Saturday, August 24, 2013

First trip to Johannesburg

We had a wonderful 4 days in Johannesburg .  I died and went to heaven.  A bath tub in the hotel that I could actually sit in clean water was heavenly.  In fact I took 2 baths a day !  We spent our first free day walking through the mall that was attached to the Hyatt hotel got our hair cut, went shopping in a grocery store stored up and filled our suitcase!!! We spent 2 full days in training. I think the Area Presidency does this after we have been in our missions for 6weeks and we know what they are talking about and what questions we need to ask haha. Here we are at the Area Presidency's home which is right by the Temple and the Mission Offices.  The temple was closed for repairs. There were the seven new mission presidents and their wives it was so fun to see them again.  Look at that blue sky the first we have seen one.  Kinshasa is kind of smoggy right now.  It was actually cold in Johannesburg .  Still no container!! I'm still wearing the same 5 outfits.  But then so is the President!!!!
 

Trip to the orphanage

We had an opportunity to visit and deliver supplies to an orphanage that is run by a member of the church.  As we approached the place the children saw and ran to meet us with their arms opened for hugs.  This is new school that was built for the children and also the neighborhood children the director    can then charge the neighborhood children alittle bit for school and this give her means to help the orphanage.  But as we went into the school there is no desks or chairs so I don't know how that's going to work.  We played games hokey pokey, do as I'm doing, head,shoulders knees and toes, and president cook even got the children to play Simon Says. The conditions of this orphanage was bare minimal as you can see from the pictures I didn't think I would see worst than Romania but I did.  Picture of the shower and latrine are shown and then their beds with mosquito nets. The senior missionaries from our mission made the bunk beds before this the children were sleeping on the hard cement floor. There are 23 children in this orphanage.