We shake our heads and can't believe that we have been on mission for 6 months now. We say each day that we are the most fortunate of all missionaries, we have the best mission in the most wonderful place in the world. We feel truly blessed!
Yesterday Sunday, we went to the Kagiso (ka heeso)Ward, the Ward we were assigned to on our last mission here . Often at home in Utah we wondered how our dear friends were doing in our South Africa Ward and if had grown. What a wonderful surprise it was to see the growth of the members and the new members who now attend. The Ward has almost doubled in size until it's about to burst at the seams. The members are more prosperous and still smiling those enchanted and beautiful smiles. It was like coming home and we smiled all day as we remembered the wonderful feeling we had upon our arrival at the Chapel doors and the warm welcome we received. We fit right in and loved every hymn, every talk, every lesson and every prayer, it was very stirring to see how the Lord has blessed them for their faithfulness.
Another missionary couple leaves next week, their mission is "Area Mental Health Advisor". As you can imagine they are very busy taking care of our young missionaries and not so young missionaries as well. They travel all over the South East Area just as we do but they seem to be gone more often than we are. We also have a Medical doctor for the Southeast Area who is also very busy and dedicated. Both couples are wonderful and do a great job, they show great concern and are very conscientious, we have been fortunate to have two such energetic physicans around here, not that we have needed them for anything as yet and hopefully never.
In the next 4-5 months we will have quite a few missionary couples leaving for the US, so if you know of anyone who wants to live in a beautiful country, see interesting places, meet wonderful people and feel that you are really needed, sign up and come see us and have the most interesting adventure of your lives. You will be welcomed warmly and made to feel right at home. (that's my missionary plug for the day)
Thank you all for your e-mails and encouragement, we really appreciate your keeping in touch with us, it makes the bridge between America and Africa seem like a short distance . We have great children who keep in touch and provide much needed service to us and we thank them and say "we couldn't do it without you".
We know that God is but a simple prayer away from each of us and that prayer is our direct communication between us and our Creator. We know that there is a new Prophet heading God's Church and that the heavens are open between He and the Prophet. We know that the joy that can be found in the gospel makes this life a place of comfort and peace. We know that God in charge and it isn't a politician or anyone else without pure intent. We know that real happiness comes from service and giving freely to those who are less fortunate. We are grateful for a Church that shows it's concern by doing just that, we see the warehouses filled with commodities that go around the world for the benefit of others less fortunate. We see God's face in those who receive those simple gifts and in the faces of the givers. We are truly a blessed people.
May the Lord keep blessing you all!
Love,
Elder and Sister Taylor
Sneaky! I wonder if he knows that we can see him!
Blends nicely with the vegetation.
Feeding time - but please don't act like a pig!!
So tell me Mr. Rhino, why did God put your ears halfway up your neck??
What's hiding in the bushes is why you don't get out of your car!!
Do you see that extra set of eyes to the right of the hippo?
Not your ordinary house pets. These wild dogs come with an attitude!!
Anybody else want to join in the tug-of-war over a piece of skin? Yuk!
South Africa has beautiful flowers and beautiful skies.
This was inside a small palm. Interesting!
A great still life portrait, taken at the Chili Pepper Lodge in Mpumalanga.
Just pretty flowers.
See the beautiful blue flower deep in the foliage??
A magnificent orange rose, in a garden near where we live.
The jacaranda trees are everywhere and beautiful with their purple flowers. As the flowers fall to the street it's like a colorful carpet on the ground.
A colorful flower arrangement given to us by our friends the Alexanders. Cut flowers here are plentiful and relatively inexpensive compared to the U.S.
Two lovely flowers in the midst of a lot of other flowers at a flower market in Madagascar. Jan with Sister Gaya, the mission president's wife.
Not all of our travels are like the "Congo". Here is an example of a nice Bed & Breakfast lodging that we stayed in in East London South Africa
I must say we were comfortable here! And the full English breakfast was wonderful.
East London is on the Indian Ocean. We were like kids, playing on the rocks and exploring the tide pools.
Beautiful resort where we stayed one night called Mpkeweni Resort. We stumbled on it while wandering and decided to stay. Kids were all back in school so we shared the resort with about 4 other couples and a small family.
Nobody on the beach and we could walk for miles and never saw another soul.
This is a view of the estuary with the small strip of sand separating it from the ocean.
Weaver birds build these nests hanging from the ends of branches. As you can see their weaving techniques are unbelievable. They are a pretty yellow bird.
Mother likes to get up front and personal. This was at the Montecasino bird show.
This is an ostrich!!
This is a vulture!!
Another hornbill.
