Week 3 and our first safari!

My all-too-steep learning curve continues unabated. In fact, I think I'm losing ground, especially after the office elders merged my computer with that of my trainers, and I am completely lost and slightly overwhelmed.  But it'll all sort itself out, and I know if I just keep plugging along, I'll be the victor.

                                                 

I absolutely love this country!  We live in the capitol and largest city, Gaborone, and there is absolutely no graffiti and precious little litter as Gaborone employs an army of street sweepers, gardeners, and litter patrol.  Unfortunately, all of this is done using manual labor in the hot sun, but they do keep the city refreshingly clean. The people, too, are happy and pleasant, particularly approachable, and they readily beam huge white smiles when we speak the few words of their language which we've learned.  There is so much of this country and its people to admire, respect, and adore.  Sadly, there is still too much poverty in this developing nation. 

                    

                                                             

This week saw us paying the obligatory visits to doctors offices. Thankfully, Elder Leatua's stab wound is healing beautifully as are his spirits.  We also paid visits to some homes of our young missionaries. All of them have air conditioning, washing machines, and treated water.  They do, however, live on a very strict budget which I would not be happy with.   My trainer reminds me, however, that most of these young people from Africa live a much higher standard of living on their mission than they did in their native country and home.  They have access to better health care and more money here for these two years they serve than they had at home.  I have been blessed with such an outpouring of love for each one of them.

                                                 

                                                 

                 

We had a super cool adventure on P-Day!  Our trainers have much experience in Africa including going on safari, so they introduced us to a reserve which is 40 minutes from home.  It is a rather small preserve without predators or elephants.  Still, we enjoyed a 2-hr+ guided drive and saw a plethora of Africa wild animals including impala, warthog, zebra, giraffe, oryx, and even a couple of hippos from a distance.  As well, this sanctuary is a rescue preserve, and they have a female cheetah who they must feed and who must be kept in her own enclosure.  She was rescued in the wild after her mother abandoned her; she was never taught to hunt and would not have survived on her own.  Her enclosure felt much like a zoo pen, but still she was exquisitely beautiful.  Was a beautiful reserve where after our morning safari we enjoyed lunch of excellent Botswana beef in a gorgeous "boma" (open-air thatched-roof enclosure).