Our Cup Runneth Over: March 2012

“Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (3 Nephi 12:3) This scripture describes the wonderful people from Gege that we had the privilege of meeting Friday. This little city is located at the south end of Swaziland. Den and I left early and drove for over an hour then turned onto a dirt road for another 30 – 40 minutes. We picked up Elder Fisher, Elder Ssenyango and Ayanda Mabusa (a young man from Nhlangano anxiously awaiting his mission call) for a day of visiting members. There were no roads to their homesteads. To find our members of the church we drove through tall grass and fields of corn stalks. But once we arrived at their homesteads, we found nothing but love and kindness.

Let me tell you a little bit about these amazing people. Most of them are gogos (grandmas), women and children. If there is a man in the family, they work outside of Gege and make it home only on holidays. They are called homesteads because it is not just one home. Some are polygamous families; others have sons and daughters joining the parents, so they just keep adding huts to the plot. You end up with a lot of structures in one area. They all live together, helping each other survive. One gogo we visited had several daughters with her, a lot of grandchildren and one grandson on a mission in Kenya. Another gogo got out of bed to greet us because she has not been feeling well for a long time and the Elders are trying to get her to a doctor which I think would be in Nhlangano.

Their food consists of what they grow which is mainly maize (corn). They make bread, mush, (and I am not sure what else), with the corn they grow. We saw chickens roaming the homes and yards, pigs in wooden cages. I saw a few wood-burning stoves and I am not sure what the others cook on. A sister we met at the school cooks lunch every day for 600 students at the high school in three pots. Water is a necessity of life and theirs is obtained through the rain gutters catching the rain and directing it into a huge container. Clothes are washed by hand and hung out to dry. One sweet sister was making a beaded necklace when we arrived which she does to make extra money. She also makes mats which she so graciously presented one to me.

“Blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.” (3 Nephi 12:6) The members, which are mostly women and children, do hunger and thirst after righteousness. They have strong testimonies and an intense desire to do the work of the Lord. But they are serving in leadership capacities without manuals or tools or skills or knowledge because they are so new and isolated. Their chapel is the high school. They have to arrive early to sweep the floors of classrooms, push back the desks, find chairs enough for 60 people so they can hold sacrament service and then YW, YM, Primary and Relief Society. Our desire is to help them get the training and supplies they need to fortify the testimonies of their children – the church’s future of Gege.

We live in a little town called Ezulwini which is near the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

Bro. and Sister Malinga – moved to Gege from Manzini. He is the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Sister Ndlovu – she makes necklaces, jewelry and mats besides all her other household responsibilities and counselor in the Relief Society

Sis. Ndlovu’s adorable grandson

Corn bread given to the Elders by Sis. Ndlovu. She also gave me a mat that she had made.

Sis. Ndlovu’s container to collect rain for her supply of water

Elder Ssenyango, Sister Nhelko, me, Elder Fisher, Ayanda Mabusa

Sister Mlipha’s Family (in front holding granddaughter)

Helping her do their wash – they had so much!

Sister Gugu, her son and sister, Sbongile

Sister Selina Malinga – she was not feeling well when we came

Me, friend of and Sister Thembi Malinga and the pots that they cook for 600 students

Sister Zanele Malinga and Elders – she went and changed her clothes for the picture

Sister Ntshalintshali, her sons and nephew – YW President

Gege’s Meeting house – the schoolA homestead

This is how they make their homes – put wood pieces than mud. The Elders are building one

Den and the Elders playing soccer. Below is their soccer ball – grocery bags

Gege’s baptismal font – which they use often

Coming out to say sawubona

View from the school

“Blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (3 Nephi 12:8)

A few days ago I realized that you have not seen how a Swazi really lives. The pictures I have sent have been of our beautiful home, the chapels that our saints attend and the sweet, wonderful people that surround us. But what I see everyday is much different. I have mentioned how humble these people are. They truly are and I want you to get a feel for what their day is like – every day. But a day does not go by that we do not get a wave, a smile, a friendly greeting. When we try (and I mean try because I am crucifying their language) to speak to them in their language, they grin and giggle and are so pleased we are trying. They wave as we drive down the street; they pull over in their cars if they are going slower than the traffic; the ladies at the cash registers talk and laugh with us; the young men that pump our gas are smiling; the children stop and smile and are so willing to talk to us. It is a whole different world Den and I are living in. We have never felt threatened, just welcomed warmly. It is a much slower paced lifestyle. They don’t have much but they are grateful for what they have! There will be more to come in the future. I want you to know these amazing people!

You can’t see it, but there were children running around playing by their homes