Our thoughts on Uchtdorf's talk titled "Lord, is it I?"

Dad and I finally had time last evening to read Uchtdorf's talk titled "Lord, is it I?" We had quite a nice discussion about it. Then because it was on my mind, a story shared by a Stake speaker today in Sacrament meeting, touched my heart.

Attendance has been down, and today we had maybe 30 to 35 there at Sacrament meeting, with three of those being from the Stake. The Stake YM's president, an Africaan by descent I think, was the one who shared the story I was impressed by. Hopefully I can remember the important details of what he shared.

When he was a young boy, his science teacher gave each student three sunflower seeds and told them to go home and plant them, but with specific instructions. Two of the seeds were to be carefully planted with the small pointed end downward, and the third seed was to be planted with the large end down and the small pointed end up. They were to water them each carefully, by the schedule provided, give them plenty of sunlight, and take good care of each separate pot.

In time, the two seeds planted with the small pointed end down, grew quickly into healthy looking plants, needing transplanting into a bigger pot. Since instructed to take good care of each, he decided to check on the third seed. He carefully turned the pot upside down, and discovered that the third seed planted with the large end down and the pointed end upward, had in fact, grown as much as the other two seeds, but in a downward direction, and the seedling was touching the bottom of the pot. He decided to transplant this seedling, as well, but now turned to grow in an upward direction.

He proceeded to take excellent care of each of the three transplanted seedlings. The amazing thing was that not only did all three thrive, but the heartiest and most healthy looking of the three was the one that was planted upside down and had spent some time growing in the wrong direction Yet it became the most beautiful, the healthiest and the heartiest of the three.

Then to take this "parable of the three sunflower seeds" (as I will call it) and compare this to the parable of the dandelions, beams and the motes, and spiritual blind spots referred to in Uchtdorf's talk, I felt that an analogy could be drawn here, as well. Do we make harsh judgments on those who seem to be making wrong decisions in their lives and heading in the wrong direction, away from the Lord's counsel. Because we are steadfastly holding to the iron rod, do we feel that they must be following Satan's promptings, only to be led in a downward direction in life, and unable to turn their lives around. We no longer feel comfortable in their presence and seem to shun them for their decisions and behavior.

Yet, sometimes, even years later, we discover that they were able to learn from their experiences away from the Lord's light and in a downward direction, and are able to become strong, stalwart examples to others of the need for the Savior in their lives. They become leaders for the Lord's cause, because of their experiences. They may even put our mediocre attitudes of heading in the right direction to shame. We can learn how to become beautiful, shining examples of the Savior's Gospel, through their experiences of growing stronger through "the refiner's fire."

ZULU TRADITIONS:

Zulu culture is rich in heritage and tradition. Some of these traditions, however can create difficulties for new investigators seeking to join the Church. Obeying the laws and commandments of the gospel can be seen by some family members as being contrary to cherished traditions of Zulu culture. It takes great commitment and courage for investigators to do what is right in these situations. Here are a few of the traditions that can create great challenges for new investigators.

"Lobola" -- Lobola is the payment, that the family of the bride requires from the suitor before the marriage is allowed. Because of the difficulty in obtaining the large amount of money usually involved, many couples live together and raise a family, sometimes for their whole lives, without getting married. This is, of course, contrary to the law of chastity. Often, if the situation is approached with sensitivity, a solution can be found.

"Polygamy" -- While polygamy is not as common now as in years past, it is still an accepted practice in some Zulu families. The Lord's instructions in our day are that a man should be married to only one wife. (Of interest:  The current king of South Africa has numerous wives and when he selects a wife, it is unlawful to refuse. Recently, he chose a church member's wife to be his next selection, and great care was taken by the LDS Church here in South Africa, to talk him out of that selection, and explain why she could not be taken as his wife. Good relations were able to be maintained.)

"Ancestor Worship" -- Central to Zulu culture, and similar to our own beliefs, is a reverence and respect for ancestors. New investigators should be taught that our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness is built around families, and that we love our children and honor our ancestors. Some Zulu families, however, actually worship their ancestors and perform animal sacrifices as a way of honoring them. They should be taught that this is not appropriate after understanding the plan of salvation and joining the restored church.

ZULU CULTURE AND CUSTOMS:

This information on Zulu culture and customs was taken from a pamphlet that was recently shared with us. We felt this section might be of interest to our family and friends, and worth us being able to look back on, years after the completion of our mission.

"Greetings or acknowledgements are an important part of Zulu culture. All people you make eye-contact  with, you should greet, and all greetings should be acknowledged.

When shaking hands with a Zulu, you should support your right arm with your left hand underneath. They usually do a 3-part handshake: start with a regular handclasp, then slide hands forward until you clasp the upright thumb, then back to a handclasp. Practice with this greeting with your companion. (This handshake is NOT used in Indian and white areas.)

