Our life got more complicated in July 2018, so I haven't had a chance to do another blog for a while -- like 6+ months 😳 !!! We can never catch up the time completely but maybe I can hit some of the highlights. (Warning -- this is a longer blog because it is my last one and it is a lame attempt at catching up.)
On July 1st, President and Sister Mkhabela finished their mission!
Our dear President and Sister Mkhabela went home! They were very well-loved by all the missionaries, and hands down two of the finest teachers of the Gospel that I have ever heard! Anytime they spoke, I was anxious to hear what they had to say, and I took lots of notes!
But change is good and always helps us grow! And the evening that the Mkhabelas left, we ushered in the new mission president, his wife, and 4 kids: (Karen -15, Rachael -12, Tapiwa - 8, and Tinotenda - 3).
Meet President and Sister Makasi. He was the S&I (Seminary and Institute) Area Director of the Africa Southeast Area and also an Area Seventy. He was set to be released from all of the callings this year and they planned to go back to Bulawayo, to their new house and farm, where he would have become an S&I Coordinator. But instead, he will wait 3 more years and will now lead our mission.
When President and Sister Makasi are busy, we add helping take care of children to our duties, transporting to and from school, supervising dinner, etc.. This is a picture when the Makasi's were at mission president training in South Africa. We taught the kids the American fine art of decorating cupcakes (because it was Karen's birthday).
When President and Sister Makasi are busy, we add helping take care of children to our duties, transporting to and from school, supervising dinner, etc.. This is a picture when the Makasi's were at mission president training in South Africa. We taught the kids the American fine art of decorating cupcakes (because it was Karen's birthday).
The other two senior couples, some of our now really good friends, the Selchos (Office and Finance), and the Carrells (Fleets and Flats), went home. With no one to replace them!!! So officially we got less than a week of formal training (they used the term "drinking from a fire hose") and off we went!
We spend very LONG hours each day in the office, initially doing some of both assignments. CRAZY!!! The wonderful bonus is that we get to know and work with all of the missionaries. We have missionaries from all over the world: Austria, England, Taiwan, Denmark, the Islands (Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Micronesia), New Zealand, Australia, all over Africa, and the US.
Selchos from Salt Lake City on the left and the Carrells from Twin Falls Idaho in the right.
Our mission president finally turned the Fleets and Flats over to elders, but Elder Theurer still finds himself doing some of both assignments!
With S&I we visited early morning seminary classes and evening Institute classes. We love and miss the teachers. Our hours have changed. What was busy before has now been increased! We start between 8:30 and 9AM and finish between 7:00 and 9PM. 😬😲😳
With S&I we visited early morning seminary classes and evening Institute classes. We love and miss the teachers. Our hours have changed. What was busy before has now been increased! We start between 8:30 and 9AM and finish between 7:00 and 9PM. 😬😲😳
But we have delightful and adorable missionaries of all shapes and sizes, and, as we mentioned, from all over the world. Elder Lin from Taiwan with Elder Koch from Denmark. Elder Koch is just under 7 feet tall. He has to duck to go through all of the doors! These two were companions!
Just for fun, here is one more picture of Elder Koch next to President and Sister Makasi:
This is a BEFORE and AFTER. Elder Theurer doing what he loves -- Teaching:
Elder Theurer at a desk with spread sheets, finances, contracts, and ZESA payments!
Our now not-so-new mission offices:
While we're talking about Chegutu, we always found their local restaurant interesting!
You've gotta love this name for a place to eat???
These are the two Branch Presidents in Chegutu where we have been attending every week. Wonderful, Faithful Men!
President Bveke of the Kaguvi Branch
The shops are just down past the purple and yellow tent.
The shoe store. Washed and ready to sell.
The exterior of the market, but down the "aisles" there are many shops inside.
Elder Theurer found a shirt.
Just for fun, here is one more picture of Elder Koch next to President and Sister Makasi:
This picture was taken as he was getting ready to leave.
This is a BEFORE and AFTER. Elder Theurer doing what he loves -- Teaching:
Elder Theurer at a desk with spread sheets, finances, contracts, and ZESA payments!
