Prayer, Faith, and Endurance

Dad wrote about the Sacrament meeting at the Joburg Ward last week and I wanted to share a portion of the Sunday School lesson that impressed me from that day. Our teacher was a sister from Zimbabwe. The lesson was from D&C 101. She had been teaching about the persecution and trials and faith of the early saints. The African saints are very inspired by the pioneers. They know the stories and have deep regard for them and the hardships they endured.

Then she shared a personal experience. She said that as a child in Zimbabwe her family believed in God, although they were not members of the LDS church. When she was about 17, word came that soldiers were coming to her village to burn and destroy it and kill all the people. The frightened villagers fled their homes immediately. She and her family walked through the night and were aware that the soldiers were following them. They decided to hide in the brush and pray for protection. The soldiers stopped and made a little camp right where she and her family were hiding. The soldiers sat and ate, talking together for some time. She said that one man even came to relieve himself just feet from where she was hiding. He did not see her. After a time the soldiers left and the family remained in hiding until morning. When they left their hiding places they looked around at how open the area was and how easily they could have been seen but they not been discovered. They believed that they had been protected by God so that the soldiers could not find them.

She reminded us of the story of the little girls who saved the pages from the Book of Commandments and hid in the corn field. She asked, “Do you think that it would really be possible to hide a corn field and not be found when someone was searching for you?” Just as those little girls were protected by God, she believes that she and her family were protected from being discovered by the soldiers.

Then she then shared her admiration for the early Saints and the trials they had to endure. “We have trials but nothing like they had. We must be as faithful as they were.”

I thought again how little I can comprehend what these good people have endured in the past and even though I think they have difficult lives (certainly compared to my own) they frequently express sorrow for those who are experiencing hardships.

A meaningful Sunday School lesson for me and once again a reminder of the admiration I feel for those who are members here and throughout Africa.

Durban Trip and JoBurg 2nd Ward (19 July 2009)

THOUGHTS FROM ELDER WELLS

This week we traveled to Durban again for an all-zone conference with the 125 or so missionaries of the South Africa Durban Mission. Sister Wells and I presented a workshop on coping with stress, and I visited with six missionaries to touch base on how they are coming along.

Fourteen of the total missionary group (7 couples) are senior missionaries, retired men and women from Seattle or Laramie or Indianapolis or St. George, who work in the far flung branches and “twigs” of the Durban Mission. Some are “employment” missionaries whose entire time is spend helping people learn how to get—and keep—jobs, some in PEF (Perpetual Education Fund) where they qualify and then make loans to young people to be able to afford an advanced education (you and I have donated to that fund to make it possible), some in Humanitarian Services where they seek out projects simply to bless people’s lives with wheel chairs, measles inoculation projects, or funding of drilling of wells in rural areas. And some are proselyting missionaries who work with the young missionaries and growing Church membership in townships and villages.

The remainder of the missionaries are, of course, young men ages 19 to 26 from the US, other parts of Africa, or other parts of the world. It is so fascinating to see these young men from so many different countries and cultures so glad to see each other, slapping backs, hugging each other, wanting to put their arms around just about everyone there.
They have a great love for their peer leaders, black and white. When we were here last, Elder Schlenker was the assistant; he is going home next week. The assistant this time is Elder Nan’gilla, a handsome reserved missionary from Kenya. A year ago, about 80% of the young missionaries were white; now 80% are black elders, many of whom have been in the Church for just a few years. They are all great young men, and one can sense that the leadership training they receive here will be just a first step in a life of service in the Church in Africa. I counseled with a young elder from Madagascar earlier in the day. I had such a strong feeling that his struggles were being watched over by the Lord because he is to prepare to be a lifelong servant of the Lord among his people. I felt like a patriarch as I counseled with him, trying to tell him of the promises I could feel in him.


NOTES FROM OUR SUNDAY MEETING
We returned home to Johannesburg quite late; consequently, by the time we were up it was too late to attend the Tembisa ward, our township ward about 40 minutes drive away. (If I understand correctly, townships are communities that have come into being because people have simply squatted on the land, beginning as shanty towns made of corrugated tin and salvaged wood.

Over time people have built houses there, but corners of the community continue to grow up from shanty towns because there are so many thousands of refugees who have fled their own war torn countries.)

The homes around the Tembisa Ward are mostly on this order. After the rough bricking, they are covered with stucco and painted. Many never quite get to that completed stage.

So, we went with Elder and Sister Wright back to the Johannesburg 2nd Ward, a ward we served in until January of this year. The Johannesburg ward (recently divided into JoBurg 1st and 2nd) is the central city ward area, probably the oldest ward in the city and has a large number of refugees from other countries.

Today the young missionaries and the bishop spoke.
Elder Mashashishi, a quiet unprepossessing elder by looks gave one of the best missionary talks I have ever heard.