Women may be addressed as "Mama" and men as "Baba."

amaZulu are brought up from their youth to look down when addressing their elders, to speak quietly and to speak only when spoken to. This is deeply ingrained in their culture and should not be taken as a sign of shiftiness or guilt.

Many people prefer you to use the back door -- it is considered more humble. Also, it is rude to knock loudly on a door. Talk, or clear your throat as you approach, and try a soft knock first.

Upon entering the home, amaZulu seat themselves immediately and unobtrusively. They do not wait to be invited to sit.

In Zulu culture a subordinate should not be physically taller than his senior. Try to get to their level. If they are seated, sit. If they are standing, stand.

When handing things to people, always try to hold the object with both hands. Likewise, it is polite to have both hands open when someone hands you something. This is especialy nice with older people.

When visiting a baba or couple, try to bring a baba or couple with you: the ones you are visiting (especially the baba) will then feel obligated out of courtesy to stay and listen to what you say.

Summary of Our First Three Months in the South Africa Durban Mission

We are loving it here in the metropolitan area of Durban, South Africa. We live in Westville, what we would call a suburb of Durban. We had a VERY rough start to our mission when I broke my arm four days after our arrival. It required 4 pins and 4 days of hospitalization, which meant little to no training from the one doing the job before me -- and the same for my husband since he was running back and forth to the hospital (a 30 minute drive away). After 6 weeks they took out the pins, but kept me in the arm sling for 6 more weeks to insure proper healing. They x-rayed and had me put the sling away exactly 3 months to the day after breaking my arm.

We are slowly learning our jobs, in spite of the extremely different economy, customs, languages, etc. They are probably about 30 years behind in most things, if not more. Yes, they speak English here, but since a high percentage of the population are of Zulu descent, Zulu is their first language, and they speak it by far more than English. A clerk in a store will repond to your question in English, then turn to another clerk and ask her opinion or speak to her in Zulu. Another large portion of the population are of Dutch descent (here as early as the 1600's) and speak Africaans, a language whih mutated over time from Dutch and German. Understanding ANYONE on the phone is extremely difficult, because of their "accent" -- but they say WE have the accent!

But the Zulu people are great! For our Sunday assignment, we work with a small group of 50 to 60 maximum, located about a 45 minute drive away. They are all Zulus and meet in a VERY old school building, typical of maybe the 1930's. I work with the children from 2 to 12 years of age, with one young woman who is about 20 years old assisting, and another woman who comes every other week to teach (due to her work schedule). Our attendance varies weekly from 2 to 16 children. Nearly all walk to church, with some walking nearly an hour to get there, one woman with her infant tied on her back with a blanket, Zulu-style. It is great to work with the kids; they are so loving and accepting. Since Zulu is their first language, ideally the young woman translates what I say into Zulu -- but of course, things aren't always ideal.

My husband and I work in the mission office Monday thru Friday. I am over the boardings, totalling maybe 50 to 60, dealing with contracts, furnishings, locating new boardings, etc. I am also over medical by making appointments, billing insurance, and making sure the right people know of the health concerns, from minor to major. My husband is over all aspects of the finances for the approximately 150 young male missionaries and the 14 senior couples assigned to work in the South Africa Durban Mission. As I think of all our responsibilities, it is no wonder we still don't have it all mastered, and get stressed at times.

The animals here are amazing, and the climate is ideal. But we try not to dwell on missing the birth of the 7th grandchild two weeks ago, our oldest grandson leaving for a mission in two weeks, etc., etc. We have had the opportunity to go on a couple of game drives (safari's) and seen giraffes, elephants, rhino's, etc up close in the wild. Everything is an adventure here -- but, of course, we ARE on the other side of the world!

Mission Update

Update we gave to our Bishop and Stake President

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. Between having an extended visit from both our son and our grandson, then hitting end of year reports, etc. that were due this past week, we have been working overtime to get things done --  even some 12+ hour days.

Sister Nielsen's recovery is coming along, but slowly. After 6 weeks, she had surgery to remove the 4 pins in her shoulder, then put back in the sling for 6 more weeks to allow the bone to mend properly. In two weeks she returns for x-rays to determine if there is enough mending to remove the sling and start physical therapy. She is able to continue her office work by using a wireless keyboard on her lap, allowing for less movement of the shoulder area.

Elder Nielsen was inundated with requests from the area office in Johannesburg for mission financial information to complete year-end reports. He is finally becoming a little more comfortable with all the financial demands of operating the Lord's Mission here in this part of South Africa.

