LIAHONA July 2 - 8

I was reading the scriptures and came across this scripture that made me ponder.  “For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.  And now I say, is there not a type in this thing?  For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.”  Alma 37:44-45 

Don’t you love the part that reads..”give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss.” Eternal bliss. The imagery of that is surreal to me.  There is nothing that I want more than to have eternal bliss and to enjoy it with my family, friends and all those that surround me.   And it says that I can achieve that by “the word of Christ” because it will point the way.   The “word of Christ” which is found in so many ways, will direct all of us in the paths we should take and then it is up to us to follow.   At this time, the Lord has pointed us to this mission and now it is up to us to take that path in doing good things.  I think I have figured out that is all he wants from us.  He wants Dennis and I to use our talents, our own perspective to see what is needed here and then do it.   I am learning so much on this mission.  I am learning a great deal about myself, about my Heavenly Father and about my relationship with Him.  I love the direction that the Liahona has given us and I pray that at the end I will be worthy to have that eternal bliss. (I don’t think I explained very well what my heart is feeling.  I pray that the spirit will interpret.)

Monday and Tuesday were days of frustration.  We took our bakki in to have its 60,000 mile service – which is required every 15,000 miles for the warranty.  Now, keep in mind that we made an appointment a week ago for this service and Dennis was there at 7:30 so he would be first.  The Manzini elders brought him home because from the last experience we knew that it was going to take most of the day.  I fixed Dennis and the elders breakfast, we went on a walk to the Silver Smith Shop and to see Nombulelo, made finishing touches on our lesson for the marriage class, read, baked, was homesick and still our bakki was not finished.  They told us it wouldn’t be done until tomorrow.  Really, how long does it take to do a simple service?  But we were patient.  Tuesday, Dennis borrowed the Ezulwini’s bakki because he had to go to Mbabane for work permits for transfers.  I worked on papers for class, walked to the store to get ice cream for our dessert for the class and still our bakki was not done.  So I called and said it needed to be done by 1:00 because they go on lunch break then.  Again, they said that they would let me know when it was done.  I proceeded to say that was not acceptable because we needed the bakki so we could be in Mbabane for a class.  Then I said, “What can we do to make this happen?   I will bring you brownies, or anything.”  Immediately, she responded that she would talk to the mechanics and get back to me.  She called back a little while later and said that it would be finished by 1:00.  Seriously, the MAGIC of brownies in this land still amazes me.  Dennis took the brownies and he said that she immediately confiscated them and would not share.  I had sent a lot thinking that there had to be enough to go around.  I guess she enjoyed all of them herself.  We were a little disappointed that only three couples showed up for the marriage class but we still had a great time.

Velaphi and Simile Simelane, George and Futhi Dlamini, Wandile an Sneilie Sibeko

Wednesday, the 4th of July and we were not at the tent.  I think this is why for the last three days I have been struggling with homesickness (and they were slow days for us).  I guess after 20 years of doing the fireworks tent, my body and soul just went into fireworks mode.  I really missed it!  I missed the people that we meet and the friends that we had made, the family around us, the relaxing during the quiet times, the sitting with my husband for 24 hours, the evenings when it cooled off, the tradition of doing it for 20 years!  I was also worried about the success of the tent.  There are a lot of fires back home and the firework business is not going well, so I worried and prayed.  We had hoped for a good year for Terry and Trista because we were so grateful that they were doing this for us.  But things were slow and I felt horrible that they were the ones  experiencing instead of us.

 

So to continue with Wednesday, we had boarding checks!  Thanks to my friend, Jeannie Nelson who is serving in Florida on a mission and gave us the idea of Celestial, Terrestial and Telestial boardings and my daughter-in-law that did the certificates, we had great success with the cleaning of the boardings.  The elders actually worked hard to receive the Celestial Certificate and of course, the big candy bar that went with it.  We ended up with 4 Celestial and 2 Terrestial.  Way to go Elders!   We attended the Manzini’s District Development Meeting.  We love the DDM’s and watching these young elders conduct meetings. They’ll be awesome church leaders in the future.   We then rushed to the Manzini Market than home to get ready for our training with the Manzini Young Women Leaders and Elders Quorum Presidency.  On our way to the chapel the branch president called and told us he had forgotten to tell his leaders to be there.  We were bunked!!  After Tuesday nights turnout and tonights bunk we received a taste of what the missionaries feel like quite often.  But the night was not lost.  We went and got Nombulelo and took her out for her birthday which is next Tuesday, July 10th.  We have never had the opportunity to really just sit and talk with her and we had a great time.  We invited her to take the missionary discussions and she agreed.  We are going to have them in our home. 

