An African Christmas

Celebrating Christmas in Africa at Gold Reef City, a Johannesburg theme park, on December 23rd

Today is Christmas Day around the world. Here in Johannesburg, we have a head start on much of the world, Christmas came here nine hours before most of our family in Utah and 8 hours before our family members in Texas and Arkansas. It's weird for Christmas to come in the heat of the summer, temperatures in the 90's, and on one of the longest days of the year!

On Wednesday the 23rd, we decided to spend a day at Gold Reef City (think Six Flags), a very clean and beautiful, mostly roller coaster, theme park less than a half-hour from our flat on the site of an old gold mining operation. We were among the very few over 50 on a hot, crowded day, where most of our time was spent in long lines (queues) awaiting the "thrill" rides (45 minutes to an hour in line for each 3-5 minute ride), but the queues were nicely shaded and there was a nice, soft breeze. Most of the people in the park were between the ages of 5 and 18, all on their summer vacation from school.

We started with the log ride and were quickly fully drenched for the rest of the day. The Runaway Train and Raging Rapids added to the wetness, but it was very refreshing! We rode on several fun roller coasters and finished the day on the Big Wheel, a Ferris wheel that overlooks the park and the city skyline.

The Jozi Express roller coaster may have been our favorite, but all the rides we went on were great!

A "selfie" from the top of the Ferris wheel

The view of the  City of Johannesburg skyline and Jozi Express as seen from the top of the Ferris wheel at Gold Reef City

The queues at South Africa's very first Krispy Kreme doughnut store at Rosebank Mall were finally short enough, after it had been open for almost a month, that we grabbed a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts for the week leading up to Christmas. A fun, familiar taste from home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Christmas Eve day, we stopped into Woolie's (Woolworth's) to get some groceries and found Father Christmas wandering through the store passing out chocolates from his orange bag.

 Our Christmas Card display in our apartment:

Liezel's Wedding, National Reconciliation Day, and Christmas FHE in a Garage

With Liezel and Hennie Andrews after their wedding Friday at the Roodepoort Stake Centre

 

Last Friday, 11 December, was Liezel Schwulst's wedding to Hennie Andrews at the Roodepoort Chapel, followed by a reception at The Willows. The day truly was everything she had anticipated it would be, and we were so happy to be a part of it. Elder Christoffel Golden of the First Quorum of Seventy and his wife Diane are home in South Africa for Christmas and were at the wedding. He was the Area President here when Bob was mission president. We had a great visit with them and their daughters, who provided the music for the wedding. Here are a few photos:

Liezel's father walks her up the aisle



Hennie & Liezel enjoy the petal shower
after the wedding ceremony

Hennie & Liezel at the reception with their protea bouquets

 

Hennie & Liezel dancing at the reception at The Willows

On the printed wedding program, they listed this fun and apropos saying, ""Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale," and they plan to live happily ever after.

Then on Saturday, we had a delicious and fun steak dinner at Turn 'n Tender with Allen and Maureen Young. Elder Young, formerly of the Seventy, was in the Area Presidency for five years until he was released 5 years ago. He was in the Area Presidency here the full time Bob served as mission president. We had a delightful visit and committed to do it again.

December 16th is a national holiday in South Africa. It was originally Covenant Day, a celebration of Apartheid (racial segregation) by the Afrikaans government, which can best be understood by reading James Micehner's "The Covenant." After democracy replaced apartheid in the mid-'90s, President Nelson Mandela eliminated Covenant Day by replacing it with "Reconciliation Day," a celebration of racial equity, freedom and democracy, ironically celebrated on the same day, where it has continued to the present. All government offices, banks and shops are closed, as is our Area Office.

The temple was open, so we chose to work as ordinance workers in the temple for the morning of the holiday, and Bob was able to perform a large number of proxy confirmations, initiatories and sealings, Martha participated as a patron for sealing work. Then, in the afternoon, we took a drive to Shosanguve, about an hour away, and met one of Bob's missionaries, Monde Skosana, for lunch and were able to counsel with him and help him through some challenges he is facing.

On Monday we were invited to a special Christmas Family Home Evening with the Area Presidency at The White House with all the senior missionary couples. Elder Cook conducted and concluded the meeting in the Garage, Elder Ellis gave us a Christmas lesson, and the sisters played and led the music. We danced out on the driveway for the FHE activity, then we went into the White House, where all four apartments were open to all, and we enjoyed strawberry shortcake and visiting.

