We are back in Durban!! Weeks 21-43

 We were home for a lot longer than anticipated.  As explained in the previous blog post, way back in June, we continued to serve the mission from home.  Ken kept up his gardening and video-conversion projects.  Sue helped Ravenswood School District Technology Department as Distance Learning continued for all students through the Fall semester.

We also managed one beautiful day at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz in the Fall.

We were told in early November that we could return soon to Durban.  Finally!  We decided we wanted to go to Henderson, Nevada, for Thanksgiving to see our son Reed and his family.  

Well, really to see the grandchildren, especially little Callie.  She was born the day after we arrived back in the USA on March 26, but because of COVID, our planned trips in April, July, and October all got canceled.  There were lots of advisories not to travel for Thanksgiving, but we decided to be really careful and go anyway.  

Their family isolated for two weeks before we came, and we did the same.  We drove the nine hours to get there, as that is safer than flying.  We took all our own food and used disinfectant wipes on the gas pump handles and restroom doors when we had to stop along the way.  We had a great time with all the kids, and Callie even learned to crawl while we were there.  

We gave our lovely baby grand piano to Reed and Jen in 2019, and they are enjoying it.  We had fun singing Christmas Carols together, and listening to Reed on violin and Jen on piano.  The piano has a good home where it is well used.

We drove home all day Monday after Thanksgiving, and bright-and-early Tuesday we were at the Kaiser Medical Center near the San Jose airport to get our COVID test.  We needed it to be done less than 72 hours before departing for South Africa, but Kaiser needs 48 hours to process, and then we had to get a printed copy signed by the doctor.  Ken's test results came through at 5 pm on Wednesday, but Sue's still hadn't come by the time we went to bed.  This was a little worrisome, as we had each caught simple head colds in Henderson.  However, when we woke up Thursday morning Sue's negative test results were in.  We ran several last-minute errands on Thursday morning, and one was to pick up the signed COVID results from Kaiser in Mountain View.  Whew!  We could really leave on Friday, and they would let us in to South Africa.

It's been interesting to watch the pandemic path in the USA and in South Africa (RSA).  RSA had consistent and strict guidelines from the very beginning.  It was illegal to even go to the office or other non-essential services until early September.  Their lockdown and mask-wearing were strong, and it has paid off.  They got through their winter months (June, July, August) with relatively low infection rates and no overcrowded hospitals.  Now that things are open again the rate is going up a bit.  Today it is at 6.3/100,000 people.  In contrast, our county in California is at 35/100,000.  And it is one of the lowest places in the state and country.  So we have no worries about being in South Africa during the COVID pandemic.

We left home at 3 a.m. on Friday, 4 December.  Many, many thanks to Spencer Hansen for driving us to the San Francisco airport at that crazy hour!  At least we didn't have to worry about traffic.  Spencer and his family are moving into our house while we are gone.  They moved onto our block in Palo Alto and into our Palo Alto Foothills Ward congregation last March just after we left.  Since we came home we've become friends with Spencer, his wife Angie, and their thee children, ages 12, 10 & 3.  We know they will take good care of things.  

We originally had a fairly easy itinerary:  SFO to Heathrow to Johannesburg to Durban.  But, as has happened so many times in the last eight months, the flights got canceled.  New plan:  SFO to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Johannesburg, stay overnight, then to Durban on Sunday morning.  

We had the early flight to Atlanta, then a red-eye to Amsterdam.  Luckily that flight was not very full.  We each had a four-seat center section of seats to ourselves, so could stretch out and sleep.  That helped the 8 hours in the air pass more quickly.

This was a longer trip, but going through Amsterdam meant we planned to have ebelskeevers for breakfast after the long red-eye flight.  But no such luck.  Due to COVID restrictions, the restaurant in the middle of Schipol Airport is totally closed.  In Dutch they are called "poffertjes."  For those not familiar, they are like a pancake, but spherical and a little smaller than a tennis ball.  We eat them with butter and syrup.  It takes a special pan.  My Danish-heritage grandmother always made them, and my Mom and I did also.  But they are hard to make for a crowd.  My pans only make seven at a time, and I have two pans.  This restaurant has a special long, narrow pan that makes 50 at a time!  That's what I need when the whole family is together and wants Ebelskeevers!

We were surprised at how full the plane was from Amsterdam to Johannesburg.  That flight was all day long and into the night.  We had originally requested aisle seats on two different rows.  We figured we'd get a three-seat section to ourselves that way.  No such luck.  We each had another couple seated next to us in the center and window seats, so we couldn't even trade with someone to sit together.  It is the start of summer tourist season in South Africa, and people are flocking in to escape both the cold winter and higher COVID rates in Europe.  Everyone had to show negative COVID test to get on the plane, so we are hoping they don't bring higher rates of infection with them.

It was 1:30 a.m. in California when we arrived in Durban airport (11:30 a.m. local time), and then we had to drive 30+ minutes to our apartment.  That's almost 48 hours traveling.  We loved our greeting party!  It was outside because no one is allowed in the terminal building except those with tickets.  That solves the problem of all the hugging around the exit from baggage claim.  

We did have a wonderful group waiting for us outside the terminal, however.  It was our great Office Elders who have supported our work while we've been away, and also President and Sister Lines.  We are so glad to be back with all of them!

Sister Lines had worked to get our apartment in shape -- a few groceries to tide us over until we can shop on Monday.  And most importantly, we have a lovely Christmas Tree!

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the reason we are here in Durban -- to share his message of love and hope and peace and forgiveness with the people of South Africa.