A Day in the Life of a Swazi Senior Couple

Every morning when we wake up, we never know for sure where our day will end up.  We have plans but for some reason, it is very similar to home – those plans never seem to materialize.  A phone call can change an entire day’s direction.  Yesterday, Den received a phone call that one of the Elders had backed into another car and did some damage.  Of course, it couldn’t be just any car – it was one of the police chiefs.  So they came over and incident papers where filled out and sent to the mission home.  Another phone call late at night informed us that the Gege Elders had no electricity.  So the next day was spent getting approval for a line to be installed for them.  Early this morning, we were out walking and the cell phone rang.  It was Bob – our electrician man.  There are some problems with the Ezulwini Chapel and Den had called him to come and see if he could fix it.  He was headed over to the chapel and needed us to open it.  Since we were already on our walk, we just continued to the chapel.  Almost two hours later we arrived home and showered and rushed back out for a meeting.  George Dlamini’s, our PA man, car broke down and so we spent two days with him delivering flyers, etc. for the BYU Young Ambassadors.  The Elders’ bikes are constantly breaking down which means trips to the bike shop which has quickly become a place for auto-pilot for our car.  Just a few hours ago, we received a young man’s mission call by courier and he is in Gege working with the Elders.  He has been waiting so patiently for this call.  So tomorrow we are headed to Gege to deliver the good news to him.  We are going early because we need to be back for Ezulwini’s Relief Society social later in the day.

Every day is an adventure, a new experience and never the same.  But there are some things that are done very routinely.  Like Dennis buying electricity for us and the Elders.  This is done monthly according to the needs.  He buys cell time for the Elders and us weekly, but it seems more often.  We are always driving the car from Ezulwini to Manzini or Ezulwini to Mbabane.  Den has really become proficient at driving on the wrong side of the road, on the wrong side of the car and with his left hand!   It could be all the time we spend in the car.  But the most daily thing that is done, is me baking goodies.  There has been probably only  5 days since we arrived that I have NOT baked either brownies, cookies, cakes or homemade rolls.  They love their sweets here as do most people.  Wherever we go we take goodies – to meetings, visiting members, visiting investigators, dance practices, employees in stores and I need them even at home when missionaries  just show up. I don’t think I am ever empty handed.  So consequently, I am always baking.  I freeze cookies, brownies, cakes so they are always ready.  I think that is where our food bill is going.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Den can fulfill his responsibilities and I can bake and add a lot of LOVE!

Our bakki is grounded.  We were suppose to get it serviced at 45,000 miles but they couldn’t get us in so it is almost at 46,000 .  So we are trying to figure out how to make the odometer back track.

These are my new white socks.  The red dirt around here is all over.  No matter how much I sweep and mop our kitchen floor, or vacuum,  this is what happens to white socks! This is just inside the house.

All in the day of a Swazi Senior Couple.  Who could ask for more?