Bahurutshe Cultural Village Field Trip and a happy VISA update

                  

Modern Africans love modern living, modern technology, and all the creature comforts that come with living in the 21st Century.  Yet the older generation fears the loss of traditional values, customs, and traditions.  So the old women of the village of Bahurutsche invested time, money, and much effort into developing a cultural experience which demonstrates and keeps alive the traditions they lived for centuries.  Designed for the members of the community, school children, and visitors, I stumbled upon this gem of a cultural village and arranged for several of our missionaries and seniors to visit last PDay.

 

The people of the village greeted us with ululations, song, and dance dressed in their traditional garb.

                                               

The old women invited us into their culture through story telling...

               

...traditional sorghum grinding...

                

                                                

...the spreading of cow dung on the front porch for decoration as well as snake prevention...

                  

...inviting us to dance with them...

                

...inviting us into their traditional mud and thatched-roof homes...

              

              

...taking us through a traditional wedding ceremony, complete with the aunties peeking through the windows of the honeymoon hut all night to make sure the marriage was appropriately consummated...

                

...giving us donkey-cart rides...

                

...and finally feeding us a traditional meal. Each community adopts a local animal as its mascot; Bahurutshe's chose the baboon.  

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A faithful member or one of our congregations is blind.  She lives in a small village in the bush about 2 hours drive from the closest church building.  Several times a week, Elder Kerago (a charitable and humble missionary from Ethiopia whose Muslim family threw him out when he joined the church) calls to read the Bible and the Book of Mormon to her.  Some time ago, he asked if the scriptures are available in braille which she reads.  I was able to order a Book of Mormon and The Doctrine and Covenants in braille, and they were transported to South Africa by a generous American who serves as our area dental consultant.   Aaron and I made a run to Johannesburg to collect these books, which are actually 14 huge and heavy binders which consumed our back seat.  Luckily the Immigration Officials at the border posts were happy to let us through when we told them they are sacred scriptures.  We're now in the process of figuring out how to transport them to her tiny village about 5 hours drive one way from our office.  When we deliver these, we will capture the wonderful moment in photos which I'll share.  These will hugely bless this woman, and I'm sure she never dreamed such a gift possible.

While in Johannesburg, we took a day to tour the stunningly brilliant Apartheid Museum, spending about 4 hours learning the complicated and appalling history of these dark years. Sadly, the pendulum appears to be swinging in the opposite direction these days. 

                      

                    

Last week we experienced our first break through with the VISA problem since they quit issuing them to us last November.  Many of our missionaries have sheltered in Namibia for 6 months, but even their time there is soon to expire.  Well, the dam has broken, and although no new VISAs have been granted yet, the government has resumed the issue of waivers. Waivers allow us to remain here legally while the government decides whether or not to grant a bonafide VISA.  We were just awarded another 90-day waiver which won't expire until the very day when we leave Botswana on 29 July.  Tender mercies and miracles all around.  In 3 weeks, we'll welcome back our first group of missionaries who were temporarily reassigned elsewhere in the world.  I'm in the process of requesting the return of another 9 of them.  Oh happy day!  It was such a weight over our heads not knowing if we had to leave or not, where to go and how to carry out our vital work.  The Lord is good to us!

These two stellar young missionaries served a few months in Botswana before VISA issues required they be reassigned State side.  They ended up serving in my lovely daughter's stake.  How small a world it truly is. They are definitely on my return-to-Botswana request list.  

                                            

It is always emotional to send home our returning missionaries.  Some of them get absolutely wrapped around my heart.  But they head out to great adventures to seek their livelihoods, schooling, eternal companions, and continued leadership in the church.

                    

                                                    

We were confident enough that our VISA troubles were coming to an end that we welcomed a very large incoming group of eleven missionaries. They hail from Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, South Africa, The USA, Uganda, and Mozambique, all of them full of energy and desire to serve. 

                                         

                                       

Part of my work in the office is to assemble Welcome Packets, Instructions for Missionaries, and bags of fresh new linens.

                                              

The lovely ladies of the Botswana Namibia Mission.

                                     

Some signage just wouldn't fly in The States, but it's hilarious here!