Happenings of the week 13-19 April 2009

This past week was our usual – computer, telephone and text messaging work, running around to deliver and pick up PEF paperwork, meeting with PEF kids and a little craft marketplace shopping. The weather has been a mixed bag of highs and lows, but all still very comfortable. Sunday, we needed to do our usual two ward visits, going to Umlazi W Sacrament Meeting, afterwards signing loan papers and giving a PEF orientation. Good thing that we can split up and accomplish two tasks at the same time because we had to hurry over to Umlazi BB to see a student and find out if there were any new young people interested in starting the PEF process. We ended up meeting with two new students at the end of the block. Because the Sacrament Meeting in BB had run over (a young sister missionary leaving for Kenya, and her family spoke), thus pushing the other meetings later, we were able to attend Priesthood and Relief Society. Walking down the passageway, singing could be heard coming from the Relief Society room. The beautiful deep voices of the women, were singing their prelude music since there is no piano. It was a wonderful experience to be a part of the singing, but more of a joy just to listen to them and feel of their spirit. As the meeting began, a bit of a problem came for Sandy, not being fluent in Zulu, couldn't understand what was being said. During the announcement portion, she did hear the sister say “Sister Mickelsen - they are here to help our young people” and then it was a quick return to Zulu. The lesson was given by a well prepared teacher - never have seen such a well used lesson manual, with comments all over the margins and underlining. The group read portions of the Joseph Smith lesson aloud in English, but all the comments were in Zulu. Arlo had no problems in Priesthood Meeting, and we have decided that maybe the sisters have more difficulty with English.

The majority of missionary work, including PEF loans, comes from working with people who live in townships. Townships are a remnant of the apartheid era.

The housing in the townships vary from shacks made from scrap materials to some very nice homes or somewhere in between like these. These are probably government built houses made of cement blocks and corrugated steel roofs. The rectangular structure will usually have four rooms, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living area and may or may not have electricity or running water.



This is an example of some of the nicer homes. We took this picture from the parking lot of one of the two chapels in the Umlazi Township.

Sunday night we were invited to a farewell pot luck dinner at the mission home to say goodbye to Elder and Sister Uffens. The Uffens leave Monday after serving for two years. They are from the Seattle area and Elder Uffens is a retired dentist. They served the first part of their mission in Ladysmith (three and a half hours north of Durban) where Elder Uffens was called as branch president for two branches. As the branches became stronger, local leaders were called and then the Uffens were moved an hour and a half away to Newcastle to support two branches in the Madadeni Township near there.

We have the opportunity to interface with some great local leaders. This is President Charles Magaqa who is a counselor in the Durban Stake Presidency and is employed by the church as the Coordinator for Seminaries and Institutes in this area. In the Durban Mission, he covers one stake and two districts and Elder and Sister Markum, a full time missionary couple from Wyoming, cover the other stake and district.

Although we do not intend to collect many souvenirs, these hand carved giraffes are on our list and we decided to buy them now so we can enjoy them here before we go home. You can find many beautiful wood carvings at the African craft shops which are mostly made in other African countries and imported to South Africa.