Started out our week by sending two loans into the Area office, to be shipped off the SLC, only to be disappointed to learn that Monday was Freedom Day and the office was closed. To meet Salt Lake's deadline, we have to have our loan applications to them, via the Area Office by Monday 5 pm. Had our first official Family Home Afternoon with the Griesemer's and the Markum's, watching a BYU-TV Doctrine and Covenants roundtable discussion program and then talked together about how we can work together to help each other in our missionary assignments. Elder Griesemer put in a special sattelite just to get BYU-TV and we will reap some of the benefits of this. Our car was getting embarassingly dirty, so after our weekly grocery shopping on Tuesday, we stopped at the Petrolport to get the car washed/detailed out and had lunch at Steer's (fastfood restaurant) to help pass the time while waiting. The cost is about $4.50 in US dollars and takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to finish-we just can't believe how thorough the job is! Later that evening, we went over to the Pinetown Institute to talk with our age exception student, Kona about other career options, sorted out a couple of other issues with students and then came home to a big surprise. As Sandy unlocked the wooden entry door and came into the kitchen, there in the middle of the floor was a coiled up snake! One attempt to send it out the door, was non-productive and he quickly slithered into a very small opening in the floorboard. Now the thoughts are running rampant-what are we going to do, will it come out in the night, etc. Quickly we retreated to the bedroom and every twenty minutes or so, Arlo walked out to see what might be happening. One time, the snake was back out and Arlo took the broom to shoo him out but once again he found another small opening in the floorboards and was gone in a flash. Later after several more look-sees the snake was near the door and Arlo was able to kick it out the door. Our doorway has no threshold, so anything under 1” can come right in. Sandy thought it was bad enough enduring the huge geckoes, but now a snake. Who knows if it has come in and out before? This would have been a perfect blog picture moment, but the fear factor took over and the camera was in the car!!
Wednesday was our every 6-week Zone Conference in the Hillcrest Chapel. President Mann spent his time rehearsing with us the question, “ As missionaries who are we like, Laman/Lemuel or Nephi?” The topic gives much food for thought and speaking of food-lunch was 5 slices of pizza each, apples and brownies made by the wives of the 3 senior couples assigned to that particular conference.
Thursday did the small amount of office work that we had, looked at each other and decided to brave downtown Durban and find the KwaMuhle Museum. “This was formerly Bantu Administration headquarters, where Durban's colonial authorities formulated the structures of urban racial segregation, the blueprints of South Africa's apartheid policy.” We started out looking at and reading the exhibits on our own, but later had the help of a very knowledgeable young man (employee) who was able to fill in many of the blanks for us. He was very interested in our name tags and asked if we were also called Mormons. We hope to return in June to see a new exhibit that is part of a traveling program and will share some of our church materials with him. One picture of the orderly rows of small cement block houses for the townships, indicated that these houses were built at the rate of 7 ½ per day. Soon it was evident that it wasn't going fast enough and they increased to finishing 11 per day. These are what some of the people in the townships still live in today.
Friday, met the Durban missionary couples for dinner at the Westwood Mall. We always have a fun time together and found from our conversations that everyone except the office couple had been having a slower than normal week. Saturday and Sunday was Durban Stake conference, under the direction of President Bricknell. The Saturday session was from 3:30-5:30 so that people can get transport and not be out too much after dark. As the United States are getting longer days, we are getting shorter and shorter. Also had another experience helping our deaf student, Xolisa, work on his loan worksheet, using the computer to communicate, since Sandy can type faster than write. This is always a special time for us because he has such a great attitude and spirit about him. Sunday session was held at the majestic Durban City Hall. The stake center is not large enough to accommodate 500+ people, so the need to change venues. We felt just like we were at home attending stake conference, seeing friends that might not have seen for awhile and sharing lots of hugs. Ours were with PEF kids and others who have become our friends from the different wards/branches that we have visited since arriving in So. Africa.
Following are some photos from our Durban stake conference experience.
Durban City Hall in downtown Durban where we attended the Durban Stake conference. This building is almost an exact replica of the Belfast Ireland city hall and was built in 1910. You won't find the palm trees in Belfast!
The auditorium in city hall taken from the balcany while waiting for stake conference to begin. Note the pipe organ - have a familiar look? Unfortunately it has not been maintained and is not functional.
President and Sister Mann seated on the stand and waiting for stake conference to start. They both spoke and as usual, did a wonderful job.
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