My notes: Brothers and Sisters, I congratulate you for being here this morning so early. How many who should be here are still sleeping? They say, “We have to work every other day. It is our only day to catch up on our sleep, do our laundry, go shopping, etc." That may all be true. But when are they going to worship the Lord? What will their lives be like if they only work and sleep and do laundry and never learn to know God? Jeremiah 16 tells us that he will choose fishers of men and hunters of men who will gather them to Him. I am here to hunt people, to help them know the truth. Where are the Lord’s hunters? You, too, are to be His hunters and fishers. How are people going to learn the truth if you don’t share it? If you learn the truth and then preserve it only for yourself, you will be as the servant given the one talent who buried it in the ground. The Lord will take away that which you have and give it to someone else who will magnify his talents.

My Brothers and Sisters, I urge you to do your part. If you invite only one person a week to come to church with you, you will see how God will strengthen your life. I am here to say the truth. I don’t say what I want to say, and I don’t do what I want to do. I say what the Lord wants me to say. You, too, can say what He wants you to say.

Next, Elder Wendt from Wisconsin introduced himself, a missionary new to the ward. He talked about how, following the feeding of the five thousand, the Savior sent the disciples to cross the sea of Galilee while he remained by himself to pray. Part of what I took from the talk was the reminder that even the Savior needed time to rest, to be refreshed by his communion with the Father.

Then, in the night, the disciples who were on the water were struggling. The Savior was on the hillside and saw that they were in need of help. They couldn't see him and didn't know he was watching. But he left the mountain and went to them to give them aid and comfort. He walked upon the sea to reach them. In other words, our Savior’s eyes are always upon us. He can see our struggles and will come to us when it is expedient. And when he comes to us, he can come in ways we would not imagine. When he came to them, the wind ceased. When he comes to us the storm ceases. I believe with Elder Wendt that the Savior is watching over us. He knows when we need him, and he will come to succor us, often in ways we do not expect, and often in ways we may not recognize.

Bishop Thlothlo, a young bishop with two small children, talked of the atonement and the grace of the Savior.

(Bishop Thlotho, left, JoBurg 2nd Ward, and Bishop Mulombo, 1st Ward)

(From Alma 7) The Savior has suffered the pains and sicknesses of His people. He has felt it. He has taken upon Himself all our afflictions that He might know how to comfort you and me. The Savior is calling for us to come to Him. Go to the Savior with your pains, Brothers and Sisters.

He told a story of a sister missionary who served with him who sent a letter to their mission president, her usual weekly letter. She told of how she and her companion, in complete obedience, prepared for a day of searching out inactive sisters. They worked and walked all day and found no one. Appointment after appointment fell through. At the end of the day, she felt that they had accomplished absolutely nothing. She was so discouraged and exhausted, she felt that she just couldn’t do what she knew she was supposed to do. And she knew they had planned to walk a long way out to another township to do the same thing the next day. As they walked home, she began to cry. She quietly told the Lord that she loved Him but that she just couldn’t do what He wanted her to do. As she walked and prayed, she suddenly saw herself kneeling before God telling Him of her love, but also of her lack of strength and ability. Then suddenly she saw and felt the Savior kneeling next to her. He said to Father in Heaven, “Father, I love her so much. I will make up for all that she can’t do.” With that strength she knew that she could do all things in Christ (Phillipians 4: 13).

Once more I have been taught in this great land by His Saints of this latter day. 2 Nephi 25:23 is true. I hope that I and each of you will have ears to hear.
Love, Dad

A Change in the Bishopric

We were pleased today to have our Fredrick sustained as a counselor in the Tembisa Ward bishopric. The first counselor in his testimony said that Fredrick had been the missionary who converted him while serving as a missionary here in Johannesburg. He had attended Fredrick’s wedding and now was glad to be serving with him in the bishopric. Several others, including the bishop, spoke kind words supporting and sustaining Fredrick. Over the past months the ward clerk and the 2nd counselor have both been released and neither one replaced. Fredrick has been clerking, as well as serving as ward executive secretary. (And from our observation, just about everything else that needs to be done on any given Sunday.) He has been out of work since December, although has had part time temporary work with a member of our stake presidency this past month.

In his sweet testimony Fredrick said, “Sometimes when we feel we can’t do any more -- that our backs are against the wall and we feel like giving up -- Father in Heaven gives us even more. Others may think, ‘he is qualified for this calling. It is right for him to be given this calling since he was the executive secretary.’ But I only think of myself, that Heavenly Father needs to teach me more. This is just a change of responsibilities. Heavenly Father looks at the desires of our hearts in each calling. He only asks for a willing mind and a willing heart. . . . (He then testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the Church and the atonement of Christ ).
“. . . Heavenly Father knows each of us and what we go through. We are preparing ourselves to live with Him again. He is shaping and molding us to live in a celestial realm. As we live righteously the Lord will extend his hand and meet us half way. He knows and loves each one of us. . . .”

