Happenings of the week 17-23 August

The week we have been eagerly awaiting for the last month or so, arrived-The Durban Mission Semi-Annual Couples Conference. It was held at the Tembe Elephant Park, a wilderness on the old Ivory Route which houses the last remaining indigenous herd of the largest elephants in the world.and is located near the Mozambique border. The couples from Durban traveled in the mission vans and met up with the other missionaries at Tembe. You drive to the park entrance and then transfer to 4 x 4 vehicles, because of the sandy terrain, for the drive into camp. All the luggage is put into a bakkie (pickup truck) and driven to the entrance, where it was carried to a central location and we received our tent assignments. An employee, carrying our luggage, escorted us to our tent. Being that we totaled 24 people, we filled all the tents, so had the entire place to ourselves. There was a few minutes to put things away and then head back to the guest area where we signed a form releasing Tembe from any responsibility for accidents or injuries that might happen, like maybe being lunch for a lion or squashed flat by an elephant or rhino! This was just before we headed out on the first of four game drives. There was electricity in all the accommodations for hairdryers, etc., but Sister Mann thought we should look upon these days as a chance to be scruffy. No one even needs to shave, she said and several elders took her up on the offer!
Our dinner main courses were probably a first time experience for most of us. The impala steak was served in a gravy over a seasoned rice and wonderful. The second night we had warthog, which was not as good as the impala, being a little like a dry pork roast with a wild taste. There was chicken in our favorite sweet chili sauce for those not as brave as others when it came to trying new things. Lovely cream soups-green bean and butternut squash and marvelous desserts-not exactly your normal camp food!
Tuesday, it was early to rise for our second game drive and being very nippy temperature wise, we layered ourselves up and started out. It is usual to have coffee/tea and rusks as a snack during the morning drive, but they served the best hot chocolate to all of us missionaries. The rusk is a traditional biscuit (a hard something) that needs to be dunked so that a person doesn't break a tooth while eating it-very tasty. On game drives, it is the luck of the draw for animal sightings, so we went out thinking, just enjoy the ride even if we don't see any animals, but we were never disappointed. After breakfast (scrambled or poached eggs, fried tomatoes and onions, fairy muffins (don't know why the name, but they were heavenly), juice, fantastic strawberry jam and orange marmalade), we spent the day seated in camp chairs at tables in a large tent. Each couple took some time and shared miracles, successes and faith promoting experiences. The Johnson's talked of the pioneer members in Umlazi township and the trials and persecution they endured. One week it was announced in the area that the local pastors were putting up a large tent and invited the community to come for a prayer meeting in which the members of the Mormon church were to be condemned for their beliefs. Strangely, shortly before the meeting was to be held, a wind came through the area and blew the tent over! Sister Klinger related the story of a sister in dire straits finding a job, only to be told she would have to work two Sundays each month. With faith, she turned down the offer and within a week had seven other offers. The Piers told of Richard's Bay and the successful skits presented by the youth, who going into the whole thing, probably didn't even know what a roadshow was! Only wish that we could include here all of the many experiences shared. After meeting, it was off to another 3+ hour drive, back for dinner and then sitting around the campfire, under the gorgeous star-studded sky, our testimony meeting was held. Looking up at the sky, the comment was that now we needed to look for the Southern Cross and not the North Star as our orientation point. As wonderful and exciting as the game drives were, the real highlights of the trip were rubbing shoulders and sharing experiences with the other couples. In this group one could find, teachers, both in the public school system and the Church Educational System, an engineer, a retired military man, a realtor, and businessmen-what a diverse group and all with one purpose, to share the gospel and help their fellowman. We closed with singing, Called to Serve and all feel so blessed to be serving in South Africa. The Klingler’s, Bartholomew's and Session's will be leaving over the next three months, and at this point there are no replacements-so we put in the usual plug for senior couples to put in their papers! Sister Mann even remembered marshmallows, since we couldn't let a good campfire go to waste. At first, we tried to use wooden skewers, but fingers were also getting toasted. Elder Pier broke some branches off of a nearby tree and successful marshmallow roasting started happening. Soon we were all off to bed, because our morning game drive would come all too early!
Our Wednesday morning drive, was not as cold and seemed like it was going to be a bust but then we found rhinos and many beautiful giraffes. It is amazing to watch them move, so graceful, even as they run. The thought came to us as we were searching for animals, that there were many animals watching us as we drive by, as if we were the showcase items, instead of them. Our drivers won't disturb the dung so it was amazing to see them drive standing up at times, searching the bush for animals and missing the dung droppings. They were all so kind and patient with our requests. All good things have to come to a close and we repeated the first day where we loaded our belongings in the bakkie and ourselves in the 4 x 4s and went back to the reserve entrance. The Tembe Lodge staff sang and danced for us as we left. The trip is approximately 6 hours back to Durban, but we made a stop at the Ilala Weavers to have lunch and do a little souvenir shopping.
Thursday and Friday, were spent at the computers and on the phone trying to play catch after not being on the job for three days, but we also planned to mail the last of our Christmas packages. Reaching the window, we found that the postal workers were on strike until who knows when. There was a supervisor manning the post office and she said it was safe to leave the packages there until the strike is settled, so we trusted her and did so. Now our hope is that 9+ weeks down the road everything will reach the proper destinations. This is the latest in a string of strikes, trash collectors, doctors, teachers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and more, to hit South Africa.
Saturday, we met with Sibusiso Mlambo and his wife and their cute wide eyed 10 month old daughter. She kept looking at Sandy and finally climbed into her lap to grab the missionary badge. We had to meet in our “car backseat office” because KwaMashu building was not open as usual for Seminary and Institute, as everyone was supporting a branch service project. So the Mlambos did not have to take a taxi home, we gave them a ride. It was about a 15 minute drive into the township and as might be expected we got lost trying to find our way back out – saved by GPS. Our PEF work is really picking up again, as we get ready for loan applications to be processed for the 2010 school year.
A beautiful sabbath morning dawned and we headed out to Pietermaritzburg Ward and Mpumalanga Branch to sign some loan papers and meet with new students to give orientations. As we entered the Mpumalanga building we were greeted with the most delicious aromas, something we wouldn't normally find on Sunday. Upon asking the branch president, he told us that a young man had returned just this past Thursday from a mission. He shared his mission experiences in Ghana and the branch was having a meal together following the meetingblock. We were asked to join them, but declined since we had a dinner appointment with Patriarch Courtney and his family. Downloaded a patriarchal blessing, the first he has given since having his surgery and recuperation time. The Courtney's (Anthony and Margaret) operate a Montessori School with 85 students (ages 18 months-6 years), right on their property. Truly an amazing operation with its own little collection of chickens and rabbits. Looked like it would be great fun to go to school each day!


