South Africa

We got the privilege of accompanying Susan and Moses to the 

Temple in Johannesburg  - Beautiful Temple - Beautiful Day 

I didn't realize how much I missed the Temple until I got there.  

I LOVE the temple

The temple grounds are absolutely beautiful.  Plants, flowers, pathways and ponds all around the large temple plot.  The temple itself is a small one but the gardens are large and very breath taking
 We spent some time taking pictures outside and just enjoying the scenery and peace that comes from being near the temple.

Guess who we met there?  We had contacted the Meldrums who are serving in the Johannesburg South Africa mission before we came and asked them if they were anywhere near the temple.  They are 20 minutes from there so we spent a couple of days with them.  It was great to be with good friends

Suzan & Moses - a Forever Family

 The Meldrums showed us Johannesburg and we enjoyed the order and cleanliness of a first world country.  No Boda Bodas to deal with on the roads, street signs that people obeyed, traffic lights and especially the grocery store.  The fresh produce was awesome.  I bought a whole box of grapes and we ate all of it in one day.  Grapes are very expensive in Uganda and not that good.  They took us to the China market where you can buy lots of cheap stuff from China.
South Africa is beautiful and modern but you cannot go out at night.  Everyone is in their homes by 6:30 or 7:00 and that is where you stay, locked in you compound until it gets light again.  There is a lot of crime and you have to be careful.

Elder and Sister Meldrum took us out to where they work and introduced us to some of the people there.  The showed us the garden they are working on.  There is a huge garden that provides food for members and jobs for some that tend the garden.  They are doing a lot of good work there and the people love them.  They are training the leaders and we visited some less active members that needed some encouragement. 

Above is a South Africa manufactured home.
You pay per room.  This tin is the most popular building material in the townships.


Beautiful flowers everywhere.  

Elder Meldrum showed us the Harley Davidson Store.

This is probably exactly what happens.  We didn't stick around to find out.

We spent most of one afternoon at the Apartheid museum.  It was very interesting - sad - but interesting.  There have been many changes in South Africa over the last several years but there is still a feeling of bitterness for the injustices that happened during that time when the whites were trying to control the power and the resources of that country. 
Nelson Mandela was a great influence through that time in history.  One of his quotes is

"No one is born hating another person because of the 

color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.  

People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, 

they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally 

to the human heart than its opposite."