The mail delivery began to improve just a few days before Christmas when the strike was officially over, and the anxious missionaries finally started to get some of their mail. Elder Nielsen was responsible to pick up the mail from the post office. Several times the back seat and the trunk of the car were full of Christmas packages. Some of the missionaries are STILL enjoying a second Christmas as packages continue to trickle in.

Just before Christmas we were able to travel to the Johannesburg Temple, with our son JD and grandson Kyle, where our grandson was able to receive his endowments prior to leaving in mid February for his mission call to Cleveland Ohio, Spanish speaking, with prior language training in Mexico City. Upon entering the Temple, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the Temple President, who was expecting us. He personally took care of all of Kyle's needs and made it a wonderful experience for him. Just a note: we were able to see the original painting of the South African sister kneeling in prayer, a copy of which hangs in the Ogden Temple. It was very inspiring to us.

We have been assigned to meet with the Molweni Group, which has been struggling for years to be made a branch. Their attendance has been quite sporadic. Sister Nielsen has been working with the Primary which includes children from age 2 up to 12, which all meet together in one class. Some Sundays she has 2 or 3 children, but today hit a high of 14 and she was elated. Zulu is the native language learned in their home, with English being their 2nd language. A young adult sister assigned to do Sharing Time, adds the Zulu translation to Sister Nielsen's lessons. The children are very loving and accepting of us as Senior Missionaries. Its amazing to hear their young testimonies and their understanding of the Gospel at such a young age. The spirituality of their testimony meetings here is amazing, with the youth bearing very heart-felt and knowledgeable testimonies. Last week a counselor in the Stake Presidency announced in Sacrament Meeting that the request that they officially be made a branch has been sent to the Area Presidency for approval. We were elated to hear this news.

The spiritual "highs" continue to keep us uplifted, knowing we are doing the Lord's work -- things such as meeting the member from South Africa who had just helped complete the translation of the Doctrine and Covenants into Zulu, and was submitting it for publication. These experiences help us to know that "now is the time for South Africa." The Spirit of the Lord is hastening the work in this part of His vineyard. The members are anxiously awaiting the announcement of the location of the Durban, South Africa Temple. Our Mission President feels that the ground-breaking ceremony will probably occur before the end of our mission. This will make it possible for many more members to attend the temple. At present, it is approximately an 8 hour drive one way to the Johannesburg Temple.

We love our mission and know that this is where the Lord wants us to be, at this time in our lives. We appreciate your love, concern and prayers for us both.

Kyle Goes on a Mini-Mission

(Written by Kyle Nielsen - Grandson of Elder and Sister Nielsen)

Today, December 26, 2014, I had the opportunity to go with Elders Ghartey and Nkomo, one from Ghana and the other from Zimbabwe. We had arranged to meet at the South Africa Durban Mission Office at 2:00 today. Our first teaching appointment was with a non-member family. We taught them the first lesson which is about the Restoration of the Gospel. They seemed very receptive and the only real question was asked by a daughter who is in her mid-twenties. She asked, "How can I know that what you've shared is true?" She was encouraged to pray about it. Following the lesson they fed us a meal. 

We then went to our next appointment, which was a "no show." We decided to go tracting (knocking on doors) on the same street. The first couple of houses we knocked on, they weren't receptive to our message. About the third or forth house, one guy seemed very happy to see us. He invited us in and we taught a lesson about the Restoration of the Gospel. He seemed VERY VERY ready to hear the message we had to share. After about thirty minutes of discussion he, too, offered to feed us. We left stuffed, but pleased, with a follow-up appoinment scheduled for a week from now.

By then it was time to head back to Grandma's and Grandpa's flat. I loved the experience I got to have as a missionary!!!! I enjoyed it and I can't wait till I go on my Mission to Cleveland Ohio, Spanish speaking, starting in the middle of February. I leave for the Mexico MTC on February 18th.

St. Lucia

Kyle and his dad J.D., as well as his grandparents, Elder and Sister Nielsen drove from Durban to the small town of St. Lucia on Monday December 15, 2014. We took the four-o’clock boat tour of the St. Lucia Estuary. The Estuary is the home of approximately 1200 crocodiles, 800 hippo’s, and bull sharks too numerous to count.

 Hippos can’t swim, instead they walk on the lake bottom and poke their head up to get air. 

             The next day we were picked up by the safari truck at 5:00 in the morning. We spent the next ten hours at Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park. Our first sighting was a pride of lions. We used the binoculars to see the lions because they were too far away to get a good picture. Next we came upon a giraffe eating leaves on top of the trees.

 The park also has numerous elephants. 

We saw numerous water buck. Note the target on the rear end, which makes it easier to follow one another in the thick bush.

We also spotted various species of antelope including the impala which can run at amazing speeds. We also saw a huge herd of over 100 water buffalo grazing on the grass as they moved across the meadow.

      One of our favorite sightings was of the zebras.