BLESS THE CHILDREN

“ And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought….And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.  And when he had done this he wept again; And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.  And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.”  This week my heart is bursting with love for His little ones.  I have wept for them, laughed with them, been taught by them and loved them!  Hopefully someday I will “become as a child” and be permitted to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The weather here as been glorious and Monday was no exception.  We started the day with running errands – paying bills, visiting John at the Mancini market, grocery shopping, delivering stuff to Nathi.  Then we met up with the elders for a Swazi Zone activity which means all 16 missionaries were here.  Yea!!!!  The Zone leaders had designed a Zone t-shirt which they presented to us and Dennis and I had ordered ties for the Districts who were the highest in different categories and they were given out (they are CTR ties).  Then we went to the Swazi Cultural Center which is located just about a mile from here.  We had a great time.  They have traditional huts that they explain and you can wander through, a beautiful waterfall and then 45 minutes of traditional dancing and music that is performed.  They include audience members and Dennis was one of the lucky ones!  He showed some amazing moves. The elders were totally entertained.  We ended up at the house for dessert. The elders have to be back to their flats by 6:00 and ready to do missionary work on P-day and they barely made that time.  The Nhlangano elders stayed overnight because it was too late for them to go home.  At 7:00 we met the Zone leaders for a Family Home Evening appointment they had with the Thabani family who are investigators.  We had a wonderful evening with them teaching and bearing testimony of the restoration of the gospel.  Then after I told them that it was tradition to have talents at FHE so their two children danced for us – without any music.  Soooooo cute.  Of course, no FHE is complete without refreshments which I had brought.  It was a most amazing day!!!

Our Swazi Zone ties

Our Swazi Zone T-shirts

The Swazi Cultural Center

Thabani Family

Tuesday was a once in a lifetime day!  We woke early and met the Women’s Forum ladies at the Gables at 8:00.  We were going to take the Kombi with them to an orphanage called Bulembu but we had to return early so we followed them.  We drove up to Piggs Peak and then off on a dirt road for almost 45 minutes.  The road was dirty, rutted and incredibly hard to maneuver but it was all worth it when we got there.  We thought we were going to an orphanage but it really is an entire city!  Here is the website that you need to go to, scroll down to a place that has a video and watch 2 1/2 minutes of an incredible story. bulembu.org.  The town was a asbestos mine and when that went bad the town became a ghost town.  A few years later a ministry bought it to house HIV and other orphans.  Swaziland has 120,000 registered orphans with probably a lot more.  They wanted to do something and they came up with Bulembu.  They hope to be self-sufficient by the year 2020.  They now produce their own honey, dairy farm and sawmill, crafts.  A lot of the orphans come in as babies and they will stay until they leave for occupations.  They now have 320 orphans.  They have a baby house – infants to 2; a toddler home – 2 to 4; then they go into reconstructed homes that have an auntie and 6 children, all the same sex.  There they stay, attend schooling, do chores, wash their own clothes by hand, get medical help - until they graduate and find jobs.  There is so much information that I cannot possibly tell you all of it.  It was so amazing.  We visited the baby home first.  Some of the ladies had brought gifts for them.  There was a suitcase full of homemade dolls that were adorable.  One was full of hats and scarves that someone had made and another of blankets.  They brought some of the children in and passed them out.  It was so touching and I immediately fell in love.  The baby home has a ratio of 1 auntie for 2 babies because they know how important it is for babies to have that connection and love at the beginning.  These aunties were so loving and sweet.  One of the toddler homes was next.  We went to one that housed 12 young boys that were off to pre-school.  The place was old but immaculate and decorated so cute.  They had a volunteer group that had come and painted the walls in Disney characters.  It was great.  We proceeded to one of the homes were the auntie let us in.  It was a boys home.  Clothes folded neatly and everything spotless, pictures of the 6 boys with their auntie on the wall.  They try and keep families together the best they can. They have 32 of the existing homes rebuilt and lived in and the others on their way.  I am not sure how many more – enough to house another 2000 (I thought 5000 but Dennis and the video said 2000).  As we were leaving the children were just getting out of school and starting to come home.  How nice to come back to a home and one that loves you.  Amazing!  I know it might not make much sense, but there was so much information I would like to share but you will have to find it on the website.  There is so much to do here.  I am so impressed with these people’s vision and then to go out and do something about it.  Our landlady’s daughter is the one that has the connection there.  She was telling me that her and her husband had good paying jobs in Manzini when her husband came home and said that he had been called of God to go help these people.   So they quit their jobs and she said that she went kicking and screaming because she was pregnant with their first child but now they love what they are doing.  They live there and are raising their two children.  What a sacrifice.  Enjoy finding out more and enjoy the pictures.

