OUR ONE-MONTH ANNIVERSARY

On Monday, April 16th it was our first-month anniversary of being in Swaziland!  I can’t figure out whether it feels like we have been here only a short time or forever.  There are still so many things that we are not familiar with but then we have learned so much and life seems normal!  I don’t know if that makes any sense but I myself am trying to figure it out.  I love being here, but there are things I truly miss about home.

As of April 1st, the government/King has implemented a 14% tax on almost everything.  This has caused us  headaches, money aches, time aches and heart aches.  Any purchase seems to have increased and then they add the tax.  Last time we filled up with gas it was over $100! I picked up a package and what they said it would  cost more because of the VAT tax (which of course I did not have enough money)(yes, when you pick up a package you have to pay to get it – don’t ask me how they get away with that).  Electricity time, airtime, internet, it has affected everything.  But the most frustrating thing is their desire to harass us about our bakki’s.  Apparently, they do not want vehicles here that are not bought in Swaziland and ours is from South Africa.  Our license has a South Africa number, so consequently they are stopping us.  They stopped Dennis just to make sure his blinkers, turn signals, etc. worked.  They said they would impound it if they didn’t.  Earlier he had been stopped because they said he was speeding, which he claims not possible and they even pulled out the handcuffs but this was in South Africa.  Then, Wednesday, they pulled us over, after seeing our badges declared that Jesus loved him, not us, and then proceeded to demand to see our passports and work permits.  Of course, we do not have them in the bakki, nor will we ever have them in the bakki or on us.  They are locked up!  He wanted us to leave our bakki on the freeway and take local transit (kombi) back to our lodging and get our documents. We informed him we would not leave our vehicle but he demanded.  We asked what we could do to resolve the situation and he was adamant about us getting our papers.  Finally, he let us go but not before he totally got under our skin. I missed home!  Wednesday was just one of those days that you wished you had never gotten out of bed and could skip right over. But luckily the days preceding and following were like the other 30 + days that we have had here.

Sunday is a day of rest and worshipping at church!  Our Sunday was neither of these.  We picked up Elder Stark who was leaving for home.  We had to meet Elder and Sister Miller in South Africa in Piet Retrief where we were picking up Elder Maclean who was joining our Swazi Zone and putting Elder Stark on the bus for Durban.  He flies out for home on Tuesday morning.  It is a good 3 hour drive.  We waited for the bus for a couple of hours and then proceeded home with Elder Maclean.  We had to drive to Nhlangano to talk to Branch President Bulunga and then drove to Gege to take a heater to them (which by the way worked at home but it did not work there).  We visited with the Malinga family and made some plans for training the Gege leadership.  Then homeward bound we went arriving late where the Ezulwini elders anxiously greeted their new companion.

Elder Stark leaving for home.  We will miss him!

Elder Macelan (from Yorkshire, England) arriving

Our faithful Gege elders showing us the true missionary transport!

Monday was Elder Castleberry’s birthday!So that meant baking a birthday cake!  Dennis had to handle some financial problems.  Apparently, none of the boardings in Swaziland have been paid.  So Dennis and Bro DelaMare from the office was trying to figure that one out.  We had to drive to Mbabane to meet with George (our PA) and Nathi (young man that handles our passport dealings – we have a problem with one elder that is coming that they will only give a 3-month work permit instead of a 6-month).  We are also trying to get our 1-year work permit because our 30-day one expires in a few days.  Just a few items of government issues that have to be handled.  But after all the frustration, it completed my day with the Elders coming over for Elder Castleberry’s birthday celebration.  They keep me young, happy and focused.  A good bunch of young men and I will truly miss those who are leaving.  We had it early because the elders have to be out by 6:00 p.m. on P-day.  Dennis and I decided to finish our day by a good walk and found Israel!  He is a security man at the Gables who arrives at work at 6:00 p.m. and guards an ATM machine all night until 6:00 a.m.  He works 12 days on, 2 days off, and then 12 days on.  He sits on a chair outside and says if he falls asleep he looses his job. So he sleeps most of the day to make sure he is not too tired.  Now, it is starting to get cold here and it was rather cold Monday night.  Poor guy has to sit there no matter the weather or temperature.  He has 5 children to support and he says he is grateful for a job.  We went home and I made him some hot chocolate and some brownies.  Dennis took them to him later and put a pass-a-long card in the sack with our phone number on it.  He called Dennis and thanked him for the food and the card.  The next morning at 6:15 a.m. our telephone rang and it was Israel thanking us again and asking for the DVD offered on the pass-a-long card.  We told him that we would have some young men come by to give it to him. A marvelous way to end and start a day!!!

