PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA 22 - 26 October 2016

PORT ELIZABETH is one of the larger cities in South Africa and is located in the Eastern Cape Province.  It is a major port and has numerous beaches.  It is known as the windy city but is lovely and green all year round. The huge edifice that you see in the picture is the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium which was built to serve as one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup games.  It seats 46,000 - half of the one we went to in Soweto (FNF stadium).  

On the morning of 22 October we left for the ocean city of Port Elizabeth.  A 10 hour drive from Johannesburg but we had a grand time.  We are documenting the chapel in Port Elizabeth because it was one of first five church-built chapels in South Africa (Africa).  Elder Harold B. Lee in October 1958 visited South Africa to dedicate three chapels - Ramah (Johannesburg), Berea (Durban) and Port Elizabeth - all done in 10 days.  I have been researching stories and events surrounding the building and dedication, so we drove to Port Elizabeth to take pictures of the chapel (it has had two additions added since the original) and interview members in the area.  Not much time was spent on the beach because we were busy and due to the fact that it was windy, raining and cold.  But we enjoyed every minute. 

I love a road trip and that was what Saturday was.  Not much happened until we were about two hours from our destination.  Most of the 10-hour drive is on two-way roads.  We were on a mountainous road when the traffic just stopped.  Dennis left to investigate the reason.  There was a semi-truck that had turned over spilling the entire contents of his flat bed - cartons of long-life milk was all over the road and down the mountain.  The truck had been lifted upright and was on the side of the road but what was stopping traffic was the village people that had somehow found out and were trying to pick up as many cartons as possible.  It was the funniest sight ever.  Even a lot of the drivers of the cars waiting for the clearance, were carrying cartons to their cars.  It was only about a half hour delay.  Well worth seeing the sight. Loved it. We arrived at our B & B - On The Bay - around 5:00, settled in and then walked to get some dinner.  A lovely day.

Our drive to Port Elizabeth

Colesberg was selling metal windmills on the sides of the street.  Would have loved to have bought one but had no idea how to get it home

 We drove through a lot of little cities...each one had its own character.  Love Africa.

 Look how green and lush...

 Our milk mishap......

 I failed in getting a picture of all the cartons of milk this family was trying to load into the car

 The truck.  I sure hope the driver was okay

 Just before we reached Port Elizabeth there were these beautiful sand dunes.  How much fun would these be to play in.

 Our first sight of the ocean......there were lots of ships, a sure sign that you were approaching a port city.

Port Elizabeth.....too bad it was overcast.

 Our B & B

 Our room...

The grounds....

 Our room for the next three nights

 View from where we ate....

On Sunday 23 October we attended the Lorraine Ward which is held in the Port Elizabeth chapel in Walmer which is one we are documenting.  It was thrilling to see the chapel after all the research I had done on it. The people were friendly and so willing to talk to us.  They are very proud saints and grateful for their building.  Some members had brought old programs and pictures that we were able to copy and return.  We interviewed David and Jennifer Spear.....they both are three generation Saints in their families.  They have remained strong in the gospel after much tribulation that has occurred in the country which led to many Saints leaving South Africa or others falling away.  What a testimony to me of being "strong and firm in their foundation". Later that afternoon we went to see Thandile Daniel who served with us in Swaziland.  It was so good to see him.  We went back to his home to meet his family, but they weren't there.  We visited for a while. Smiths, a sweet family from America now living in Port Elizabeth that we met in church, invited us for dinner.  What a thrill it was to be in the home of an American family.  They have two daughters and two sons.  Such a great family.  They will add to the saints in that area.

We were sitting in Sacrament meeting (8:00 a.m.) and to our surprise, Dominic Tshabalala walks in.  He was there on business with self-reliance.  How great to see him.  The other young man is Brother Paul Van Thiel Bergyson, a member of the stake presidency that helped us with people to contact.  A great leader.

Me, Dominic, Paul and Dennis

 David and Jennifer Spear

Interviewed this amazing couple who are three generation members

Jennifer was born in Zambia in the gospel.  When she was 8, while in Sacrament meeting, her parents received the impression that they should move back to Port Elizabeth where their roots were.  After the meeting, the mission president happened to be visiting (there was only one mission in all of Africa at that time) and approached them.  He said the Lord wanted them to move back to Port Elizabeth and be the branch president there.  They prepared themselves and moved back to Port Elizabeth.  What faith and dedication of these early saints in Africa.

 The Port Elizabeth chapel - meetings were first conducted here in October 1956 and the edifice was dedicated in October 1958 by Elder Harold B. Lee.  The building after two additions.

 View from where the church is located

 Beautiful tropical city

 On our way to the township, Kwanobuhle, we saw this Volkswagen plant.  It was cars, cars, cars.

 Kwanobuhle

Thandile Daniel - a great elder that we served with in Swaziland

 Thandile and his friends

 It was a great reunion - been three years

 Cemetery

 Dinner with Tom and Vicki Smith and their family and her brother who was visiting

The next two days were spent taking a hundred of pictures of the chapel - inside and outside for the document.  We also interviewed an amazing lady, Pearl Ek, who is 80 years old and a long-time member of the church in the Port Elizabeth area.  She remembers having meetings in her parents home.....now it is a stake.  We had dinner with Dan and Caryll Butler, former Church History Advisors for that area.  We loved our evening in their home.....what great saints.  Love their stories. We woke early the next day, saw some sights and then headed for home.  We spent the night in Colesberg and got up early the next day to get back on the road arriving home at 3:00.  A long drive.  At 7:00 that night we had a cottage meeting in our home.  We had 12 less active and non-members (most from the same family), two missionaries, Bro. Holmes who is the mission leader in his ward, and Dave and Nancy Frischknecht.  How we loved having an missionary experience again.  Love this work!!!

The chapel of the Port Elizabeth building

 View from the west parking lot - 2/3 of the building is an addition from the original one in 1958

 Sister Pearl Ek - 80 years young

 Dan and Caryll Butler

 Breakfast at our B & B - On the Bay

 Area around our room....exquisite   

 Saying farewell to the Indian ocean...

 Beautiful boardwalk in Port Elizabeth

 Swartkops is the area where the early saints from the Eastern Cape of South Africa met before they boarded the ships to America.  It was known as the Mormon plains. It is 1.6 kilometers from the Indian Ocean and situated on the Swartkop river that flows into the ocean.  Here they would wait to find passage for that treacherous journey to join the saints in Utah.

 This ramp looked old enough to be used by the saints in the late 1800's.

 Swartkops - the Mormon Plains

 Sites of our drive back to Johannesburg

 Where we spent the night

 This was taken at 5:00 while we were walking to dinner.  Seriously, it was deserted!  There was very, very few people on the streets....at 5:00!

 Where we stayed

 This was our B & B....the oldest church in Colesberg built in the mid 1800"s.  It has had an addition added on to....but not much.

Inside the church - now a night accommodations for a family..it had stained glass windows.  This is the owner....

The Cottage Meeting in our home

 Two wives that are not members

 Bro. Holmes teaching the group

 Daughter and sister of Nene Kapongo whom we had interviewed a few months ago

 Some of the group - the man at the left end is an inactive member and his wife is not a member.

 Some of the family of Nene Kapongo....brother, sister, sister-in-law and daughter (can't remember names) The sister-in-law is not a member.  The brother has served a mission but has since become inactive.

We finished our documentation of the Port Elizabeth Chapel in Walmer the following week.  A historical site is a very detailed report which requires a lot of research before we can submit it to Salt Lake. I really enjoy doing these. Our testimonies are strengthened every time we meet and talk with the saints as we learn more about the church in this wonderful country of South Africa.