Our Women’s Forum

Receiving the gifts – dolls, blankets, hats and scarves

She is the youngest at the orphanage – 4 months

He had his arms reached out to me – how could I resist

A days laundry at the baby home

One of the toddler’s home

These are the homes that they are fixing up. 

This sweet lady made this – a SA covering that America needs to adopt.  It is a netting with crochet beads around it that you put over your food to keep flies, etc out. Amazing things!

Showing how the homes are gutted and remodeled

These are two sisters coming home from school that lives in one of the homes with an Auntie

We hurried home, packed up the taco soup, breadsticks and ice cream sandwiches that I made and headed up to Mbabane for our marriage class that we are teaching.  We had 10 couples and had a great time.  We enjoyed eating, getting to know each other, finding out what they want to talk about and then watching a video on marriage.  We will be holding the class every other Tuesday at 5:45 (a compromise from 5:30 & 6:00).  I forgot to take any photos.  I think I was really nervous!  Glad the first one is over.  Came home and crashed.

Wednesday was just what the doctor ordered – a more calm, relaxing day.  We visited with a young man, attended Manzini’s DDM, went to the butchery and  cleaned bathrooms, windows, closets while Dennis had his mission presidency meeting over skype.  I made corn chowder and did paper work.  Those kind of days are boring but periodically enjoyable!

We woke to a beautiful morning on Thursday that was beckoning us to enjoy it.  So we did.  We went for a walk.  It was lovely.  But we had to hurry home because we were going to Nhlangano.  We met the elders and went visiting two people who are getting baptized on Saturday.  What great additions to the gospel these people are going to make.  Baba Hlope is a humble man.  So gentle and strong in his testimony.  His wife and 4 children are not interested in the gospel and the people around him are very anti-Mormon but his foundation is firm and has a great desire to be baptized.

Then we visited Ma Zungu and her daughter TemHlanga Khumalo.  Ma Zungu was baptized two weeks ago and her daughter, Tem, is being baptized Saturday.  Dennis had to interview her for her baptism and everything went well.  Ma Zungu and I hit it off immediately.  What a fun lady. 

We drove home because I had to make 100 rolls for a bridal shower on Saturday.  I had the dough rolled out and ready to cook when the electricity went out.  7:30 – no electricity, nothing to do, so we went to bed.  I slept for about an hour, got up and put the rolls in the frig and just when I finished doing that the electricity went on.  Baked and back to bed.  Slept soundly!

Friday was spent stuffing rolls with a ham spread, making brownies, running more errands and visiting an investigator with the Manzini elders.   The elders have been teaching Mthinde Ntshangase for almost a year now.  She is not married but has two children with the man she is living with.  She knows she has to get married in order to be baptized and the elders have been encouraging her to do this.  It seems her fiancé is okay with it but she is hesitant.  So the elders asked us to come with them to talk to her.  It was so funny because when we got there she shooed them out.  That really surprised them.  She told us that this man is not nice to her.  He is 31 years her elder and says very unkind things to her.  He is a teacher but  won’t give her money for food and clothes so she is looking for a job.  She wonders if he will change if she marries him but doesn’t want to marry him if he is going to continue to be mean.  Both her parents died last year and she is missing them.  She had triplets 6 years ago and one died at birth and the other two are in South Africa with relatives because she cannot afford to take care of them.  They are from another relationship.  She is dealing with a lot and doesn’t know what to do.  We let her talk and cry. Nothing was decided but we will be going back.  You don’t marry an unkind man just to be baptized.  Maybe we can soften his heart and bring him the gospel.  She has a baptismal date for June 17th but I am not sure she is going to make it.  The elders were disappointed but now understood why she has been so hesitant.  Here is the picture of her, two of her children and two friends. (Also, there was a lady there with us that is a friend that takes care of her children when she goes looking for a job.  She kept coughing while we were there and Den and I kept expressing our sympathy that she was sick.  Mthinde told me as we were walking out the she was diagnosed with AIDS a few years ago and is getting worse.)

