Africa Standard Time and a Temple Reunion

With Cebo Tshetu at the Johannesburg Temple following his temple endowment

Elder Cebo Tshetu, son of our Cape Town Mission Home housekeeper Thirsly, who is at the Johannesburg
MTC learning Malagasy in preparation for a 2-year LDS mission in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission

As we were returning home from dinner at Mike's Kitchen after our temple assignment on Friday night, we received a phone call from Sean Donnelly asking if we would be the speakers at a 5-stake Young Single Adult Fireside on Sunday (48 hours later) at the Centurion Stake Center. The speaker they had been advertising for several weeks (or months) was stuck in London, England and couldn't make it. Sean said we would be perfect for the assignment, and he knew from hearing us speak last month at the area devotional that we would have a message that could have a real impact on the lives of these young single adults. We told him we would do it. Then he said he expected 200 to 250 young single adults to attend.

We spent much of Saturday preparing, and showed up Sunday about 20 minutes early, because we had never been there before and didn't completely trust our GPS, and we went right to our seats on the stand. The fireside was to start at 5:00 and at 10 minutes to 5, there were 4 young people in the chapel. By 4:55 there were more than 10, and by 5:00 there were maybe 25 or 30 in attendance. After the opening hymn and prayer the chapel was half-full, and by the time we were introduced and Martha went to the podium there were 100 or more in the congregation. Then, by the time Bob got up to speak at about 5:35, there were well over 300 young single adults present! That's what we call AST (Africa Standard Time).

Martha spoke about listening to the promptings of the Spirit and centered her thoughts around her family's Hurricane Wilma experience in Cancun in 2005, and Bob spoke about the "Hot Hand" and D&C 90:24 on how to have all things work together for your good. It was a very satisfying experience to share our thoughts and feelings with those young people in a way that we felt they could identify with.

The following Tuesday we were able to attend a special 2:30 session at the Johannesburg Temple to accompany Elder Cebo Tshetu as he received his own endowment. Cebo is our Cape Town Mission Home housekeeper Thirsly's son, who is at the Johannesburg Misssionary Training Center learning Malagasy in preparation for a 2-year LDS mission in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission. Bob met Cebo when he was 8 years old in 2005, and when Bob left South Africa in 2008, Cebo was 11 and preparing to receive the Priesthood.

The temple capacity is 24 patrons per session, but both the 2:30 and 3:00 sessions that day had 28 patrons (4 extra chairs brought in) and between the two sessions there were 30 new first-time endowments! More than half were missionaries, and all were black Africans. We were able to sit next to each other for the session, and Bob sat right next to Elder Tshetu and was able to help him as needed. We presented him with a missionary journal, and we took some photos out in front of the temple on a beautiful spring day, with the jacaranda trees in all their purple splendor.

What an amazing experience to be able to participate in. Cebo's mom was so grateful we could be there for him, and so were we!

Here are a few more photos of Johannesburg in the spring, with the jacarandas and bougainvilleas:

Johannesburg is truly a beautiful place, and we just love living here!!