Our Area President Elder Cook and his wife Lynette conduct family home evening in the garage using the giant FHE chart

Half the group in the garage

The other half of the group

A shot of a few of the senior couples dancing to "The Christmas Waltz" with no "frosted windowpanes" in sight,
taken from Elder and Sister Cook's upper floor residence overlooking the driveway and garage (We are far left)

December is Here!

 

Martha put together this South African Protea Christmas wreath for the front door of our flat, #410 Dukes Court, Killarney

It's December, and the weather has become very summery, temperatures in the 90's and thunderstorms at night that cool things down. Christmas activities are scheduled throughout the month, and we have spent time this past week getting our Christmas greeting out and our Christmas packages off.

We have been walking for an hour or so (3-4 miles), through the upper class neighborhoods around where we live, about five mornings a week between 6:00 and 7:00, while it's still cool, and we now have a few different routes we take, for variety. This is a real beautiful place to walk. Our pace is to walk a mile every 14-15 minutes. The Saturday after Thanksgiving we walked 5 full miles.



Some photos taken from our morning walk through neighborhoods
surrounding the Johannesburg Zoo and Zoo Lake Park area



Every property is enclosed by 10-foot walls, with concertina wire
and/or electric wires, so these photos were snapped through gates





An African Barn Owl

African Hornbill



 An agapantha forest on Eastwold, where we walk most mornings
 

 

The agapantha grow to nearly 6-feet tall!

 

We love to be with the great saints in our Protea Glen Branch every Sunday, and it's always fun when Bob's missionaries stop be when they come here to visit the Johannesburg Temple.

Martha has two boyfriends who always want to sit by us
in sacrament meeting and try on her glasses

Sister Joyce Tahla Modie from Botswana and her family stopped by for a visit when they were here for the temple

 


There is a link to our 2015 Christmas Greeting that you can click on near the top of the right sidebar.




Thanksgiving in a Garage and Another SACTM Reunion



The White House (Area Presidency Residence) where we had our Thanksgiving Feast in the Triple Garage (center)

Thanksgiving is not a holiday in South Africa, but the senior missionary couples, mostly Americans, and expats celebrated anyway, and what a feast it was! The senior missionary activities committee organized a real American Thanksgiving dinner, including 5 turkeys, 3 different stuffings, 3 different  gravies, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberries, homemade rolls, all kinds of vegetables and even pumpkin pie. The "White House" garage had tables set for 72 people, 4 long tables of 18 people each, and there was plenty of food left over. It wasn't a day off, so the meal was served during an extended lunch hour (11:30 to 1:00). The decorations were fun and the food was delicious!


Elder and Sister Cook (left) walking toward the White House

The White House Garage (center) and "Dessert" Gazebo (left)

Mingling at the garage while gathering for the feast

It really doesn't look or feel like a garage inside with beautifully tiled walls

Simple but fun Thanksgiving decorations

Area President Elder Carl B. Cook and his wife Lynette
welcome everyone and share Thanksgiving messages 

There was plenty of food for all



Dessert was served in the gazebo

Home-baked American pies and cakes, including pumpkin pies and
Martha's pecan chocolate chip (Derby) pie and her Dutch apple pie

Visiting with Elder Lombardi over dessert under the gazebo

Four of our kids and their families celebrated Thanksgiving together in Dallas at our son
Erik's home, and we Skyped in and were put up live on their big screen TV for a fun visit

On Friday, we were eating lunch in the Canteen at the office, and Bob's former missionary Siphiwe Dinana and his wife Yanga showed up from East London (about a 10 hour drive, 12 hours with kids) to go to the temple and asked if we would be interested in a mini-reunion of SACTM missionaries the next day. Bob said he would take us all to lunch. So we met at the temple and treated everyone to T-bone steaks, wings and ribs at Mike's Kitchen. It really doesn't feel like December!

With former SACTM missionaries for a mini-reunion Saturday at Mike's Kitchen.
Left to right, Siphiwe & Yanga Dinana holding the Buthelezi's little girl, Thoriso
Senne, Themba Xaba and Thulani & Goganemang Buthelezi

Lots of meat and chips at Mike's Kitchen in Parktown, Johannesburg

We found this Christmas tree, lights and
decorations in our flat, and it took us
several minutes to decorate for Christmas
once Thanksgiving was over

Click on the link in the upper right corner of this blog to see our annual Christmas greeting for 2015