Israel – our security man and Den

TRANSFER DAY – Tuesday, our first transfer day.  Dennis needed to get on the road by 9:30 (he was instructed to leave me home because there was no room in the bakki – so I missed out on my first transfer) because of a full day of driving ahead of him.  He had to pick up Elder Tameilau, Elder Mabusa, Elder Daniels, drive to Nhlangano to pick up Elder Dutson and drop off Elder Mabusa and then to South Africa to  the Petro Port, to meet Elder Zweifel from the office, exchange elders and then come back home the same way.  The tired Elders arrived at 8:00 p.m. but we had a party planned for them.  We decided to have all the elders come to the home on transfer day for dinner and the opportunity for the new elders to meet the Swazi zone!  It was a good new tradition because they all had a great time and enjoyed getting to know each other.  They left a happy bunch!  After only a month I was surprised how hard it was for me to say good-bye to these elders.  They each have a story and they touched my heart and will forever remain a part of me.  I truly miss them.

Leaving the Swazi Zone – Tameilau, Daniels, Mebusa

Elder Tameilau and Elder Mabusa off to a new adventure!

Elder Dutson, Daniels, Tameilau

Welcome new Elders – Maclean, Puso, Ngwenya, Wilcox

This map and pictures are on our kitchen wall.  This is how it looks now.  As the missionaries come, it will get bigger.  Each missionary signs where their home place is. We will compare periodically to see how it grows.

While Dennis was driving, I prepared for the dinner that night plus attended a Women’s Forum.  It is a group of white women that gather and have discussions, presentations, some learning opportunity and “tea”. It is kind of like enrichment in Relief Society.  It is held every third Tuesday in different members homes.  Last month they invited me to join which I happily accepted.  So Joan Deakin, our landlady, picked me up at 1:30 and we drove to Mbabane to a beautiful home – one that would easily compare to a huge home back in the states.  What a comparison – the ones that I have been visiting and that home-it was so drastic.  I really had no idea that these huge homes existed.  I guess wherever you go you have the rich and the poor living side by side.  We were suppose to watch an opera but the electricity went out so we just visited.  I really did enjoy myself even though I was the only one that had not known each other for years.  They were kind and included me.

Wednesday started off wonderful .  We attended Ezulwini’s District Development Meeting.  I feel so blessed to be a part of these amazing missionaries.  They teach me daily and I am so grateful for their testimonies, their leadership skills, their dedication to the work and their love for the people they serve.  After the meeting is when we had our ultimate experience with the police and wanting us to leave our bakki on the freeway which put us both into a non-Christian mood.  Yesterday we were commenting that we have not had many opportunities to share the gospel with others and we concluded that WE were the ones that were at fault– we were not radiating that spirit of love and kindness and had let a few experiences dampen our spirits.  It was a good thing that the Lord blessed us with good members that saved the day!  Sister Concelia Ntshalintshali and her daughter invited us to dinner.  It was our first dinner inviteand we were excited.  But of course we got lost and getting there took us 1 hour instead of 1/2 hour.  We were late which we felt extremely bad about but they were very kind and understanding.  The dinner was awesome and the company delightful.  Thank you Ntshalintshali’s for your hospitality.  One note, the people around here always end their day with a devotional.  They have a song, thought, scripture and prayer.  I think that is something we all need to do more of.  We arrived home much quicker than going there.

