Catching Up At Christmas

It has been over a month since I last posted.  These past weeks have been our busiest time so far on our mission.  Many of the colleges and universities start new terms in January and our PEF students need to have their loans approved and funds disbursed to the schools by then.  So, add new students to all those current students that must renew their loans and we have been swamped.  The interesting thing is, that in spite of the rush, South Africa pretty much shuts down for the "holidays".  Though we have lots more to get done, everyone just stops.  The schools and the students themselves so we are at a stalemate.  The break is actually good for us to catch our breath.  The photos in this post span from just after Thanksgiving until Christmas Day.  Above is a Long-Tailed Whyda.  We see them in Swaziland and in northwestern KwaZulu-Natal.

 This is a Purple-Crested Turacow or Lourie.  They are most beautiful when they fly, as their primary wing feathers are bright red.  You can just see them in this photo peeking through the wing.  They make a very jungle-like call and are fairly common in the  Durban area.

 We hiked in our little reserve in New Germany and as we were watching a pond from a blind, we saw what looked to be a piece of wood washed up on the shore.  It was perfectly blended in.  As we watched the wood opened its eye and eventually turned its head giving us this view.  It was a small (about 6-7 ft) crocodile. We had no idea that there was one on the reserve.  No dogs are allowed in the reserve and that rule is likely well enforced by this guy.

 We left but had to get one last look and as we did the croc jumped into the water and  swam across the pond.  Our first crocodile sighting!  He must live off the fish in the pond for now.

 December started with Elder Carl B. Cook from the 1st Quorum of Seventy  and his wife touring the mission.  At the end of each zone tour they had a Christmas party and dinner for the missionaries.   We helped decorate and serve for the two zones  that were held Dec 8th and 9th in the Berea Chapel in Durban. Here Sister Gunderson is making best friends With Elder and Sister Cook.  It was a lot of fun.  Most of the African Elders had never seen a Christmas tree or for that matter gotten a gift at Christmas.

 The missionaries all got new ties and they played a game where the first Elder at a table opened his and then the next could either open a new one or take the one the first had.  That system continued until the last had either taken one already opened or opened his.  Then the one that was first got to choose from any that he wanted.  It was very funny.  Some of the Elders tried to hide ties that they really, really liked, but to no avail.  Many of the black Elders just opened their packages.  We found out later that was because they had never had anything to open before.  How is that for touching?!

 In the end though and because the ties were really all pretty nice, everyone was happy.  The ties were purchased at a China Mart in Johannesburg.  They are real silk and cost about $2.00 USA.  Incredible deal!

 Boys will be boys the world over.  Everyone likes to ham it up.  The third Elder from the left is Elder Daines a third or forth cousin of Gaye on her mother's side.

 Senior Couples on Day two of the zone conferences with Elder and Sister Cook.  Day one was Richards Bay and Durban Zones.  Day two was Hillcrest and Pietermaritzburg.  the other three Zones, Bloemfontaein, Swaziland, and Newcastle were held there

 Sister Gunderson trying to talk an Elder out of his Springbok scarf.  It was not a cold day but.........?

 Turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  Elder Mokoewna is happy.  He will be finishing his mission in mid-January.  President Von Stetten gave him permission for us to teach him the Planning for Success Workshop so he will be ready to start school when he gets home.  About the dinner.  Some were not too sure about turkey-had never tasted it.  One in particular said that he did not like it.  I told him he must just taste a little.  After his third helping he decided that he REALLY liked turkey.  When I was serving dessert (apple cobbler and ice cream) one of the African Elders came trough through the line and I asked him if he liked it  He said: I don't know I have never tasted it.  In all of my 19 years all I have ever had is rice and beans.  He came back for seconds.  It is times like these that really drive home how blessed we in America are and how often we take things for granted.  I constantly am reminded of the tenet Where much is given, much is expected.  Even giving of our time and means to serve a mission is not nearly enough.

 Ties all around?!  You have heard that missionary ties should be kind of conservative in color.  Well?
Sister Von Stetten picks them out.

 The day after the zone conferences, the senior couples from Durban and those from Ladysmith and Newcastle, went to the Drakensberg Mountains to see the Drakensburg Boys Choir.  There are several Zulu craft shops along the way.  This one specializes in had made woolen rugs and they surely are made by hand.

The Sisters thought that the sign above them was made just for them

 Top L-R Sister Ward, Sister Zweifel, Sister Gunderson
Bottom L_R Sister Zawacky, Sister Hudson, Sister Henninger, Sister DeLaMare, Sister Petersen

Ate lunch at a beautiful hotel with this view from the dining deck.  About halfway through a huge thunderstorm rolled in and, in spite of the covering, we all ended up inside.

 A view of the Drakensburgs before the Choir performance.  We were not allowed to photograph the choir during the performance but usually there are opportunities after.  Not to be; after, it was pouring, so everyone scrambled to get to cover and their cars.

