MY JOY IS FULL July 16–23, 2012

“..for ye have desire that ye might bring the souls of men unto me, while the world shall stand.  And for this cause ye shall have fulness of joy; and ye shall sit down in the kingdom of my Father; yea, your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fulness of joy; and ye shall be even as I am, and I am even as the Father; and the Father and I are one;”  3 Nephi 28 :9-10

“…Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.”  3 Nephi 17:20

Today, Monday, July 23, my joy is full!  Last Wednesday we went to visit Sister Msibi and her family and found her very ill.  We decided she needed to go to the hospital. My heart broke when I saw the children and her crying while we helped her into the bakki.  I really think they thought again this would be the last time they would see their mother.  Can you imagine going through that all the time?  Wondering when the last time was going to be.   We took her to the TB hospital in Manzini where we spent a few hours while they tested her and gave her new medicine and then we returned their dear mother to them.  We arrived late and the children were by the fire eating and just waiting for their her return.  We carried her to her mattress, made sure she had her meds and left water by her side. I turned to leave and Dennis asked me to turn around.  She was giving me the I Love You in sign language.  I had taught them that the last time I was there.  I bent over and gave her a hug and told her I loved her also.  As we walked to the car, Venus, the youngest, put her hand up and made the sign also.  Every time I leave I wonder if that will be the last time I will see this dear sister whom I have learned to love.  What will happen while I am gone and when we come next what will we find?  Well, today we came back and found this:

Sister Msibi was up and smiling!  My heart leapt for joy.  Look at that smile—that is pure joy and happiness.  She hugged me and said that she was happy! We had brought the Ezulwini Young Women with us to visit the oldest daughter, Thandazile and help with the work around the place.  Me of little faith.  I would have never believed that we would find her up. It had only been 5 days since we took her to the hospital.  I have only seen her off her mattress once before.  Look at her now! We spent a glorious day with the family.  Den and I had bought a new skirt, blouse for Thandazile, white shirts for the boys and new shoes for Wendy.  The young women brought clothes also and the branch president brought food.  “Your joy shall be full, even as the Father hath given me fullness of joy;”

Sweeping the dirt with homemade brooms

I Love you signs

Helping with the cooking

Delivering food

Greeting Sister Shongwe – Branch President’s wife

Ezulwini Young Women and leaders and Thandazile – it was a holiday and they decided not to be idle!

President Shongwe, Sister Msibi, Sister Shongwe

My joy is full

Monday, July 16, was a good day but everything was unexpected.  Sbu had come over to wash our car (are you getting tired of me writing that – but I love him coming over) and as we were taking him home we asked him to show us where counselor in the branch presidency – Bro. Armstrong (I think that is his first name) lived.  We have only met him once and thought maybe a visit would help.  As we drove by he was outside of his home and so we stopped.  We had a great visit.  Then we decided to drive around the area because we really had not seen some of the areas of Ezulwini and was overcome by the beauty.  Gorgeous country and again the children were delightful.  So thrilled to see us and we would stop and give out cookies that I just happen to have in the bakki.  They brought smiles that you wouldn’t believe.  Visiting the grocery store and baking was part of the plans because of ZDM tomorrow.  That night we went with the Zone Elders to visit the Thubani family.  Another great visit.  The elders had left a Word of Wisdom pamphlet and they were so excited that they had found a church that preached health and food standards.  They believe in and live  all that the Word of Wisdom taught.  They had me bear testimony of the Word of Wisdom and how it helped my family.  How often do you get to do that?  I loved it.  The Babe and Mage (father&mother) both said they believed the Church is true.  It will be a great day when they are baptized.

We finally met all our new elders! It was Tuesday, July 17th and ZTM (formerly known as ZDM…now Zone Training Meeting) and all the elders came over for breakfast.  We love having the Nhlangano and Gege elders with us.  We do not see them nearly enough.  The new elders are great and to see them all together was pure joy.  Our Zone Leaders do a great job with the preparations and presenting.

Our new elders: Shipalane (Joburg), Zsemberry (New York), Luddington (Wyoming) Sele (Joburg), King (Botswana), Apuna (Hawaii)

Swazi Leaders – Kanyembo (Zone Leader) Bangerter, Puso, Cauble (District Leaders) Apuna (Zone Leader)

Elder Apuna’s first ZTM as a Zone Leader

Swazi Zone – July 2012 with our new Zone ties

Elders Bangerter and Shipalane - Ezulwini

Elders King (greenie) and Wilcox (trainer) – Mbabane

Zone Leaders – Kanyembo and Apuna – Mbabane

Elders Luddington and Puso - Manzini

Elders Cauble and Sele  - Nhlangano

Elders Zsemberry and Masaya - Gege

Aren’t they a handsome group.  I couldn’t be prouder of a bunch of young men.  A wonderful group of missionaries.  We finished our day with helping Nombulelo pick up a armoire that she had made, made apple crisp for our marriage class that night, had the marriage class on Women’s Divine Role and then to bed at 9:00 p.m.  That never happens to me.  A true sign that I am tired!

