THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

“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”  3rd Nephi 5:13

Monday started early with the elders arriving at 8:00 to finish up last minute items.  Some had to send information to the office, Elder Maclean had to be instructed by Dennis on how to become a trainer (his companion will be brand new to the mission field), etc.  Since they were all here I fed them breakfast – pancakes, that is a Lombardi standard.  We went and paid bills, bought groceries and got ready for our first day of transfers.  The group of elders came over to say good-bye to those leaving and then about noon we were off to Piet Retrief where we met Elder Miller.  Elder Hansen and Elder Christensen left us and we picked up Elder Dickerson and Elder Masaya.  Seriously, it was so hard to watch those elders leave in a different car and it seems so strange when we got together later not having them here.  But we love our new elders and will enjoy having them inspire us as the others have done.  We started our journey home and took pictures of “Africa Burning”.  In Africa instead of mowing down the dead grass they burn it!!  So that is why on my scenery pictures it looks so hazy.  There are fires all over – man produced.  It seems crazy to me to burn your land but I guess it is easier that way.  We proceeded to Nhlangano where we picked up Elder Ssenyonga, who is leaving, and dropped off Elder Masaya who is going to Gege with Elder Fisher (I know this sounds confusing.  Can you imagine being the Mission President and having to figure all this out!). Then off we go for home.  Of course, on the way, we almost hit another cow!!!  We are cow “magnets”!  Our car stopped just inches from hitting this cow standing in the middle of the road.  This time we have witnesses to it – the elders in the back couldn’t believe that we missed it!   We arrived back about 9:00, dropped off Elder Dickerson with his companion, Elder Ngwenya and Elder Ssenyonga stayed with the Ezulwini elders for the night.  Confusing, but you get a sense of what goes on during transfer week!!  Just wait until tomorrow’s schedule!

Elder Castleberry, Elder Christensen (leaving), Elder Maclean

Elder Ngwenya, Elder Hansen (leaving) Elder Christensen (leaving)

Saying “good-bye” to Swaziland (the other young man just wanted to join us) Don’t you think they need a new sign

Africa Burning

Elder Dickerson, Elder Masaya entering Swaziland (bad picture)

Elder Cauble, Elder Fisher, Elder Paulo, Elder Masaya (they kept reminding me it was P-day)

Fisher and Masaya

Elder Ngwenya, Elder Dickerson

The BAD…Tuesday is a day that only comes around once in a lifetime – I hope! It started with farewell’s again for two more missionaries leaving – Elder Adams and Elder Ssenyonga.  Then off in another direction from yesterday, to another border, to another meeting point.  I brought sandwiches, drinks, sweet rolls and “everything but the kitchen sink brownies” (for me but I did share)for it is a long drive.  We were to meet the Olson’s – a new office couple – at the Petro Port at 3:30.  We waited, waited and waited some more.  We called them and they said that they were just minutes away.  Those minutes turned into an hour.  We called and found out somehow they missed the station and were about 45 minutes away.  We decided on a meeting place and finally caught up with each other around 6:00 – dark!! Here in Africa when the sun goes down, it is dark!  We changed luggage for the elders and were about to proceed on when Dennis realized that he had forgotten the new elders’ passports! We have ours but not theirs! There is no way they can cross the border into Swaziland without passports!  Okay, it is late, dark, it has been a long day and we are all exhausted.  This was Elder Mokoena’s first day in the mission field.  He had arisen at 4:30 at the Joburg MTC, flew to Durban, was interviewed with President Von Stetten and had driven from Durban to us to go to Swaziland.  But Dennis did not have his passport.  They were locked safely away in our office at home.  What do we do? Now, you also have to know that we have two cell phones.  One for Swaziland which only works in Swaziland.  One for South Africa which only works in South Africa.  I have no idea why this is.  If anyone knows, please inform me because I think it is ridiculous.  I come up with the idea that we should call the elders that live by us (the ones that are waiting for their new companions)Elder Maclean and Elder Ntombela, have them get our spare key, open the house, go to the office, find the passports and then drive two hours to the border where we can meet them.  But our South Africa phone cannot call Swaziland and vice versa.  Luckily, Elder Olson’s phone does that magical thing.  We get hold of the elders, they find the passports and they are on their way to the border.  We bid the Olson’s farewell and they leave us in the middle of nowhere.  For me I was a little scared and apprehensive.  Can you imagine how the elders felt – especially the new one.  We ate and then drove to the border where we waited.  Finally, Maclean and Ntombela called and said that they had arrived at the border BUT had forgotten their passports so they could not cross to get the other passports to us!  At this time, I was not a very happy lady.  I was upset with my husband, I was upset about the phones, I was upset that it was pitch black, I was upset that I was stuck at the border and wishing that I was home where there were no borders.  But when Den told me that Maclean and Ntombela had forgotten their passports, I lost it.  I laughed until I thought I would split into.  A comedy of errors.  How could they have forgotten their passports?  Toooooo funny.  Now what do we do?  They found a border police woman that offered to take the passports across the border and find us.  I was nervous about this for fear that she would run off with the passports and then we would really be in trouble.  But me of little faith was shown the goodness of people because when we saw her we were so delighted.  We crossed the border and met the other elders.  It is not over.  Every transfer day we have a dinner with all the elders to welcome new ones and introduce them to the old.  I had taco soup in the crockpot and had made homemade breadsticks.  The soup had been cooking now for almost 12 hours.  I told the other elders who were at our house waiting for us to go ahead and eat without us.  But they can’t find the key.  Guess what, Elder Maclean had it in his pocket at the border with us!  In all the fury, he had not put the key back.  So they went home disappointed and hungry and all we could do at the border was laugh!  Except the new elders. They did not do much laughing.  They decided that they wanted a new senior couple and new companions – ones that were not so scattered brain.  Can you blame them?  We arrived home around 11:00.  Elder Mokoena said he was ‘perfect’ just really exhausted.  Poor guy.  I felt for him.  We got him to bed and all was well.  We were blessed to not even see a cow on the ride home.  A blessing I will hang on to.

