EISH! I’M EXHAUSTED!!

It has been an incredible busy two weeks and this old body and soul of mine is feeling every moment of it.  I am so tired that I truly cannot reason out anything.  Dennis has to make all the decisions and planning because my brain cells refuse to compute.  The bed is looking better and better every night and for me that is strange.  I am usually a very late night person, but I am so tired recently that I barely make it to the bed.  Here is the wrap up for the last week!

We woke up early Tuesday morning with an agenda that filled the entire day.  One phone call at 8:30 a.m. totally changed our plans.  It was Nathi needing help with the final preparations for the BYU Young Ambassadors arrival.  We met Joseph from the Church Area office in Joburg at the venue of the program in Ezulwini .  He was here making sure everything was ready.  They checked the sound system, lighting, etc. It really is nice inside.  Then we drove to the Waterford Private School where the performers would be staying.  It is up a very steep, winding road and they were afraid the bus would not make it.  (But it did.) For being a private school, the accommodations were not very updated but they were clean.  They are handled like a hostel so we found out that no towels, soap or toilet paper would be provided.  That would not do so they sent Dennis and I out to find 50 towels, soap and toilet paper for the group within two hours.  Now I have no idea where to find these things because in the 7 weeks that we have been here I had no need to look!  We made a few calls and went to a few stores and was not finding any success.  Then I remembered that one of our Manzini Young Single Adults, Xlhani,  worked for a store kind of like K-mart and thought he might help and help he did.  A tender mercy from our Heavenly Father.  He just happened to be at the mall and called back in a few minutes with the news that he had 50 towels waiting for us.  Success!  We drove to Manzini, picked up the towels, soap and toilet paper and hurried back to the Mbabane chapel where the Young Ambassadors were to arrive.  Their entrance was grand.  They were greeted by the missionaries, the young single adults from the district and members.  It was marvelous and both groups warmed up to each other.  They put on a fireside for us with spiritual songs and testimonies by the performers.  The audience was thrilled and touched by their talents.  Then the Manzini Young Single Adults performed traditional songs and dances for them.  Everyone had a great time.  Dennis and I then hurried up the mountain to serve dinner to the YA and help them find their rooms.  They are such a friendly group and we loved spending the night with them. 

John (stage manager from BYU) and Joseph (Area Public Affairs)

Their room for two nights

View from the Waterford School

The BYU Young Ambassadors arrive

Traditional song and dances performed by the Manzini Young Single Adults

Feeding the group at Waterford School

Wednesday started with feeding 16 missionaries breakfast!  It was the Swaziland’s Zone Development Training meeting and it is held at our home.  They arrive for breakfast at 8:00 a.m., had their meeting on our veranda which Dennis and I shared a few assigned thoughts and then brownies.  At noon the Nielsen’s, Area Humanitarian Directors from Joburg, arrived.   The Nielsen’s and us met with Stella, the government lady in charge of our sewing machine project, to make sure that everything is set for our training of the machines.  We then showed them Gone Rule and and had lunch at Swazi Candles.  We left them and headed for the Convention Center to prepare for the performance.  The missionaries were assigned to seat the guests so I was training them how to SMILE, point and informed them that they are the first people that our guests will see so they need to make sure it is a good impression (This is what Dennis and I did for 3 years at the conference center – we have been well trained.)  The elders did a great job escorting the guests to their seats.  So proud of them!    We were worried about the ticket sales but we had a great turn out.  The senior prince of Swaziland, Prince Masitsela, and his daughter came and they thoroughly enjoyed the show.  They were so gracious.  They greeted everyone,talked with the YA and took pictures with them.  He was dressed up in his traditional attire and looked awesome.  The show was worth all the hard work that George Dlamini and his committee put into it.  It was fabulous.  At the end the YA surprised the audience with a traditional Swazi song – Thulasizwe.  They sang it in siswati and the audience went wild.  They stood up and clapped and was so thrilled.  What a great evening.  Dennis took a group home from the concert and there was not room for me, so I waited at the convention center for him to return.  I was pretty much the only one left  in the center when he got back.  We hurried home and made brownies for the John and the truck driver.  They were leaving early to get to Durban before the students and needed treats for the long drive.