Our now not-so-new mission offices:
My new job, although CRAZY BUSY, is a lot more fun than Elder Theurer's.
Lots of bikes with very big loads!
We were reassigned from Kadoma to Chegutu. Chegutu, in the Kadoma District, about
Every day we get to greet our wonderful missionaries. Lots of sisters in this photo, but we get a huge variety! They come to my window for the easy stuff, and to chat, and then Elder Theurer gets them for the problems -- like "I ran out of money", "I lost my phone", or "my allotment card isn't working".
But it is really a delight working with and getting to know the missionaries! We split the mission in July but we are now back up to 130 missionaries.
Elder Dan sporting a fun T-shirt on P-Day:
This window shot has 2 from the Islands, 2 from South Africa, and 4 from America, including 1 from Layton.
Elder Dan sporting a fun T-shirt on P-Day:
Our wonderful missionaries don't just come to the window . . . they are happy to help!
Elder Ncube cleaning up the church before it starts. They need to do this most Sundays.
More of our cute missionaries! One of these had a Zimbabwe suit coat made for his mission homecoming. Is there something in America called, "Who Wears it Best?" See if you can tell who it belongs to. They were all taking turns modeling the jacket.
(It's the one with the name tag on his tie)
I will try to do a quick review of some of the people, places, and events events of the last months, in no particular order.
The potholes in the roads are getting bigger. Occasionally they get filled, and sometimes by some of the unemployed people who will fill in a pothole and then stand with outstretched hand hoping that we will stop and give them a dollar for their efforts. OR, in Kadoma where we were originally assigned to go to church each Sunday (2 hours away) they made a statement about the size of some of the potholes by planting trees in them:
Just go ahead and plant your garden!
We continue to be impressed with how adept people are are carrying huge loads! The two ladies on the left were two of our early morning seminary teachers. We had just finished 5:30 AM class and met this lady as we came out. This picture was taken before our reassignment.
More hard-working ladies!
Just down the same street was this gentleman pushing and pulling his load! These hand carts and the Zimbabwe Uhauls!
This is Elliott, the main gardener at the mission office. This is how he sweeps our big parking lot -- the palm branch is his broom!
Meet who we affectionately call the "Red Dress Ladies". They clean up the city every morning in their red dresses. Surprisingly we also found out that this is a sought after, patronage job! It pays more than many of the other public servant jobs here. Extra money and you get to wear a dress when you clean?!
One day Elder Dube dropped by to visit. He is from Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is full of COLOR!!!
We were on a drive in Epworth, one of the high density areas, and caught this religious group dancing.
Natural color! Jacaranda trees in bloom!
Unknown red flowering bush right outside out gate. There is always something beautiful blooming here:
The bright orange trees come out as the Jakaranda's are finishing:
We were reassigned from Kadoma to Chegutu. Chegutu, in the Kadoma District, about
1 1/2 hours drive from Harare, is a very humble small town with two branches -- Chegutu and Kaguvi. We attend both branches each week. Both branches needed help in Primary so I taught them some songs for the Primary program at the end of November. These are the delightful children from the two branches:
Kaguvi Branch! The Primary President didn't show up for the program so a member of the Relief Society Presidency (R) and the one active Primary teacher (L) put the program together. But the children LOVE to sing!!!
This is the Chegutu Primary. The Primary President (L) made every boy a yellow tie and every girl a yellow flower. Sorry it's not too clear. Elder Theurer handled the camera, and the audio, because we were using my laptop for the music. These children sang with their voices and their hearts!
And this is the Chegutu Youth Class! These youth have a depth of testimony that is really impressive. Their teacher (R) really challenges them each week to think and to apply what they are learning. At 23, she is teaching at a local college but is getting ready to put in her mission papers.
You've gotta love this name for a place to eat???
These are the two Branch Presidents in Chegutu where we have been attending every week. Wonderful, Faithful Men!