A great companionship being changed – Adams and Maclean

Leaving elders – Ssenyonga, Adams

I asked Elder Bangerter and Elder Mokoena if they wanted to take pictures of entering Swaziland and it was a definite NO.  It was dark, late and they wanted a place to lay their weary heads.  So we have no pictures of them arriving in  the “promised land”.  But I have pictures of these wonderful ladies that were entertaining us at the Petro Port.  We saw hundreds of buses and kombis filled with these ladies crossing the border into Swaziland.  We talked with them and they belong to the 12 Apostalic Church of Christ and they were having a women’s conference in Manzini for two days.  At the border we asked the guards how many had come across.  At that time there were over 5,000 just at that border!  They were awesome.  They were singing and dancing in gas stations, on the roads and while waiting in line.  You’ve got to love them!

Wednesday morning we went to Manzini District’s DDM.  I am always so uplifted when I attend the DDM’s and watch the future leadership of the church take over.  They are amazing.  Then we had all the elders over for our transfer ‘lunch’.   They played games, ate, introduced each other (actually, most of them knew each other and were so excited to see past companionships and district members) and had a great time. It turned out okay that is was a day late.  In God’s work, everything eventually turns out okay!

Playing the HANDS game

Maclean and Mokoena

Ntombela and Bangerter

the GOOD…..The problem with having the lunch over at our home was that Dennis and I were fasting.  That night he had the privilege to set apart his first missionary leaving,  Elder Thulani Simelane, who was entering the MTC on Thursday and going to Kenya.  We met in his home with the Branch Presidency, his family and us.  It was a spiritual evening.  Dennis gave him a wonderful setting apart and testimonies after were uplifting.  After the night before, this was much needed to rejuvenate the spirits in Dennis and I.  How grateful we are for worthy young men with the desire to serve the Lord and their families who willingly support them.

We left the home at 6:45 a.m. to make it to the airport by 7:00 on Thursday morning to bid Elder Simelane farewell.  There were a lot to see him off.  It wasn’t too long ago that I was in his shoes but I had Dennis by my side.  I have a much greater appreciation for these elders.  I was scared to death – I can only imagine what they are feeling.  My prayers are much deeper for them than they used to be.  They are amazing young men.  I know the church is in good hands!  After, we came home and I cleaned our kitchen floor on my hands and knees.  I just haven’t be able to get it clean enough with a mop.  They now look great!  I did laundry, wrote parents of our new elders and Dennis and I planned our marriage class on Tuesday.  It was a relaxing, peaceful day. 

Friday morning we received a unusual call.  The Manzini 2 elders called to invite us to lunch!!!!  A meal that I do not have to cook.  How wonderful.  They also invited Manzini 1 to come.  When we arrived there was  a cloth on the table and it was set.  Spaghetti sauce, noodles, cooked cabbage with celery, green peppers was cooking.    It was delightful and soooooo good.  They even had piano music in the background.  What more could you ask for?  Good food, great company, beautiful music and in a amazing country.  Elder Dickerson you set the bar pretty high!  Thanks for your thoughtfulness.

