Joyce Malerato Rantsho

This is an article I wrote, for the S&I website, about a very special young lady that just happens to be one of our Institute teachers.  We love and admire her for her sacrifice of time and energy to serve the Lord.  This is the kind of wonderful teachers we are privileged to work with.  Lucky us.

 Sacrifice?  It does not feel like a sacrifice to me but a privilege to server”.  Joyce Malerato Rantsho joined the church at age 16.  After her parents had passed on she and her three siblings were moved from place to place and school to school finally ending up in Welkom with her grandparents.  During this upheaval Joyce kept looking for something without really knowing what it was.  She attended many churches and even joined one but she still was not satisfied that she had found what she was looking for.  “No church was there for me,”  she stated.  

She passed by the LDS church in Welkom almost on a daily bases because she lived so close.  She often saw people outside and wondered what it was all about.  On one particular Sunday she saw one of her classmate that she knew well and asked her if she attended this church and how could she find out more.  November 22, 2009, her baptism day, was the beginning of her total commitment to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She has served as Young Women’s advisor, Young women's teacher, Relief society visiting teacher coordinator, assistant ward librarian, helping hands committee member, and now institute teacher.

When Sister Rantsho, at age 22 was asked to be an institute teacher she said the idea was a bit overwhelming, especially with her University schedule, but she had always liked to volunteer to teach YSA Sunday classes and substitute for Institute so she figures she could do it.

A few months after starting to teach institute Sister Rantsho was attacked by a dog while babysitting and was badly bitten on her left leg, thigh, arm and right hand as she fought off the attack. Even though she is small in stature and slider build she is very athletic.   The injuries turned the normal hour plus walk to the church into a very difficult and painful 2 hour plus walk. She's did accept a ride the first week but then it was back to walking to school and church.

When asked how she felt after sacrificing time and effort for students and then sometimes getting to the church to find no one there she said, “I don’t want to mess up even one time when someone could be there.”  She said she enjoys preparing for the classes because it helps her grow and keeping busy helps her stay out of trouble. 

Sister Rantsho feels her sacrifice is nothing compared to the early saints and she believes, “Nothing is more important than the calling I am doing now, what ever it is.