Thursday started off with another DDM with the Manzini Elders.  Dennis gave a thought on obedience and did great.  Two other elders gave thoughts on faith and hard work.  One of the equations of the mission is  Hardwork + Faith + Obedience with exactness = MIRACLES.  A great equation that we all could use.  Then some elders took us to the Ezulwini’s Relief Society Presidents home – Sis. Chosen.  Now she lives really a long ways away.  It took us almost an hour to get there with distance and dirt roads.  But what a lovely homestead when we arrived and she was so glad we came.  I do not know how she does what she accomplishes living so far away and no car.  She teaches school, raises family,  grandchildren, nieces, etc. all on her own.  She is a woman of faith – an example to all of us.  We made plans for visiting some sisters in the branch that are sick and need help.  I can’t wait to be of service in this area.  Relief Society the way it was meant.  While there we received a phone call from an elder who was sick so we visited him to see how we could help.  While there, the Zone Leaders said that they had met with Comfort – the young man from the border and he was excited about learning the gospel.  They thanked us for finding a “golden”  investigator!  That night we went to dinner with the Zawacky’s and DelaMare’s who are up from Durban.  It was good to see other senior couples.  I miss their association.

Sister Chosen and her homestead

We had no idea when we woke up that our Friday would end up so different than expected.  For some reason, I woke up early and made two batches of different brownies.  Now why would I make two batches?  It ended up being prophetic – I needed them!  Dennis went to help the YSA’s sell Young Ambassador tickets and they decided we needed to have a YSA party at our home that night.  We had tried to get one organized but we never got it going.  Well, they decided they wanted one, so facebooked everyone and that was all it took.  They started arriving around 5:00.  A neat part of the story.  We told you about a young girl we met at Swazi trails last week, Nombulelo.  Dennis and four of the YSA went to her work to invite her to the party and she accepted.  She said that she really had not wanted to be alone tonight and was pleased that they had invited her.  Dennis and I and a few others picked her up at 5:00 when she got off work and she fit into the group wonderfully.  She was meant to be part of this amazing group of YSA’s.  There ended up being 13 that came.  They played dad’s game of kubb , ate sloppy joes (which they had never heard of before – they call hamburger-mince meat) with cheese, onions and tomatoes, potato salad, chips, drink and brownies!  We then played a very competitive game of charade.   I thought I was at home playing with my kids!  Played a game called word chain, had some karoke and then had a devotional with songs, scripture, testimony and prayer.  Nombulelo joined right in.  One of the young men gave her a Book of Mormon and we are picking her up tomorrow for church.  Please pray for her – we love her already.   An almost perfect day!

Nombulelo is the one in the orange sweater.  Look at dad in the right corner.  How awesome is he!

Devotional  Time 

On Saturday we realized that we had only found 2 investigators, so we had our work cut out for us to find 3 more.  But dad is the man!  He found them at the store and Manzini market.  He was talking to a man about the church and then another one came up to him and also wanted a pass-a-long card.  He got names and phone numbers.  We again visited Elder Brown who had been sick and was feeling slightly better.  We needed to do some shopping for heaters for the elders, but I hated shopping on Saturdays at home and I do not like it any better in Swaziland.   There were people and confusion all over so we went home.  Dennis had paper work to do and I had baking – no surprise.  I baked a cake and got ready for dinner tomorrow.  We have invited the Mbabane’s Branch President – Siko Ntshalintshali – and his family for dinner.  Dennis has a lot of meetings and temple interviews tomorrow so will not be home until just before they come.  We joined up with the Zawacky’s and DelaMare’s at Manzini market; then came back to our home, went to dinner at the Calabash Restaurant and then back home for cake and ice cream.  A good day, night and week. 

DelaMare and Zawacky

A lot of jibberish, but that is my life here in Swaziland.  If you don’t want to read all of the happenings, just enjoy the pictures of the wonderful people that surround me! I am going to include a few random pictures.

This is found in one of the members home.  Thought it was incredible.

This is a poster and billboard found all over!

This is our milk!  It comes in a container of 6 and sits on our counter until we are ready to drink each carton.  So it does not go bad on us and it is good.  A great invention.