Our Cup Runneth Over: FOCUS ON THE SAVIOR July 13 thru 19, 2015

This is not originally what I was going to share this week. I had something totally different planned but yesterday I had a really hard day. There are some things going on at home that I really want to be there for. Our youngest daughter is moving to West Virginia with her family and I want to be there to help her pack, clean, move and get established in her new home. We have a grandson that will be baptized in a few weeks. A son that was just made bishop and we want to be there to support him. Camps, reunions, going-away parties, get-togethers, weddings and just ordinary life going on back in Utah that I want to be a part of. Yesterday was a teary day for me. So the Lord, in His loving fatherly way, sent me a Heavenly reminder that He is aware of me through a kind friend. When I arrived at the center this morning and opened my email, there was this sweet message…”We also rejoice in your son’s calling as a bishop. Yes, Dennis would have loved to ordain him a high priest. But I suspect God made compensation to you in some way. He never cheats us. Instead He compensates in the most generous ways. If you have not felt that compensation yet, you will---both of you.” Sister Shumway had no way of knowing my sad heart, but followed the spirit and took the time to write me which helped me refocus.

Just last week in my blog I shared my feelings of “finding JOY in everything”. Today, I felt like a hypocrite. In just a few days my “focus” had changed. I was not “finding joy in anything”. My thoughts reflected on a story in the New Testament. The Apostles were in a ship and the winds started up, tossing the boat to and fro. Jesus went to them, walking on the water and said to them, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come.” Matt 14: 27 – 29. So Peter immediately left the ship and actually walked on the water to Jesus. But when he lost his focus on the Savior and noticed the turmoil around him, he began to sink and then cried to the Savior, “Lord, save me.” “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him…”

I realized that I had lost “focus on the Savior” yesterday. I took my eyes off the missionary service He had sent me here to do. So, last night during my prayers, I cried out to the Lord. He stretched forth His hand and comforted me through a friend. I have refocused – my eyes are back on the Savior.

Our days are becoming quite routine in the Church History Center fulfilling our responsibilities. Monday, July 13 was one of those days. But we looked forward to a friend from America coming to stay with us for a few days, Leslie Hadfield. We met her in our Swahili Branch back at home. She is a professor at the Y in African Studies. She had come to South Africa to do research in the East London area and came to visit on her way home. So glad to see her. But before she came we went to Family Home Evening with some of the senior couples. I love these times with the couples.

Family Home Evening at the Davis’

Elder Jarvi and Sister Hale provided a beautiful opening song

Leslie Hadfield joins us for a few days

Tuesday, July 14 was spent inventory the RPC and creating an inventory worksheet. A group from the Congo came into the temple that we fell in love with immediately because of their colorful clothing. Then a sweet family from Zimbabwe with 3 children were here to be sealed for time and all eternity. He was Bishop Vega from the Harare Zimbabwe Marimba Stake and he knew Elder Manhanha. So great talking to him. Hope we get to see them when we visit Zim in a few weeks. Leslie came in after visiting her friends in the area and then we left for the Mdletshe home where we had an appointment for dinner. Leslie knows this family so they included us for the dinner invite. Elder Khumbulani Mdletshe is an area seventy and is well known around this area. It was great to meet him and his amazing family. There was such a strong spirit in their home. As their father told stories, his children were as fascinated as we were. He served a mission in England and had some amazing tales of what it was like to be a black missionary in England at that time. One funny story was while he was on the train, a little child kept staring at him and then said, ”Look mom, a chocolate man.” It was pure joy to be in their home.

What an opportunity for these people from the Congo to come to the temple, receive their endowments and be sealed.

The Vega family from Zimbabwe – now an eternal family. Love this work!

