The Browns in Africa: Long overdue catch up!

Dear All,

Life is wonderful for us and full of rewarding experiences. Each day is very different. We hope you get a glimpse of what we do by this update.

Our training goal is that when we leave we will not be needed or missed. We continue to travel conducting mission and district business and training such as assisting the district president in choosing talks from April 2017 General Conference for the “Teaching For Our Time” lessons. Other lessons we taught include how to prepare people to receive the Mechizedek Priesthood as well as how to conduct priesthood and quorum meetings on Sunday. We are still working with branch presidents individually to help them develop branch budgets. How to administer church welfare is another needed topic because many have the attitude that the Church has unlimited funds to give to whomever wants anything. We showed district president how to schedule district council speakers and helped him choose topics that were needed and included the area initiatives. As a new branch was organized we supported (and prodded) physical facility people from the Durban office to deal with the many details. We know this is all very mundane, but basic training is what we have been asked to do as these concepts had not been taught or practiced before.

We have had many highlights. Sister Mlambo, district Young Women president and wife of one of the branch presidents, set an excellent example for all women by completing her bachelor’s degree to become a teacher. She did this at home in a period of only 5 years. People, including her extended family, discouraged her at every turn (“Women don’t need an education!”) but she persevered. Elwood interviewed a young woman who had an extremely difficult life, who had no hope and who tried to block out her terrible experiences by taking drugs. She met and was taught the gospel by the missionaries, turned her life around and has now been baptized. We helped a young couple get married without lubola (bride price).

We attended a traditional Zulu wedding. One of the sons of an Afrikaans branch president married a Zulu young lady. It was a cultural experience right out of National Geographic. It was located at the isolated farm of the groom’s parents in an open field. Many men were dressed in tribal warrior costumes and the women dancers wore only beads around their neck and a short skirt. (Shireen will be editing the pictures so that they are G-rated.)

In March we went to the Drakensburg School where we were treated to a performance of the world famous Drakensburg Boys Choir. Fabulous! The school is next to the beautiful central Drakensburg mountain range. After an overnight stay at a local B and B we were treated to a falconry, birds of prey exhibition.

Towards the end of April we participated in a senior missionary couple conference/retreat at Ghost Mountain, which is about 4 hours north of Durban. We went on two game drives and visited a contemporary Zulu village where we found many traditional Zulu practices exist. The game drives were not very exciting, but it was wonderful to be out in the bush. We saw several species of antelope, cape buffalo, zebra, giraffes, a rhino and many interesting birds.

After the conference and mission presidency meeting we drove to Durban. Early the next morning we joined another missionary couple (the Woods) and drove out to see the progress of the temple and then went for a walk along the beach at the Indian Ocean. The water is warm, even in the winter. Later we went to the only Mexican restaurant we know in South Africa (Four 15 Restaurant). We not only ate a huge lunch, but ordered takeout food that lasted us for three meals.

People seem to die at a much younger age than in the US. As it was in Nigeria, some of our young missionaries’ parents die while their sons (no sister missionaries in this mission) are serving on a mission. This Is heartbreaking. We recently assisted in helping a young missionary plan a memorial service for his recently deceased mother. All the missionaries in this area gathered at our apartment for a very touching service.

We were asked to assist the district president in starting the negotiation of (bride price) with the families of the prospective bride and groom. The bride’s family was asking for what would be equivalent to about $7000! The groom is deaf and unable to speak and is only marginally employed. He may not earn this money in his life. The bride’s family encouraged this couple to live together until he can afford to pay lobola. There was a plaque on the wall that read, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. Elwood addressed this saying by stating that the Zulu traditions were sweeping the Lord out of their house by demanding lobola as having children out of marriage was not the Lord’s way. A few days later the family agreed to no lobola and will permit the couple to be married.

Portia, a young single mother of two boys, who we have been teaching, was given a given a small government built house. She had been living in a tin shack under very humble conditions for over seven years. We helped her move in and did some landscape work for her along with two young missionaries.

Another situation involved meeting with grandparents (Ugogo and Umkhulu) who have a tense relationship with their three grandchildren. The parents of the children have died and the 13-year-old lives with her two twenty something siblings. She is not cared for and often wanders the neighborhood asking for food. This situation is not yet resolved.

We continue to meet people who are curious about what we do. We are able to get their contact information and pass it on to the young missionaries.

Experiences with missionaries are both fun and challenging. One of our dear elders had 3 automobile accidents in a one month period…and he was not even cleared to drive. Turns out that when you make a U-turn in front of an oncoming vehicle that it will probably hit you. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

We are still hiking. Since it is winter it is cold and foggy most mornings, but it reaches the high 70s most days.

We are reading the Book of Mormon together and have a greater understanding and appreciation as we contemplate and discuss concepts. We encourage all to follow the prophet’s admonition to make the reading, studying, and pondering of this book part of your daily life.

We love you all.

The Browns