

Notice the reflection in the water. Isn't it beautiful? These pictures were taken at a huge game reserve called Madequwa. It is about 4 hours from Johannesburg. This is early morning. The reserve has accomodation kind of like a nice Scout Camp. That way one gets the real African experience. You are just another animal and are kind of the family.

Aren't they amazing? These pictures were all taken from a small size camera one can keep in ones pocket. A guide is with campers. Meals are provided.

Orange Farm

These first couple of pictures are of homes which surround the school where the Orange Farm Branch meets for church. It is a middle class township. Nicer than most we see.






Fast Sunday is a special day to me. A day when I can fast from a couple of meals and in return I am blessed with ears to hear the sweetest testimonies of the most humble saints. This past Sunday was no exception. We traveled about an hour from our home to Orange Farm Branch. This branch meets in a schoolhouse like many others. The difference is that none of the streets in this area have street names or signs. Norriss looked at the map and could not figure out how we were going to find the church, we Googled maps with the same results. So we goggled the township and there we saw two symbols indicating two schools in the area. We zeroed in on one of the schools and the put the coordinates of one of the schools in the GPS and off we went. We did have some trouble locating the right school at first. We found ourselves surrounded by Combies as Apostolic Saints poured out of the vans and headed into the first school location. Norriss found someone who spoke English and was able to find out where the LDS church met. Of course it was the other school in this community. We wound around roads paved and unpaved and were unable to cross over the wire fence that separated us from the meeting house school. We finally talked with a man whose eyes we could see over a yard fence. He directed us up two streets and then left where we found the unmarked entry for the school yard which was hidden down a long driveway.



This is a typical home site of the neighbors facing the school.
Beyond the wire are several buildings, the main house, the outhouse and the rental house which is the one closest to the fence. You can see the stove pipe coming up through the roof. A rental house, dismal as it seems means income. Many people also have chickens that run free. Another source of income. Several chickens came into the school yard to drink the water in the drains.

A round house like this one is often used for smoking meats, or storing dried meat.

As I was walking the grounds of the school yard these woman called out to me saying "Mama, how are you today?

I greeted them and asked how they were. I was told two of them had the flu and one had had a stroke. The woman in the striped shirt did the talking and she is the one who is a stroke victim. I took their pictures, as they requested and share them with you now. They were very nice and wanted to know what that other white boy was doing. At first I thought they were speaking of Elder Webb, but then it dawned on me they were talking about Elder Baxter who is serving in this area. I told them we are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ come with a message of His love for them. They wanted to visit a bit, which I did. They told me of God's goodness to them. I told them he had sent the missionaries because he loved them so much. I also told them I would bring them the pictures I took of them when I visit next. That is when this young lady came close to the fence so I could take her picture up close. She liked what she saw.

This is the court yard of the school where Orange Branch meets for church. By the time the Sacrament had been served the building was filled to capacity. There were no chairs left.

We took the key board with us so I could play for Sacrament Meeting. This Branch has no piano, but the saint have voices that ring out clear. The chorister was so excited to actually have an accompanist that she kept looking at me and smiling as she sang out leading the congregation with her voice. I couldn't get the key board to play loud enough to be heard above their singing.

After that meeting was over I offered to play for primary. I loved being with the children. They are so loving and open. As I played for them they sang so beautifully. I was told they were practicing for Branch Conference which will be held next week. As primary music time was ending the Primary President gave them an assignment; 3 things they were to pray for before coming to church next Sunday. 1. They were to pray they would sing with their best voices. 2. They were to pray that Sister Webb would be able to come to church again next week to play for conference. 3. They were to pray that the angles would sing with them. I felt very special.

As you can imagine, Elder Webb and I will be attending church in Orange again next Sunday. We love sharing time with such wonderful people.

When Primary was over I let the children take turns playing the keyboard. They were thrilled to have the chance to make different sounds.

Future Ward Organists.

These two pictures are the entire primary. They have a lovely choir and will be a beautiful part of the Branch Conference.

The weather is beginning to warm up. We were able to enjoy our meeting without freezing on this special day.

After the meetings were over we gave a short fireside on the PEF

introducing it's inspirational program to many potential candidates. Elder Webb just keeps getting better and better in his ability to share the basics of the program.

when we are finished these good people can see the blessings available with hard work, determination, and the Lord's help. Africa is changing one PEF student at a time.

I am so glad we are serving a mission. I hear there are relatively few senior couples who actually serve missions. They are missing out on the most amazing experiences; chances to see God work his miracles in small and simple ways; chances to be taught humility by those who are the most humble; chances to grow in ways that cause us to change our hearts and eyes to see and feel more like the Savior. We are not Saints by any means, but we are saint trying to serve in love.

The other half of the Primary.

