Road to Newcastle

Ron and I took our first road trip this week (25-26 March 2010), driving four hours southeast to Newcastle, South Africa. Our scenery changed from city to rolling countryside which reminded us of springtime landscapes around Dillon, Montana, when green grass and wildflowers flood the hillsides; in this case vast fields of six foot tall cosmos greeted us along the way.

The purpose of our journey was to meet with police officers in the neighboring African township of Madadeni with a population of over one million. It was here in January 2010 that a North American elder and his 17 year old teaching companion for the evening were kidnapped at gunpoint. They were instructed to call their mission president while being taken to a neighboring township where they were tied up in an unoccupied house and abandoned as their assailants drove away. After a couple of hours the missionaries were able to untie themselves, escape through a window and run to a lighted neighboring house where the authorities were contacted. The police set up a sting operation and captured the two kidnappers.

We traveled with our Security manager visiting from SLC and met with twelve police officers and their supervisors in a conference room at the police station. Appreciation was expressed in behalf of the Church for the timely and professional arrest of the kidnappers. Elder Erickson spoke with them as a fellow police officer, asking them questions and complimenting them on their actions. A good dialogue was held regarding our security function and how we interface with their operations. Business cards were exchanged and a group picture was taken by their department photographer.

From there were caravaned to the township to view the shack where the missionaries were abandoned. We met neighbors along the way as we walked down dusty lanes and observed their daily life. Men and women were observed with plastic buckets in wheelbarrows as they transported them filled from a community water spigot in a field. Two women graciously allowed us to photograph them with their children.

Laurene waved at this woman who was hoeing in her yard and was invited in through a gate to take her picture next to the garden enclosure which housed corn and cabbages. Notice how beautifully dressed the woman is to be out working in her yard at midmorning. Strings with a worn shoe attached were tied to chickens' feet to keep them close to home.

On our drive northward we stopped for lunch at a restaurant which included an enclosure of baby lions and Bengal tigers. For 20 Rand (US$3.00 each) we petted and gingerly played with the cubs. Although they are small, their claws and teeth are razor sharp. Notice their recent lunch menu!

Today at Sunday School Ron and I completed our first Family History class with three of our six students present. The young woman is a first year university medical student and is viewing online the recorded baptisms for the dead completed yesterday in the Johannesburg Temple for twelve of her direct maternal ancestors. She received this information about her family in January from an uncle . The older woman observing and man viewing his family on new.familysearch were both born in Zimbabwe. With very few written records available for African lines, the main emphasis is to obtain oral histories and pedigrees from living relatives. Many of the older people in families and villages are grateful to share their knowledge as they desire for this family information to be handed down to the next generations.

Five Converts

Our drive to church takes us through inner city neighborhoods that are gearing up for this summer's world cup. Notice the soccer ball on the cell tower.

These young men were patiently waiting for church meetings to begin.

We have observed a subtle transition in men's attire as they progress from investigators to members. Initial tee shirts and casual shirts with pants are replaced by shirts under sweaters and sportscoats with slacks; then suits with white shirts and ties. Even with very meager means nearly all men dress sharply in suits, even on the hottest of summer days.

Today following our three hour block of Church meetings three men were baptized in a font filled with cold water. We have become acquainted with them in the Gospel Principles class. One month ago today (14 February 2010) following a Family History fireside Laurene helped present, one of these men introduced himself to us as a visitor attending for the first time with his friend and expressed his desire to join our church. We connected him with the full-time elders and he began taking gospel lessons with them.

This photo contains five converts, Elder Erickson being the youngest to join at age 20 (almost 40 years ago). In the background is a man baptized a week ago who is from Zimbabwe and met the missionaries while they were tracting in his neighborhood.

These men all came to South Africa seeking employment. They are from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe and were introduced to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by a neighbor, the missionaries tracting in his neighborhood and a friend. Following their baptisms they expressed humble testimonies of truths they have learned.

Volcano Game Reserve

Today in Sunday School Laurene taught a family history class as Ron accessed the internet on a laptop for a demonstration of new.familysearch.
After church we visited with members of the ward originally from Malawi, Uganda and Congo who shared their conversion stories. A young man from the Congo speaks French, English flawlessly and three African languages. Another young man began his hospital internship this week to become an OB/Gyn. Many young men and women serve missions within the continent just a couple of years after joining the church as students, as represented by these members in their mid20s.
A little boy claimed Ron for holding him until a full-time elder took responsibility to locate his parents.

This is a young mother from Uganda and her 8 month old daughter.

Saturday (6 March) we drove two hours north with our SLC Africa manager and a recently-arrived senior missionary couple to view Pilanesberg Game Reserve. This reserve was established in 1979 in an ancient volcano that is the best-defined of only three alkaline ring complexes in the world.

With over 7000 animals in the park, we saw kudu, common duiker, springbok, tsessebe, blue wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, warthogs, a slender mongoose and numerous birds. Impala leaped across the road, Vervet monkeys played alongside our car and a white rhino walked from the brush directly in front of us. Eating from the treetops were a giraffe mother and her twins as the father stood sentry observing us.

A baby elephant lagged behind as its herd moved quickly through the water along a lake's shoreline. A teenage elephant ran behind the baby pushing it forward, with the youngster vocally protesting all the way along the water's edge.