RETURN TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN 14 - 21 May 2016

9 November 2011 was the beginning of a journey that would change my life.  That was the day we opened our first mission call - called to serve in the South Africa Durban Mission.  I seriously did not know that South Africa was a country...thought it was the south part of Africa.  Never heard of Durban - had to find a map to discover the location.  The first think I googled was to find out if they had hair salons in Durban.  Worried about how I was going to get my hair cut while we were gone!

Our call to the Durban mission that led us to Swaziland, began our life changing journey.  So for that, Durban will always hold a special place in my heart.  We spent our two years in Swaziland, but returned to Durban a few times for mission presidency meetings, senior couple retreats, and other emergency visits.  We thought for sure that within our service there, the Durban Temple, which was announced in October 2011, would have its ground-breaking.  But never happened.  Durban is a beautiful coastal city nestled on the Indian Ocean.  The Indian Ocean!!!! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever put my feet in the Indian Ocean.  The Durban mission is almost the furthest mission away from Salt Lake City.  For a person that had never been away from the Salt Lake Valley for more than two weeks, Durban seemed awfully far away from my family and everything I knew and loved. But I loved it the moment we arrived.  The beauty, the people, the greenery, the rolling hills...just a beautiful place.

So, I was anxious to get back to see it. There is a couple in Durban that serves as our church history advisers and they had invited us to stay with them and also, to help them with processing their histories. We jumped at the opportunity.  So, Saturday, 14 May we left early in the morning and headed to Durban, a 5 hour drive.  So many familiar sights were tucked away in my memory bank.  I was glad to be back.  We crammed a lot in just a few days...

The scenery from Johannesburg to Durban was quite diverse....

Allan and Maria Lofstrand - grand hosts

They have a guest house where we stayed

The courtyard

 Their living space - such a lovely, homey place

 Maria's sister, Julianna from Tasmania, was also there

First item on the agenda was to see the temple site!!!!!  On top of this hillside.

 View from the temple site....they say from the other side you can see the ocean on a clear day which this day definitely was not!

 I have to include the children...

 Segway experience along the Durban beach front.....so, so, so fun!

(Apparently we had something on our camera lens that distorted our pictures)

Denins practicing before we head off

 Our guide - 

 The Moses Mabhida Soccer Stadium, built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in the middle back, is where we started.

 A park on the beach front

 Crossing the street - Dennis almost got hit by a bus that did not stop for the red light! Sometimes my screams saves life!

 We met old friends and made new friends in the Highlands Ward on Sunday

Anthony Courtney - the patriarch that would stay with us in Swaziland when he came up to do patriarchal blessings.  Love this man.

 Sister Dorothy Zackrison, mission president's wife, happened to attend this ward with her daughter and children that were visiting

 Highlands Chapel

 We met up with Dominic and some of his family at church

 Brother Courtney baptized these triplets....

 Dominic, Moipone Tshabalala, Me, Dennis and Anthony Courtney

 A squatters camp in the middle of Durban

 I got it too close - but these girls were washing clothes - such heavy responsibilities for those so young but this is their life.

 The Tshabalala's invited us over for dinner - miss this family kakhulu

We ate, talked, laughed and just enjoyed being with them.

 Watching Sara play the piano with her cousin, Nathan, on youtube.

 (Can you tell where we found the spot on our camera lens?)

Bokang, Khumo, Dominic, Moipone, Minenhle, Amahle, Awande, Me, Ntando

On the way home instead of going freeway all the way home, we took what they call the MIDLANDS MEANDER - it was spectacular with all the fall colors

 Look at the fall colors!

 We stopped at NATSHA'S FANTASTIC FUDGE which was not very fantastic.  We need to teach them how to make real fudge.  We bought a few pieces, tasted one or two and threw the rest away.  When I dropped them in the waste pin, you could hear a clinging sound - they were HARD!

 This was a fun honey making shop

 The spot where Nelson Mandela was captured and then sent to prison for 27 years

 His monumet

 This is what it looks like from the side.....how does one create such a masterpiece

More country...

Enjoy these series of pictures...

A lady and her children doing their wash....but look where she is doing it....

 On top of the Howick Falls...

 Then we see others come to join her...

 Imagine doing your wash here and with children....scary!

 Miranda Dam

Went inside the Piggly Wiggly center - many stores with antique items for sale

We saw this sign - Pottery - and made a detour...... 

 ....and found this!

This man makes all the pottery - there were hundreds, even thousands of pieces.  I can't believe that I didn't take more of the workshop.

 Can't remember his name - but he lives a hermit life.  Been doing this for 30 years.

 These are pizza ovens which is found all over the world.  Would love to have brought one home with us.

 Our search for the cheese store that we had found years ago on our first mission, was over (Marrakesh Cheese)! This man and his wife have been making their own cheese with unique flavors for 15 years and he let us sample all of them.  So good and fun.  Koy and Cassie, you would have loved this!

 Their store.  They do not advertise and send out to other vendors.  It is just who comes in and enjoys.

 Have no idea what this is...just thought it was interesting.

The week was spent doing oral and annual histories.  Our Uganda Church History Adviser is producing a lot of oral interviews.  Church History and Self-Reliance are combining on a project to interview successful participants of the new Pathway program of Self-Reliance (google to find out more).  Steven Ssenyonjo has caught the spirit and done 12 interviews.  So I spent most of my time processing them and sending them to Salt Lake.  Dennis had quite a few annual histories come in.  Also on the agenda was inspiring other church history advisers to get on the bandwagon with doing their self-reliance interviews and getting their units to submit their annual histories. 

Brother Stanley and Sister Motsa - we were able to attend their marriage and sealing when we were in Swaziland.  They came to say Hi

We went to visit Patricia in Soweto to give her a Mother's Day gift.  She was concerned about one of her pregnant ladies that she visit teaches because she had a sms that she was in the hospital bleeding.  We took her to the hospital but they wouldn't let us in because it was not visiting hours!  Shame..

Thursday, 19 May President and Sister Cook left the area office to head for home for a new assignment.  They went to every department and bid farewell.

We lined the driveway to let them know of our love for them.

 

I am sure he would not like this picture.....

Friday, 20 May the area office had a farewell luncheon for Graham Walker (ICS), David and LeighAnn Bowman (area controller) and Ted and Shauna Nielsen (not sure there assignment).  They are all leaving for new assignments.

 David Frieschnect - the DTA - conducting

 Saturday, 21 May we had an oral interview at 9:30 with Jonas and Patricia Tladi who were the second people baptized in the Alexandra township.  He later became the 1st Branch President of the Alexandra Branch, found them a school to attend church, and helped the branch grow.  He was released in January after 8 yeas of service and now serving in the Bedfordview Stake High Council. We ended the interview at 12:30 and then helped them prepare for a Primary activity that was scheduled to start at 1:00 but didn't until 3:00.

Jonas and Patricia Tladi

Saturday night, the Beckstrands had everyone over for a soup and salad dinner.  Great time with great people.

It has been a good week.  We were so thrilled to be able to return to Durban and enjoy that part of South Africa.  How blessed we are to be here and serving.  I love my Heavenly Father and Savior and so much grateful for his love, guidance and His plan to allow us to return to live with Him.  I pray that I will endure to the end and continue to enjoy the journey.