2018 Aug 10 to Sept 4 Interviews and Training

10 August through 4 September 2018

Interviews and Training, all zones except Swaziland (separate post)

This interview cycle, Sister Leavitt is training the missionaries on how to use Adjusting to Missionary Life. This booklet is a wonderful resource for dealing with any kind of stress during all times of life. 

The suggestions and tools within the booklet can be of help to anyone. To find a digital copy on LDS Library App, click on Missionary, click on Missionary Training, Click on Adjusting to Missionary Life to load and read it. 

Sister Leavitt takes the missionaries on an overview of the booklet and then as we read each section of General Principles for Managing Stress, she puts out a cup captioned with the section principle. 

When finished reading and discussing each principle, the Elders must use problem-solving thinking and communication skills, patience and teamwork to use three pieces of string and an elastic to stack the cups from the pyramid without touching them with hands or body.

We discuss after how it went. Usually it is harder at first and then as all three coordinate their part, it becomes smoother and easier -- unless sometimes a cup or cups get tipped over and more communication and decisions need to be made to put things to right again.

I ask how this relates to say--transfers to a new companion and/or a new area. They discuss and relate it to life events.

(I didn't take many photos of this part.) Then I have them all turn away and I arrange seven cups in a row. I tell them life isn't fair -- until Christ makes up for things at the end. One might get something at age 22 and another doesn't get the same thing until age 32 or 42 or 52 or after they die. 

I tell them to each pick up a cup. If one picks up a cup and another one picks, but there is a piece of candy under it, the first one's face changes. They may even say something. The third one may or might not have a piece of candy. I say life isn't fair and tell the second one the candy is his. We discuss their feelings. It is quite revealing. 

Then I say time has passed and those who didn't pick a cup with candy under it can pick another cup. Sometimes there is a piece under the one they pick. I ask how they feel either way. 

More time has passed, and they get to pick a cup until they get a piece of candy. At the end, all is righted. But we talk about those who had to wait. We relate it to life. They can think about how they felt or the others felt at each stage. They can think of how to apply the information about stress we have just read.

Kwa-Thema Chapel

Springs Zone

Springs District:

Springs Area
Elder Spencer ZL
Elder Harris ZL
Kwa-Thema Area
Elder Matayaunga DT
Elder Van Thiel Berghuys
Secunda Area
Elder Cox TR
Elder Harr

SP West District:

Tskane Area
Elder Butler DL
Elder Kirby
Benoni/Boksburg Area
Elder Palkki
Elder Dupaix

10 August, Springs Zone: Springs and Springs West Districts at Kwa-Thema Chapel:

On 13 August 2018, Monday, the Mbombela district missionaries drove to Bedfordview Chapel to do some early morning sports. After, they drove to the mission office to do the two-hour safety training for new missionaries. Elder Jangard also did his driving test with Elder Wagner so he will be able to drive--he passed. Then they came to the mission home for interviews with President Leavitt and training with Sister Leavitt. After the first interview, we stopped and had dinner at 5 pm (as the Elders didn't end up getting to eat lunch), then continued. Elder and Sister Jensen came and they all slept at the mission home. We had breakfast in the morning before going to Zone Conference, 14 Aug.

Elder and Sister Gerloff, temple missionaries, are helping for about a month at the our mission office with housing and other projects for part of the time the Johannesburg Temple is closed. 

They came in time to cover the mission office while the senior office staff were attending our Senior Missionary Conference, August 8-9. The Gerloffs are staying at the flat next to the mission home we call the Bungalow. 

Elder and Sister Gerloff served with us as ordinance workers in the St. George Temple before we were called to be mission president and companion of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission. 

Mbombela District:

KaNymazane Area

Elder Esele TR

Elder Jangard

Nelspruit Area

Elder Flood DL

Elder C. Smith

13 August 2018, Mission Home, Mbombela District during training with Sister Leavitt.

President Leavitt, Elder C. Smith, Elder Flood, Sister & Elder Gerloff, Elder Esele, Elder Jangard

16 August 2018, Mission Home

Soweto Zone

SO North District:

Kagiso 1 & 2 Areas

Elder Daniels ZL

Elder Lopuliak ZL

Florida 2 Area

Elder Bartice DL

Elder Bete

SO Central District

Dobsonville Area

Elder Papenfuss DL

Elder Robison

Soweto Area

Elder Lubwama DL

Elder Jolley

SO South District:

Pimville Area

Elder Blow

Elder James

Protea Glen Area

Elder Avanitele DL

Elder Leterme

17 August 2018, Friday, Mission Home

We had two districts come at 11 am, so they could first have their district meetings. We finished at 2:30 pm. President Leavitt and I and the office district went to our office staff meeting at 3 pm at the mission office, along with the Wagners and the Boyers.

Soweto Zone

SO Office District:

Florida 1 Area

Elder Zimba AP

Elder Ott AP

Elder Marsden (DL/Office)

Elder Davis (Office)
Elder Nau (has recovered enough from surgery and will be returning to his companion, Elder M. Lee in Bedfordview on Sunday after a baptism)

Roodepoort Zone

RP Central District:

Roodepoort Area

Elder Williams DL

Elder San Pascual

21 August 2018, The first six interviews and training were done in the Germinston Chapel.

Bedfordview Zone

Bedfordview North District:

Orange Grove Area

Elder Sekholomi ZL

Elder Galbraith ZL

Alexandra Area

Elder Zwane

Elder Kisembo

Bedfordview Area

Elder M. Lee DT

Elder Nau

BD Central District:

Germinston Area

Elder Ondricek TR

Elder Silva

Katlehong Area

Elder J. Smith DT

Elder Campos

BD South District:

Eastfield Area

Elder Bowen TR

Elder Hess

Vosloorus Area

Elder Behunin DL

Elder Reeves

We went to the Katlehong flat in Stone Arch complex where Elder J. Smith and Elder Campos live, to finish doing the rest of the interviews and training. President Leavitt also went and checked another flat in the middle of these interviews. We finished about 6:30 pm on 21 August.

