African Safari Anyone!

Who would have ever thought that a blessing of serving a mission in South Africa would be a SAFARI!  WOW!  It was so exquisite to see this beautiful country and just a tiny part of what it has to offer.  We went to St. Lucia, which was about an 8 ½ hour drive from Lesotho.  We went on both a day and a night safari!  We actually got to see all of the BIG 5 (Lion, Water Buffalo, Elephant, Rhino, and a Leopard).  It was so awesome to get to see them along with many others, like the giraffe, hippo, crocodile, monkeys, baboons, and the list goes on and on.  It was surreal!  I mean, you say to yourself, “I am in the middle of Africa on a safari!  No way!” The leopard was a highlight.  You do not see them often, but an animal had died and the night guide knew where to go, hoping we would have a chance of seeing the leopard.  The leopard had just finished eating and was lying there feeling lazy,  and we were within a few feet of him!  He was so gorgeous, as you can see by the pictures.  We also spotted the owl so beautifully perched upon a branch.  He looked majestic and when he spotted us he did a quick 180 degree turn!  We did not shutter fast enough and missed his beautiful face!

One of the blessings that come with couples serving missions is getting to go on Retreat with the other couples of the mission.  There are 12 couples serving all over the South Africa Durban mission!  It was so wonderful to meet with them and listen to their experiences!  The golden threads of a beautiful tapestry are being weaved throughout our mission.  These couples are changing lives all over South Africa by being an instrument in the Lord’s hands.  They are teaching the gospel with such tenderness and love.  Their temple experiences are truly the icing on the cake.  I surmised that the powerful experiences with the Spirit just have different names and places, but the feelings experienced by each couple are the same.  We definitely went away from our Retreat with our hearts full, after listening to their experiences.  Just incredible is all I can say to describe what is happening in the lives of these couples!!

We visited a Zulu Village and were educated and entertained.  What an interesting culture the Zulu’s have.  They even have a marriage contract like 'Johnny Lingo'.  It is 11 cows if you want to marry!  We loved learning there are more Johnny Lingo stories in the world.  I however refused to put on the ceremonial wedding dress, because I am Zoto not Zulu.  The area we live in the people come from a different tribe, the Zoto tribe. I hope some day to be able to dress in ceremonial Zoto wedding attire.

The land above Durban South Africa is green and lush!  We passed through Richards Bay before we came into St. Lucia.  This area is a mainly a logging area.  The trees are tall and straight with groves and groves of various heights.  They pulp the wood and send it all to China!  I hope you enjoy the pictures of the beauty of South Africa.  On our way home our Garmin took us through Golden Gate National Park.  Stunning!  We felt like we were back touring in the Utah National Parks again with the exception of 100's of beautiful zebras grazing everywhere along the road.

 

Our mission continues to roll forward with joy and happiness in our hearts.  We are busy every day now meeting with investigators, teaching with the Elders, teaching new converts (preparing them to go to the temple), and doing the tasks our Mission President asks us to do.  We love it all.

We want you to meet the Moshoeshoe family.  We teach them each Wednesday evening in preparation for them and their daughter to go to the temple next year.  Their family history is rich with kings and the Boar war here in Lesotho.  They come from the very Moshoeshoe family that you will see the tombstones of.  We love this family so much.  She was just called to be the Relief Society President and has only been a member since May!

Also meet MaPelesa!  She is one of the oldest members of the Maseru Branch. She has a neighborhood FHE every week.  Her neighbor, MaPelesa, (same name as hers) is going to be baptized in a couple of weeks.  MaPlesa is such a great example of the gospel in action.  We love spending time at her FHE’s and teaching the neighborhood about the Savior, especially all the children that crowd into her home to sing and to learn.

We have had the blessing of taking some of the YSA on an outing or two with us.  They are fun to spend time with.  The girl always posing is Bridget.  She is so funny.  Lucky and Lintle are the other two YSA.  Lucky (Lehlohonolo, is his African name, but we can not pronounce it properly. It means lucky, so that is what we call him) is putting in his mission papers.  These are choice YSA youth who love and live the gospel!  What a blessing for us to get to be a small part of their lives for a short period of time.  It had rained hard the day before our little trip to the sacred mountain, so there were a few puddles in the rock formations.  Once Elder Chandler went ahead of us and just stood looking down at this big puddle, like there was something wonderful in that puddle that we all needed to see!  Just as we all get to the puddle he took one giant step and into the puddle, spraying us all.  Boy, were we all gullible!! The kids loved it. 

What a blessing serving a full time mission is in our lives!  We are so grateful in too many ways to count.  Every beautiful sunrise gives us another opportunity to share with others the great Plan of Salvation!  Another day to express the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ and his Atonement for all of us!  You just cannot beat that!  It makes getting up every morning an exciting thing to do!

Both MaPlesa's having FHE

At FHE the children are our great joy!

Bridget and Lucky

Women selling their hats

YSA and the Moshoeshoe hike

Windy day on top of the Mountain

Headstone of Moshoeshoe King

Looking down at the Zoto Village

Beautiful Zoto Village

President and Sister Zackrison

Elder and Sister Hul and Elder Paige going home

Wild Zebra in the Golden Gate Park

Our Safari pic of the day!  Isn't he beautiful?

Richards Bay groves

Cutting lumber for China

Beautiful South Africa countryside

The wise ole Owl turning his back to us

Yep, it really is me on a Safari

Rhinos

Daddy Baboon watching over his family below

Warthog kneeling to eat

Various kinds of Antelope

Warthog

Baboon families

Birds picking ticks off the giraffe

This giraffe might be a fighter.  Notice his wounded left leg.

Our only lion sighting.  A really old male.

Another kind of Antelope

Want a fight?

Big horn Daddy

Lizard

Mom and Pop Rhinos

Mom and baby Rhinos

Crane of some kind maybe?

Water Buffalo, meanest of the BIG 5

One big Elephant coming after one of our trucks

Content eating branches.  YUCK!

Vehicle of choice for the Safari

Brother Roberts dancing in the Zulu village

Zulu warrior dancers

Zulu warriors at peacetime (really just after dancing)

30 minutes of entertainment by the Zulu warriors

Zulu Weaver

Zulu Medicine Woman

Zulu  pottery woman

Our beautiful Zulu guide

Crocodile

I just had to buy something useful, right?

Sister Sorensen and Sister Chandler walking in the Indian Ocean

Elder and Sister Sorensen, our office couple

Hippo

Beautiful Zulu girl helping at our Motel

Getting to know other Senior Couple Missionaries

President and Sister Zackrison with the Todd's and Brother John

Hey, did you just steal a banana out of our room!

This monkey praying over his stolen banana

Why yes I did.  Thank you very much! I know he looks like a relative!