My dad and mom
Doing the HAKA at my dad's funeral
The week was spent in the office. We are working on our Church History annual history. Every year each unit in the church is required to submit an annual history which includes a calendar, reflection of the year, sustaining form and excerpts from the different auxillaries. The entire Africa Southeast Area then sends them to our office, where Dennis reviews them, writes up a summary and then sends them to Salt Lake. We have 86 Stakes/Districts and numerous branches/wards/groups under then in our area. It makes for a busy time if they submit them. They are due to us by 31 March. Last year in December we finally received only 50% of the histories. Our goal this year is 100%! We also submit an annual history of our department which is what we have been working on. It has been rather fun to see what we have done since June and to write a reflection on our activities.
On Tuesday 1 March, 2016 Dennis went to the doctor for tests on his knee. He has been having terrible pain in his left knee. We finally got him an appointment. They have him scheduled for an MRI next week. The temple patrons are BACK!!! It sure makes our day much more enjoyable when they are around. How I love these people. They make me smile. We had a special visitor today...Reeve Nield. We introduced the Nield family from Zimbabwe to you a few months ago. They are amazing people. We had met Sister Nield and three of her daughters and today we met a fourth - REEVE! When she enters a room, it lightens up with enthusiasm and excitement. I have never met anyone with such energy. She is a professional golfer/instructor and Dennis has been following her blogs. She was at the distribution center and when she passed our office, she said that she felt the desire to come in. Little did she know, that we knew her family and was enjoying her excerpts from around the world. Before she left (an hour later) she taught us how to message by talking instead of writing (we actually practiced by talking to her mother in Zimbabwe), took a photo to send to her mother, Reeve gave Dennis a one-on-one golf lesson and invited us to join her on Saturday morning for another lesson. Wow...she is non-stop. Greg and Sherry Weeks invited us over for dinner. Great food and company.
Family from the DRC with Elizabeth Vizzini - our cute chef.
Reeve and us doing a selfie....
Weeks for dinner
Our daughter sent this picture of the remembrance of their attending the Provo City Center Temple Open House.
Wednesday, 2 March we had a Public Affairs meeting with Sean Donnelly and the new senior couple over Public Affairs - the Gattens.
Tina Jackson was helping this family with their family history. They were sealed for time and all eternity.
We are getting ready for the Durban Temple ground-breaking next month. President Cook has asked for some stories from the Durban area and a history timeline of the church in that area. Dennis has spent hours extracting stories while I had worked on finishing the annual history. Bro. Holmes is working on the timeline. I also did a whole lot of baking back home for our weekend in Swaziland.
Zweli and his relatives
Manqoba Shongwe and Mbongiseni Nkambule
More of Zweli's relatives in traditional clothing
Ready to start.....
Dennis and Zweli
Here comes the bride.....
President Malaza married them
It was a special day.......
The future Durban Temple
We have been busy finding stories from Durban pioneers about the growth of the church in that area. We have been waiting for this temple since October 2011! The ground-breaking is 9 April 2016. It will be a glorious occasion for the saints in Durban. A former stake president said that the saints in the Durban area have been preparing for a temple for many years. Their day has arrived.
(A sample story by Garith Hill - I will tell you an interesting experience that happened early on while serving as Durban Stake President. I told my counselors that there was going to be a temple in Durban and I had seen the light of the temple in Durban. That I had seen there were other smaller lights around that major light which was the temple. And I said to my counselors that we need to start preparing the members for a temple. From that moment on we started talking about a temple in Durban. When we started speaking about it, the people were like almost shocked that we could even consider a concept like there could be a temple in Durban It was something that became a rallying call and it was something that I hoped would give people the encouragement and faith to stay to watch it unfold.)
The weekend was spent in Swaziland with Greg and Sherry Weeks. One of our Lobamba boys, Zweli Dlamini, was getting married. I think this may be a record. Released from his mission on 8 December 2015 and married 5 March 2016. But we couldn't be happier for him and we wanted to share this moment with him. His wife is not a member yet but has scheduled a baptism in the next few weeks. I want to share just a brief testimony that he wrote when we were with him in Swaziland. He met with us in our home every Monday night along with around 15 others from his village called Lobamba for almost 1 1/2 years. Zweli was the leader of this group and baptized most of them. Before he even left on mission, he already had led many into the waters of baptism and now he is leading his wife.
