Sunrise in Soweto (or Adjusting to African Standard Time)




The colorfully painted power plant smokestacks from Chris Hani Road in Soweto near the Pimville Chapel

We have found that things are taken a bit more casually here than we are used to at home, especially time. Punctuality seems to be more loosely defined in Africa. Let us share what happened this week.  

We got up extra early Thursday morning and both showered before 7:00, because we had been warned by postings throughout the apartment complex that we would be without water between the hours of 7:00 am and 2:00 pm, while infrastructure maintenance was being performed.  

At about noon, Martha got a call from Facilities Management that some carpet stretchers had an appointment to be at our flat at 1:00 pm to fix the carpet at the threshold of our bedroom. We hurried home and waited over three hours for them, until after 4:00. They never came. We went back to the office just in time to pack up our things and return home for the day.  

And, oh, by the way, we found out that the water never was turned off all day.  

On Saturday, we were invited to the wedding of the daughter of a sister in our branch who Martha has become quite close to. The marriage was to be performed at the Protea Glen chapel at 8:00 am, but she told us to just be sure and be at the larger Pimville chapel at 11:00 am for the reception.  

We got to the chapel a little before 11:00 and there was just a single car in the parking lot, so we waited in our car. When no one else had shown up by 11:10, we decided to go in the building. A DJ was playing music in the Hall and tables were in the process of being decorated. The caterer assured us the reception would start at 11, apparently not realizing it was well past 11 already.  

Pimville chapel at 11:45 Saturday, one car in the parking lot for the 11:00 reception!

 

By 11:45, we decided we had too much to do, as Saturday is our only p-day, and we left, having no idea when or if the reception would actually start.  We found out today that the wedding party didn't show up at the Pimville chapel until close to 2:00, almost 3 hours late, and no one seemed to mind. They did seem a bit surprised, however, that we didn't wait the 3 hours until they got there.  

We found out the newlywed couple decided to drive an hour each way into Johannesburg, between the wedding and reception, to have pictures taken at the Johannesburg Temple, causing the 3-hour delay. Evidently, the reception went until late in the evening, so the wedding ended up being an all-day, free-form event, like last week's branch activity was.  

Today was our first branch conference and the debut of the branch choir. We got up at 5:00 this morning to be sure we would be at our church building for the mandatory 7:00 choir practice, since Martha is the accompanist. We made the drive in the dark and were turning into Protea Glen as the sun was rising.  

There was no one at the chapel and the car park gate was closed and locked. The two new counselors in the stake presidency arrived the same time we did. The branch president arrived a little after 7 and opened the gate. We were the only choir members there until the director, Sister Redebe, arrived about 7:10.  

By 7:30 there were four sisters (counting Martha and Sister Redebe) and Bob, so we started rehearsing. The first verse of "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd" was men only, so Bob had to sing it solo while the four sisters listened. Martha turned down the volume of the piano to make sure his voice was heard! By 8:00, there were 2 more men and 6 more sisters in the choir. No more men ever showed up, but two of the sisters agreed to sing tenor. Finally, when it was time to sing the two prelude hymns at 8:50, there were 15 women (including 3 tenors) and 3 men (one tenor and two basses) in the choir, and we pulled it off!  

The sisters in the choir were all in red tops and black skirts and the men in black or navy suits and red ties, and we sounded amazingly good, considering how little actual rehearsal time we had together, and Martha has become extremely talented in pushing the buttons on the automated piano. The best news is that her piano skills have revived enough that she can play the individual parts one or two at a time to help in choir rehearsals.  

President Mohabi of the stake presidency went up to Martha after the sacrament meeting and said, "Thank you for bringing the beautiful choir music to this branch!" When she tried to humbly say that Sister Redebe deserved all the credit and that she just pushed the buttons on the piano, he said, "No, I know that you are the one who has made the difference for this beautiful music to happen here today!"

Candid photo of the stake presidency and branch presidency in action at Priesthood session of branch
conference, (left to right) Branch President Thato Rabaholo, Stake President Thabo Lebethowa,
Branch 1st counselor Sakhumzi Mbobo, Stake 1st Counselor Josiah Mohabi (standing),
Stake 2nd Counselor Lehlohonota Mokoena, and Branch 2nd Counselor Thulani Buthelezi.
 

And finally, we were relieved and happy to know that Martha's friend, although she didn't ever see us at yesterday's reception, knew we made the effort to attend.  The caterer had informed her that "two tall white people showed up very early and left for some reason..."