Yesterday, Saturday, June 23, we attended a baptism in Gege of a young 19-year-old boy named Sipho Dlamini. The service was to begin at 10:30. But Sipho did not show up. At 11:30 the missionaries walked to his place and he said that he was coming. Still, at 12:30 there was no Sipho. So again, the elders went to his place. At about 1:00 we saw four young men walking up the dirt road – the two elders, Sipho and another young man that is a member – the YM President that is 17 years-old. The service proceeded and he was baptized. After, he bore his testimony. What he said was profound to me. He said when it was time for him to come to be baptized “his feet wouldn’t move”. Isn’t that a visual adjective for being frightened of the unknown. You want to remain in a situation that is familiar – you desire to stay put – remain status quo. As I thought about that statement, I thought about all the times that “my feet wouldn’t move”. Times I was frightened of the future and changes that lie ahead of me. It was safer just keeping my feet planted. A few years ago, I found a saying that goes like this, “Heavenly Father, show me where you want me to put me feet and I’ll walk that path.” Relying on God helps us get those feet moving along the path where we will find true joy and happiness.
On Thursday, five young Swazi men began their new adventure in the mission field. They spent the night before here and it was a joyful evening. But I am sure that more than a few of them would have liked to have planted their feet here in Swaziland and not venture out into the world of the unknown. This was their first airplane ride and most of their first time out of Swaziland. But think of all that they would miss if they didn’t trust God and “go and do the things that He commands”. I think of all that Dennis and I would have not been a part of if we had not followed the Lord’s command to serve and stayed where it was comfortable. For one, we would not have known these amazing young men!
To continue with Sipho’s testimony, he said that during those hours he struggled (don’t you think Satan was working on him) but when the elders came, he followed. He said when he entered the waters and was baptized he felt good. This is like life. Satan works on us to stay put – not be baptized, not go on missions, not go to the temple, not do our visiting and home teaching, not serve, etc. – but when we rely and trust in God and follow his path, we find joy and happiness beyond comprehension. Sipho now has the blessings of the gospel in his life. Look what he would have missed if he hadn’t got his feet moving!
Monday started really early. At 6:00 a.m. we met the Manzini Elders and drove to the Hlane Game Reserve. It was their District activity and invited us to come along. The sunrise was spectacular. I am not an early riser so very seldom get to enjoy the rising of the sun. The animals were definitely awake and wondering. We say rhino’s, elephants, giraffes, deer, zebras, a “blue” buffalo and birds. The elders had a great time. It was the first time at a game reserve for most of them. They were thrilled and we enjoyed the time with them. Oh, how I love these elders. After 4 hours we drove back to Manzini Market to get some items on hold for some other elders, ate lunch at a little café, went to see Nombulelo, the Mbabane and Ezulwini elders came over (it is P-day) and went to bed late. Want to wish Terry and Trista a happy 8th anniversary.
Elders Dickerson, Roberts, Ngwenya, Puso, Lombardi
Searching for the animals
Starlings
It is Tuesday, June 19th and my Norah’s 8th birthday. Can’t believe that I am not there to celebrate and be part of her baptism. But I know she is ready and anxious for her special day. We will be thinking of you. I couldn’t sleep the night before because I know Heavenly Father was working on me to get Elder Maclean to the doctor! He has been struggling with his asthma and we have been trying to treat it with inhalers. I really think that I was being selfish because I do not want to admit that there is a problem that may force him to be transferred. This kind of thinking has not made me a “wise” woman. So, I picked up my feet early, went to his boarding and he had a really bad night breathing. So we took him to the “clinic” (what they call a hospital) to be seen. They gave him some oxygen and then some medicine to take at home. He is still struggling so I am not sure what is going to happen. Him and his companion are on FIRE and we would hate to see them separated but his health is much more important. Sbu came over and washed the car and after I made him breakfast. Den and I went shopping, mailed some letters, paid bills, and I made homemade rolls for our marriage class tonight. But right before the first batch was finished baking, the electricity went out. Dennis was in the middle of his mission presidency meeting on Skype so he was unable to finish and I was unable to finish my last batch of rolls. So we left for our class with only 1/2 the rolls. Oh well. Our class was on Keeping Love Alive and we had a good time. We separated into groups and came up with all sorts of “warm fuzzies” to do for each other and they each received a special token to remember to perform these special acts. One of these days I am going to remember to take a picture and share these couples with you.
In the next 24 hours I fixed homemade rolls, caramel popcorn – 2 batches, Heavenly Delight, Breadsticks – 2 batches, banana muffins – 2 batches, homemade spaghetti sauce, ranch dressing and breakfast casserole. I think of when I first came here, I thought all we would be eating is peanut butter sandwiches. It is amazing how creative I have become with my cooking with the ingredients that I have here. Thank heavens!
Wednesday was a momentous day. We picked up Pres. Von Stetten at the airport at 10:30 and drove to the Manzini chapel where he was scheduled to interview all the Swazi elders. He started at noon and finished around 4:30. I love seeing all the elders gathered in one place at the same time. A great group of young men and the President agreed. While he was interviewing, Dennis and I went to the Manzini Market to gather some items for the elders, went home to make final preparations for the evening, and then returned to the chapel for the setting aparts of the “Swazi Big 5”. It was a powerful experience for me. I don’t remember such a spirit as was in that room as each young man was set apart. The president scheduled 1/2 hour for each young man to give enough time for an interview and setting apart. Eish, five young men given the keys for missionary work. Imagine 5 going at the same time from such a small country. What a tribute to this amazing land. Here are the five and where they are going: Thulani Mabuza – South Africa Johannesburg; Ayanda Mabuza – Zambia Lusada; Sizwe Shongwe – Zimbabwe Harare; Nkosikhone Sibandze – South Africa Johannesburg; Muzi Dube – Zimbabwe Harare. After we transported all of them to our home where we had dinner, gifts given out and a lot of good-byes from the elders serving here. These guys are going to be missed. They all have been accompanying the elders on appointments and have had baptisms already. Thulani Mabuza has baptized three in just the last three weeks. They are prepared and ready to go. But along with the excitement came the fear also. They talked about missing the people that surrounded them. Khosikhone is the YM president in his branch and they were all there tonight to bid him farewell. They brought a shirt and signed it with names and good tidings. He continually was looking at it and saying how hard they made it to leave. Do you think his “feet didn’t want to move”? Yes, a frightening night for 5 brave young men.
Picking up Muzi and Khosikhona ‘s luggage
These elders have performed miracles together – Elders Masaya, Paulo, Mabuza Brothers, Cauble, Fisher
Elder Lombardi was privileged to set apart Elder Sibandze – President Von Stetten and Elder Dube
I compare the relationship between these two brothers to Joseph and Hyrum
Swazi Big “5”
Elders Mabuza, Sibandze, Mabuza, Dube, Shongwe
Sizwe’s sister – Zola
Missionaries comparing which had the ‘largest’ stomach
I was up at 4:00 Thursday morning to start breakfast and they started waking up early to get showered and ready to be out the door by 6:15 a.m. I served breakfast casserole, muffins and grapefruit. I had the grapefruit cut in half and cut along the rind like we do it at home. They had no idea how to eat grapefruit that way. We didn’t figure it out until half-way through the meal so we had to show them. I don’t think they ever got the hang of it. The president arrived at 6:00 and we walked out the door at 6:30 and arrived at the airport right on time – 7:00 a.m. The airport is really small and only has flights to and from Johannesburg. The president was flying out with them which I was and I am sure they were very glad. Remember, this was their first airplane ride. (Later, Elder Dube emailed us and said that the airplane ride had its ups and downs. Cute, huh?) At 8:00 the plane took off to Johannesburg where the MTC is located. I thought my heart was being torn out. I don’t know how after only 3 1/2 months I could love these young men so much. The thought of never seeing them again was more than I could bare. This is the hard part of missionary work. You learn to love the people you serve with the realization that once your service is over you will probably never see them again. Look at those young men. Can you imagine never again being apart of their life? I can’t!
Ready for the airport
We left the airport and went to Mbabane to pick up some new bikes for the elders. Then we drove to Sibebe Rock which is right out of Mbabane. Pes. Ntshalintshali lives near it. Sibebe Rock is the world’s largest exposed granite dome and is some three billion years old. Quite an impressive sight. They have trails up it that we are planning to do some day. After we went home and took a nap. The first one we have had here in Swaziland. We both crashed for a couple of hours but was awaken by the phone ringing. It was the Petersons’ from Johannesburg informing us that they were outside our door. We knew they were coming but not sure when. They had tried calling earlier, but we were asleep and didn’t hear. They brought another couple with them from Salt Lake that are evaluating a water project at the St. Joseph school near Manzini. They are the Merkleys…a great couple. We went to see Stella about the sewing machine project that right now is going nowhere. We tried to encourage her to set up times for the training so we can get this project completed and the machines being put to good use instead of being idle. Then we went to the Calabash Restaurant for dinner. It was a great evening with good company. We always like it when other couples come to visit. We were having real problems with our computer being very slow and not uploading pictures. So we took it in to see what was the matter. I cannot survive without my lifeline to my family and friends.