Group photo of the 11 couple missionaries and President and Sister Mann (seated) at the semiannual couples conference at Tembe Elephant Park. The conference went from 1 pm on Monday until 11 am on Wednesday with a full schedule which included four three hour game drives and meetings.


Our luggage being handled African style. Even though we stayed in tents (which had full hotel amenities including electric blankets) our every need was catered to by a staff which exceeded the number of guests. Our group filled the camp and therefore had exclusive use of the facilities.


This thicktailed bushbaby joined us for dinner each evening in a tree next to the dining area and expected an occasional leftover piece of bread off the table.


Our game drives required three of these 4X4 vehicles for our group. We would go different directions but rendezvous for refreshments – hot chocolate and rusks in the morning and soft drinks in the evening. The morning drives went from 6 to 9 and the evening drives from 3 to 6. Tembe Elephant Park covers 30,000 hectares (75,000 acres) so we had lots of area to roam. The photo is missing one of the vehicles which was delayed due to a herd of elephants that would not relinquish the road.


This bull elephant didn't seem too happy with our presence. We were always instructed to be quiet around elephants as they were attracted by voices and would come to investigate.


We came upon these two young impala bucks who were settling a disagreement or maybe just playing around.


We found this big guy just before the sun came up. He was huge! Our guide estimated he was about 60 years old.


Our guide shared with us that the McDonald's arches on the rump of the impala was appropriate as the impala is a lion's fast food. For dinner the first evening we were served impala, which was very good. The second night we had warthog, which was OK. Chicken was offered both nights as a back-up for the faint of stomach.


You never go to an African game park without finding zebra.

Of the approximately 100 giraffes in the park, we saw about 20 of them. They are huge and truly a magnificent and graceful looking animal.

This male nyala is staring down another nyala behind the bush. Note the hair standing straight up on his back. They would move toward each other very slowly (looked like slow motion) until the guy behind the bush lost his nerve and left.

Black-chested snake-eagle taking flight at morning first light.

These two young giraffes posed for a nice picture.

This made a nice sunset shot near the end of one of our evening drives. We would drive back to camp in the dark for about 20 or 30 minutes sweeping the roadside with a spotlight looking for leopard or other night creatures. Their eyes would show up like neon signs in the spot light. No luck finding a leopard.

Blue wildebeest are always plentiful.

On our last game drive, no one in our vehicle had spotted a rhinoceros so we challenged our driver to find some. Near the end of our drive we spotted four white rhinos about 150 yards off of the road in the bush. We waited about 15 minutes to see of they would come closer, but they sensed our presence and never moved.

This is a serious sign. Our drivers would go around elephant and rhino dung in the road in case it contained dung beetles.

This is a dung beetle pushing a perfectly round ball of elephant dung that it has made. It can push it for several meters to its nest where it lays its eggs. The balls are buried and used for food for the developing larvae. This beetle was about four inches long and note it is pushing going backwards using its hind legs.