Egans in Johannesburg: A Sunset Cruise and the Cape Winelands, More Goodbyes

A highlight of the Mission President's Seminar was s sunset cruise on Table Bay,

The Africa Southeast Area Interim Mission Presidents' Seminar was held Tuesday and Wednesday, 17-18 May, in Cape Town at the Victoria & Alfred Hotel at the Waterfront and we were invited. Presiding at the Seminar was Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy.

The Seminar was an amazing, spiritual feast, being among these consecrated couples and taught by four general authorities, who were inspired and directed by the Spirit. Bob also directed an hour's discussion on missionary department topics the first afternoon. After the first day of meetings, we all went on a sunset cruise from Quay 5 of the Waterfront out into Table Bay, followed by a steak dinner at the City Grill at the Waterfront.

The Victoria & Alfred Hotel at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

Mission Presidents and wives and Elder Ulisses Soares of
the Presidency of Seventy on Tuesday night's sunset cruise

Nearing sunset from the Waterfront

Elder and Sister Carl B. Cook, our departing Area President

Table Mountain from Table Bay

Elder & Sister Soares on the sunset cruise

Sunset photos from our catamaran

With the Johannesburg MTC President, Steve Ashton and his wife at the City Grill

Besides the difficult goodbyes to our missionaries and member friends in Cape Town, we had to say goodbye to our Area President, Elder Carl B. Cook, and his wife, whom we have served under for 16 months, as they left directly from the Mission President's Seminar to their home in Utah, where he has a new Church assignment, effective 1 June, chairing the Committee on Restoration of Blessings and Cancellation of Sealings. And we had to say goodbye to seven mission presidents and their wives, whom we have also served with for 16 months, who are leaving for home the end of June. Other goodbyes followed, but it was an amazing and wonderful week in Cape Town.

The seven departing mission presidents and wives gather for a photo with our new Area President, Elder Kevin Hamilton and his wife, Claudia. Left to right, Wilsons (Botswana/Namibia), Chatfields (Uganda/Ethiopia), Hickens (Kenya/Tanzania),
Ericksons (Zambia/Malawi), Merrills (Angola), Zackrisons (Durban), Hamiltons, and Thomasas (DR Congo Lubumbashi)

With Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of Seventy and his wife

On Thursday, we checked out of the V&A Hotel and checked into the Protea North Wharf Hotel, a few blocks away, which we paid for with Marriott Rewards points, as Marriott recently purchased South Africa's Protea Hotel chain. Our room was a fabulous, spacious suite, at least twice as big as our other hotel room, with a warm breakfast buffet included and beautiful, modern furnishings. We stayed there two nights, and got up and walked the Sea Point Promenade along the Atlantic Ocean for an hour (about 4 miles) both mornings, before breakfast. We drove to Strand and toured The Fenix ceramic factory, then met Geoff & Angie Spires for lunch in Somerset West on Thursday on our way to tour the Cape Winelands - Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl - in the beautiful Franschhoek Mountains an hour or so northeast from Cape Town. Angie, who has late Stage 4 breast cancer, is not having any chemo or radiation treatments but is just living the end of her life to the fullest she is able. We had a great meal and visit, but saying goodbye was pretty hard. It was a beautiful day in the Winelands.