Nombulelo

Thursday – what a day for putting what is important in life into perspective.  We finally made it back to visit the Msibi family that we talked about a few weeks ago.  The mother is sick with TB and HIV and the 5 children are taking care of everything that adults should be doing.   The father was released from the hospital but is still too sick to do anything and has taken over the main house because he is highly contagious.  Sister Msibi and the children are living and sleeping in this tiny one room place – if you can call it that.  When we got there, Thandazile – the 15 year old daughter – came out to greet us.  We had brought some food and household items.  She led us to her mother who was lying on a mattress and was so sick that she could not lift her head.  She doesn’t speak much English but her daughter told us that she was really sick and needed to go to the hospital.  Sister Msibi was motioning that her heart was not beating correctly.  We had no idea what to do.  We didn’t know where a hospital was.  We had to walk to her place and she couldn’t get up.  We called Branch President Shongwe and he couldn’t help.  So we called Sister Chosen – the Relief Society President.  She said if we could wait a little while she could meet us at a designated spot.  Remember, she has no car and lives way far away so has to rely on local transport. Then we called the elders.  They came right up and Elder Ntombela could communicate with her which helped immensely. Then a miracle.  Sister Chosen showed up at the homestead.  She said that she was trying to get a kombi and another sister from the branch just happened to come by and she drove her.  I know all of that was not coincidental.  There are angels among us.  In the hour that we were there, I saw what poverty really is – the children sharing shoes, the getting of the water, the washing of the clothes, asking what they had to eat and them showing us a bag of maize, showing us how all 5 children sleep on a small mattress, asking if they are warm enough and they show us the three blankets they have, so much more.  But I could still see happiness in the faces of those young kids.  The boys were playing soccer and laughing and enjoying each other.  One sister had given one of her shoes to a brother so he would have a shoe to kick with. They can still find joy in circumstances like that!  Amazing.  We helped Sister Msibi into the bakki (they told us to keep our windows open while we transported her because of her TB) and Sister Chosen went with us.  We gave the elders some money to go get some KFC for dinner for the children.  Then we left for the Mbabane hospital.  We were there for three hours while they decided what to do with her.  At one point, I looked at Sister Msibi while she was on the bench, and tears were streaming down her face.  They did not want to admit her because they are not a infectious disease hospital but she was too sick to move even after 3 hours of a drip, so they admitted her.  We drove Sister Chosen home (and she is sick with a really bad cough) and saw an incredible full moon.  After such sorrow, the Lord gave us something beautiful.  I really wanted to go get the children, bring them home, give them a bath and some food, let them sleep in a warm bed, wash their clothes and just let Thandazile have a break from all that adult responsibilities.  But everyone advised me against it.  So all I could do is cry! (Remember that quick fix I talked about last week?  I sure need one now!) The first three days of the week I had been complaining and discouraged about such trivial things.  I was truly humbled today!

Venus in her home

This is the husband – he sat there the whole time we were there

Friday I was up early making snicker doodles, 2 batches of brownies (one of the sisters in the branch asked if I could make brownies for 50 for her daughters birthday party) and then Elders Maclean and Mokoena came over for help in making a birthday cake for an investigator’s birthday.  It was fun.  We went to visit Sister Msibi before we left for Nhlangano.  Again I was humbled.  It was good to see her lift her head and the lady next to us interpreted for us.  She humbling asked if we could get a few things for her.  They charge for toilet paper and she had no money.  So we went and got her some toilet paper along with yogurt, apples, a cup and bowl to put food in.  Her expression on her face when we came back with these few items was the best thank you we could have received.  Then we drove to Nhlangano for the funeral of Sister Dludlu that died last Saturday.  It was an experience to be part of a Swaziland tradition of a “night vigil” to show respect for the dead.  I’ll just tell you the best I can of that night.  First, the casket was in a room in the house where I bet 30 ladies were on the floor singing and they stayed there all night.  Bro. Dludlu was in a chair by the casket.  I think he eventually went to bed.  While they stayed in the home, people  gathered outside under a tent.  There were members from all the branches that rented kombies to come.  Seventeen from Ezulwini, 8 from Gege, 10 from Mbabane and 10 from Manzini. All the Priesthood men were asked to go into the room where the casket was and sing a hymn and pray. They then had a church service for a couple of hours where Dennis was asked to speak with little warning to represent the Church (it is hard to know what to say because everything was done in their language,but someone thanked him for teaching what the Church believes about the resurrection),and others did and we sang hymns.  It ended around 11:00 and then the community took over.  They had preachers there that sounded like a revival which I did not like but the singing was great.  But then members got up and talked about the gospel, more singing, dancing and this went on until 5:00 a.m. when they had another church service and everyone else arrived.  The family talked and sang, gave tribute to their mother, grandmother.  The Branch President spoke and other leaders.  It was lovely.  Then we walked to the graveside that was dug by members and was on their property.  Dennis was asked to dedicate the grave (another surprise because we had only met her once).  Then there was some singing (they sang the entire walk to the grave), a few short tributes and then each family member threw dirt on the grave.  That part made me uncomfortable.  I like our way of leaving the grave and letting others bury them.  Then we all walked back to the home where they had food for all of us.  They directed Dennis and I back into the tent while most of the others had to wait in line to receive their food.  I really don’t like that either.  There is no reason why we should receive treatment like that.  They knew her much better than we did.  We met some people that were there from Joburg supporting one of  deceased daughters who live in their ward.  That is a long way to come to give support.  But we found out that it was the Bishopric and sisters from Elder Mokoena’s ward!  We took lots of pictures and really enjoyed our visit.  It is really hard to put into words all this stuff that happens here.  I spend hours trying to figure out how to say things to help you understand and get a feel of this amazing culture.  So enjoy the pictures.  It tells the story.