The rest of the day was spent finding ink for the printer, taking bikes in for repair, delivering bags, making cookies and brownies.

Saturday we left at 8:30 a.m. and got home at 7:00 p.m.  A full put productive day.  We went to Mbabane Elders apartment to do a cleaning check and see how one elder is feeling.  The Zone Elders shared some things that is going on in their district that concerns them.  Since Sunday was a fast day, we decided to make it an item for fasting.  Then we met up with Sebe Dlamini who was baptized last week in the Ezulwini branch at the Mbabane Mall.   Sebe does not have a skirt for church (she borrowed one for last week’s baptism) and the elders are buying one for her.  They asked if I could go with her to purchase one.  It was so fun.  She had already looked around and had found a few that she liked.  She also got a sweater top and sandals – all on sale.  She looked marvelous!

Then we hurried to Manzini for Simon Sebuliba’s baptism at noon.  He is a young man that Jon, Ann and Zak Smith befriended and taught but left before they saw the fruits of their labor.  I mentioned him a few blogs ago when I told the story of the young man that bore his testimony with such conviction and had only been receiving the lessons for three weeks.  It blew me away.  His testimony at his baptism was just as strong.  He thanked his dad who was there for always telling him that he was special.  And then said he had read a talk by Pres. Monson about the word of wisdom and he said have the courage to say no.  But Simon said that he found the courage to say yes to baptism and he knows it is right.  What a great young man.

Then it was off to Ezulwini for leadership training with the correlation committee.  The Branch President was detained at work so the Elders Quorum President, Mangoba Shongwe (not spelled correctly;will work on that), conducted.  Dennis had been asked to present a lesson on ‘keeping recently baptized members active.”  So 2 1/2 hours later we were through.  He did a great job and there was a lot of discussion with ideas created.  It was such a good meeting.  The entire committee are young single adults except the Relief Society president and Primary president.  (10 attended not including Den and I) I forgot to take a picture but here are two of the Shongwe brothers that are Elders Quorum and Young Men’s president.  We went to see Nombulelo and she has to work tomorrow.

Today is Koy’s birthday!!  I woke thinking about him and missing him.  So I had to write.  Dennis had a 8:00 a.m. meeting and I was not about to go that early, so I waited behind and walked to church.  It was about 45 minutes and a delightful walk.  It was so funny though.  When I got to church everyone was so shocked that I had walked.  I cannot understand why because they do it all the time.  Sebe was confirmed and then their testimonies.  WOW!  It never ceases to amaze me how strong these members are.  As soon as it started, there was never a pause.  First the little children got up; then the teenagers; then the YSA’s and finally a few adults.  I was spiritually fed.  And they sing with such gusto!  Oh, how I love these meetings.  After the block time there was three baptisms – Hlobisile, Mbali, Tendumiso Fakudze.  How lucky to be here to be part of so many receiving the gospel in their life. 

Dennis went to his District meeting and I fixed dinner for the elders.  The Nhlangano district are coming up to get their bakki fixed so I invited them to dinner along with the Ezulwini elders.  It was so good to see the Nhlangano and Gege elders!  A great group.  Some had not met so it was fun for them.  We sat around, ate, had dessert, talked and had dessert again.  We had a really good discussion about ‘homesickness”. Remember Elder Mokoena who is a ‘greenie’.  He was talking about all the stood up appointments this week and how homesick he got and then the other elders talked about when they were homesick. Then they asked us if the couples get homesick.  We were all in agreement that ‘homesickness’ is part of the missionary experience!

It has been a combination of a stressful and relaxing week.  I know that a lot of the stuff was mundane but again it is our life here.  There is always something going on but I am not sure that we really get anything done of importance.  There are times when I feel like I am just spinning my wheels and accomplishing nothing of value.  I think of all the things that they have asked us to do and wonder if we really are doing what the Lord has called us here to do.  Here are just a few things that we are suppose to be doing:  teaching and training the districts and branch presidencies and auxillaries; helping and supporting the members; helping the branches grow;  assisting the elders; finding investigators and help teaching; mentor newly returned missionaries; helping prospective young men get ready for their missions; help prepare members for the temple; teach classes and the office work – paying bills, fixing bikes, keeping stats, etc.  The only thing that is up to date is the office work and Dennis does that.  I guess this is between the Lord and I.  Again, I repeat…”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.”