We were able to attend his setting apart and took some pictures afterwards. This is President Matsusso of the stake presidency, Fredrick and Olga Owour, Bishop Obed Nkambule, and the first counselor Brother Ungunta in front of Tembisa Ward, July 5, 2009.




Elder and Sister Wells with our favorite African son and his wife (our good Relief Society president) on this special day.

The Fourth of July in Johannesburg

Yes, there is a 4th of July in Africa, but only the Americans celebrate it. We gathered for a barbeque at 3:00 but it was too cold to be outside so we met in the patron housing canteen. Here we are with our neighbors and friends, Dawn and Mike Wright.

The decorations were festive and the food great! Barbecued chicken, baked beans, a variety of salads, zucchini casserole (my contribution) and brownies, cookies, and apple and pecan pie. I was shocked to find some Campbells cream of chicken soup that morning at our little store and bought every can! (They were about $3 each and there weren't many. It was worth it to have that old home flavor!)
Later 10 of us met for a rousing evening of Mexican train (dominoes). Then, best of all, we were able to talk to Stef and Matt and Anita and some of the grandkids before we went to bed. Wow, what a day. Hope you all enjoyed your 4th as well.

Lingering Traditions

A most unfortunate situation occurred here a week ago. Our young travel agent, Cali, who returned from a maternity leave in April has been having a difficult time recently. We counseled with her one day and found that she and her husband, Welcome, had been living in a small house in the back of his parents’ yard. There had been conflict with his mother who has a problem with alcohol and Cali left. She took her toddler and the new baby to stay with her grandmother in her home village and she had not returned to the house with Welcome, but was staying with an uncle. She and Welcome had not been able to work out the problem as of yet (longer story here that I won’t go into.)

On Friday morning, June 19, Cali got word that her 4 month old baby, Zinele, had died. She was, of course, devastated. She and Welcome have no cell phone so Elder and Sister Von Stetten, whose office is 2 doors away, volunteered to take her to Welcome to tell him. The parents’ house is in a township about 50 minutes from the office and there the couple embraced and cried together. They have no transportation, nor do his parents, so the Von Stettens, against all rules, offered to take the couple to the grandmother’s house, not knowing how far away that was. Welcome’s father also got into the car. They drove about 3 ½ hours to Limpopo province to a little village near Polokwane.

The plan was to take the baby back to JoBurg for a funeral. Unfortunately, the traditions of this family and tribe created a problem for the young parents. Evidently, Welcome, a returned missionary with no money, had not paid the Lobolo for Cali. The tradition says that no marriage is considered legitimate until the husband has paid a Labolo or Labola (a dowry). This is usually a gift of cattle to the bride’s family, to compensate for their loss. We heard that Welcome was required to pay 6 cows and 12,000 Rand -- about 30,000 Rand or 4,000-5,000 dollars when they married) and now the uncle would not let them take the baby. In fact he said that the baby would be buried in the side yard at 5:00 pm that very day. Cali had no choice but to yield to her dead mother’s brother and her grandmother and honor their demand and Welcome and his father had no say at all. Old traditions say that the rights of fatherhood are acquired through Lobola and if no cattle have been given, any child born of the union remains with the mother's family.

Elder Von Stetten asked Welcome to find out from the grandmother who spoke no English if they could participate in the service (feeling that a Priesthood holder should dedicate the grave). The uncle agreed. A few women from the village arrived and Cali’s aunt wrapped the infant in a blanket. The service began, Elder Von Stetten offered a prayed, dedicated the grave and then stepped back as they put a straw mat in the bottom of the one meter deep hole, and then laid the baby into the hole. He began to say a few words regarding the plan of salvation and that Cali would have a chance to raise the child in the next life when the uncle grabbed a shovel and after scooping up some dirt, he walked from family member to family member who each took a handful and threw the dirt on the infant below as they offered comments in their native tongue. He then began shoveling the dirt into the hole. During all of this, Cali was crying hard and was comforted by her aunts and her cousin. Welcome was weeping heavily and stood alone. No one from this family offered him comfort so Elder Von Stetten went to him and put his arms around him.

In a few minutes the village women left and the family disbursed. Then they were told that Cali would not be allowed to return to Johannesburg with them. She had to stay in the village for 10 days. Both Cali and Welcome were surprised. They met privately for about 20 minutes and then they came outside so she could say her goodbyes.

Quoting from Elder Von Stetten: “This was very emotional and very trying time for these two in many ways. For a young father to be separated from his wife and his other daughter for the next 10 days, and to do this on the day that he buried his youngest daughter seemed unnecessarily cruel. A time when they need each other the most, he was not permitted to stay. My own opinion is that Cali’s relatives were making him ‘pay’ on this day of grieving for his failure to comply with years ago.