I want to tell you about a tender mercy that occurred that night.  Dennis was in the lobby and started talking to a man from America that was there, Bro. Ayre.  He asked Dennis if he knew a Branch President by the name of Bulunga.  Of course, we do.  He is the president of the Nhlangano branch.  Bro. Ayre said that he had seen the Saints in Swaziland last month in America and was impressed with the part of President Bulunga bearing his testimony about the passing of his wife.  He said that he had lost his wife and decided to write a book about losing a loved one and felt impressed that he should bring it with him to Swaziland in the hopes that he could find President Bulunga.  He was wondering if by any chance Pres. Bulunga was there. (Another amazing coincidence, he had run into the missionaries on the street and they had told him about the performance that night and so decided to go). Pres. Bulunga had brought members from his branch (a 1 1/2 hour trip) to the show so Dennis went and got him.  It was an amazing greeting.  The book was given to him and a friendship was begun.  What were the chances of those two getting together?  A tender mercy!  Later we found out that while Pres. Bulunga was going home after the production, he hit a cow which totaled his car!  He and his four passengers from the branch were not hurt.  A tender mercy number 2. 

Swaziland Zone Development Meeting

Nielsen’s at Swazi Candles

Bro. Ayre and Branch President Bulunga

Prince Masitsela

Sleep was not long enough, because we had to get to Waterford School by 7:30 to say good-bye to the Young Ambassadors and gather the towels.  They are really a delightful group of young adults and represent the church in an incredible positive way.  After they left we picked up two packages and some photos that we had done in Mbabane and then drove home.  We received two packages from home!!!  Our first packages and we were so excited.  One was from Shelly Swenson and inside was a temple dress and ordinance clothing for Sister Sebe Shongwe who is going to the temple next week for the first time and to be sealed to her husband (they were over for dinner last week).  The other one was from Cassie with a mother’s day gift, books from Misti, cards, chocolate chips.  We were so happy!  There is just something about getting a package from home!   The Nhlangano elders were there waiting.  Their bakki is getting fixed and they had no where to go.  I fed them breakfast and then drove to Manzini, went to the market and then dropped them off to get their bakki.  We spent the night preparing talks and a lesson for our marriage class.

Friday was a day of excitement!  We left the house at 6:30 to go to the airport to greet a missionary returning from the Cape Town Mission, Elder Andrew Simelane.  He was so excited to see his family and friends that had gathered to meet him.  It brought back a lot of memories for me – it was so good to get your son, brother, friend back home!  A great reunion.  Then the Smiths, George Dlamini and Dennis and I went to the office of the Senior Prince of Swaziland – Prince Masitsela, to present him with the DVD “Saints in Swaziland” and the CD “Harmony” by the Young Ambassadors.   He is 84 years old and very kind and gracious.  He loved the performance by the YA and said that he wished it had been longer and that the King could have been there.  It was an humbling experience for me.  He really is a good man!  The Smiths and us had lunch and then went and saw the beauty of the “Tea” Road.  I have no idea how it got its name but it was a beautiful drive up above Manzini through mountains.  There were a lot of homesteads and one with amazing views, kids playing soccer, women walking with fruit and baskets on their heads – a whole life that you would never guess was up on those mountains.  It was a lot of fun.

Andrew Simelane (front) and his friends and brothers

Andrew and his family

Dad and Andrew after being released as a missionary

Smiths, Prince Masitsela, George and us

Sights from our drive on the “Tea” Road

We paid good money for this shot!

There are a lot of Swazi’s that belong to the Jericho Church

I baked all Saturday morning.  We were speaking in the Gege branch and I knew that they would love cookies, so I baked.  There were 3 baptisms in the Ezulwini Branch that we attended at 2:00 p.m. and then took a potted plant to Sarah to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day.  We have not visited her for weeks and missed her.  It was so good to see her and she said that she committed to go to church on Sunday.  Her husband came home while we were there.  It was nice to meet him.  Then we hurried home because we had young adults there for a party.  They played outside games at first and then came in.  The two young men that were baptized just hours before came, Nombulelo and another non-member young woman, Zee,  that works as a hotel receptionist that we met came and then 11 ysa’s from the Ezulwini branch. We played games, had a enlightening discussion about dating in Swaziland, watched “Letters to God” and ate caramel popcorn, breadsticks, punch and cookies.   At the end of the evening, a few gathered around and sang “Mother, I Love You” to me.  Needless to say, it made me cry.  They are a thoughtful, great group of kids.  They really live all over the valley so it took us a lot of time and trips to take them all home.  The evening was awesome!!

