Breakfast with the Hippos and Crocs at Maasai Mara

Two Maasai warriors plan strategy.
Breakfast on the Mara River with hippos and crocs.

Three Out of Five in Thirty Minutes

During March travels to Kenya, we tucked in a weekend at Maasai Mara Game Reserve, where we spotted (no pun intended) our first leopard perched high in a lonely tree, lions at base of tree, and a herd of elephants to our left.

Ennerdale Settlement (Home, Sweet Home)

Ennerdale is an informal settlement (as opposed to a township) south of Johannesburg.
(1) Main Street of settlement near Ennerdale (no speed limit posted, so step on the accelerator?)
(2) Government provides plot of land and outhouse; home design by owner
(3) No running water? No problem. Happy women fill buckets at the well.
(4) No garbage cans? No problem. Litter the street, or a vacant lot, or a tree.

Darling Children at Church

Among our favorite children at Hospital View Ward, Bedfordview Stake, Johannesburg:
(1) Tshepo, who walks 30 minutes to church with his four sisters
(2) A little girl we call "Butterfly" because she flits about constantly
(3) Little girl in blue cap, Tsiamo, sings her heart out in Primary, always wears heels with shoes!
(4) Two little men attached to my companion

Soccer Fever

Every Friday our HR Department plans an activity to acquaint us with soccer. Here you see staff and missionaries learn the "diski dance," moves that imitate soccer play. The nice gentleman with US flag headband is our instructor--a pro!

These little Primary children sing their hearts out.

Missionaries gather for park clean up to beautify Joburg before World Cup begins. We were instructed not to pick up syringes, not even with our gloves!

More February

First three photos: Saturday morning walk.
Central Avenue in autumn [leaves change from green to drab brown, with nothing in between, but the air is crisp and cool!].
Massive mosque under construction on Central Avenue.
Sister Ellen has captivated the heart of darling two year old in our church meeting.

February

Beautiful Valentine roses.
Mandela Foundation and enormous synagogue spotted on Saturday morning walk.
Lovely lady who requested money for photo [we carry none when walking], consented to photo nonetheless.

Negotiations with Traditional Authorities

Site of meeting of the Queen's Council, Modjadji, in Limpopo Province.

Negotiating team prepares humanitarian projects presentation to Queen's Council.


One of the Queen's emissaries enjoys warm lunch of mealie pap, cooked pumpkin, gravy with mystery meat, under shade tree in
95 degree weather. Iced sodas are always in good taste.


Roadside market crew stands by to sell freshly picked mangoes.

Limpopo Province

Back to the farm for the first two women, employed as tomato workers at South Africa's largest tomato farm,
ZZ2 [pronounced zed-zed-two] in northeastern Limpopo Province.

This enormous baobab tree is 6,000 years, measures 45 meters at its base, and houses a cave-like hollow in its heart.

The heavy lifting is done by women, this one on her way home from "town."

Christmas Safari

Joburg closes down mid-December to the beginning of new year, giving us opportunity to explore favorite places. Ten missionaries visited Mosetlha Bush Camp to view spectacular landscape and animals. When a feisty female elephant began to charge front of vehicle, our guide Johnny reversed at lightning speed = reason to carry weapon.