Training and Playing -- week 101

It was a busy week training the Taylors.  They are so good, that it is not hard.  But there is still a lot to get into their heads.  They learn fast, and already know a lot because of a previous office mission in New Zealand.  However, showing someone new just makes everything take a little longer.

Monday morning Ken stayed in the office to keep it open while Sue took the Taylors grocery shopping.  We'd put a few basics in the flat before they arrived, but they needed to buy what they wanted for the week.  New stores are always an adventure -- how do things taste, how do they come packaged, etc?  They were pleasantly surprised at how low food prices are compared to USA.  We had been, too.  

The rest of Monday and all of Tuesday was just basic office work.  A small crisis popped up now and then -- a normal happening.

Wednesday and Thursday we took the Taylors and went to do boarding checks (aka apartment inspections).  We saved this for when they came, because it is a good opportunity to drive all over the south and west Durban areas to see where the missionaries live, and meet many of our wonderful Elders.  

Wednesday we started out south with the  Amanzimtoti and Illovu Elders.  We forgot to take a photo there.

Next stop was Orient Hills with the Umlazi missionaries.   Elder Lusuko and Elder Tom came out to the car to "shop" for cleaning supplies.

Third stop was Chatsworth.  It was good to see Elder McGlothlin and Elder Sampson looking so well.  When we were there just before Christmas we had to leave their gifts out on the curb, as they were down with COVID.

Last stop on Wednesday was Queensburgh to see Elders Dodgen and Weber.  

Thursday we drove out west to Molweni and worked our way back towards home and the office.  Again, we forgot to take a photo of Elder Hall and Elder Hulley.  They live in such a beautiful spot!

Next stop was Hillcrest.  That is the favorite boarding -- on the pond.  

Next stop was Umbhedula.  They live in Washington Heights, above Marianhill.  Gorgeous view!  We asked Elders Beck and Rader to find a good Zulu burger place and we'd take them to lunch.  They did!  Zulu Burgers are bought at a Tuck Shop -- neighborhood fast-food place built from a shipping container.  It is just a ball of fried bread dough, cut in half, and filled with chips (french fries) and sauce.  Sauce choices are tomato sauce (ketchup), bbq, or peri peri (very spicy hot!)  And for the Elders the best part is that they only cost R10 (about 65 cents). 

Last stop on Thursday was KwaDabeka to visit the Zone Leaders, Elder Griffin and Elder Hill.

Sue did the first couple of inspections, and then let Sister Taylor take over.  Ken and Elder Taylor also did car inspections.  There are always a few spots that could use more TLC, but most of the flats and cars look pretty good.

Friday was supposed to be a quiet day in the office catching up on all that had been missed on Wednesday and Thursday.  We wish!! Elder Rena do Canto Alviana was scheduled to fly home to Brazil on Friday afternoon.  He has a special place in our hearts. We picked him up from the airport when he arrived in Durban -- twice!!  He first arrived in the mission shortly after we did, and then came back after COVID evacuation.  He is the only one of the Brazilians who managed to get back here.  

He came the first time on 27 Feb 2020 and we picked him up with the Howells because  President & Sister Lines were in Zone Conference.  

He came back in March 2021 -- but came a day later than expected.  The Lines went to the airport, but no one could find him.  We finally heard from Brazil that his flights had been delayed by a day.  

He is also our Elder who was arrested by immigration for not carrying his original passport.  Church attorneys got him out in a few hours.  The immigration officer was wrong.  But while in jail Elder Alviana taught the eight others in his cell about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!  He's a great young man.

He stayed Thursday night with the Assistants upstairs in our building, and the Hubrichs invited us all for breakfast at 7am for "Goooooooolden Browns!"  (you have to sing it).  Hubrich family pancakes.  Ken was already down at their flat watching BYU men's basketball get clobbered by Gonzaga.  The game started at 6am (8pm Pacific Time).

  

So, now we were sorry to see him go.  He came into the office on Friday morning to fill out paperwork for the flight.  We took this picture in front of the mission map, and he felt taller than we remembered.  Yes!  Look at the photo from two years ago.  He was about the same height as we are.  Now he is taller!  He has truly grown in the Gospel!