Mdletshe Family

Khumbulani (father), Futhi (mother), Zama (20-year-old daughter), S’khumbuzo (16 year-old son), Sanele (10 year-old daughter) Kwanda (3-year-old son)

Wednesday, July 15 was a day of mishaps. First, Cecil was to be at our home at 8:00 to fix our desk. So the breakfast menu included sausage gravy over biscuits and we set him a place but he didn’t come until 9:15 and we had to be at the center for an oral history at 10:00. So we left him there with Leslie with her permission. We rushed to the center and waited and our interviewee never showed up. We called him and he said he forgot and we rescheduled for Friday morning. We met another great family from East London, the Mangwane family. The goodness of the people that come to the temple never ceases to amaze me. We finished some work and went home to say good-bye to Leslie. Dennis braaied some meat and then Leslie gave us a presentation on South African history. She teaches that at the Y and then we talked about oral histories which she also teaches. We could have talked for hours but she had to catch her plane. We hated to see her leave. We loved having her with us.

Mangwane Family from East London

Myangeli Zolile (father), Nolubabalo (mother), Siyathandwa (oldest son), Onika (girl), Yintando (last born)

Love those smiles. They brighten my day!

Our well wishes to Leslie……

July 16th started with a visit from Elders Mokoena and Dube. We received a text message early in the morning informing us that Elder Dube was arriving and they wanted to come by to see us. How fun was that to see them first thing in the morning. Blessing of being here in Joburg where so many of our elders live. We also met a young family from Angola…he is 2nd counselor in the Vianna Branch in Angola. Their daughter is adorable. At 2:30,James Ronson Amoh stopped by and wanted to do his oral history. He was the young man that didn’t show up yesterday. Of course, we agreed and for the next 2 hours heard amazing stories from him of his conversion in Uganda, his missionary work in his small town of Jinja and how it spread to Kampala, Uganda, his missionary service in Johannesburg during the Apartheid, being one of the first black ordinance workers in the Joburg temple and his continual service in the church. We could have spent a few more hours, but we had a meeting set up with Matt from Salt Lake – and 2 hours was probably a good cut off time. We were with Salt Lake from 4:45 to 8:15, mostly with Randy Knudsen – our savior on this mission. We were working on drop box!!! Everytime we thing we have things down, there is always something else we have no idea how to do. During all this, we saw Tilungile peek into our center. She was here with her cousin, Phawulile Signature Dlamini, who was here to go to the temple for the first time because he is to leave for his Angola Mission on Tuesday. What a wonderful surprise to see them. Our weekly Swazi fix! I don’t know what I would do going more than a week without seeing our Swazi family. We didn’t get home until after 9:00…..tired!

Elders Dube and Mokoena

Camufingo Family from Angola – he is 2nd counselor in the Vianna Branch

Francisco (father), Jamba (mother) Dulce (2 year-old daughter)

James Amoh

Tilungile and Phawulile Signature Dlamini – getting ready to go to Angola on mission

We were at the center early on Friday, July 17 so we could see Tilungile and Phawulile before they leave for home. Also, James came in for brownies that I didn’t have yesterday when he did his oral history. Another family came in the center from Durban. It just so happened that his father was the first branch president in Swaziland. The family then was living in Swaziland for business and were members, so started spreading the gospel. Tilungile knew his father and mother. I didn’t get a picture. There was so much going on all at once, I forgot! I hate it when I don’t get pictures. I would have loved one of this man whose father did so much for Swaziland. During lunch we met a couple serving in the Durban mission, Elder and Sister Rowberry. We sat and talked about what is going on in the Durban mission. What a delightful lunch conversation. Again, didn’t take pictures. In the late afternoon, we took brownies to Mohau Sele. He is going to take a 4 hour kombi ride to visit his girlfriend, soon to be wife, Lebo. We wanted to send her some brownies (Sele was suppose to visit her the weekend of our reunion but chose to come to our party instead……they were a peace offering from us). Later that night we went to dinner with Walter and Susan Peterson – it was her birthday on Wednesday. We went to a really nice restaurant in Mandela Square. We haven’t been out to eat since we have arrived. Dennis had ostrich! I had a really good chicken – safe. Then we came back to our home and played games. It was nice to spend the evening with them. A great, full day!