The women in the house.  They stayed this way all night long

Inside that door is where the casket, Bro. Dludlu and the women are.

Sis.Malinga and the Gege group arrive

Bro. Dludlu

One of the revival preachers

Bundled for the long cold night (some are really bad pictures, but oh well)

The walk to the graveside

The graveside

Dennis getting ready to dedicate the grave

The line for food

Elder Mokoena’s Bishopric

Sisters from Joburg and Brother Dludlu

The containers that had food in them

There has to be a picture of these amazing children

We hurried home because Dennis had a meeting at 10:00 a.m.  A representative from Joburg came to give instruction and help to the branch clerks on their responsibilities and how to use the computers for records.  Dennis was gone most of the day while I prepared our good-bye dinner for those leaving the Swazi zone.  At 5:30 the Nhlangano district arrived and they helped with the braaiing of the hamburgers and 7:00 the elders began to arrive.  It was like Christmas Eve and the family gathering because they were all so excited to see each other.  Hugs, laughter, food and good-byes were all a part of the night and tears for me.  We are losing 6 elders – 3 going home and 3 being transferred.  They will be missed.

Nhlangano District showing off their Swazi Zone ties – they won both of the red ones!   Elders Cauble, Paulo, Fisher and Masaya

Braaiing the hamburgers

Elders Mokoena, Puso, Ntombela and Masaya

Elders Wilcox, Cauble, Fisher

Elders Fisher, Cauble, Dickerson, Maclean, Paulo

Elders Ngwenya, Roberts, Bangerter

Missionaries leaving – Paulo (Lesotho), Fisher (home), Brown (home) Castleberry (home), Ntombela (Durban), Roberts (Bloemfontein) not pictured

So hard to say good-bye to these young men.  This is one of the difficult things of being a senior couple.  You really learn to love these elders.  They become your family.

Horrible picture – but these are the finest ever

Zone Leaders receiving transfer information

Norah is getting baptized today – Saturday, July 7, 2012.   Norah, we are so proud of you, love you beyond measure and wish that we could be there to congratulate you.  You are a joy in our life!

We attended the Ezulwini branch again on Sunday because an area seventy was speaking – Bro. Mkapela.  I really enjoyed his message and meeting his wife and himself.  During the meeting Dennis motioned to me from the stand that some of the Msibi family had arrived…Masebenza (the oldest son), Wendy and Simphiwe.  That is a long walk for them by themselves.  Oh what dedication.  After Sacrament meeting we hurried home to wish the elders well that are leaving today.  I sent sandwiches, brownies, oranges, etc. with them because they have a long drive ahead of them.  Then off to the Manzini branch for two baptisms – Nozizo Mavuso and I didn’t get the name of the young man.  They bore such powerful  testimonies after and what sacrifices each of them made to join – lost family and friends.   To be a part of this is such a blessing. Dennis had a meeting after with the district and branch presidents.  A couple from Joburg that is over the area PEF program came to answer questions about the program – Elder and Sister Webb.  After church they came over for dinner.  So delightful meeting these other senior couples and sharing our mission experiences. 

Elders Kanyembo and Castleberry – our Zone Leaders

Elder Ntombela carrying his boxes to the bakki

Elders Brown, Castleberry, Ntombela

Final farewell

An extra young man coming to say good-bye – he lives in another home in the area

Nozizo, Elder Roberts and Puso

Norris and Carol Webb from Joburg

Things are good here in Swaziland.  The Lord is patient with me as my emotions continue to fluctuate from happy, frustrated, sad, heart broken and humblenss…. all that in a weeks time.   I pray that I will continue to search  “the words of Christ” as He continues to “teach me, lead me and walk beside me”.