But we couldn't get him a seat assignment -- required for the COVID tracing form.  We called the airline.  His ticket had been voided because it wasn't paid for.  We got on the phone to Johannesburg Church Travel and they got him back on the flight!  

Then we went with President & Sister Lines to the airport to see him off.  His flight from Durban to Johannesburg was delayed 3.5 hours!  That meant he might miss the flight out of Joburg.  We called Church Travel again.  They called the travel agency and they made him an earlier reservation on another airline.  We went to that check-in counter.  Yes, the reservation had been made.  No, the payment did not go through.  The travel agency has a problem!  President Lines paid for the ticket with his credit card and all is well.  We saw Elder Alviana through security.  Sunday morning Sister Hubrich got a short video from his family showing him arriving in Porto Alegre, Brazil.  He is home, safe and sound. Transfers are not until next week, but his University semester starts in Brazil on 31 January, and he has to do 14 days of quarantine when he gets home. He requested to go home one week early so he didn't have to miss a whole semester of school.  Of course that request was granted.

Friday night we did date-night with the Hubrichs and Taylors.  Dinner at the Cape House Cafe here in Westville. We sat outside in the warm, humid evening air.  Good food and good company.

Saturday was our last P-day.  Preparation Day or Play Day?  We always tell the Elders it is Preparation Day for shopping, laundry, etc.  Sue designed her perfect Play Day in Durban.  Just three things:  Lunch at La Rosa, bike ride along the Durban beach promenade, swim and boogie-boarding.  And we did it all!  It was made even more perfect because wonderful old friends, the Hubrichs, and wonderful new friends, the Taylors, all came along.

LaRosa is our favorite Durban Mexican Restaurant.  (There are not very many.)  We've been there before, but needed to take the Taylors. 

After lunch we rented bikes and rode a couple of kilometers south along the beach and back.  It was very crowded.  This is the last weekend before school starts after summer vacation, so everyone is still out playing and partying.

This red brick promenade goes for 10 km along the amazing city beach in downtown Durban.  Water on one side, lots of high-rise hotels and condos on the other side.

There are some amazing sand sculptures along the way.

And we had to take a photo in front of the "California Dreaming" restaurant. 

Next stop was Thompson's Beach up near Ballito.  The Hubrichs and Sue are the water-babies.  

Ken and the Taylors were glad to watch. 

It was a glorious, beautiful, perfect day that we will always remember.  

Animal stories for this week.

1.  Monkeys again!  The Hubrichs had a 7kg (15.4 lbs) bag of onions left from the food distribution after the riots last July.  They left it outside to share with Taylors.  It sat there for two days undisturbed.  And then we guess the monkeys decided they liked onions after all.  They were all over the place eating them like apples.  

2.  When we were leaving the Cape House Cafe on Friday night we noticed a very large spider making a very large web on the back of the Hubrich's bakkie.  We figured it would blow off during the 100 kph (62mph) trip home.  Saturday when we got home from the beach trip we saw that the spider was still there working on her web!  We drove the van on Saturday, so she had all day with the bakkie sitting to improve on her creation. 

Sunday we went to church in Molweni.  They are still meeting in the Stake Center in Hillcrest, but we had a good crowd there.  So many people have a hard time making the 15km trip.  They don't have cars, nor money for taxis.  We hope they are back in their rented school-rooms in Molweni soon.  And the land has been purchased to build them their own chapel.  It all just takes time, and COVID has slowed down everything.

This is "Fifth Nephi."  He is such a cute kid!  His name is Nephi Vuzane, and there are four books of Nephi in the Book of Mormon -- so he is our fifth. 

We loved these sayings on the bulletin board outside the Family History Center in Hillcrest.  It's a good reminder that history needs to be recorded.

We have been teaching a temple preparation class for Marian Chipara (left) and Alma Mkhungo.  Here are Marian and her mother, Monica.  Next Sunday will be our last week in Molweni, and we will miss our friends here.