Lebo and Mohau Sele – hope to be married soon.

Random Pictures

Manqoba Shongwe

Sivuse Sithole (son of Xolani and Futhi)

Can’t remember who this family is….shame! How I love these people.

Greg and Sherry Weeks picked us up early Saturday morning so we could be at the Lion Park when it opened at 8:30. We had breakfast in the car. I had made banana/nutella muffins and she had hard-boiled eggs and hot chocolate. A picnic in the car……great fun. The first thing on the agenda was petting the baby cubs. Because we were the only ones there we were allowed a lot of time with them. There was also a baby hyena – cute as babies but not so much as adults! Then we went on a ‘WALK WITH THE LIONS”. Oh, it was wonderful. There were two lions and we were up, close and personal with them. Then we went on a game drive through the park. A few months ago, a lady was driving through the park and did not obey the signs of “Keep your windows closed” and a lion was able to grab her inside of the car and mauled her. She died. So now you can only go in that particular area where there are 14 lions with a driver from the park. We were able to see the lioness who was the culprit. We went on the drive just as they were feeding the lions. So glad that I was not on the menu for lunch. We also saw wild dogs, giraffes, zebras, ostriches…..our first time seeing African animals since we have been back. I have missed them. We ate lunch at the park, then went to a fruit market and then home to get ready for a party at the Claytons. A fantastic day!

Time with the baby cubs……

Baby hyena…

WALKING WITH THE LIONS

What a magnificent animal…….

LUNCH TIME

The lioness by the tree is the one that was protecting her cubs when she attacked the lady.

Wild dogs

Cheetah

Our Lunch…….

Dinner Party at Elder and Sister’s Clayton

Elder Weeks helping in the kitchen (sorry about the blurry picture but too good to not include)

Another Sabbath day in Africa. We attended church in the Vosloorus Ward and Katlehong Branch to train their ward clerks. Let me tell you about these two units. It was originally the Katlehong Branch that grew into a huge ward…so they were split with the majority of the members in the Vosloorus Ward. The reason for this was because the members of the township of Katlehong wanted to remain in their area because it was so far for them to walk to the chapel. They were meeting in a school but three weeks ago, they were kicked out of there…..so they are back to walking the distance to the chapel. The Vosloorus ward had over 200 in attendance. A well run ward. The Katlehong had maybe 25 - 30 members in Sacrament meeting – 5 in Relief Society. But the branch clerk was amazing. When we walked into the chapel in the Katlehong branch we found a surprise at the sacrament table. It was Elder Zweli Dlamini!!! He looked so good. We trained during Sunday School and Dennis sat by Zweli during priesthood. What a great reunion.

Again, I learned so much during sacrament meeting. The Vosloorus Ward’s theme was administering to the church. Some of the highlights were: don’t just give lip service – do something; sing while you clean the chapel; keep your eye on eternity; attend to the needs of others both physically and spiritually; our hymns can help teach us the principles of the gospel – Onward Christian Soldiers, Did you Think to Pray; More Holiness Gives Me… Then the Katlehong Branch speaker’s theme was “Look Beyond”. The pioneers went through many difficulties but they were able to sing..”all is well” – they looked beyond. D & C 88: 67 – 68. Another great statement was…”not doing temple work is like a basketball player just dribbling around and never scoring.” Awesome! A newly baptized lady that Zweli taught was confirmed. She was so sweet. I gave her a CTR ring. So simple but they love those rings. After we went to a meeting with Warner Molema and then finally home. We left at 7:30 and home at 6:00. A beautiful sabbath.

Brother Peter Maluleka – Vosloorus Ward clerk

Brother Bongani Maseko – Katlehong Branch clerk

This sister was baptized last week and confirmed today – Zweli and his companion - he is from Tahiti

Zweli was telling the other elders that Dennis had set him apart as a missionary. These moments are rewards for the sacrifice senior couples make to serve missions!