We met with the Zawacky’s, Henningers and George and Futhi Dlamini for dinner.  It was great visiting with them.  We came home and I worked on my Baptism talk for tomorrow.

What a day!!! We arose early and drove to Nhlangano (remember a 1 1/2 hour drive) for the baptisms of Baba Hlope and TemHlango Khumalo.  It was exciting but also broke my heart.  There was only the two being baptized, Dennis and I, the two elders, Thulani Mabusa who baptized them and the Relief Society president.  It just seemed so lonely because they had no one there to support them or share their joy in this decision.  But they were so sweet and excited.  We were so glad that we were there.  Elder Cauble conducted, Elder Paulo gave the prayer, Dennis and I gave the talks, Thulani baptized and we finished with a greeting.  We feel bad that we did not have them bear their testimonies but they told us that they did today in Sacrament meeting after they were confirmed and gave beautiful ones.  It was a beautiful morning.

Again, we hurried home for Portia’s bridal party.  It started at 11:00, the same time the baptism and when we got there at 1:30 the ceremony was just beginning so we missed nothing.  She is marrying someone from Joburg in the temple on September 29th but this is the traditional Swazi ceremony.  I don’t quite understand it but there was a lot of people.  Portia’s fiancé's family was there from South Africa, friends of both and tons of Shongwe family.  There was lots of food, music and good company.  We really had a great time.  Their homestead is huge because they have generations living there – cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.  I really do not know who belongs to who.  It is just one big family taking care of each other.  Portia and her twin brother were orphaned right after they were born and their Shongwe gogo and extended family has been taking care of them.  I enjoyed getting to know her fiancé's family.  Really nice and we all can’t wait for September to see them married the Lord’s way.

They surprised Dennis and asked him to share some thoughts.  The others were speaking Siswati so he had no idea what he was suppose to share.  But he did a great job!

We ended the evening with dinner again with our friends from Durban – Zawacky and Henningers.  I came home and baked for our Sunday dinner with the elders.

It seems that the Sabbath day comes around a lot.  Our weeks are whizzing by (is that a word) because it is Sunday again.  Dennis had to be at the  Mbabane Branch early because it was their branch conference.   We were pulled over by the police for speeding on our way there.  When they asked him for his drivers license, he realized that he had forgotten his wallet.  He got out to explain.  How do you get out of that?  The funny thing was that the District President, President Simelane, had also been pulled over going to the same meeting.  When the police realized that Dennis did not have his wallet which meant he had no money, they told him to go ahead and leave.  I wouldn’t recommend this way to get out of paying a ticket!  We were slightly late for the meeting but we were one of the first ones there.  Surprise! The conference was great.  The talks, musical number, testimonies were inspiring.  I enjoy the Sabbath day here in Swaziland.  My good friend, Yenzokuhle Mncina, from last week sat on my lap again. I also had three others that joined him.  Couldn’t be better.  We rushed out as soon as it was over because Ezulwini had two baptisms today, Sebenzile Dlamini and Prince Rise.

Elder Christensen, Prince Rise, Sebe Dlamini, Elder Maclean

It is transfer weekend so we had three of the elders that are leaving and their districts over for dinner.  These weeks are my least favorite here on the mission.  The missionaries really become friends and they are truly missed when they leave.  Elder Hansen is going to Newcastle; Elder Christensen to Bloemfontein, Elder Adams to Hillcrest and Elder Ssenyonga to    . So Dennis and I will be spending the next two days taking elders and picking them up.  We had an old fashioned Sunday dinner with roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, beans, salad and homemade rolls with chocolate cake and ice cream.  How I am going to miss these young men. They were here from the beginning of our mission and welcomed us so very warmly.  They will forever be special to us.

Dennis, Elder Christensen, Elder Adams, Elder Hansen and me

Children are of all ages.  From newborns to those young men serving on missions.  This week I saw the little ones in Bulembu being served by special “angels” sent to help better their lives.  I witnessed little ones being taught the gospel for the first time.  I watched little ones dance on rocks and play carefree with no idea what heavy loads their mother was carrying.  I was there when a little one walked into the waters of baptism.  A young daughter of our Heavenly Father made the righteous choice to marry in the temple.  And these young elders where once little ones but now amazing servants of God.  The angels are definitely encircling his little ones here in Swaziland.