SmithsAfricanAdventures

 We had an uneventful flight for 19 hours to 'home' - Salt Lake City!  Sam and Allie, with Lilly 1 and Aspen 6 months met us as we departed the plane!  They had flown in a few hours earlier and just waited for us - didn't go into the airport.  What a complete and delightful surprise!!!  We got to meet Aspen for the first time - she is darling, just like her big sister - Lilly.  Here we are coming into the main waiting room - so much happiness!!!  Eighteen months is a long time to not have family hugs!!!   Welcome Home sign - and lovely grandchildren to hold it!  Fairbanks, Kroeber's and Smiths! Holding sign - fix when possible Georgia liked holding Lilly - Lilly looks a little scared!  Olivia in the back with my huge suitcase and me!  We were pretty tired and still it was amazing to see our loved ones!  Sam and Allie rented a Airbnb for the them, with room for us for a couple of days.   At the airport, riding the...

Wendy Malpage - one of our first Pathway students and a very good friend.  She brought us a bag of things to take to her children who were attending BYU - Provo! We were so happy to be of service to her and her family.    Leaving the Area Office complex for the Johannesburg Airport - what a wonderful 18 months serving in the BYU Pathway program here.  Our lives are the better for this experience!!   All the other Senior Missionary Couple who came to tell us Goodbye - rather Farewell until we meet again!  They gave us a wonderful Memory Book with pictures and quotes and signatures!   Our last Sunday at church, this is one of our Pathway students - love them all! Elder Mike Goodson, singing us a farewell song - he is a talented musician and we loved 'our' song!! In the Church Van - last wave to our lovely Area Office complex and our friends!!  

  Senior Missionaries eating our Farewell Dinner at Mike's Place - a favorite restaurant near the Area Office. We will miss these wonderful sisters and brothers - Elders and Sisters!  Love and blessings to all in future events - we will have reunions when we all get home - most live in the Wasatch Front Area of Utah!  Thanks for a great 19 months!!  We will miss the opportunities to meet with other BYU Pathway Missionaries in local Conferences.  There is so much to learn and do for good in this program!  We have been blessed to be able to serve !

  Sunday April 9th - our last time in the ward - loved serving these wonderful Saints.  Bishop giving sister Smith a big hug - he had us over to dinner at his house - great family. Loved all these wonderful saints - happy memories forever!  Africa rocks!! Bishop giving Elder Smith a big hug - so much joy in serving the Savior as He would do!!

 

 

Easter Holiday in South Africa is four days.  Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Monday is a Family Day holiday.  Sister Plumi came to our office with some chocolates as a going away gift - we gave her a Pathway tee shirt and a pen!  Beautiful young woman.  This is the tag I am putting on all the going away gifts - love it!  Friday morning we were invited by Elder and Sister Goodson to go with them to the Bird Sanctuary at the Monte Crisco Casino.  We had been before but it is good enough to visit again, and always fun to with the Goodsons!   Meer kat sitting up!   Ringed lemur like the one that pooped on Elder Goodson at the monkey place!  Golden Pheasant - so pretty.   Elder and Sister Goodson - wonderful senior missionaries and friends.  They are the Area Auditors. He is from Billings, MT and she grew up on a farm in the middle of Nevada - 10 children! This is our computer screen at the last Missionary Confe...

  On Tuesday, April 4, we had a fun Sisters Birthday Luncheon.  The last one I would organize!  Sister Watson and Sister Wright have birthdays in April so they choose the place.  This is a new one that we haven't been to before - The Goddess Cafe!  It was pretty pink!  and lots of fun.   Sister Watson walking in past the delicious cake table. I bought a piece of cake for  both of the birthday girls! Purses in the boot!  Trunk in US English! 

  On Saturday, April 1, we drove from Johannesburg to Eswatini.  We had a Pathway Devotional scheduled for Sunday afternoon.  There were almost 60 people there!  By far our largest in the 18 months of our mission.  Really interested people and several Pathway students.  We gave out pens, phone holders, key chains and tee shirts.   The Chapel Building in Manzini - we were impressed with the saints there - just as reverent as our ward in Kwa-Thema.  Real mountains in the distance.  The drive took about 5 hours and was on pretty good roads.  More pictures of mountains!  Looked like 'home'. Stop signs in the towns closes to the mines - huge trucks hauling coal, etc.