Lesotho

This is what it looks like in Lesotho. Notice the child on the donkey. He is wrapped in a blanket (much more common to see than the coats the other two children are wearing. Donkeys are used for transportation or are used to pull a cart (usually the trailer of a pickup). Oxen are also used to pull a cart. This is a sand stone quarry that we passed. There are two women washing their clothes in the stream in the distance and there are some cattle moving up the stream. The people are always neatly dressed (especially the women) and the women almost always wear dresses.

This is the sand stone quarry called the Lesotho Stone. They are chiseled out of the quarry by hand and shaped by workers at the site and hauled to the company site to be sold. Barbara is standing with two other senior missionaries by where we stopped to take the pictures.

June 8, 2010

Well this month has been full of changes and saying goodbye to some wonderful friends that we have grown to love. We have been transferred from Newcastle to Ladybrand. We still live in South Africa but we are about 15 Kilometers away from the border crossing to Maseru, Lesotho. This is the capital of the nation of Lesotho and it is where the King and Parliament reside. Elder & Sister Van Blankenstein had a farewell where many of the nation dignitaries were invited. There were about 66 people in attendance, including the King and some of the Government Ministers. It was a very nice gathering in which the Church was introduced and there was a review of what the Church has done for Lesotho. Mom and I spoke for a few minutes. This occurred on May 6. We didn’t move in permanently until May 14. Ladybrand is a small town (around 17,000) and we are isolated from all of the other Missionaries where we lived very close to the missionaries in Newcastle. We miss the close interaction with them. Now we cook a dinner and carry it to the 8 missionaries when we DDM (District Development Meeting) that we have on Monday at 6:00 pm in Maseru. We have another District of missionaries that meet on Thursday at 10:30 in Harrismith (about 3 hours away). We go to both DDM’s when we can. We have 14 missionaries that we support and help in any way that we can but we have to travel a good ways to get to them. We have 3 branches that we support and 2 “twigs”. These are also spread over the same distances so we leave early on Sunday to help out where we can.

Ladybrand gets down to about -4 C (about 28 degrees Fahrenheit) but it gets up to around 65 degrees in the day. We are at about 5,200 ft. elevation.

We have been asked to teach a computer class (actually 2 of them) for older people that have never used the computer before. We teach them on Monday and Wednesday for an hour. We are also teaching the Branch Presidency and the Branch Clerk how to use the Church’s MLS system. All of this is being done for the Maseru Branch. We are teaching an English Class on Saturday and that is followed up by an Institute & Seminary Class for Masianokeng Branch. We will probably be doing more with Masianokeng because they are smaller and need more help. We are still trying to see what we need to do for Leribe “Twig”. They baptized four people on May 30 and another person on June 5 and confirmed all 5 on June 6. That brings their membership up to 7. They have 16 people scheduled for baptism on June 27 – this ought to be a cold baptism outside.

We are getting settled but things are going a little slower here than in Newcastle but we are sure that they will pick up. The Branches seem to be functioning well and that takes some load off of us as Senior Missionaries. We dearly miss all the wonderful people we were working with in Newcastle, Madadeni and Osizweni. We hope to see some of them at the Johannesburg Temple on June 19th. We feel like we left home “Newcastle” to come on another mission.

Transition to LeSotho

What a special time we have had for the past 11 months in Newcastle. As we have transitioned from Newcastle to Ladybrand and LeSotho we have been blessed with some special experiences. We were able to take a family to the Temple in Johannesburg to be sealed for time and all eternity. Brother Mhdaweni was baptized a little over a year ago by Elder Ang'ila from Kenya and he was allowed to go through the Temple with the family. In addition we had the opportunity to see a number of Elders that we had served with in Newcastle and attend the Temple with them. Here are three of them with Brother and Sister Mhdaweni. We attended a special function in Maseru, Lesotho and then left for Johannesburg.
One of the best parts of being a missionary is seeing these special people that we have come to love be sealed in the Temple. Here is the entire family outside the Johannesburg Temple. How much we have grown to love these wonderful people that we have served in South Africa. We also met about 8 other members from Newcastle that came to the Temple that evening. It was great!

Here are the missionaries that we left in Newcastle. We served them dinner each Sunday (or their predecessors) for the past 11 months in our home. Barb did all of the cooking (Thank heavens) and the missionaries cleaned up all of the food that was served (and more sometimes). We had dinner around 8:30 pm each Sunday as they would return to Newcastle from the areas they served.

