Reunion Weekend in Gaborone, Botswana

Bob with his four Botswanan missionaries, left to right, Tiro Keeng, Joyce Tahla (Modie), Ketshibile

Ontlogetse and Kagiso Leshona, holding proudly the Botswana flag signed by them and their families

The new SACTM generation in Botswana - Front row, from left to right, Kofi Ontlogetse, Ryan Modie, Amanda Leshona,
Benjamin Keeng and Emma Keeng. Second row - Ontlogetses with their son, President & Sister Egan with Hope Keeng.
Back row: Tiro and Chance Keeng, Kagiso and Masego Leshona and Joyce Tahla Modie and her husband Modise at the
Monument commemorating the three Botswanans who negotiated the country's independence from Great Britain in 1967.

This past weekend, we were honored to be invited to speak at a stake "Returned Missionary Reunion" for all returned missionaries in the Gaborone Botswana Stake, four of whom served under Bob in the Cape Town Mission 7 to 10 years ago. It was a great blessing to spend the entire weekend with those four missionaries and their spouses and children. Over 60 people attended the 2-hour meeting where Martha bore her testimony and Bob was the featured speaker. Afterward, we had a SACTM reunion for the five couples and then went to out to dinner together as adults and had a fabulous time.



We spent Friday evening with our former AP, Tiroyaone Keeng and his beautiful wife Chance
from Windhoek, Namibia at a fabulous Portuguese Restaurant in Gaborone called Caravela.

Saturday morning we dressed casually and drove to the Botswana Defence Post military base where

they have several prides of lions, as well as cheetahs, monkeys, crocodiles, snakes, a leopard and wild dogs, all behind chain link fences, and zebras that wander freely around the barracks.  The seven children joined us for the morning outing and all had a great time! The kids all wanted to be with "Grandma Egan" the whole time, as you'll see from the following photos.

Waiting for our tour guide at the Botswana Defence Post military base and wild animal park.

Benjamin tries on Grandma's sunglasses as Amanda looks on

Baby Hope wants a turn with the sunglasses too



This lion was sizing up the children to decide which one to eat for lunch, when
he suddenly and rapidly pounced full speed ahead into the chain link fence at
all the children, scaring them half to death and sending them scurrying away,
along with their parents! Thank goodness for the fence! It happened again a
few more times, as the small kids just looked too appetizing for hungry lions



A white male lion rests in the shade. We're told that the lions
are on the military base to help the soldiers train for
apprehending lion poachers, a big problem in the country.
There must be at least 20 lions on the base!



5 white lionesses look on as we visit their enclosure

Ryan, Amanda, Emma and Benjamin stayed right with "Grandma" and followed her wherever she went,
sharing all their special thoughts and feelings about the whole experience with her.
The Keeng kids said, "Now we have 3 grandmas and 3 grandpas!"

Menacing wild dogs in the shade of their enclosure



Close up of a crocodile's head and teeth, Two of the crocs 
were at least 15 feet long and very big around!



Grandma Egan and the kids

Where shall we go next, Grandma?

Having fun with Grandma in the car

Botswana is desert, much like Namibia. It was far drier and hotter than the weather we have been having in Johannesburg. Instead of temperatures in the 30's C. (86 - 100 F) they were in the 40's C in Gaborone (104+ F) and  the capital city of Botswana is way, way different that anywhere we have been in South Africa. Cattle, goats and donkeys wander freely in the streets right downtown. There is no big city feel in Gaborone. It feels very much like it is pictured in the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

Donkeys wander up and down the streets of Gaborone

Undernourished cattle and goats are everywhere in Gaborone

Grandma watches the kids as their moms and dads gather review
the signed tablecloths and picture book of missionaries at the
SACTM Reunion after the stake RM Reunion was over

Amanda and Emma decided Grandma
needed a new hairdo. They just loved
touching and patting her "soft, soft hair!"

Returned SACTM missionaries and spouses look through the missionary book
and share experiences, reminiscing about the "good old days" on the Cape

Group Reunion Photo - left to right, the Ontlogetses, Modies, Leshonas, Egans and Keengs.
In front, holding the Botswana flag are Amanda Leshona, Emma Keeng and Benjamin Keeng.
Tiro Keeng holds baby Hope. The other three boys chose to pass on the reunion experience.
Everyone present, including the kids, signed the flag and it was given to us as a souvenir!

 On Sunday, we attended the Gaborone West Ward with the Keengs and Leshonas and enjoyed a wonderful Primary program that their sweet children aprticipated in and did so well, speaking parts and singing. It was fun to see a lot of the people we spoke to the day before, and to say a proper goodbye to these two great families. What an incredible weekend!

Even though several years have passed since the times they shared in the mission field, the bonds of affection and spiritual experiences were rekindled and the intervening years just fell away. Although Martha wasn't there in Cape Town, she was able to feel very much a part of it all, and was treated as if she were their mission mom. It was a most amazing and spiritually uplifting weekend for us!