Gaborone Game Reserve

Gaborone Game Reserve Entrance

For the Gaborone couples latest activity we went to the Gaborone Game Reserve to see the animals and have a picnic. The reserve is on the edge of town just a couple of miles from where the Taylors live. It cost 25 pula (about $4) per couple for admission. We were pleasantly surprised at how many animals we were able to see. Some were in large groups. They are all a bit nervous so it is often hard to get really close to them to take pictures but we were successful sometimes. We drove two cars through the reserve where the animals are all free to roam. After seeing the animals we ate a picnic where everyone brought something to share. We had a wonderful day; there were so many animals to see.

Termite Mound and Elders Kimball and Rands

Lunch at the Picnic Area

We saw Vervet monkeys, Burchells zebra, rock dasssie, impala, warthogs, eland, ostrich, and many other birds. The couples in the other car also saw a gemsbok.

Burchells Zebras

Vervet Monkeys

Warthogs

Impala

Male and Female Ostriches

Hand Update

It has been almost a month since I (Sister Rands) had hand surgery. I am happy to report that it is healing well and is getting stronger every day.  Before surgery it was all I could do to write my signature. I was pretty useless in the kitchen and Elder Rands was wonderful to help me cut, chop, wash dishes, open jars, etc.   Today I took several pages of notes at Stake Conference. I played the piano this week for the first time in months. The doctor said I didn't have to do any physical therapy, that it would get better just from normal use.  He did say it would be several months before I gained full strength in that hand again. I am amazed at how much I can do with it already.  Sometimes it aches at the end of the day from using it, but it is so muuch better than it was. 

We went to Labotse last week to eat dinner with three other Senior Couples.  The hosting couple took us to a cemetery because they are very different here than in the United States.  The covers over the graves are a testiment to how hot the sun gets here -- they even try to shade the dead from its intense rays!!  They also took us to see a folk art wall around a home in Labotse that was unique.  We enjoy getting together with the other senior couples and are amazed at how much they accomplish in helping the work of the gospel move forward, each in their own unique way with their specific assignments.  Two couples are now serving their third missions and one is on their fourth.  They are all good examples to us.   

Couples Convention

Sister Rands was scheduled to return Sunday evening, 11 March, to Botswana after surgery in Utah; and then drive to Johannesburg, South Africa, with Elder Rands to a Church Education System couples convention starting on Monday evening. Things did not work out as planned. Delta Airlines did not check her luggage through to Gaborone but only to Johannesburg. By the time she went through immigration and collected her luggage she missed the flight to Gaborone which was the last flight of the day. She called the mission office couple, Elder and Sister Oborn, who kindly picked her up at the airport (forty-five minutes away) and put her up for the night. She was blessed that they were home and could come and get her and that she had a South Africa visa; otherwise, she would have spent the night at the airport. All worked out well when Elder Rands drove to Johannesburg and picked her up at the mission office on Monday. We did some work at the CES office and then went to the convention.

The convention was at a large convention resort in Johannesburg. Sixty-five people attended. About a third were senior couples and the rest were Church Education System employees and their wives. People came from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa.
There was dinner for those traveling from out of town on Monday night. The convention started Tuesday morning and went through Wednesday evening. Each morning was filled with training sessions that ranged from teaching with the spirit, to marriage relationships, and driving safely. It was very interesting and enjoyable to be able to talk with other senior couples and learn about their experiences in different countries. We are pretty blessed to be in Botswana.

Tuesday afternoon there was a video conference from Salt Lake City with Kelly Haws, CES director. We then watched the video "17 Miracles". Wednesday morning there was more training and in the afternoon we all went to the Johannesburg Temple for an endowment session. This was special for us because it was the first time we have been able to attended the temple since leaving on our mission.

Surgery in Utah

When we packed up the house to leave on our mission Janet's right hand carpal tunnel problem acted up again.  We left for our mission with two kinds of medicine and a brace that we hoped would fix the problem.  None of that helped and my hand continued to worsen.  I couldn't do anything with that hand that required precision, like writing, or strength, like chopping vegetables.  I was pretty useless.  We went to a doctor 5 hours away in Johannesburg who said he could do the surgery, but it would require a 3 inch incision.  I didn't know what to do:  fly to the states and hope they could do endoscopic surgery with a half inch incision or have the surgery in Johannesburg and avoid two long airline flights and the cost that flying to the states would involve.  Flying to the states also involved the complication that we would have to delay surgery for several weeks while we waited to get residency in  Botswana so I could re-enter the country when I returned. We talked to the mission doctor, the insurance company in Utah, and fasted and prayed about it.  We then felt going to the states was definitely the way to go, especially after Bob dreamed I died during the Johannesburg surgery.  I thought I would fly to Spokane to the hand specialist I had been to there, but Heather suggested that I come to Utah and stay with her while I recovered. She knew of a good hand specialist in Provo. Spending two weeks with the grandkids sounded like a good idea to me, too.

I had endoscopic surgery in Provo on Tuesday, February 28, and have done very well.  I have been almost pain free and haven't had to take any pain medicine.  They put some medicine on the sight which numbed my hand the first 24 hours.  I will get the stitches out on March 9 and fly back to Africa on March 10. Bob stayed in Africa to continue the work there.  I will be anxious to get back to him, but I am enjoying being with Lisa, Heather, Kevin, Rachel age 5, Seth age 3, and Luke, 4 months.