22 August 2018, Wednesday

President Leavitt and I did all the interviews and training in the Rynfield area flat in Stone Arch Complex, our ZLs, Elder Rash and Elder Siale's flat. President Leavitt also checked three other flats (one again at the end of the day) two in the complex and another about five minutes drive.

Benoni Zone

Benoni North District:

Rynfield Area

Elder Rash ZL

Elder Siale ZL

Mayfield Area

Elder Bishop

Elder Almeida

Etwatwa Area

Elder Stodddard DL

Elder Gaigulo

BN Central District:

Daveyton 1 & 2 Areas

Elder Trammell DL

Elder Sande

Daveyton 3 Area

Elder Brayden

Elder Nalesoni

23 August 2018, Thursday, Rabie Ridge Chapel

After interviews and training at the Rabie Ridge Chapel, we drove to two flats and checked them. Arrived home at 7:05 pm.

Centurion Zone

CN Northwest District:

Centurion Area

Elder Samatanda ZL

Elder Boshoff ZL

Rabie Ridge Area

Elder Ncwadi DR

Elder Steiner

CN Central District:

Hospital View Area

Elder C. Lee

Elder Ratshikhopha

Tembisa Area

Elder Van Thiel Berghuijs

Elder Tia-Pasia DL

CN Southeast District:

Birch Acres Area

Elder Mpapa DL

Elder Mendes

Kempton Park Area

Elder Kealer

Elder Gray

24 August 2018, Friday, Mission Home

Johannesburg Zone

Johannesburg South District:

Ridgeway Area

Elder Austin

Elder Santos

Johannesburg 1 Area

Elder Pop DT

Elder Bah

Johannesburg 2/Kensington

Elder Willison

Elder Gcwabe

Office staff meeting at 3 pm at mission office.

26 August 2018, Sunday, Mission Home

Elder Bartice had his departure interview at 2 pm today as he was at the mission home with other Elders meeting with President Leavittt, and I found out he was leaving on Monday instead of Tuesday as we had on the schedule. He left for the airport on Monday about 4 pm with office elders to fly home to Nicaragua. His visa expires 31 August 2018.

28 August 2018, Tuesday, Mission Home

Johannesburg Zone

JO North District:

Fourways Area

Elder Mbaki ZL

Elder Simmons ZL

Cosmo City Area

Elder Burlaka DL

Elder Nielsen

Welt/Rui/Ran/Sandton Areas

Elder Witts TR

Elder A. Smith

30 August 2018, Thursday, Vaal Zone

Vaal North District, 10-noon

Ennerdale Area
Elder Lubelwana DT
Elder Osborne
Orange Farm area
Elder Flynn TR
Elder Maylett

VL South District:

Vereening/Vanderbilj Park Areas
Elder Reneer ZL
Elder Dmitri ZL


On Thursday morning, 30 August, President Leavitt and I drove to check on two flats and have interviews and training in one of them, and eat lunch at Elder & Sister Todd's flat--all next to each other in a gated complex in Lenasia. 

After the training and interviews, the missionaries enjoyed KFC twisters, crackers and cheese and cookies for lunch. President Leavitt and I enjoyed a delicious salad, rolls and apple crisp made by the Todds while we visited. President also did a temple recommend renewal.

President Leavitt and I traveled on to the missionaries' flats near Vereeniging. Checked the flats of six Elders, did interviews and training at one of the flats. 

We traveled on to the Vereeniging Chapel to release an Elder as a missionary who just returned home for medical reasons. We drove on to Klerksdorp, arriving at our B&B just after 9 pm.

31 August 2018
President Leavitt and I did interviews and training in the Jouberton & Klerksdorp missionaries' four-man flat Friday morning. 

When finished, we all went to Elder and Sister Fugals' flat, along with the two Potchestroom missionaries, for District Counsel (meeting--new name), led by Elder Thornton--who did a great job.

We all enjoyed flour tacos, made by Elder and Sister Fugal.  The other missionaries left and President Leavitt did interviews and I did training with the Potchestroom Elders. Sister Fugal went to a Relief Society meeting at the Jouberton Chapel and Elder Fugal worked on setting up a new laptop and modem we brought with us as the Jouberton Chapel building was broken into for the fourth time in the last two years and stolen all the electronic equipment. Now they will take the laptop and modem home every Sunday.

At our B&B, President Leavitt spent 80 minutes entering and uploading a local pre-missionary's documents, added his comments and sent this mission application file to the area office where it will be checked for completeness before being forwarded to the Church's Mission Department in Salt Lake City.

President Leavitt went with the Jouberton Elders to Jouberton to conduct a baptismal interview.

President Leavitt showing how much better the fridges and light switches can look when wiped off.

Elder Eriksen said to forgive him his botched haircut!

4 September 2018, Tuesday

Roodepoort Zone

RP South District:

Randfontein Area
Elder Davey ZL
Elder Bogosavac ZL
Khutsong 1 Area
Elder Blaauw DL
Elder Truman
Khutsong 2/Carletonville Area
Elder Blackburn
Elder Kani

RP Central District:

Krugersdorp Area
Elder Resek TR
Elder Reidhead
Roodepoort Area (did 17 Aug)
Elder Williams DL
Elder San Pascual

RP North District:

Rustenburg Area
Elder Treasure DL
Elder Neeley
Phokeng Area
Elder Bindrup
Elder Garcia