Johannesburg

Our front door (left side)

  Johannesburg South Africa greeted us after a very long journey.    We flew out of Salt Lake City on the 17th, traded planes in Chicago and then flew to London, arriving there in the morning.  With an 11 hour layover, we decided to find a place to lay our sleepy heads.  A few hours later we boarded the plane for South Africa - 12 hour flight, landing in the morning Weds 19th.  Elder & Sister Eggett met us at the airport and took us to Dukes Court where we will live for the next year and a half or so.  We are on the 4th floor (5 story building).  Everyone has bars on the windows and the front doors are enclosed behind metal locked gates.

In front of our office in Johannesburg

 We work at the SE Area Office with absolutely delightful people.  They are so cheerful and kind and have made us feel very welcome.  We're a little bewildered trying to learn everything we are supposed to know and do and driving on the left side of the road and just having to figure so many things out every day.  Tired brains. 

Sunday we went to church in a town called Tembisa, about 40 min away.   I think we will be the only white people. The members were very warm and friendly. They have a keyboard for a piano but no one knows how to play.  It is quite funny because the ward assumed that because I am an America Sister Missionary, I play the piano.  Even though I am not a piano player, I can limp along with the hymns and will play as best as I can.  I will be teaching a sister in the ward piano lessons so that she can become the ward organist.  The church has loaned her a little keyboard to practice on & they've loaned one to me as well.  :)  

There are some very interesting words here.  Shopping cart is a trolley, elevators are called a lift (of course), hood of car is bonnet and trunk is the boot, taxi's are combies, water heaters are known as geisers and the best one, traffic lights are called robots!

On the temple grounds

The Johannesburg Temple is next door to the office so we like to walk around the beautiful grounds during our lunch break.  The weather has been so beautiful even thought it's winter.  Usually in the high 60's.  

Yesterday after work, we went off looking for a music store supposedly 10 min away because Chris wants to purchase an inexpensive ukulele (since he didn't bring his here). Two hours later we were home safely with no ukulele.  Driving is a bit crazy over here. There are people all over the place IN THE STREETS!  They come up to your car windows as you are stopped in traffic, stop signs or lights (robots).  They are either trying to sell something or holding open a bag.  We thought they were begging, which many are, but the ones with the big bags are actually offering to take away any trash you have in your car.  I'm sure they love some rands for their service.  Anyway, today we went out again to music store hunt, this time charting it out on a map before trusting the GPS and we found it!  Chris now has a ukulele for next months Hawaiian themed gathering of our fun office workers.  I will post pictures of it!

Chris has already been asked to sing a patriotic song for the 4th of July celebration. 

This photo was taken by a sister in our office.  We often see ladies walking with a baby wrapped onto their back and often carrying something on her head.  One difference is that here in the city the ladies are walking along high traffic streets.