The young men with the red and gray sweatshirts are the ones that were baptized just hours before

Dad taking a bow after winning the “7’s” Game

Nombulelo is the one in the middle row with dark gray jacket and Zee is the one in the tan sweater on the middle row

Singing

Sabbath day began early.  It was Mother’s Day but I did not get breakfast in bed because we had to drive 1 1/2 hours to Gege to speak in their sacrament meeting.  What an experience.  I started speaking than someone came up to interpret for me.  I lost all train of thought and it totally flustered me.  They are wonderful people though so all was well!!  Dennis did a marvelous job.  He said that he was lucky to follow me so he was prepared!  How considerate of me to forge the path.  After sacrament meeting I was asked if I would teach the Young Women.  Their president has become inactive and consequently has no one to teach them.  I was delighted to do so.  I found out that they have no idea of the Young Women’s theme, the colors, the values or basically anything about the program.  So that was our lesson.  I took the theme and word for word we talked about it.  The Lord blesses us tremendously when we put our trust in him.  When we arrived home, Dennis immediately left to a district meeting and the Elders started coming over to call home.  I told them they could only speak for 1/2 hour.  Some did Skype and some talked on our Vonage but they went more like 45 minutes.  But it was the Elders that kept track because they were anxious to call.  They were there from 4:00 – 9:30 talking.  It was so fun to see them come out of the room – I have never seen such SMILES!  Some of the elders had their parents call them on their cell phones after they were through but 45 minutes just was not long enough.  One elder talked for over 1 1/2 hours and it was so fun to listen.  While the elders were talking to family, we played games.  Dennis finally arrived home around 6:15.  A really long meeting.  I made homemade rolls, one of the elders brought breadsticks that he made and I made some homemade ice cream sandwiches.  That is all I fed them.  I really had no food in the house.  But they seemed )content with talking to their families and rolls.  The Mbabane elders brought me a mothers day gift-a wood hand masher (not sure what it is called but is beautiful).  After they left we called home.  How good to talk to our family!  It does make me miss them more when I talk to them.  I am blessed so much with a supportive, wonderful family.  Thank you!!!  (A word of interest, Nombulelo went to church.  When we dropped her off Saturday night we asked her if she was going to go.  She said that she was tired and had a lot to do. Wouldn’t you say that was a NO!  On our to Gege I prayed that she would have the desire to get up and go to church.  I asked Heavenly Father to please touch her heart so she would go.  I think I prayed around three different times and she went!!  How can anyone dispute that our Heavenly Father answers prayers.  Sarah and her children also came to church for the first time but I guess left midway through the block time because her little boy was fussy.)

Gege’s beautiful Primary children

Gege Young Women

Gege Relief Society

Priesthood youth in Gege

Cookies for all

Elder Hansen talking to family

Monday we woke up and went on a walk.  At home we would try to avoid dog poop.  Here we walk around cow poop! It is all over the dirt roads.  Makes a much bigger mess than dog poop.  On our walk a young man stopped us and asked if he could take our picture. Now that is a switch.  Of course, yes was the answer and then he started walking with us while we talked about Christ.  Later we found out he wanted a job cleaning our yard.  The moment we told him we were not interested, he graciously excused himself and left.  We spent the rest of the day running errands, getting ready for our couple retreat, and helping the Smith’s get ready to return to America.  I came home and made sweet rolls for the Smith’s, the elders, Nombulelo, the Smith’s and the Miller’s for allowing us to stay with them.  Up really late writing this blog and making rolls.  3:00 a.m. comes really quickly when there is a lot to do. 

The work is going great here.  We are anxiously engaged in a good cause and we love it.  “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I have been called of Him to declare His word, among His people, that they might have everlasting life.” 3 Nephi 5:13  I pray that we can be his instrument to bring these amazing people to Him.  I pray that my body and soul can keep up with the rigors of mission work.  There is so much to be done and so many people that have the desire to know Him.  I wish I could do more and be in more places.  But I know with God anything is possible!!!

Eish!!!!!  The work is great!!