Sunday Afternoon - February 24th - Amazing!

I’m amazed…

I made an N.O.T. kinesiology appointment for Wednesday.

I’m amazed at how much more peaceful my body feels!

Beyond words I know to describe my sense of well-being.

I think there are “more things in heaven and earth… than are dreamt of in our philosophy…”   (Shakespeare) (No – actually, I know that.)

I was amazed at the breathtaking beauty of the full moon earlier this week.

I am amazed every day on the site to realize all that goes into any building we use.

I’m amazed at how many people of all talents and capacities add their ‘little bit’ to the whole.

I’m amazed at how important each of these individuals is…

I’m amazed to realize we’ve been here as long as we have, and it feels like home…

I’ve come to realize that “Home for me is wherever I am…”

And it’s good to know I have a home in Discovery, and I will be going back there sometime this year.

I’m amazed at how trees and plants grow!

When we get home I will need to organize some SERIOUS pruning after three,

maybe four, Augusts of it not being done…

I’m amazed at how frail Vi looks.  Is.

I’m amazed at how our children’s and grandchildren’s lives are unfolding!

I’m amazed seeing Kieran and Cheryn’s little ones – how they grow!

When I look back at my Durban Temple Construction Week 1 and the other early reports I wrote…

I’m amazed at how my writing, photography and technology skills have been honed –

one week at a time.  I’m grateful my writing needs less editing than it used to need!

I’m amazed at how comforted I am that professionals, who do their work every day,

also ‘miss’ this or that.  Being on the site has been an education!  In many ways!

What amazes you?  Thanks for being your amazing you!

I love you!  And I’m grateful for you!

Happy Birthday Les!  For the 23^rd…

Love

Mom/Judy

 Reflection of the early morning full moon seen from our spare room balcony sliding doors.

You can see one of my sixteen toy snakes reflected too – 

they deter the birds and monkeys from making a nuisance of themselves on our two balconies - 

and from coming in our flat to snatch fruit or food.  

They are canny, and bold!  So far, I’ve (or the snakes've) outwitted them…

Some of our front balcony snakes.  I'm quite fond of them I must say...

A Visit to the Durban Temple Site

On Saturday John, Brenda, Vi, Glenn and I took a Winter drive to 

the Durban Temple Construction site.

In the protected wetland area adjoining the Temple Izinga Estate 

has landscaped a path with a few benches along it.  

We walked to the one closest to the road and paused for a photo.

You can see the Temple in the background.

The final concrete wall sections of the first floor will be poured this week.

All the rebar framework is in place.

In the Missionary Housing which you can just see to the right

of the fork in the tree next to Glenn (the dark brown horizontal piece)

the first floor slab was poured this week.

There is lots of deep plumbing on the site -

stormwater and other services systems.

I am amazed at the intricate planning, preparation and implementation

that goes on every week.

Electricians come and go as their work needs to be done.

Tender packages are prepared and sent out to various craftsmen.

The art-glass for this Temple is one of the ones going out now.

All activity is 'orchestrated' by the Ernesto, the Construction Manager.

I marvel at his usually quiet, behind-the-scenes expertise.

At significant moments he will briskly stride to one facility or another,

pause, watch, maybe have a few or a lot of words,

and then go off again to his office, or the plans office,

or Steve, the Contract Manager's office, or Sean, the Safety Officers office.  

I feel blessed and blessed to be able to be here and see and do

and learn and learn day by day, week by week.

I love writing the history.

Eight months before the end of the project a history committee 

will be formed to compile the overall history.

I hope that my contribution will be useful to them.

Glenn compiles detailed and complex technical reports every two weeks.

His reports will also be a resource.

I think that eight months will be another learning curve!

Enjoy your week.

This week Alan, the Africa Temples Project Manager, will be in Ghana I think,

Our LDS Durban Temple site overseer, Anton, will be in Nairobi to 

do some work delegated by Alan there.

Glenn and I will be on the Lord's errand here.

Together, each doing our little bit to lift where we are,

  we accomplish miracles in building the Lord's Kingdom!

Do what needs doing, by you, where you are!

Temple Site Progress

The Temple excavation is between the white tanker and the white and red cement truck

The Missionary Housing area is between the far left whitish truck and the white tanker.

The slopes almost ready for hydro-seeding due this week.

Tina Carvalho visited and took this of the two of us.

We had a fun visit viewing the site from various vantage points.

For more description google "Durban South Africa Temple Construction"

Enjoy!

It rained the whole weekend.
The site is muddy and slippery today.
I have a little gap of time to catch up some blogging...

Progress at the Temple Site

A drone picture sent to us by the quantity surveyor.

left basin is the missionary housing area

right basin is the Temple area

and to the right of the photo, the flat areas,

are the parking areas.

I would love to show you more photos,

and I am not at liberty to do so.

I created a facebook page "Durban South Africa Temple Construction"

on which I can put photos from outside the boundaries.

Please go there periodically and see how things are going.

We have had a very busy couple of weeks settling in, 

sourcing things we need, and ironing out inconveniences.

The lift in the building is still not working

so we think lots before we leave the flat or come back!

Site Meeting - First On Site

The trees towards the West each marked with a number

so that the tree fellers know what to do with each one.

Towards the South East.

South East

North

South East

East - facing North

They are compacting at the bottom.

The hole for the pilings starting next week.

The white poles with markers at an angle indicate the angle to be excavated.

At the highest point, a concrete step - 

a vestige of the house that once stood on the property.

More of the last of the house.

Facing North East.

The first site meeting on site.

Various contractors.

Excited to see the progress actually happening

rather than on plans.

On the South of the hole,

facing North.

On the South of the hole,

facing West.

Facing North again.

North East

East - the sea is just over the ridge.

Maybe two kilometers?

The trucks and machines are humming!

South East.

East.

South West to the Earth-works site office.

As we exit the site, the felled trees are being processed.

All non-indigenous trees are being removed from the site.

We exchange a friendly wave.

The piles of beautiful top-soil waiting to be taken onto the site.

The site is behind the top-soil.