Aaron's Giraffes

These pictures are for our grandson Aaron Edington.  Every time we talk over Skype he asks if we have seen any giraffes yet.  We had seen them but had never been able to get very good pictures of them.

Blessed by CES Training in Durban

This is one view of the Hillcrest Chapel

After spending part of the weekend in Bethlehem we got up early on Monday morning, ate breakfast at the Bed and Break and headed off to Durban. After a 4+ hour trip we went to the Mission office to get mail and supplies for the missionaries and to see Elder Berry.  He was the Zone leader in Bloemfontein and is now assistant to the President and stations in Durban. He is a remarkable missionary and very dear to our hearts.

Bethlehen Bed and Breakfast

We have had the privilege of staying at the Cambridge House in Bethlehem.  It is a Bed and Breakfast which is the most common accommodations found in South Africa. You never really know how good or bad a Bed and Breakfast is going to be until you get there.  They are usually older homes that have been remodeled and rooms added to create accommodations for others.  Some B&B have only a few rooms and some have several rooms.  The amount you pay does not always guarantee that is will be better than another.  This B&B is both very reasonable and quite nice.  We have enjoyed both times we have stayed there and the cost is R550 which is equivalent to about $55.00.

Off to Durban We Go

We left Bloemfontein on Saturday June 28, headed for Durban by way of Bethlehem.  Durban is a drive of just over 7 hours if you drive straight through without any stops, which is not reasonable for old folks like us.  We were headed to seminary and institute training with the Area Authority, Tasara Makasi and Brother Gary Human.

A Whole New Meaning For The Work Carnivore

While we were in Johannesburg with the Davies they took us out for and eating extravaganza.   Just walking into the Carnivore Restaurant was an exciting experience.

Squid Heads! You Have Got To Be Kidding Me!

President and Sister Zackrison are responsible for introducing us to calamari.  We went out to dinner with the other missionary couples in our area and President and Sister Zackrison.  We went to a restaurant that is just down the road from us.  It is actually The Emoya  Game Lodge and the restaurant is called the Spookhuijs in Afrikaans which means Spook House in English.  It is full of antiques, statues, wall hangings, all kinds of things from the past.  The placemats on the table were actually old stereo records.  No joke!  Real records like when we were kids.  It is a fun place to go and the food is quite good.  Well President Zackrison order some appetizers that included fried mushrooms and calamari.  I am not sure what all else.  We tried the calamari and thought is was pretty good.

An Adventure in Eating Pap

We knew when we were called on a mission to South Africa we might have the opportunity to eat some foods that were different from what we are used to in Pomerene Arizona and sure enough we have been exposed to things we probably would never have been exposed to back home.

The first food that was a different experience was pap, pronounced like pop, like in soda pop.  We first had it in this form at a church function in Welkom.  I actually liked it a lot.  The homemake salsa they served us was really good.

According to
Wikipedia pap is:

Pap, also known as mieliepap in South Africa, is a traditional porridge / polenta made from mielie-meal and a staple food of the Bantu inhabitants of Southern Africa

According to Rainbow cooking:

Pap – a porridge made from maize (corn) meal – is the staple food of southern Africa.