In May, I was assigned to go to the Africa South Area for the Church News. The travel to Johannesburg and the jet lag were rough! One of the flights was 15 hours across the ocean. But sometimes I still can't believe I was there, witnessing and learning so much, and meeting so many great people.
While I was traveling, Max was also flying to Bolivia! We were in the Atlanta airport a day apart as he headed south for his mission.
While in Africa, I was with a Church public relations writer and a videographer as we drove and flew around South Africa, Madagascar, Angola and Mozambique, so that's what I mean when I say "we." We also spent a lot of time with the Area communications team for the Church and became good friends. See all my articles for actual photos of all the events; the ones below are more of my experiences along the way.
We landed Thursday night, May 16, and Friday was an adjust-to-the-time-zone day, so we had lunch with the Area office. I wish I could remember the names of the excellent dishes, but I do remember the delicious Grapetiser drink. Bubbly, but not as sweet as soda (which I don't usually drink).
Our hotel had a view of the Johannesburg South Africa Temple on the hill.
And then we drove to go see it.
Saturday morning, May 18, we got up super early (we were all up anyway, jetlagged) and our friend Sean (who we all have known for a while through Church communications) drove us to a small park where we looked for animals in the bush. Like a mini-safari. Reed saw a fair number of animals and Sean would say, "Good spot, Reed!" So now my children like to say, "Good spot, Reed!" if someone sees something that someone else was looking for.
In a hippo blind (we didn't end up spotting any in the water)
Cebu water buffalo
White Rhino
That afternoon was a wonderful youth devotional in Johannesburg. Here is that article I wrote about it:
In the morning on Sunday, May 19, we flew to Madagascar, walking out onto the tarmac for this flight.
We drove from the airport to the stake center in Antananarivo.
This was a tri-stake conference and the chapel and overflow tents were filled.
By the way, in each country we had a contracted photographer. Later when I looked through the files for photos to choose for my article, I saw this one. It's me bowing my head during the prayer, I am not sleeping! (I did not include it in the article, haha.)
We drove that evening to a pioneer member's home.
At the hotel wifi that night I videocalled with my family, getting ready for our ward to start. I was 9 hours ahead of them.
The next day, Monday May 20, was a missionary meeting for the missionaries there and also some over video on Mauritius and Reunion Islands. I've always loved these missionary meetings on my different assignments but this was my first to attend while having my own missionary serving, and so I felt a little teary but grateful.
Then we took a look behind the stake center at the announced site location for a new temple in Madagascar. It really was a beautiful day.
Then we went back to the airport and flew back over the Indian Ocean to go back to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Here is the story I wrote from Madagascar:
‘The Holy Ghost has told you’: Elder Christofferson invites Madagascar Saints to bear testimony of Jesus Christ to all who will listenOn Monday, May 21, we drove out a ways to a primary school outside of Johannesburg where the Church has provided funding, bathrooms, classrooms, etc, to see those efforts and then to see the announcement of new funding.
I wrote a story about the support, then recently I wrote more about what I experienced there.
Lunch after the school was at Mike's kitchen in Johannesburg. This was a delicious schnitzel.
And then Malva pudding I split with the others. It was so good.
Then we drove over to the Area offices by the temple, where I met JB's mission president in Recife, Brazil! They are serving a new mission in the Africa South Area offices. They were young mission leaders back then and still seem like young senior missionaries now. Their Portuguese really helps in the area. This was such a joy to see them. We've met in Utah a few times over the 20 years that JB and I have been married, but a reunion in South Africa was really sweet.
Wednesday, May 22, was a missionary meeting with two missions -- Johannesburg and Pretoria. There are only elders in these two missions, I believe for safety. I got goosebumps from their deep voices singing "Called to Serve."
Oh, there were several people that I had to go find and meet for friends back home, so I took a fair amount of pictures with people to then text to that friend.
Then over to another great Johannesburg restaurant for seafood. Often on these trips, I'm living off granola bars and then we have time finally for a meal!
That night, we flew to Luanda, Angola, on the southwest coast of Africa, by the Atlantic Ocean. This is the view walking down the steps from the plane to get to the shuttle.
On Thursday, May 23, we went to a missionary devotional for the Angola Luanda Mission, where I saw one of Max's friends from high school who is serving there, and met some of the coolest Brazilian senior missionaries. Since they have experience and already speak Portuguese, they are vital to the work in this country where the gospel is fairly new but growing quickly. They may get their third stake this year.
Me typing away on the first part of my article from Angola. It was fun to get this photo from a member of the team.
This is outside the conference center
Then we drove by a beach by the Atlantic Ocean to get a cityscape shot and I took this selfie.
I loved this hotel's food. It's not really safe to just wander out and look for something cheap to eat, so I end up eating at hotels. But this Portuguese food was so good!
Pastel de nata, little cream pastries that were so good.
We went back to the conference center for a big member meeting that afternoon. I met members who are pioneers in the country and they shared how much having the gospel has blessed their lives.
Here is my article from Angola:
Angola Latter-day Saints reflect on faith and growth with Elder Christofferson’s visit
The next day, we flew back through Johannesburg on our way to Maputo, Mozambique, another Portuguese-speaking country, but on the opposite coast of Africa from Angola.
We got to know this cafe at the Johannesburg airport well, with these huge bran muffins that you eat with butter, jam and cheese. It was like our own lounge because we would eat and work on our laptops there in the booth.
Getting on the flight.
On Saturday, May 25, we drove from the hotel in Maputo out to a ward meetinghouse for a youth and young adult devotional. Here's the view from the car.
This meeting house was such a haven of peace -- on either side were loud, crowded streets full of marketplaces and such.
Many youth and young adults lined up afterward to talk to me and the videography team about what they learned and their testimonies of the gospel and of serving missions. It was amazing.
On Sunday, May 26, was a tri-stake conference held at a conference center in Maputo. And I made the news! I'm taking notes on my computer for my article while looking up a scripture on my phone to get the exact English (the speaker was speaking in Portuguese).
I tried to capture some of the size of the crowd on my phone before the meeting.
After the meeting and before heading to the airport, we ate at a restaurant right by the Indian Ocean and I had fresh seafood.
Exploring the beach in my dress.
Here is my story from Mozambique:
Elder Christofferson invites Mozambique Saints to increase faith, keep covenants
Monday, May 27 we were back in Johannesburg to see a hospital where the Church has given aid and where they announced more funding. This was such a poignant morning. Many of us were emotional over those tiny babies.
Then we drove over to the Institute building, which is also a YSA gathering place, and met some of the young adults there and had a devotional.
The big flight home was that Monday night (15 hours back to Atlanta and then 4 hours to SLC. We boarded at 9 p.m. South Africa time, and I landed in SLC Tuesday, May 28, at noon, which was 8 p.m. South Africa time.) But after the last meeting on Monday, we had some time to kill before the airport, so our friend Sandile took us to a spot where they have big game for viewing in big caged busses. This is my nervous smile.
It was incredible. So was the whole exhausting, amazing, uplifting, testimony-building experience. I hope by following along on my Instagram and by reading my Church News articles that people got a glimpse of the beauty that is this Area of the world and the amazing people in it, and the teachings of an Apostle who is called of God.