 December 14th we left for Swaziland and a circuit that took us to Newcastle, Madadeni, Dannhauser, and Ladysmith.  When we crossed the Border at Lavumisa and went into the Swazi building There must have been 150 Zulu women, shoulder to shoulder.  It was very hot and humid so you can imaging what it was like in there.  We crowed in, and to our pleasant surprise one of the women who worked there came and helped us individually, moving us through the process.  The women were all on a bus, coming to sell wares and crafts in Swaziland.  I would have loved to taken a picture, as it is something straight off a movie, but we are advised to never take pictures of government buildings, as it may arouse suspicions.  We had to go to Piggs Peak in northern Swaziland for a student, Philile Dlamini pictured above with Sister Gunderson.  It is a very different part of Swaziland as far as mountainous, and very rural and less populated.

Yoked oxen being driven home by to teen-aged boys.  Evidently, they had spent the day plowing.  We saw some  freshly plowed garden areas nearby.

 Maguga Dam on the Komati River, a very big source of hydroelectricity for Swaziland.  Nice, very large reservoir behind it.

 Notice that it does not say no swimming.  But you might want to have a lookout!  We looked hard for them along the little shoreline that we could see, but no luck.  It is the ones that you can't see that get you.

Also did not see any hippos.  This is the entrance to where boats can be launched and we saw signs advertising that houseboats could be rented.  That would be an interesting adventure.  Our student said that they have tiger-fish and bass in the reservoir.

 In this part of Swaziland there are many little homesteads.  The soil looks very fertile and they have some very nice gardens but the people are very poor.  It is very pretty and green here and fairly high in elevation

 These boys were so friendly as were were driving out, that we stopped and took a picture of them and their home-made push toys.  They were showing their muscles.  We gave them candy and they literally jumped and danced for joy saying sweets, sweets!  So poor, but so happy and nice.

 Sheba's Rock above Ezulwini in Swaziland.  It had poured during a thunderstorm the night before and was clear and cool next morning, affording a nice clear picture.

 Male and female Tree Agama lizards.  Now that it is summer, we see these much more often.

The most common form of good and produce transportation in Swaziland.  So may times we see little boys wheeling a big sack of maize meal along the road with the nearest store miles away and no homes in sight.  Here he was giving little brother a ride on his way to the store.

 Talk about a big termite mound.  Shortly after leaving Swaziland from the Southwestern border crossing of Sicunusa.  We had never been that way before, so it was all new scenery.  Lots of tree farms and a little later, corn fields.

We never get over the thrill of seeing Springboks.  These are on a newly established reserve between Piet Retief and Volksrust.  We know that it  is new because as we were looking through the high fence the owner drove up and visited with us.  He was headed to check on his cape buffalo that are calving just now and offered to take us to see them.  Being in dress clothes and still along way to Newcastle, we had to decline.  It would have been really nice to go with him.

 We have to see this all the time in Africa, so thought that you should too.  It was at a stop for road construction near Newcastle.  Probably the most common roadside sight in South Africa.  We were fortunate they turned away.

 Elders Denning and Lorimer at Madadeni.  We went to meet with a couple of students and we got to go to the branch Christmas Party.  It was to start at 10AM, we had other students in Newcastle so did not get there until about 12:30, it still had not started.  Finally, about 1:30, the program part began.  The Elders had appointments so they ate early and we joined them.  Ate pap (pronounced pop) for the first time.  It is made from maize-meal and kind of reminds me of cream-of-wheat that sets up.  They had vegetables and some seasonings in it.  We were  astonished that we liked it.

 Ryan, this picture is just for you.  I should have offered to buy that apron, it is classic" Ryan Gunderson".

 We stoppedat Howick to eat lunch and had always heard that Howick Falls on the Umgeni River was spectacular.  It is about a 310 foot drop (for reference, Multnomah falls is 542 ft).  Zulu lengend has it that a monster named Ngonyamba lives in the pool at the bottom and only the traditional Zulu doctors can go near.  Many people have been swept over the falls, especially in olden times for one of the best fords was just above the falls.

 At Howick. Niagra Falls is only a little over 13,000 km from here

 Our Christmas tree.  It was already in the apartment.  We bought the lights and a few ornaments.  There were two smaller trees here as well,  one of which we gave to a student and her family that had none.

 The Durban senior couple missionaries enjoying Christmas Eve dinner.  Lots of curry dishes-it is Durban after all!  There were 14 of us.  After dinner, ,all came to our flat and we exchanged white elephant gifts--that was really funny, then watched the new movie, 17 Miracles.  Each couple brought treats etc.  It was an enjoyable diversion from all of us thinking about who we we're missing back home.

 All of our children sent us new family photos by-way-of email, so we just printed them and posted them on our bulletin board.  Sister Gunderson was sooooo popular with the other couples.  It was very nice getting them at the last minute and made Christmas better.

Sunday we went to Church in the KwaDabeka Ward and were treated to a very nice sacrament meeting with readings of Luke and nicely arranged Christmas hymns.

Young Elders are encouraged to spend Christmas with their ward/branch members.  We asked the APs if there were any that did not have dinner invites.  Elder Shumway from Texas and Elder DjoCapesa from Democratic Republic of the Congo had had their dinner date cancelled so we got to have them.  What a treat!!.  We had gammon (ham) and scalloped potatoes.  Nice dinner and then we were able to call or Skype all of our children.

Though it is past, Merry Christmas and may 2012 be the best year yet.