We had a day between the Temple, meetings in Bethlehem and the apartment being available in Ladybrand so we visited Bloemfontein and bought some warmer clothes. It snows here in the winter and gets very cold. We also visited a place that helps cheetahs and other animals recover if they have been injured. We had the opportunity to get up close and personal with these animals. The larger animals we did not get to pet but we were right up next to them as you can see from the pictures. What a choice experience this was. This is a full grown cheetah that sleeds with the owner after he mended from his wounds. The natives sometimes attack cheetahs and kill them, but what beautiful animals. Normally we have seen them in the wild but this was special to get up close to them. Their fur is very soft (like cat hair)

This cheetah had a broken leg and will have a hip replacement.

This was the most fun, We got to play with some lions and leopards that had lost their mothers. We have a video of them where you can hear them communicating with each other and playing with Barbara's shoes. Apparently the leopard cub really liked the leather in her shoes and kept biting them but not causing any serious damage.

We love these pictures of Barb with the cubs. It gives you and idea how close and personal the experience was. Barb would like to go back and do it again. You can see the web site if you want more information (www.cheetahexperience.com)

This one is one of our favorite pictures. Barb is holding a leopard cub. The only other thing she would have liked would have been to have all the grandchildren around her with these playful cubs.

March 2010

Wow, what has happened to February? We love the work here and February has been our hottest month so far but it is finally cooling off a little. Mom is especially grateful for that. We have been busy with the Osizweni “twig” and District Conference. This was also held in the Osizweni building. We had 479 people in attendance and it was the largest District Conference that we have ever had. President Mann, our Mission President, presided but all of the talks were from people in the Newcastle District. The District is organized and all of the auxiliaries are fully staffed and have been involved in the training of the branch presidencies. We are excited to see the work progressing.

President Watson, counselor in the area presidency, was here for a Mission Tour and we had dinner with he and his wife and President Mann and his wife. We have gotten some name recognition because some of the things that have been happening in Newcastle (we’ll tell you what happened when we get home) and they remembered us from their visit last year. We loved the Zone Conference and were inspired by the talks from our leaders.

We told you previously that the mission has been expanded to include more of South Africa, specifically the Free State and the country of Lesotho. Another senior couple has been working in Lesotho and have done a lot of work with the King and Queen and other government officials. They will be going home in May and President Mann would like us to move there so we can pick up the work that they have been doing and make sure that it continues and we don’t lose the government connections. The Queen of Lesotho will be attending General Conference and tour the Church headquarters and BYU during April Conference (they are working out the last items in making this happen) so it should be a wonderful opportunity for us. She is attending Columbia University in New York. We have been involved during February with the expansion by finding boarding for a set of missionaries that have opened Phuthaditjhaba which is in the Free State. On February 28 we were asked by President Mann to be in Phuthaditjhaba for their first church meeting and we were excited to go. They had about 25 people committed to attend church but funerals came up and most were not able to attend but we had a wonderful meeting with 8 in attendance that day. I am sure that it will grow rapidly and fill the room they have been given by a local college to use for church services.

We love the Elders that are working in our areas and enjoy feeding them each Sunday evening. We feel they are part of our family and hate transfers when they go to other parts of the mission, but come to love the new Elders that are transferred in just as much.

We finished the marriage class and had a wonderful time with about 20 married, or those considering marriage, who attended. What a fun group of people. We loved it and they were happy for the class as well. They joke about some of the things they have learned. We are now teaching Temple Preparation classes. What wonderful people we have the opportunity to be with and serve.

We hope to have approval for a Branch in Osizweni before we are transferred to Lesotho.

Yesterday, Sunday Feb. 21, 2010 we visited a member in public hospital. She was in an open ward with twelve to fourteen beds lining the walls with just a curtain that could be pulled around for privacy. The ward is open to the walk way. As you walked down the center hall there were several wings on both sides exacltly like hers. It was not very comforting to think that this is what could happen in America. The floors were cracked and uneven. It felt more like visiting a run down prison than a hospital.