Orphanage

This past Thursday we went to visit a Zulu mama who runs an orphanage and day care in Thembisa. The vision I had in my head was much different from what we actually saw. This orphanage receives children placed by the state,by neighbors who find children whose parents have died, or from mothers who can no longer care for their children.

Mama, which is the only name we were given for her, has been caring for children for 30 years. We met one of the children she raised. He had come to visit and help; he is 36 years old. He told us he had been an orphan and that he was older than most when he left her home. He was 18. Mama told me she has a big heart so God sends her these children. She has carried many on her back as she goes about her chores. Her youngest charge at present is almost 2 years old. She has had him since he was a baby. I am not sure of the age of the oldest children. They were in school when we visited.

Mama has three woman helpers who do washing, cleaning, and cooking as well as help care for the children. They are homeless and they do this work for food. They all seemed like good kind people, and they laughed with glee when I took their photo and then showed them how they looked.

As we watched them work we noticed that they were taking the clothes from the washer and wringing them out by hand. When I inquired as to why they were wringing the closed I was told the washer has a broken spin cycle. There is no dryer so they hang clothes outside on anything that will hold them off the ground. There is no hot water in this home. The bathroom is out back not in the house. We also discovered that there is only one burner working on their stove. This stove top has not been installed but sits on top of the counter.

In the midst of this malfunction the woman are happily working, singing and dancing. They treated us like family and were so thankful for our visit. We brought food to help stock their kitchen. I made some carrot muffins which mama thought were a treasure from heaven. There is no oven in her kitchen so baked goods are a real treat. The children enjoyed them so much they even chewed the cupcake paper.

When we first arrived we were welcomed by children running to greet us. We received hug after hug from these little ones so willing to love the new arrivals. They are beautiful. The bedroom,, in which they sleep, is clean and well organized even in this very humble abode. The blankets on their beds were a donation from the church. They have had them only a little while. Our winters have been so cold and there is no heating in the home, like most others homes. I do not know how they have made it through the winter without sickness or death, but they have.

Mama called me her sister. I think it is one of the nicest compliments I have had since arriving in Joburg. She, is an angel of mercy. I know God loves her and is helping her in this work. She is not a member of our church, but is a better person than most of us.







This is mama with her children. The young man in green is the 36 year son who comes to help. He has a job and I imagine he brings food for the children when he can.
Elder Webb and Elder Savage helped to unload the food, the children helped carry it to the kitchen









The 36year graduate of the orphanage also helps in the garden.




Mama said when Summer comes she will be able to sell some of the produce from their garden. She will get a few Rands to help with expenses.

This is their garden spot. The man in the picture helps in the garden. He too works for food. They have no tools to work the soil. What they do accomplish is done by faith and hard work. Mama asked us to bring her seeds and tools so they can have a good garden this year.

Mama and children dancing for joy. "God loves me" says mama,"he brought you to me; he always provides". Mama speaks little English but I felt I understood every thing she said. She shines with the love of Christ. She lives to serve his children.

All the children we saw were healthy active little boys, except two little girls.

There were a few broken toys in a trailer that acted as a classroom. The weather was warm enough for them to play outside in the playground.

A couple of the children with Sister Savage.

Unloading the car. Mama says the children get one good meal a day.

Here is the stove top. This cook is one of the homeless woman who works for her food. She is cooking mealies (corn mush) which is a staple on the only burner that works.

This kitchen is kept clean by these good woman.

Laundry in this washing machine is an all day affair. With cold water for all chores and hand wringing the labor is lenghty.

This is the bedroom. All beds have new blankets that are treasured for the beauty as well as their warmth. I'm not sure they have ever had anything new before.

The curtain you see in the right hand corner is the room divider. Mama sleep on the other side of the curtain. She always has the youngest children share her bed so she can keep them warm .

The floor is cement, but they are kept

clean and tidy.

Some of the children eating their carrot muffins.

The muffins were gone in a flash, but each child took one only. We saved half

of them for the children who would be coming home from school.

neighborhood on the way to orphanage

I must say, I left part of my heart here. I thought about these little people and mama all night long. I prayed that we could find a way to help with the stove and the washing machine.

God did send ideas. The area office has a warehouse were supplies for the area office missionary apartments are kept. I asked Malcom, the man in charge of such things, if there were an extra stove we could purchase. He asked me why I needed one. When I told him about the orphanage, their stove and washer, he said they would give it to her. He asked if we needed it delivered. He also asked if I wanted a washer for them.

That was not me working miracles that was the Lord. He loves mama. He loves each of us and as we do our best, keep his commandments, serve one another and prayto him in the name of JESUS CHRIST he make a way for us to succeed. We feel blessed that the Lord would allow to watch his miracles for mama unfold. He is a God of miracles big and small.