ZWELINSIMA DESIRE DLAMINI
BIRTHDATE:
28 May 1990
MY CONVERSION STORY:
I was asleep at noon when I heard a knock at the door and I asked who’s that,
without even waiting for the reply I went to the door and opened and find two
young looking guys wearing white shirts with tags written Elder Cooley and
Elder Tualufo. They then introduced
themselves as I have written above and they told me they were from the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they asked me if they can ask me a
question and I responded yes and their question was “When was your last time
you visited church?” I responded by saying I don’t remember, thereafter, they
asked me if we can pray so we can be able to share something. I agreed to pray with them. After the prayer they gave me a pamphlet
about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and asked me to read it and
then they made an appointment to see me on another day where I will be able to
ask questions about what I’ve read from the pamphlet. I, also, agreed. Then comes the second day where I was to meet
the guys on white shirts that day was Elder Tualufo and Elder Mutariswa. They greeted me warmly and asked me about my
pamphlet, if I had understood everything on it.
Then they taught me more about Joseph Smith and the church, thereafter
they invited me to attend church with them that same week. I agreed and attended church. It was so cool. They welcomed me warmly and I felt at home.
MISSIONARIES: Elder Cooley, Elder Tualufo, Elder Mutariswa
BAPTISM DATE: 11 September 2011
BAPTIZED BY: Elder Tualufo
MY TESTIMONY: Knowing about who the missionaries are and what are they
doing really changed my life, because what I had on my mind when I first saw
the missionaries and their white shirts, I thought that they were students
doing some kind of a research. I never
thought that they might be the Lord’s messengers because they look young. All of a sudden I was surprised by the
wonderful teachings which they gave to me and the way they approached me. They built trust in my heart. I have never even thought of going to church
but the missionaries made that to be a simple step to me. Even now I am still surprised when I look
back into my life, the gospel together with the wonderful relationship which
the church members and the missionaries gave to me - they are an important
treasure. Coming to church has taught me
a lot of things in a short space of time,
things which I’ve never had of before and those were not just for me to
learn but they were for me to change my life into what Heavenly Father wanted
me to be. One of the greatest things
that Heavenly Father has blessed me with as a result of knowing who he was are
the teachings of the church which are able to guide me in whatsoever condition
I face in my life. Today I testify that
I know that the missionaries are servants of the Lord and that their teachings
are also of the Lord. I say all these in
the name of the Son and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
WHAT THE CHURCH HAS DONE FOR ME
By Zwelinzima Dlamini – 23 years old
September 23, 2013
It was about two years ago when I
first heard about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The missionaries were the first people to
tell me about the church. When they
introduced the church they started by sharing with me news about the
restoration of the Gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. It wasn’t hard for
me to believe in all the things they were teaching me about, because I was
given the right answers to all the questions I had and another thing that
caused me to listen and learn from the missionaries was their age. They were young which make it easier for me
to understand them so clearly.
Now I am a member of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I’m grateful about the lessons which the
missionaries gave me, because without those lessons, I wouldn’t be what I am
now. I am now a priesthood holder
ordained in the office of an Elder which sounds very strange to many of the
people who knew the kind of life I used to live before I joined the
church. Joining the royal army of God
was not in my plans for the future. I
never pictured myself doing God’s work, living under certain principles and
laws was not part of my plans either. The
highest standard and conduct of latter day saints helped me to gain a strong
testimony of the Savior and the church.
In a few weeks I will be on my mission inviting other people to come
“unto Christ”, which is something I also never thought of doing. With all these things happening to my life, I
have learned more about who really God is and what are his plans about each and
every person who lives on earth. I have
also learned how to show love unto Him and other people.
Loving the Savior requires sacrifice
which might be a hard thing for young people like me, because we as young
people are engaged in many activities which makes us to look more clever and
stylish, while all those activities have a bad ending. So in order for me to show my love for the Savior,
I was expected to quit all the things I was enjoying and focus on the Lord
which sounds boring and unfashionable.
Yes, it might sound boring, but it is the most better and safer way in
which young people can rely on so they can learn more about their purpose in
this world. Without the gospel there is
no prosperity for young people. I am
grateful for the Book of Mormon. I know
it is another testament of Jesus Christ and I am also grateful for the living
Prophet Thomas S. Monson. I know he has
been called of God and I say all this in the name of they son, Jesus
Christ. Amen.
HIS SPECIAL DAY.......
Two of our special young ladies from the Ezulwini branch
Lungile and ? (I'm already forgetting - it breaks my heart)
Let me tell you about the rest of the weekend. It started out very early, 6:00 in the morning. We picked up the Weeks and started out for our beloved Swaziland. Three hours into our trip (only an hour away from Swaziland) Greg and Sherry exclaimed that they had not brought their passports. I really thought they were kidding but to my disbelieve, they really did not have their passports. So we turned around, drove back three hours, they ran in, retrieved their passports and three hours later were back to where we began. So the trip to Swaziland that should have taken 4 hours, took 10 hours! We immediately drove to Baobab Batik so the Weeks could meet our dear friends there. It was a grand reunion. I love those ladies. Then off to Gone Rural - unfortunately the office was closed so we didn't see our friends there but the store was opened and the Weeks enjoyed their wares. Mantenga Lodge was our last stop where we enjoyed a great meal and sleep. Quite a day!
