The WILD! and The WONDERFUL!

One thing that is wonderful about Africa is all of the wild animals!  There are lots of game parks, but so far we have only gone to one -- the closest one to Harare, Mukuvisi Game Park.  (Since then we have not had a free Saturday to go anywhere).   This was a walking game park, so no lions.

Before we even got into the park, we were stopped by a loud "parade".  This was how they started a wedding that was being held in the game park.  Quite festive!

This group was waiting for the bride.  She will walk through and be greeted by this whole group.  The wedding party is near the rear of the lines.  They were very friendly to us as we had to walk through to start our adventure in the park.

Meet our guide LoveNest.
Yes, that is her real name. 😊

We began with the Crocodiles -- (which were not roaming freely

as the other animals were.)

Love the sign!

And how amazing is it to walk up next to a herd of zebra!



This is a feeder for zebra and similar animals.  The fabric on the sides is treated so that when the animals rub against it, they get some protection from ticks, mites, etc.


We walked a little farther and caught the attention of several grazing giraffes:

Can you see how effective their camouflage can be when they're in among the branches?





These are Eland, more rare than the other animals.

We're standing near what looks like a beautiful, clear stream for the animals, but Lovenest told us that it is highly polluted from toxic waste that a factory upstream dumps in it.  And this is where the animals drink?!!! 

 On that note, we will move from the "Wild" to the WONDERFUL!  Our work with the Seminary and Institute program.

Our work with the youth and young single adults here is both wonderful and rewarding!  We work primarily with two of the five stakes in Harare, although we get to interact and help with the other three stakes as well.  We help teach Inservice classes to all five stakes; we visit seminary and institute classes; and we work on administrative things like attendance reporting, and budgets.  We also get the privilege of speaking at some of the youth activities.

We have previously discussed the incredible response from the youth, parents, and teachers when they were asked to switch from afternoon or evening seminary several days a week to early morning seminary, five days a week.  They were willing to do whatever their leaders asked them to do.  And now, as we're rolling out the early classes, and visiting them, we are overwhelmed by these amazing youth!

Here are just a few pictures of our seminary classes:

This was the very first class we visited, an evening seminary class before we switched to early morning.  It's hard to describe how tiny and humble this house was. The sweet teacher, Sister Mkandla (seated on the far left) had to teach standing in her kitchen, behind the red couch.  Every possible space was taken up by the 15 students that came to her class.  She had a wonderful object lesson with two pieces of paper:  one that she put on a small refrigerator behind her that said, "Adversity", written with crayon, and the other sign was put up on the inside of the front door, also written in crayon saying, "No Adversity". She asked some of the students to stand by whichever one of the signs most described the lives of various prophets.  She had no tape to put up a sign but was able to find a sharp point of a nail just barely sticking out of the door.  Sister Mkandla has very little in the way of worldly goods, but her spirit is HUGE. She taught from the New Testament about Paul and how he dealt with and was strengthened by adversity.  Her students were reading from the scriptures and contributing to the lesson, teaching each other.

The next week, Sister Mkandla's class met at 7:30 a.m., and walked for over an hour, to join with a branch in their stake for a scripture mastery activity (now called doctrinal mastery).

This is a picture of the two classes that got together that day, with a very impressive showing of mostly-committed-to-memory scriptures.  They competed against each other.  In October, we will have a competition for all the stake.  Note: You can see in the background, to the left of Elder Theurer, and about even with his ear, a barely visible gray hill.  Sister Mkandla's class walked from the other side of that hill.  But everyone from both classes had to walk for quite a distance.  And they don't complain!!!! They are happy and respectful and cooperative!

The Teachers

 A student conducting, beginning the activity.

This was our winner.  She couldn't have any 
more than 4 errors in reciting the scripture.  

We struggled to find this class.  It was in an unnamed school, behind large walls, in a very poor neighborhood.  The class meets in what is the chapel for this ward.  We went to help them get a start at their doctrinal mastery.  The teacher's handicapped son (also a seminary student) and daughter are sitting with her on the front row. 




