Some of you may have noticed a recent news article about a peace deal between Rwanda and DR Congo. I want to provide a little history and then explain why I am talking about this in a blog post that is an ongoing report of our mission here in South Africa. I hope you will … Continue reading Eastern DR Congo
Mauritius!
Mauritius is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, located about 1,200 miles off the southeast coast of Africa, east of Madagascar and is part of the Mascarene Islands. Originally uninhabited, Mauritius was discovered by the Portuguese in 1507, and then colonized by the Dutch in 1598 and later abandoned in 1710. In 1715, … Continue reading Mauritius!
Kenya!
It has now been over a month since we have made a post. The time goes by too fast. So much has happened that I may divide this into 2 or more posts. Let's start with October 12th. That was the day we held a farewell for the Bascom's. Elder and Sister Bascom were temple … Continue reading Kenya!
Madagasgar
In 2005, Dreamworks released their animated animal survival film titled, Madagascar. The film is about four animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo — Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, and Gloria the hippo — who accidentally find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar after a series of misadventures. Having lived … Continue reading Madagasgar
Tuberculosis
Did you know that according to the World Heath Organization that 25% of the world's population "...is estimated to have been infected with TB bacteria. About 5–10% of people infected with TB will eventually get symptoms and develop TB disease." [reference]. The world population is estimated at 8.24 billion. Twenty-five percent of that represents just … Continue reading Tuberculosis
Animals of Africa
It has been an unusual week. Unusual in the sense that both on Monday and Saturday we did something out of the ordinary. Monday's are preparation days for the Mission Leaders across both the Africa Central and Africa South Area. They would say they don't really have a Preparation Day (something we understand), but because … Continue reading Animals of Africa
Reassignments
Every week, Church Headquarters publishes a list of missionaries around the world who have been reassigned to a new mission by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These reassignments can happen for several reasons. Sometimes a missionary transfers to or from a service mission. Other times, a missionary who was sent home … Continue reading Reassignments
Travel Woes to the Pacific
It is interesting how these past two weeks in particular seemed to have a primary focus: Missionaries traveling to the Pacific Islands. Destinations? Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu. These are really difficult islands to reach in any sort of straightforward, simple itinerary. I will start with a sister headed back to Tonga after her mission. She left … Continue reading Travel Woes to the Pacific
The Lesotho Tragedy
"A minibus carrying young women, ages 12-17, and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was traveling to an activity in Maseru, Lesotho, when they were involved in a three-vehicle collision on Saturday, June 21, 2025. The vehicles caught fire, resulting in the loss of lives, including 10 Latter-day Saints, all from … Continue reading The Lesotho Tragedy
Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation
On the 2nd and 4th Sundays, the Senior Missionaries gather for a Come Follow Me lesson. On June 22nd, I was fortunate enough to be able to teach that lesson. Many of you will remember it, as it covered Doctrine and Covenants 64-66 with a significant focus on Section 64 and the topic of Forgiveness. … Continue reading Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation