IF YOU CAN DREAM IT…. June 17–23, 2013

We went with the Mbabane Relief Society sisters to the Motjane orphanage on Saturday, June 22nd to deliver some clothes that they had collected.  When we greeted the director he had a sweatshirt on that captured my attention……”If you can dream it, you can do it”.  What a powerful statement for not only these children and youth at the orphanage but for all of us.  The idea of taking our “wildest dreams” and making them a possibility and doing it is a glorious thought.  Children dream all the time – what happens to our dreams as we get older?  Think of all the things that the world has missed out on by all the dreams that were squashed by our doubts and anxieties.
As I was pondering this subject, my thoughts went to a theme song for a sitcom that aired years ago…’Lavern and Shirley’…“Nothin’s gonna turn us back now, Straight ahead and on the track now. We’re gonna make our dreams come true, Doin’ it our way. There s nothing we won’t try, Never heard the word impossible.  This time there’s no stopping us.  We’re gonna do it. On your mark, get set, and go now, Got a dream and we just know now, We’re gonna make our dream come true.  And we’ll do it our way, yes our way.  Make all our dreams come true….” Aren’t those inspiring words.  To take hold of a dream;  believe that it is achievable; turn that dream into a burning desire; then work towards that dream with all your focus, concentration and confidence and that dream will come true. 
We heard stories of young men at the orphanage that had dreams, pursued them and “did it”….made those dreams a reality.  One young man was found on the streets by the authorities and brought to the orphanage at the age of 7.  Both his parents passed away and the extended family didn’t want to accept the responsibility of raising him so was put on the streets at the age of 5.  That young man fulfilled his dream by being accepted into college. 
I am fulfilling one of my dreams by serving this mission….a teenage dream that took years to come true but I made it.  I have so many more dreams but what I really pray for is that I can be an instrument to help others accomplish their dreams. 
So, on your mark, get set, and go get your dream, believe you can achieve it and “do it”.

We enjoyed most of Monday, June 17th with the Petersons visiting Gone Rural, Baobab Batik, Swazi Candles and Manzini Market.  I love showing these special places with our friends because the employees at these establishments have become our friends.  Then we picked up Senzo to go to his sisters school to find out about replacing her school books that burned.  They informed us that we had to go to Mbabane to a book store to purchase them.  So that was put on the burner for another day.  We rushed to watch the elders play soccer and then hurried home to prepare dinner for the Lobamba boys.  It was Bongumusa’s birthday so chocolate cake was on the menu for dessert.  It is official…we are returning to Swaziland after our mission…..because two young men have made birthdays wishes for just that!
FHE/PMG

Bongumusa’s birthday

HAPPY 9th ANNIVERSARY Terry and Trista!  The years have flown by with four beautiful children later. We’ve enjoyed sharing your journey and watching you grow together and establishing a wonderful family.  Here’s to many more years to come.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 was filled great visits.  We started the day at Gone Rural to get a bowl for some friends in Joburg and visited with the ladies there, met with Zweli to take his mission picture, hooked up with the Petersons at Yebo Gallery and then spent 6 hours with Machawe making a mission DVD for President and Sister Von Stetten.  Ended the day with 5 hours of cooking for the activities tomorrow.
This is Penny who makes sure orders are placed and filled

The ladies had garments that they were selling.  One lady showed me this skirt that I loved.

Zweli

Yebo Gallery where we had lunch

Look at those monkeys crossing the electrical wires

Enjoying the Petersons

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Norah.  Can’t believe that you are 9 years old.  I remember so clearly the day you were born.  You have developed into a beautiful ‘daughter of God’ with such an enthusiasm for life.  Channel that enthusiasm so you can change the world.
Isn’t she beautiful


The alarm rang early on Wednesday, June 19th so I could get all my cooking accomplished before we had to go to meet the president and his wife for elder’s interviews.  While I cooked Den went to the store for me and then to the bike shop.  I fixed taco soup, homemade corn bread, lemon cake, roast, homemade rolls, au gratin potatoes, carrots, brownies and oreo dessert (some where finished last night).  The Manzini chapel was were the interviews were to be done.  We set up lunch for the elders as they came and enjoyed our visit with them while they waited for their scheduled time.  This was the last time that Sister Von Stetten and the President would see their missionaries.  It really was a glorious afternoon.  The President also had the opportunity to interview Mfundo for his mission.  I truly believe in the miracle of the loaves and fishes because my taco soup fed a lot more than I had anticipated with all the members that came by to say good-bye to the president. When we arrived home for dinner with the Von Stettens we found “burnt offerings for his last supper”.  I had put a roast in the crockpot in the morning and had forgotten to turn it down when I left – consequently, it was very well done.  Normally, I would have been devastated but you know, I have become a true Swazi – ‘no problem’.  We ate what I could salvage and everything else I had fixed.  I was okay.  Zweli came over to have his interview with the president for his mission.  He was extremely impressed with Zweli. (I forgot to take a picture of this interview…shame.)  The president took two applications with him to submit for mission calls!  Exciting.  More Swazi warriors to add to the force.  We love spending time with the Von Stettens especially when they are sitting on our couch relaxed.  A good day!
We have all sorts of things going on in this picture – Mbabane and Manzini elders

Mfundo and President Von Stetten

Elder Stengile with the Von Stettens

Good-byes from Elder Weston

President, Elders Ogutu, Norbert and Sister Von Stetten


Nhlangano Elders

We attend a great DDM with the Manzini district presented by Elder Caldwell on Thursday, June 20th.  Then took me for a relaxing afternoon after our busy last few weeks.  We went to Friar Tucks for lunch where we saw Sebe Shongwe, the Branch President’s wife, who cleans rooms at the Mountain Inn which is affiliated with Friar Tucks.  In the course of our conversation she told us she cleaned rooms 1 – 11.  We told her that when the Cooks were here they stayed in room 10.  She responded with, “I cleaned their room.  That must be why I’m receiving so many blessings lately.” Such simple faith of these people.  It was pretty good food.  Then off to an adventure on some dirt roads up above Mbabane that we had not been on before.  We were on a dirt road that went up and over mountains, through rock formations and kept going and going for two hours.  We finally met up with a paved road at the city called Luve that took us into Manzini.  It was beautiful but long. It was fun.

Ezulwini Valley from Mountain Inn/Friar Tuck – the haze is the prove that the burning of Africa has begun

Sebe Shongwe

Our drive that took us through these rocks

This line of wash just kept on going.  I sure hope that more than one woman washed all these clothes


Friday, June 21st we bought a bike for the elders (a handlebar broke in half on one of the bikes….how does that happen), delievered some pictures, picked up Mbongiseni and Senzo 2 from the government offices where they got their passports and then met with Chosen to go visiting.  We visited Sister Verde from the Mbabane branch but she lives very far away in Mhlambanyatsi – about a 45 minute drive.  That is a long way to come to church.  She is the Relief Society president but has had a hard time getting to church lately because their car is no working and she is taking care of her granddaughter.  After dropping Chosen off at her homestead, we drove home to find Xolani, Machawe and Sbu at our home.  Sbu was there to wash our bakki, Xolani needed to use our skype to call the Shirleys and Mac tagged along and spent his time talking with us.   After Sbu finished washing our bakki, the elders and Sibusiso came over for correlation meeting in our home. Of course, dinner was fixed and Dennis did the honors. I couldn’t bare the thought of cooking. It was a crazy evening but it felt like home with everyone just dropping in. 
Sister Verde and her granddaughter, Camilla


Sister Verde’s neighbors doing wash – look how much.  Eish, I don’t know how they do it!

Chosen is a school teacher and one of her classes is gardening.  Each student gets a little plot that they are responsible for.  They get to take home what they grow.  Her students win 1st prize on their competition.

She had us stop at the store so she could get a few items.  So when we dropped her off she put them on her head and walked down the path to her homestead. I love this woman!

Mission Correlation Meeting

By 10:00 Saturday morning I had made banana muffins to take to those we were visiting, met Muzi at the Care Point to see about him drawing a world map on their outside wall, went to Senzo’s home to get our shovel and see how they are doing and met Carol and Hazel at the Mbabane chapel.  At the Care Point, the young lady that lives there with her 3 children came up to me and said that she was not good.  Her sister passed away on Friday and she was so sad.  I held her as she cried and kept saying, “my sister, my sister”.  She had to travel a long ways to join her family but said that she would be back on Monday.  They have a hard life here….a lot of sadness. At the Mbabane chapel we loaded up our bakki with clothes that they had collected for the Motshane Orphanage.  We picked up two more sisters and then drove to the orphanage. They house 42 orphans – 24 males and 18 females – all ages.  Not only do they take care of these children with no support from the government, everyday they become a care point and feed 200 young children from 2:00 – 5:00.  The directors of these care points have the biggest hearts.  They make our service seem minimal.  Ours is just a short time, they do it for a life time!!  We want to do something for them.  Dennis dropped me off after our visit and went to an auditing meeting in Manzini while I baked bread and made beef stew with the burnt roast.  It turned out quite yummy!
The US Embassy is building them a new kitchen – Yea!

Two of the children of the lady that lives here. I found her in that back room crying.

Muzi looking over world maps

Dennis, Hazel and Carol, from the Mbabane branch,  packing the clothes for the orphanage

Loading……

….driving – those buildings is the orphanage

..unloading

The director with the donations

This is Xolani.  He is one of the orphans that was so nice and polite.  He has been here since the age of 4

Xolani and some others by one of their boardings.  They love soccer.  So we are going to arrange a game with the elders.  They told us that the elders had no chance because they are so good.  The challenge is on!

One of the rooms

View from the orphanage – children come from all over this valley to get lunch every day – their only meal

Our sisters with the volunteer cooks

Those are pots that the women use to cook for hundreds every day

The flames are from outside so they do not get so hot

I haven’t done teeter totter in such a long time

They have a big pavilion where they show Christian movies and have programs.  Wouldn’t it be fun to have some members come and sing Primary songs and talk about Strength of Youth and just put on a program?  I am working on it.

The director and his 16-year-old daughter.  He has been here for 14 years. 

Nhlangano Branch is where we attended church on Sunday, June 23.  We were speaking so that might have had something to do with why we chose that branch.  I really feel so much more comfortable in the audience or in the kitchen or giving out brownies.  But I do want the members here to know that I have a testimony. So I need to share it.  Dennis did some temple interviews while I visited.  When we returned home Den had to go to Mbabane to do some more temple interviews.  I was exhausted at the end of this week.  My children won’t believe it, but I actually went to bed at 9:30!
Nhlangano Relief Society

Ward Mission Leader – don’t remember his name – but he almost has his mission papers ready.  He taught himself how to play the piano.  His goal is to be able to play all the songs for the meeting at branch conference in three weeks

The choir practicing for branch conference

The elders and some members
 
Why dream? Life is difficult.  We are fragile creatures.  We are surrounded by danger, grief, disappointments, loneliness – many things that are out of our control.  One of the ways to survive this life experience and fulfill what we were sent here to do, is to fully, richly and deeply live our dreams.  Without dreams we may never accomplish anything. “We are made to dream and to live those dreams.”  So, “if you can dream it, you can do it”