We see many acts of selfless service by both senior missionary couples and young Elder missionaries here in South Africa. (Young Sister missionaries do not serve here, because of high crime levels in some parts of the missions). There is an MTC here in Johannesburg where newly called African missionaries go, before entering the mission field in Africa. We have opportunities to serve in the Johannesburg temple (every Tuesday) when they come through for the first or scond time. These are very spiritual experiences.
One day we were eating lunch in the office canteen when I noticed that a pizza delivery man brought in six good sized pizzas. I was wondering who they were for, when in walked six young missionaries. As they sat down and started devouring the pizzas, I went over and started a conversation with them. I noticed that all looked tired, but confident and their suits and shoes looked to be well worn, so I assumed they had been out for awhile. I asked them where they had been serving and what were they doing in the Area office. They said that they had been serving up in Zimbabwe and they were on their way home. I asked them about their mission, and they basically said it was successful, but quite difficult. Because of a lot of poverty in that mission area, their living conditions were not very good. Their biggest problem was food shortages. Sometimes, they just didn’t have enough food to eat. On some occasions, all that they had to eat was a loaf of bread. Apparently, local church members were not able to help feed the missionaries because of the poverty in many areas of Zimbabwe. Sometimes senior missionary couples would bring food to them as they were traveling through the area. Later that afternoon, I saw them serving in the temple one last time, before heading to the airport for their long flight home. I thought to myself “Well done thou good and faithful servants of the Lord”. With missionaries like that, the church is in good hands in regard to missionary work in Africa.