There was no electricity in the room so Brother Banda had to use his I-pad.  They didn't seem to mind.  It was fun to see them having fun and learning the scriptures.



The very first early morning seminary class to start was also probably the most humble .

President Gonzo (white shirt in the middle) made the bricks for this little room from a kiln that he built himself.  And then he built the room onto his parent's home.  His father is the other man in white.  The father is not a member of the church but he LOVES the Book of Mormon and he enjoys attending seminary.  The room has no door, and only a dirt floor. With our truck we were able to help him bring chairs from his branch.  He found an old chalkboard that is propped against the wall.  The seminary teacher is the one in the Nike sweatshirt, Tapiwa Gonzo. The five students (4 boys and 1 girl) have previously only attended seminary on rare occasions because it was too far for them to walk to the Branch. Now, they can come because this class is held near to them and their school.  They look so serious, but they were delightful!  And each was participating and involved in the lesson.

President Gonzo, Tapiwa, and their parents.

(President) Ephraim Gonzo is amazing!  Not only did he build the classroom, he is also building a school for his community of White Cliffs.  He also built a little "store" (as small as the classroom)  by his home so the people can come to buy things without having to walk so far.  This is a very poor community -- 6000 people share 2 boreholes for water, and one is often not functionning.  There is no electricity anywhere here, so it isn't that hard to get up for a 5:30 or 6 AM seminary class, because they go to bed when it gets dark (for some around 7PM).

This is the homemade kiln.

This is the school he is building!

These are the cute girls in front of the school, 2 of 180 of his students.

President Gonzo (Branch President of the Kuwadzana Branch) actually had the first TWO early morning seminary classes.  He was the first in his stake to get the program going.

This was the other class.  We went to the first one at 6:00 and the second at 7:00.  This was also a very fun class, even though they look so sober.  The wonderful teacher, Gwande Gwande, is sitting in the very back for the picture.  He is such a happy man!

This is just a sampling.  We have said this before, but the Church is alive and well in Africa!  And the rising generation is particularly amazing.

Some of the GEMS that we have enjoyed recently:

"Every soul confined to a concentration camp of sin and guilt of sin and guilt has a key to the gate.  The adversary cannot hold them if they know how to use it.  The key is labeled repentance. The twin principles of repentance and forgiveness exceed in strength the awesome power of the adversary."                     -- Elder Boyd K. Packer

"Don't take for granted the divinity of the Spirit."        -- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"We could not eat only once a week.  Neither can we only feast upon the Spirit only once a week."      (-- Sister Bonnie Oscarson speaking to combined auxilliaries in Zimbabwe)

 President Lorenzo Snow once said to the Twelve of his day, “Every one of us who has not already had the experience must yet meet it of being tested in every place where we are weak."             (-- Quoted by Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

Two thoughts from President Spencer W. Kimball in our last week's Institute class:

"If we live in such a way that the considerations of eternity press upon us, we will make better decisions." 

   

"Nothing will prepare mankind for glory in the Kingdom of God as readily as faithfulness to the marriage covenant." 

   

African Proverb:  "If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together."

             (From Elder Koch at Zimbabwe Auxilliary Training, referring to Councils)

"There’s one thing that I’ve learned from scripture study that I wish I’d been taught when I was of an age to be attending seminary or Institute, and that is:  that it is a great mistake to read the scripture like you would read a magazine or a newspaper. . . . I’m picking up the word of God, written by prophets, under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord.  That should never be read without praying over it first. . . . We would pray that the Lord would bless us that we would be able to understand what we’re reading.  And that the act of reading the scriptures would summon the Spirit of the Lord to guide us on things other than simply the meaning of what we’re reading.  In this way the scripture can be a urim and thummim to help us receive revelation."                -- Elder Dallin H. Oaks (in S&I teacher training video)

We are grateful to be serving here in Zimbabwe.  We have a wide variety of experiences every day.  We are now carrying Book of Mormons to give out to the police who stop us, trying to find a reason to extort money.  Last Sunday an officer asked us to bring him one. We promised we would and gave him a lollipop (a very popular treat!!!)  Either we will be able to share the gospel with them or they will quit pulling us over.