President Chokwenda, of the Chegutu Branch and his wife. The Chokwendas have been members of the Church for 6 months! On our last Sunday at church they sang a song for us in sacrament meeting.
We went on a road trip with the Bandas to Mutare. Ever wonder what happens to the clothes you donate to help needy people in Africa? Well, they come in bundles and get sold to people who then re-sell them in markets like this-- Sakubva Market in Mutare:
Within the varied landscape of Zimbabwe, you can find amazing rock formations and outcroppings that look like someone just dropped them there. I'm sure that this is where Simba, from the Lion King, would have hung out when lions roamed the land here.
The $2 bond note is illustrated with this formation from the Chiremba Balancing Rocks Park.
This lady was at the rock park, playing her MBIRA, a really interesting African musical instrument with a haunting musical sound.
Speaking of lions. Under an hour's drive from our home, you will find the Lion Park, a great little game park. You would NEVER get to do this in America, but you just pay your money and they open the gate for you to drive in. All they say is "don't get out of your car." Pretty sure we wouldn't be doing that.
We stole away and took a few days off when our son Michael and his wife Jillian came to visit for about 10 days. When we weren't putting them to work in the office, we went to some of our favorite places, but the best place of all was Victoria Falls!!! Words and even pictures can't describe what an amazing place it is.
Our wonderful family in America made some Hygiene Kits as a service to the residents of a rehabilitation hospital in Ruwa. Our dear friend Mary Banda works at the hospital. The largest rehab hospital in Zimbabwe, it services mostly spinal cord injuries. They only have what their family can bring them, which is super difficult for many of these people. So they were very grateful for the supplies in the hygiene kits. Michael and Jillian brought them.
Just a few last random adventures . . . .
We were invited to a primary school to be the "special guests" at their graduation. Elder Theurer was in charge of putting on the graduation cap and I presented the certificates. They had two or three graduation robes. The child would put on the robe and the cap for the picture, and then the next child would come and repeat the process.
This is Nelson, a tailor in Ruwa. He makes beautiful dresses in his little room -- for $5 US!
We gave him a Book of Mormon on at our last meeting and he promised to read it!
Finally, The GEMS that we have collected over the last months:
President Mkhabela:
⇨"One definition for conversion is transformation. We are converted to the Church but are we transformed by it?"
⇨(Advice to missionaries dealing with adversity) "This is a challenge that could help make me a God."
Sister Mkhabela:
⇨"When people compliment you, don't inhale!"
⇨"You can listen to respond and answer or you can listen to learn and help."
President Chatora (Area Seventy for the Africa Southeast area):
⇨"Love is not for spectators, but for active participators."
Sister Harare (Kadoma District Relief Society President):
⇨"Keeping the commandments is the ultimate act of worship."
Brother Wimpey (from S&I, quoting Elder Kim B. Clark)
⇨"Learn of Me" is an invitation from the Savior to learn DEEPLY. It means "learn to know
me", "learn from me."
President Henry B. Eyring (quoting his father)
⇨ "I've never met a person that I didn't learn something from."
Sister Nelson (speaking to the missionaries)
⇨ "Think of a problem. What are the eternal laws that govern that problem and need to
be followed to get the blessing?
Live our lives after the manner that the Lord will show us, not after the manner of men."
That is how the miracles happen.
I have temporarily lost my book where I have written my gems, so the rest will be for another day. 😊
We love all of you and are looking forward to seeing everyone again soon in America!
All our love,
Elder and Sister Theurer
It is quite a walk to see all of the Falls! Enormous and beautiful!
Of course the younger Theurer generation decided to see it from another view . . . This is how mothers have anxiety attacks!
A different kind of thieves in Zimbabwe
This is the Baobab Tree, or
"tree of life", one of Africa's
treasures! This tree can live
for several thousand years.
African masked dancers -- one of them gets on stilts!
Elder Theurer enjoying an early morning ride on an elephant.
Elephants everywhere!!!
This group crossed right in front of us when we took a ride on the Zambezi River!
And hippos too! They are considered the most dangerous animals in Africa.