Then we strolled the streets of Lobamba with our suckers......
We went looking for Senzo at his homestead....didn't find Senzo but found MARCOSE. We were so excited to see him. When we left our previous mission, he was in prison. We had visited him there a few times but was unable to get there before we left. That was a heartache for me, that we were not able to say good-bye to him. This was a heavenly blessing to run into him. Marcose has a special place in my heart. We invited him to come to church the following day.......
We went to Summerfield for dinner to see Lalala - a waitress there that we taught but she never joined. Another great reunion. It was so good to see her.
Finally, almost there....
The border
Some of our ladies at Baobab Batik
Tablecloth - a work of art
Love these ladies
Sherry and me in front of Execution Rock where we have breakfast
Lovely morning
At breakfast we met this couple. They are the office couple in the Mozambique mission. They are in Swaziland preparing the accommodations for the new senior couple coming to Swaziland, the Martins.
The walkway at our lodging
Sherry trying on jewelry at the Silver Smith
Chosen, her son and grandson
Our first Swazi friend - Sbu
It was Chosen's birthday - lunch with Thoko. I brought her a cake and also Pres. Siko Ntshalintshali whose birthday it was on Sunday.
After the wedding we went to the cultural village
Sherry dancing...
So glad that Paul was there to take us around the village
Then we strolled the streets of Lobamba with our suckers......
The little boy in blue (purple, whatever color it was) followed us around. Wish we could take him home and fix his legs.
...and he came. Love these boys of ours. Marcose and Mbongiseni, the one who baptized him and just returned from his mission in Uganda.
Zola and Fumi at church. We haven't seen Fumi for such a long time. Before we left, she had moved to South Africa to be with her mother. She had a little boy and has now returned back to Swaziland.
Sifiso's mother (he is serving in the Joburg mission) and Chosen in Relief Society
Ezulwini Primary
6 March also marks our half-way through mission.......9 months behind us and 9 months to go. It has been a good 9 months with a lot of learning and growing in areas I did not know even existed. I am so grateful for all those that have been patient with me and helped me expand my technology knowledge. I am grateful for the wonderful people we have met.....our lives have been blessed with knowing them. We love doing the interviews with these amazing Africans. We learn so much from them. I am a better person for being here.
Yes, mom and dad, I am happy.
MARCOSE PHILANEBENKHOSI DLAMINI'S TESTIMONY
BIRTHDATE: 18 May 1988
CONVERSION STORY: Last year 2012, I think it was between October and November,
I was confused. I was traumatized and
blank-minded because it was like I have lived my life like a candle in the
wind. I was from captivity (jail) 6
months back (11 April 2012). I lost my
sister while I was in prison and it happened on the very same year I lost my
last piece of myself on my birthday, mommy died. It came in to my mind that I can be saved if
I can go to church, but had been in some of the churches in Swaziland I didn’t like the way they do things that are
done by gentales (sinners). Been there and I am a witness of these things. Because I was having friends, I came across
Mbongiseni having a Book of Mormon.
Recall of an elder Joneson in 2008 before I was jailed. He told me about the gospel, his church and I
told Mbongiseni to go with me to his church.
MISSIONARIES: Elder Kuwanatsoka and Elder Kiwumi
BAPTISM DATE: 17
February 2013
BAPTIZED BY: Mbongiseni Nkambule
MY TESTIMONY: Jesus is the Christ and only when we receive baptism and the
gift of the Holy Ghost can we receive a remission of our sins and become
completely spiritually reborn. And I
know the church is true. I know that in
1820 a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Smith lived near Palmyra, Yew York. Though young he was concerned about his
standing before God and confused by claims of various Christian religion that
sought converts by discounting the claims of others. Motivated by his study of the bible, Joseph
decided to seek wisdom by asking God, who “giveth to all men liberally and
upbraideth not” (James 1:5) He went into the woods near his home to pray as
Joseph knelt and prayed, a brilliant pillar of light fell upon him. In it he saw two personages. Heavenly Father spoke and said, “This is my
beloved son. Hear him.” The Lord told Joseph not to join any of the
churches because none of them were true.
But he was promised “that the fullness of the gospel should at some
future time be made known unto him”. I
say this in the name of Christ. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment