Yes, This is English

I love the way South Africans speak. Both the blacks and whites are very articulate and colorful in the way they express themselves. Much of it probably comes from both the British and Dutch influence. There are a number of expressions or vocabulary that are a little different than the words we use in the US. I think I mentioned before that a traffic light is called a "robot". If someone invited you to a "Braai", they would be asking you come to a barbecue. If you were asked to look in your car's "cubby hole", you would look in the glove box. If they wanted to look in the "boot", that would be the trunk. Gas stations are called petrol ports. And when I first asked for a Diet Coke, I got a very strange look. They actually have it here but they call it Coke Light. You can't ask for just water at a restaurant, you have the choice of tap water (which is very good), still water (bottled water), or club soda. Where I really get in trouble is when I ask for a napkin. That really brings on the strange looks. A napkin here is a diaper. What we know as a napkin is called a serviette. So the next time you come to South Africa, be prepared to learn how to say a few things a little differently.

Busy, Busy Busy

It's been a hectic and busy time the past couple of weeks.  Much of our time has been taken up by three different projects...... first is a major effort planning a dinner and reception for high level government officials in Botswana in April; second to work on finalizing the tour schedule for the BYU Young Ambassadors next year; and third, to plan and attend the presentation of "Newborn Kits" to new mothers at the large regional hospital near Tzaneen scheduled for this past weekend.  The kit contains a blanket, a small supply of diapers, a pair of booties, and several other items which will help the mother during her baby's first week  (Picture).   Burt and Charla Neilson came along with us.  They are Humanitarian Missionaries from California, and have become great friends.

While in Tzaneen, Dian showed her great organizational skills by planning and carrying out a last minute reception for the newly called District President for the Church in the Tzaneen area.  It was huge success and included both friends, civic leaders, and even pastors from other churches.  The next day we traveled to the small school where we presented school kits a couple of weeks ago, and our film production crew joined us there to film them.

We did take a short side trip to see the world's largest Boabob Tree. (Picture)  It is a tree that is only found here in Africa and is sometimes called the upsidedown tree because it's top foliage looks much like a root system.  Radio carbon dating shows the tree to be over 6,000 years old.  Its hard to comprehend a living organism that old......... that was 4,000 years old when Jesus was born.

We arrived back home Friday evening,  and were up at 5 AM the next morning to drive up to Pretoria where the Pretoria Stake was conduction it's annual Helping Hands project.  This is a nationwide project that all the Wards and Branches participate in each year to spend one day helping some segment of the community in some way........ cleaning, painting, fixing, etc.  It is normally held in August, but there was a public employees strike in August last year, so the project was postponed.  The Pretoria Stake project involved cleaning and painting two local grade schools (Picture).  The local Police Commandant attended and was emotionally moved to see the work that was done.

We did manage to get out for a little fun.  We saw Riverdance at the Montecasino Theater with the Stonehawkers who are missionaries here from Calgary, and we have tickets to see Dream Girls next month. On Valentines Day, all the couple missionaries got together for a Bar-b-que (here they call it a "brai") and some fun games.  Dian and I won one of the games and were crowned with blue baloons (Picture).   I also managed 9 holes of golf at the Killarney Country Club last week.  My game's not great but as always, the company was great.  We are off to Botswana on Thursday for meetings to plan the reception I mentioned earlier.  It seems at time that life here is a bit of a blur.  Hopefully that means we're accomplishing something.

Thunder and Lightning

The thunder storms here are incredible. At times, the thunder is so loud and intense that it feels like it's going to knock the fillings out of your teeth.  We actually had a window pane in our flat broken by a clap of thunder.  They say that the reason lightening is so intense here is because of all the metal in the ground.  South Africa, especially around Johannesburg, is rich in precious metals.  Mine tailings can be found all over the greater Johannesburg area.  One of the local game reserves had to relocate all their giraffes to another resere in the northern part of the country because they were so likely to be struck by lightening here.  But I have to admit that the storm are spectacular to watch.

Tzaneen

Tzaneen is a spectacularly beautiful and prosperous community located in the northern Province of Limpopo.  It is nestled in a valley in the Drakensburg Mountain range, and is surrounded by lush fruit and vegetable plantations of every sort…….. bananas, mangos, avocados, macadamia nuts, etc.  The Church has been having problems for some time with many of the outlying villagers believing that we are “devil worshipers” and that we “drink baby’s blood”. 

We decided to drive up there to learn more about the problem and to see what we could do to help.  Elder Taylor Mortensen and his wife have been missionaries in Tzaneen for the past two years and have been working hard to show the villagers that we just want to be friends and to help in any way we can.  Recently he distributed over 800 school kits supplied by the Church to children at a school in Motupo.  These contained a notebook, pencils, scissors,  and a ruler in a small canvas carrying bag.  Without a doubt, this has helped to change the Church’s reputation in that particular community.

One our first day there, Elder Mortensen wanted to take us up to a small school located high on a mountain between Mutopo and Majajie to help him hand out more school kits to the 25 or so children there.  But before our trip up the mountain, he first took us to the school in Mutopo to introduce us to the Principal, and to meet the children that had already received school kits.  It was an amazing experience.  We were greeted with great enthusiasm.  The children just wanted to get close to us and even touch us if possible.  I think I must have given out two or three hundred “high fives”.  I was indeed humbled.  It was a moment that I don’t think I will ever forget.

It was then time to head up the mountain to hand out kits at the other smaller school.  In an effort to hopefully get a little recognition, Elder Mortensen asked a reporter from the local newspaper to come along with us to cover the hand.  Our trip wound up a narrow and rutted dirt road.  The school itself was nothing more than a 15 by 15 hut with boards tacked up on the sides, a thatched roof, and a dirt floor.  The children came from the small homes on the surrounding hillsides.  The teacher, Teacher Jane as we called her, walked 4 miles up the mountain every day to teach the children.  The word “dedication” took on a whole new meaning when I learned of her amazing effort every day.  Once again, another very special experience.

As we traveled home, we learned that the reporter that had accompanied us, was actually a member of our Church, but has been inactive for the past several years.  The experience of that day has prompted him to become active again.  The following Monday, there was wonderful front page article telling how the Church is helping the community, and was accompanied by a color picture.  Its amazing how things come together sometimes.

We loved Tzaneen and plan to return in a couple of weeks to help to hand out more school kits at another school.  Perhaps there will be another special story that will come from our ongoing adventure in that beautiful community.  Stay tuned! 

South Africa Flag

The South Africa flag is new since apartheid.  Looking at the colors, the blue is for water, the green is for all that grows from the ground, the red is for the blood that has been shed, the yellow is for the gold that has been mined (80% of the worlds gold came from South Africa), the white is for the white citizens, and the black is for the black citizens.   This is a country that is trying hard to heal.