Petersons – front; Merkleys – back
Friday I was up early again fixing brownies for the day’s visits. We took some to Nombulelo. There are some dentists here giving free cleaning, fillings and extractions to the natives. One of them is LDS, Ken Ricks, and he had let us know they were coming so we could get it out to the members. We told Nombulelo and she went on Wednesday and waited 10 hours before she finally got in. Don’t you think that deserves brownies? Of course! After we met the Petersons and Merkleys at the St. Joseph’s School which is located in Mzimpofu, just outside of Manzini. The church is looking at helping with a water project which is greatly needed here. St. Joseph’s School was founded in 1914. It has over 2000 students with 500 children attending its primary school. It is the only facility in the country to educate the blind and children with the most severe learning disabilities. The school also supports physically disabled children along with children directly affected by the problems of HIV. They also educate and house children that are orphaned. One of the biggest challenges for the school is storing enough water. This is where the church is preparing to help. We toured the facilities and the water sheds with Fikru. We visited with Sister Stephanie – the head nun- and enjoyed the children. The church had recently done a wheelchair project with the kids here so we were able to see the success of that project. It was a touching experience. Brownies were enjoyed!
The convent for the Sisters who help at the school
Me, Sister Stephanie, Sister Merkley, Fikru
New chairs for these young men
Their old chairs – the one doesn’t have a wheel.
After we went to the Yebo Gallery for lunch. This is owned by the Honorary Consulate of Finland that we had met a week ago. It was really good food. After, Dennis had an interview with a young man being baptized and guess what I did? Baked! The Ezulwini YSA’s began arriving at 6:00 for the party that they planned. They asked if they could have a party at our home and 23 of them showed up. They said that I wouldn’t have to cook and they kept their word. They brought grilled hamburgers, chips, oranges, apples, salad. I just had banana muffins, popcorn, ice cream sandwiches. Then they spent 2 1/2 hours talking about what each of them were looking for in a spouse. They all want the same thing with respect, love, faithful, admiration and strong testimony of the gospel. Dennis and I loved hearing their dreams for the future. I pray that the Lord blesses them for their desire to do what is right. Nombulelo, two young men being baptized on Sunday and a few other non-members also came. A delightful evening.
By 8:00 on Saturday morning we were gone. The Gege elders have not had electricity for a week and they finally were hooked up but we had to buy them time (here you buy your electricity as you use it). So we had to go to Mbabane only to find out we had to go to Nhlangano to register first. We drove to Gege for the baptism that I talked about at the beginning. But we also had a delivery for Pumi (the YW counselor for Gege). Sister Peterson had brought me a whole bunch of YW supplies for the Gege YW – theme posters, Personal Progress books and journals, necklaces, their own theme cards, some Mormon Ads, Liahonas, etc. I had decided that we had waited too long to go the proper route, so asked her to pick them up for me and I would pay for them. What a great decision because I wish you could have seen her face when I brought the posters out and then the rest. Her eyes lit up and the smile was huge. I offered to take the necklaces back home to get chains or something for them and she asked if she and the girls could do it! Already thinking like a YW leader. After the baptism we hurried home to pick up our computer – which still is not working correctly – and met the Petersons and Merkleys for dinner. Dennis has been sick for a few days and really struggled during dinner.
Sunday we attended the Mbabane branch because Dennis was speaking and I also ended up speaking. All of you know that I do not do extemporaneous. It scares me to death. Another case of “my feet not wanting to move”. But I did and I am not sure they understand “my” accent. I need to learn how to speak like the elders – they really do sound different. After Sacrament meeting we came home to get something and Dennis slept for 15 minutes because he still is not feeling well. Then we went to the Ezulwini branch for two baptisms – Mbongiseni Nkambule and Maxwell Mndzebele. These are two of the young men that came to the party Friday night. Another fabulous baptism and Sabbath. The Petersons and Merkleys came over for dinner and we had a great time except the electricity went out five times and then finally stayed off. We ate and did dishes by candlelight. At least the food was cooked this time. It really is an experience living here in Swaziland!
“Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward. Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good;let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail…Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.” D & c 6:33, 34,36, 37. With a promise like that, how can we fear and not have the courage “to move our feet”.