Other than that things are wonderful here. We had District Conference and had 479 in attendance. We are to the point now that we recognize or know most of the members in our five branches and two twigs. When we got out of our car about 12 children from Dundee just ran over and gave us hugs. It doesn't get much better than that. We have not been to Dundee in over two months so were were way surprised that these young members would remember us.

We realize that everyone is having great spiritual experiences doing the Lords work. Ours just happen tro be in South Africa.

Yesterday, Sunday Feb. 21, 2010 we visited a member in public hospital. She was in an open ward with twelve to fourteen beds lining the walls with just a curtain that could be pulled around for privacy. The ward is open to the walk way. As you walked down the center hall there were several wings on both sides exacltly like hers. It was not very comforting to think that this is what could happen in America. The floors were cracked and uneven. It felt more like visiting a run down prison than a hospital.

Other than that things are wonderful here. We had District Conference and had 479 in attendance. We are to the point now that we recognize or know most of the members in our five branches and two twigs. When we got out of our car about 12 children from Dundee just ran over and gave us hugs. It doesn't get much better than that. We have not been to Dundee in over two months so were were way surprised that these young members would remember us.

We realize that everyone is having great spiritual experiences doing the Lords work. Ours just happen tro be in South Africa.

We’re having more magnificent happenings here in South Africa. I could fill volumes of wonderful experiences and miracles that are happening faster than we can report. We sit down at night and marvel at all that has transpired. We have never felt so loved or loved so many people at one time. We assist four branches, the YSA group, teach a marriage class, work with our newly organized Newcastle District, assist the YW’s programs, assist in Primary, and assist the young Elder Missionaries which includes a nice Sunday night meal each week. We have been working with some less active return missionaries and they are returning to be a great help to their branches. We also offer a bed and breakfast for other senior couples, Pres. Mann and area authorities when they come to Newcastle

I will share with you the events of Friday Feb. 12th. We awoke at 2:30 AM to the sound of knocking on our bedroom window. The District Leader had come to inform us that Elder Jensen was in the hospital in great pain. It was thought that he had appendicitis. We rushed to the hospital to be with him. After several calls President Mann called back and said if they could not do the surgery by arthroscopic means bring him to Durban because the healing time is so much faster and the surgery is less invasive. We sat next to his bed waiting for the Surgeon to arrive and were told that the procedure could not be done in the public hospital so we moved him to private hospital. He was only in Public Hospital because they did not have a bed available at Private Hospital. When another surgeon came and looked at his stats he questioned the diagnosis, ran a scan and declared that it was kidney stones. Thanks to Pres. Mann’s concern and inspiration Elder Jensen was saved from an un-necessary surgery. He had a procedure to remove the stones and was out working the next day.

While we were waiting for the procedure, a man of Indian descent approached us and said Dad/Randy looked like a minister and asks if he could ask some questions. He said he had been searching for more spirituality in his life. His church was of no help to him. He was watching every evangelical program on TV and not finding an answer there. He had been fasting for three days hoping to find some answers. Needless to say we assured him that we could offer him what he was searching for. We sent the Elders to him the following day and they had a very productive visit with him and his family. We thank Elder Jensen for getting us to the hospital.

Last night Wed. Feb. 17th one of our dear sisters that is a new convert informed us she has HIV. She was in the hospital for a week because she was suddenly so weak. She was in tears because her doctor doesn’t give her much hope. She will receive a blessing this morning. We will see a miracle of recovery or of accepting the wonders of graduating to the next phase of this eternal journey. Her friend that introduced her to the gospel was wonderful last night. She told her she needed to be strong and have faith. It is amazing how quickly and thoroughly these wonderful people understand the gospel plan. Needless to say our hearts are heavy but our mission goal is to see the Lords hand in all things even those hard to bear. We know God has a wonderful plan for her and miracles will accompany those close to her.

Monday and Tuesday we were privileged to be in the presence of Elder Watson of the Area Presidency. He was here for mission tour. He served as Assistant to the First Presidency starting with Joseph Fielding Smith and was called to the quorum of the Seventies by President Monson. What a wonderful experience to be up close and personal with such dedicated leaders.

We love our mission and this chance to serve here in South Africa. We love and miss all of you and know that as members of the church you are also having wonderful rich blessings as you serve in your wards and stakes. How blessed we are to have the gospel in its fullness in our lives. There is so much more we could relate but time is an issue and this should give you just a sampling of our daily experiences.

Love to All.