We love you and miss seeing you!

Elder and Sister Theurer

THE BUSH! . . . . .and how the Church is blessing many lives!

 The Church gives some generous and wonderful help here in Africa. We were blessed to go with Elder and Sister Neilson, the Humanitarian couple, to "The Bush", also called "The Rurals".  They had to inspect 9 Boreholes; that is what they call the wells that they drill.  The Church drills 60 to 70 feet down to insure an adequate supply of water.  Each Borehole costs approximately $10,000.

                                                                        

Elder Theurer trying out the pump of a borehole placed at a school.  The whole community will walk to this borehole to get water.  Sometimes it is a very long walk!

The girls start young learning to carry on their heads.  These

children were filling and returning to the borehole repeatedly.

We discovered that they were taking care of a garden at their school.

Sister Neilsen is checking out a borehole at another location. The Church maintains the boreholes for the first year to make sure everything goes well.  After the year, they turn it over to the community.  If the borehole is not well-cared for during the first year, they might take out the pump until the care improves or the people are re-trained in what to do.  They want to do everything they can so the Borehole will bless the people for a long time.

This is a common sight.  A mom carrying a 5 gallon bucket full of water on

her head, and another in her hand.  Our guide, Gibson, is standing next to her.

By the way, if you need to use a bathroom in the Bush,
you might be lucky enough to find a "Blair toilet".

Vakadzi means this is for Ladies only.

This is what it looks like on the inside.

Luxury accommodations!

                                                                                         

                                         

Now back to water.  Water is so precious that they have a water committee that oversees all of the boreholes in the "WARD" -- about 24 different "rurals".  Many of the 9 boreholes are in this Ward. The lady in the middle, Teresa, is the "Counsellor", elected by the Ward, and a member of the government of Zimbabwe.

Before we left, Teresa gave me a hug and said, "Please don't forget me."

She knows about the Church.  Her only family, a sister, is a member who 

recently served some kind of a church mission.  I hope our paths cross again.

The family that lived in this home invited us in to see how they live.  This is one of the nicer homes. 

The round building is for cooking, although they do some of the cooking outside.  The square buildings are for sleeping.  They keep animals -- chickens, cattle, goats, if they own them, inside the fence.  The homes in the Bush have not electricity and no water (except what they carry to their home).

I'm posing with the lady of the house.  And a man from the water committee wanted to be in the picture as well.  She was so sweet.  She didn't have many possessions but she proudly showed us her shelf of books, telling us that she had read every one.

Her kitchen.

Gibson is showing us how people brush their teeth in the Bush.  He took a stick off a particular tree and peeled back the bark.  Then he chews on the end a little and uses it to brush his teeth.  

When there is water in the Bush, they can make bricks (for homes and to sell).  We ran across these brick makers close to one of the Boreholes.  This enterprise blesses the life of whole families because they can make a little money - 1000 bricks will bring in between 30 and 50 dollars.

 It starts with mixing river sand and clay, or sand from ant hills, with the water.  This sweet, happy lady had that messy task.  And then she would put the mud into the brick forms.

 The forms got carried one by one to a drying area.

You can see that some are getting dried.  When they reach a certain point, they are put into a homemade kiln.

These people are so resourceful and so hard working!  And so kind!  They were delighted to let us take their pictures, and they loved to see how the pictures looked.  We gave them each a "sweet" (a lollipop -- a huge favorite here with both children and adults).  While we were taking pictures, Gibson was helping them work.

On day two we went to check out this school:  Mayfield Park Primary School in a Rural called  Mazoe.

Sister Neilson, Elder Theurer, and one of the teachers, are standing in one of three classroom doors at the school.  The Church did a Borehole at the school and contributed 

new desks.  The teacher we are standing with teaches Pre-K, K, 1st, and 2nd 

grade.  The other teachers split the grades up to and including age 13.

Some of the students in this Rural have to walk up to 10K to school every day.  There are very few secondary schools, and the nearest one to this school is 15K.  Because of the distance, many of the teenagers drop out after primary school.

The soccer field and play area

Checking the inside of the classrooms.  The students are on holiday right now.  