“I believe that the church is going to struggle with this cultural demand for generations to come. Many of our members are first generation and the young men struggle when coming home from their missions to try to raise the Lobolo, while also trying to follow the counsel of their Mission Presidents to return with honor from their mission and get married, educated and have a family. Those that follow this guidance without meeting the Lobolo tradition can be subjected to very cruel and unkind treatment when a family situation like this one occurs. My heart goes out to those of our members who are caught, as Cali and Welcome Mnisi were, between the church’s teachings and also in showing the respect and honor that they are taught to have in abiding by the heritage. This is truly a cultural clash that will be a major challenge in Africa for many years to come.”

Follow up note July 6: Dad and I were certainly worried about Cali and had a chance to counsel with her when she returnd to the office. She had been able to return to JoBurg before the 10 days so that she could attend to her job, but she explained that she must return to the village again for a ceremony on Saturday (this past weekend) where Welcome's and Cali's families would gather together to eat and talk. Welcome's family must provide the goat to be slaughtered. This ceremony (?) is generally held 10 days after the death of the person but since Cali was employed they postponed it for her till the weekend.

We struggle to understand the tribal traditions and sympathize with the young church members who are torn between the church culture and those of their tribes and families.

A Most Shivering June

It has been unpleasantly cold here this past week or two. I mean 0 Celsius in the mornings and that means 32 Fahrenheit! Today the computer told me that it was 34 degrees and added “feels like 27”. Now this is confusing since there are green leaves on the trees and flowers are still blooming. But with no central heat in the flats this is just plain cold for us.

You can see that some trees in the back have lost their leaves, but so many are still green and full. This is the view from our office window early this morning.

We bundle up to go into the office (shirt, sweater, jacket, coat)and when we get home we put on a couple of layers of shirts, (I wear my checked flannel shirt every single day), don our sweat suits and put a blanket over our legs when we sit down. Now we are tough and we can take it, but still, it gives us something to complain about. The day time temps get up to the 50’s and that’s not bad but still chilly.

This week, Thursday and Friday our heater evidently tripped our circuit breaker and would not be repaired so we were without power for a day, a night, and a day. Now that was uncomfortable. We got our candles and lanterns out for the evening and bundled up and went to sleep early Thursday night. We still had hot water in our geyser (hot water tank) so we could shower, thank goodness. The Wrights were out of town so I went over there to dry and curl my hair. The electrician replaced the circuit breaker since we have had so much trouble with that, and we have been slowly heating the place back up since then.

I have to continually count my blessings, though, knowing that thousand of Africans are having to deal with the cold weather in tiny houses, some made of tin, with no electricity at all. There is a little group of homeless people who live under the street near here and in the mornings as we drive to the office we see them bundled up with a little fire burning and sitting in the sunshine trying to warm themselves.

My troubles are so insignificant. My blessings so great. A little cold weather is just that. I am grateful for the sunshine to warm them and cheer me in this beautiful place.

President Mutombo Returns Home

President Mutombo (looks as though I have been spelling his name wrong all along) returned home to the DR Congo a couple of weeks ago wearing a few extra pounds and a new artificial eye making him look very handsome.

He was such a dear man and we so enjoyed having him with us. He was in Johannesburg and away from his family for 6 weeks. It was wonderful how much his English improved while he was here also. At first we could hardly communicate with him (he speaks and teaches French) but in the end we only struggled occasionally to find the right words to explain ourselves.

When he told us his conversion story he became so animated and said when he thought about it he still got that same excited feeling he felt when he first found the gospel. He was all smiles as he recounted his story and I was taking notes like crazy.

I made copies of all the pictures of our adventures together so that he could take them back to show his family to tell of his Johannesburg activities. Here are a couple from the day we spent at the Johannesburg Zoo.

Elder Wells and Pres Mutombo are comparing pieces of thick, dry skins from elephant, rhino, and hippo.

The fellows are enjoying the antics of a big grey elephant across the way.

President Mutombo asked for a copy of our family picture and upon his return he sent a picture of his family to show us. What a very handsome group, don’t you think? And doesn’t he look well? His oldest son, far right, is preparing to serve a mission right away. His first born is a daughter, back row on left. The youngest is just 3.


Here is his note:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Dear Elder and Sister Well,
It is a pleasure when ever I think of off. I here by just attach my family picture for you.
This was the first Sunday I attended church meeting in my ward, last Sunday.What a pleasure to be back home with family after a successfull traitement in Johannesburg!
Best regards
Pdt Mutombo

We appreciate the faithful African Saints and consider our acquaintance with this good man a great blessing.