Anyway, we saw a whole variety of God's most amazing animals. Way better than a zoo!
We discovered that this road sign means "Danger" -- so watch for animals!
Just a few last random adventures . . . .
We were invited to a primary school to be the "special guests" at their graduation. Elder Theurer was in charge of putting on the graduation cap and I presented the certificates. They had two or three graduation robes. The child would put on the robe and the cap for the picture, and then the next child would come and repeat the process.
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| These are the children! The parents are dancing in the wings as loud African music plays. Everyone is MOVING! |
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This is the main teacher and master of ceremonies! |
In Africa they eat every part of the chicken! This is my attempt to eat actual chicken feet at lunch. Our dear friends, the full-time employees at the office were having the chicken for lunch. Elder Theurer and I have also eaten caterpillars (Madora) and little dried fish with their eyes staring up at you (Matemba).
Madora on the left, Matemba on the right.
Preparing the sacrament at the Southlea Park Branch:
In everything we learn to do with whatever circumstances we are presented with. This mission is teaching us to be flexible!
Faces of a few of the many people that we have come to love:
Relief Society Sisters! Stalwart sisters in the Branches
(In case you can't tell, the dresses are covered with Relief Society seals!)
Our farewell dinner with the Makasi Family
The two new Office Sisters -- They are taking my place in the office. We had them over to dinner on Christmas so that they could have phones to call their families. Sister Nakalyowa on the left is from Uganda and Sister Sariah on the right is from California.
We gave him a Book of Mormon on at our last meeting and he promised to read it!
In the small Kadoma cluster where we often attend church
these three sisters are some of the most faithful. We visited the whole
family and are hoping that someday their parents will join the Church.
The Kambuzuma family had us to lunch on our last Saturday in Zimbabwe. They had no table so we ate on some nice chairs inside. Brother Kambuzuma was the Bishop about 8 years ago. Elton, in the red shirt, teaches Institute, and Sister Kambuzuma teaches Seminary. When she served us rice and chicken for lunch, she knelt before us and presented the plates to each of us -- one of their very respectful traditions! They are an amazing family! They are currently saving money to take their family to the temple to get sealed. The temple in South Africa is a 12 hour bus ride. The trip, the housing, and food cost a lot so they have not been able to get there yet.
On our last P-day Monday, the missionaries who came in for a treat asked for a picture all together. I LOVE these adorable missionaries!!! I will truly miss them!
The BOTTOM LINE is that we LOVE these gentle, patient, Christlike people of Zimbabwe. And also our amazing missionaries! It has been our blessing and pleasure to work with them for the last 18 months!!! Our mission has changed our lives! We have been blessed in countless ways and we are completely GRATEFUL that we had this opportunity! 💖
Finally, The GEMS that we have collected over the last months:
President Mkhabela:
⇨"One definition for conversion is transformation. We are converted to the Church but are we transformed by it?"
⇨(Advice to missionaries dealing with adversity) "This is a challenge that could help make me a God."
Sister Mkhabela:
⇨"When people compliment you, don't inhale!"
⇨"You can listen to respond and answer or you can listen to learn and help."
President Chatora (Area Seventy for the Africa Southeast area):
⇨"Love is not for spectators, but for active participators."
Sister Harare (Kadoma District Relief Society President):
⇨"Keeping the commandments is the ultimate act of worship."
Brother Wimpey (from S&I, quoting Elder Kim B. Clark)
⇨"Learn of Me" is an invitation from the Savior to learn DEEPLY. It means "learn to know
me", "learn from me."
President Henry B. Eyring (quoting his father)
⇨ "I've never met a person that I didn't learn something from."
Sister Nelson (speaking to the missionaries)
⇨ "Think of a problem. What are the eternal laws that govern that problem and need to
be followed to get the blessing?
Live our lives after the manner that the Lord will show us, not after the manner of men."
That is how the miracles happen.
I have temporarily lost my book where I have written my gems, so the rest will be for another day. 😊
We love all of you and are looking forward to seeing everyone again soon in America!
All our love,
Elder and Sister Theurer