Bathrooms

In the middle of this picture is the Teacher's private bathroom,

if they don't want to share with the students.

The three teachers are given small cottages to live in while they are teaching. 
They looked big enough for a bed, and a table, a chair, and maybe a few possessions.

This is the chicken coop.  They raise chickens at the school

basically so they can eat them for lunch.

And this is the Kitchen!  Right now the roof needs a little work 😬

but the students are on break right now.  The teachers are tasked

with preparing a meal each day for the students, often the only meal

that the students will eat that day.  Typically they eat chicken, if they

have it, greens and corn from the school garden, and rice or sadza.

Sadza, made out of maize, is the dietary staple of Zimbabwe.

Recess companions!  You never know when a herd of longhorn

cattle might run through the school yard!

If you can catch a couple, you can get them to pull your cart. 

Actually, it is a common sight to see carts drawn by donkeys

or cattle in the Bush.  This is by where we had our meeting with

the water committee, before we went out further into the Bush.

A few pictures of the children from the Rurals/Bush:

And the favorite that we met in the Bush that day is-- The Mouse Catcher:

 This young man was hanging around by the borehole at the school.  Gibson started to
talk with him and realized he'd been hunting mice.  In fact, his pockets were filled with
37 mice!!!  The kids in the Bush catch them, burn off the fur, and then roast them to 
eat. 😳   If he didn't eat them, he could sell them to the other kids (for a snack).
   

Check out his face when he thought Gibson was going to eat 
one of his mice!  With the fur still on!

Recently the Humanitarian couple recognized a need at a Women's Center:
(We didn't see this personally, but loved what the Church did here)

Pregnant women walk for miles to this clinic when they think they are ready to deliver.  So basically they are walking up to 20 miles while in labor!  You can see that when they get there, they would lay on the floor, on cardboard, to have their babies.  The clinic had very little equipment and nothing to sterilize the equipment.  

The Church contributed beds and bedding, bedside cabinets, delivery tables, curtains (there was cardboard on the windows for privacy, but that made it dark), an autoclave for sterilization, needed equipment, etc.

If I remember right, the Church gave them about 10 beds (about all that could fit in the room).  You can see a few of the women who were the lucky recipients on this day.  They were so grateful!


It was truly inspiring to see all the good that the Church has been doing for these wonderful people!  And we enjoyed seeing the Rurals and the Bush.  (There are places more remote, but we haven't been there yet).


And finally, the some of the recent "GEMS":

Elder Holland  -- "Come as you are, a loving Father says to us.  But He adds, Don't plan to stay as you are."

Brigham Young -- "The first and foremost duty is to seek the Lord until we open the path of communication from God to our own soul."

Elder Holland in a missionary training -- The Spirit can't be put off and on like an old sweater.  We must be striving to have it with us every day, every hour, in every aspect of the work.  You can't live in Babylon all day and then hurry over to the City of Enoch to prepare for a lesson.

Elder Oaks in a missionary training on the Sacrament -- Two truths about the Sacrament:
1.  What we take into our mouths is not as important as what we do in our minds. . . Our minds should be concentrating on the meaning of His atoning sacrifice and we should be remembering the Lord  and consciously renewing our covenents with Him.
2.  Because it is broken and torn, each piece of bread is unique, just as the individuals who partake of it are unique.  We all have different sins to repent of.  We all have different needs to be strengthened through the Atonement . . . Strive to think of His sacrifice as specific and unique to you.

Elder Eyring in a Face to Face with the Youth on Prayer --   . . ."Prepare yourself to go before Deity.  Sometimes, when we are most determined, and prepared, and see it as going before the throne of God (this is different than a "chat"), then remarkable things will come."

More Elder Eyring (from the F to F) -- 

God the Father is a personal God, and is personal with us.

[Revelation comes] when we are "quiet inside".  He will wait until we can be quiet enough to hear.  It is still and small.  Stay on your knees!  You can tell it's from the Holy Ghost if it comes with a feeling of peace and comfort, and love of the Savior and the Lord's servants.

We send our love!

Elder and Sister Theurer