SmithsAfricanAdventures

  Here is handsome Elder Smith standing in front of Duke's Court - our apartment building.  The Killarney Mall is right across the street.  There are two grocery stores in the mall and they let you bring your shopping carts all the way to your apartment - then leave by the elevators and they will come and collect them.  We usually carry our groceries unless they are too heavy then we take advantage of bringing them all the way 'home'.   Elder and Sister Humbert's daughter was having some problems with her fourth pregnancy and Sister Humbert went to Utah to assist with the other three little ones!  Darling picture of Scotty Kay - one day old!   Wonderful sisters from Zimbabwe who were staying in Temple Patron housing last week.  It is cool how they use a piece of fabric and tie their baby's on their backs! I'm pretty sure mine would have fallen out!   Pretty salad that Brian, the chef, made for our dinner at the Walston's.   The moon when a slice - is on the

  Posters in Nelson Mandela's house in Soweto.  He only lied here 11 days after prison - so many people wanted to met with him that he moved into Johannesburg.  Children in the Settlement village we visited - they had an orphanage with many orphans who parents have died of HIV - it is still affecting about 25% of the population in Africa. This is the Church in the village - see the wooden cross? The source of clean water for the community - one of many water stations. Walking in the settlement - not very clean or pretty - but people were kind and smiling and waving to us. Nelson Mandela's house is now a big tourist attraction!  Same house but lots of things built up around it.  Nobel Peace Prize winner - very religious man.  His wife Winnie, was wanting to punish the whites for their years of abuse - he began reconciliation councils to work out differences peacefully.  They are still working on it!  More from inside the house - so many plaques and awards from around the world. 

On Saturday, January 14th, we held a senior activity - mostly a tour to Soweto.  Here we are listening to our guide telling us about the house that Nelson Mandela died in.  It is near the office in Johannesburg. The young man in the picture is one of two grandsons visiting their grandparents who are our Humanitarian couple - the Walstons.  Monument at the Supreme Court in Johannesburg,  Pretoria  had the Parliament, Cape Town the President.  The National Stadium in Soweto - holds 94,700 people.  When Barack Obama came to speak at Nelson Mandela's funeral there were over 100,000 plus overflow at other stadiums.  This was built for the 2010 World Cup in Soccer.  On June 16th, 1976 - most of the high school students in Soweto marched peacefully to protest the white government's insistence that Afrikaans language be the only one taught in the nation's schools. Although they marched peacefully the police felt threatened and shot this 12 year old boy - Hector Pieterson.  The peac

  On Thursday, January 19th, we held our monthly Senior Sisters Birthday onsite.  We usually go out to a fun restaurant - but since Sister Sims broke her leg and is in a wheelchair - and hers was one of the  birthdays we celebrated - we stayed at home.  We used Sandwich Baron to cater lunch. The room before the company came!  Elder Smith helped me put up tables and chairs and get the platters from the caterer truck - actually it was a motorcycle with the box on the back!  He made two trips to get all six platters to us/ Two sandwich platters, one wraps, one veggie and one fruit - plus desserts!  It was yummy ! We got two small flower arrangements and they decorated the tables well, then we gave them to the two birthday sisters!  Sister Dube and Sister Silva from the Area Presidency were able to join us.  That is always a treat!  Many of the sisters took back a plate of food for their husbands.  We enjoy getting together. 

  Welcome Elder and Sister Jorgensen!  He will help in legal and she will assist in lots of ways - one is Pathways!!  They arrived on January 10th. We had a Pathway meeting and could not welcome the Humphreys in person.  The are Church History Missionaries and have server 4 other mission.  They were in the Ukraine when the temple was being built!  It's nice to have another couple almost as old as we are!  They arrived on the 13th. Welcome to the Petty's - they will be Tech experts.  We had another meeting and could not greet them in person.  They did attend Church with us today and it was good to get to know them a little.  Her family lived in Sandy, off 86th South for part of her childhood and he graduated from Provo High School when Elder Smith was teaching there!!  They arrived the 17th of January.  One more couple to come the first week of February and all the senior apartments in Oxford, that the Church owns, will be occupied.  On Saturday, January 21st, Elder and Sister W

  Pigeons in the park that we walk to and in most mornings.  Someone had left grain on the sidewalk and they were all having a nice breakfast!   Dead cricket at the Devotional room - huge! We had cake and calendars for everyone on Sunday, January 1st - when we taught the Come Follow Me lesson.  Elder Smith eating New Year's Day dinner. Just a comparison to my foot so you can see how large the cricket was! Ranger - Kroeber's dog - barking at Briella's remote controlled snack!  Christmas day! Picture of the Johannesburg Temple - painted by Sister Fox - our medical advisor's artist wife - love it! Cute Primary girls after church. Sister Perkins lives on the third -top -floor at Oxford 51.  She took these pretty pictures and shared with all the seniors on our WhatsApp page.  Elder and Sister Walston are friends with Brian - in the apron at the back.  He is a guard near their apartment and he used to work as a chef - they pay him to come to their flat and make dinner for oth