Stingray

      Today Sister S. rescued a beached baby stingray stranded upon the sand at the mouth of the Gonubie river where it flows into the sea.  Each morning we get our daily exercise by walking along the beach then up the river at low tide.  When the tide is out there’s a wide expanse of sand for about 200 yards upstream.  The river mouth is a blend of sea, river and sand.  At low tide, with the recession of the sea, there are small shallow pools of water scattered across the sand.  It was between two pools that she discovered the stranded stingray.  The helpless creature was trying to reach water but just couldn’t make it.  We looked at it for a few minutes, its nostrils flaring as it breathed, eyes opening and closing with tail flipping as it tried to move.  It was apparent unless it got into water it could perish.

      Sister S. said, “Why don’t you grab its tail and carry it into the water?”  Remembering Steve, the Australian animal dare devil who died from a sting ray wound inflicted by its tail into his heart, I was hesitant.  Sister S. ever the brave soul, daring, uninhibited, and missionary rescue minded, took off her sweater and wrapping it around her hand, grabbed the stingray’s tail,  carried it to a pool of water and like a discus thrower, chucked it in.  Now she can say,” I’ve done one good deed for the day.”

     We talked to an I.T. instructor on the beach who said that South Africa has a huge problem with infastructure.  Not a big surprise as I was able to pick up KSL's broadcast of the BYU-Utah football game over the internet but could not get the BYU-Utah State game here in Gonubie.

      This afternoon we are heading out to Umtata, one of the western frontier outposts.  We are going with Brother Gary human.  It’s a 3 & 1/2 hour drive.  It should be an interesting place to visit.

Elder S.