Kudus to all

We have had a wonderful few days in something of a break from our normal Quelimane life. On Monday last, we caught a plane in the evening down to Maputo--leaving the northern heat and humidity for a time. After spending the night in a borrowed senior missionary apartment, we borrowed President Kretly's little Kia and started driving for Johannesburg. There, we met up with our friends Abel and Adozinda, the first couple to join the church in Quelimane--and we accompanied them to the temple, me acting as translator for many of the proceedings there.

Do we looked changed from eighteen months ago?  A bit more worn and weary perhaps.

There is something about cute black children in white that is very very appealing.

We saw a glimpse of western civilization in South Africa. The stores were full of products to which we used to be accustomed and there were no potholes nor chasms in any of the roads. It was a very nice break. We had dinner one night with Elder Renlund and his wife Ruth, who prepared the most outstanding fresh salmon dinner. I'm afraid that I have forgotten what good food tastes like. Wonderful food and nice to visit with them for the evening.

On our return drive the next day, we got a call from the airline telling us that our flight home to Quelimane had been significantly delayed--we took the extra time and stayed overnight at Kruger National Park (where I had to shoo Kudus (not to be mistaken for the candy bar nor congratulations) away from the door of our little chalet before I could enter). We were able to spend five or six hours hours on a self-driven safari the next day before heading back to Mocambique.

We found that the English spoken in South Africa was quite difficult to understand.  It was almost comical that Debbie and I were constantly addressing people and responding to them in Portuguese--only after getting alot of blank looks would we recognize our mistake.

I think the kudu is a beautiful animal--among the larger of the plains game--beautiful horns and coloration and quite plentiful in South Africa.  A bit smaller than an Alaskan moose or an Eland--but not by much.

The break was a nice one and the temple experience with friends a wonderful one--but in the end, we found that we missed Quelimane and our work here--and were happy to make it back home.