I already told you about the important part of Wednesday but wanted to add just one thing.  We went to the Manzini Market to take Book of Mormons and brownies to the men that play Draft like we promised but they were not the same men.  The teaching moment was gone that we had on Thursday.  We were extremely disappointed!  But we visited with others but not like what we had.  But I did order me a skirt.  At the market they have rows of women sewing their traditional dresses for selling.  I found this skirt that I really liked but felt it was too short.  I asked the lady if she could make me one that was longer.  She took my measurements and promised to have it ready on Friday.  I love it!  I wore it on Saturday and then again on Monday.  Whenever I wear it the ladies smile and tell me I am Swazi.  I have no idea how they know it is Swazi made.  But they tell me I need to wear the head dress to, so I tried it.  How do I look?

The woman who made my skirt

Thursday and Friday were days spent getting ready for our big event – the District YSA activity on Saturday – the Swaziland Olympics.  Elder (Ervin) and Sister (Pam) Zawacky came up from Durban on Thursday to stay with us and the work began.  Over the next few days, we made 250 cookies, beans and meat for fry bread, bought food, made homemade discs, hammer throws, prepared ideas for obstacle course and relay races, and I can’t think of everything right now.  On Friday, the Gundersons and Murdocks joined us.  We all went to dinner with District President Simelane and his wife.  Then up early on Saturday for final preparations and left.  The kombi from Gege was already there.  Den and I rented kombi’s for the Nhlangano YSAs and the Gege’s YSAs and there was 25 from those two districts.  The activity started at 12:00 and lasted until 4:00 + (they didn’t want to go home).  We had a trust fall, Book of Mormon trivia, relay races, obstacle course, olympic events, dancing and a devotional at the end.  And of course, FOOD!  Fry bread with all the fixins, cookies and munchies.  Everybody had a splendid time and our last count was over 70.  The adults were exhausted but invigorated.  We are already planning another one.  We had news reporters there and they did write an article for the newspaper.  The YSAs are the future of the church in Swaziland.  They are incredibly strong young people and so fun to be around.  Boy, are we lucky to be part of them! My joy was full!

Zawacky’s preparing the cookies

District President Simelane and his wife

Our Amazing YSA’s

We went to church at the Ezulwini Branch on Sunday and guess who showed up?  Simphiwe and Wendy Msibi and they walked all by themselves.  Amazing!  The elders introduced us to a young boy who had broken his arm 5 days prior and because of the nurses strike going on was turned away at the clinic.  He was in a lot of pain, so Dennis and Pres. Shongwe took him to a doctor and he casted it for him.  Good use of fast offering dollars.  After church there was 3 baptisms – Bonkhosi Dlamini, Musa Towala and Neliswa Dlamini (everybody around here is a Dlamini – not related) Musa is part of the gang group that is getting baptized.  I am not sure I have every told you about this group.  About a year ago, a young man was tracted out that was the drug dealer of a gang of young men.  He was converted, baptized and is now in the Sunday School presidency.  From him there has been numerous others that have joined him.  So most of the young men that I have talked about that have been baptized from Ezulwini branch are from that group.  Goes to show, you bring in the leader and the gang follows.  They are a great group of men and have attended a lot of the parties we have had in our home and was at the District YSA party.  Amazing stories they have. Also, I need to mention that when I arrived at church a young man noticed that my shoes were dirty and proceeded to clean them for me.  So sweet.  Around here your shoes are always dirty with every road being a dirt one and red also.  A bad combination for shoes and clothes.  After the baptisms, Mac Shongwe asked if I would play the piano for choir.  They are singing next week in the branch conference and needed someone to play for them.  So I went to choir practice and I am playing the piano.  My mother would have been so happy to see me playing.  I wished I would have followed her advice and continued with piano.  Pray diligently for me on Sunday.  I can’t believe I consented.  After I hurried home made rolls, finished preparations for dinner because the Murdocks were coming over.  We had a great visit.

Elder Mokoena, Neliswa Dlamini,Musa Towala, Konkhosi Dlamini, the one who started it all – ?

The Lobamba Group and Elder Maclean

 

Dennis and the Murdocks

“Now when I think of the success of these my brethren my soul is carried away, even to the separation of it from the body, as it were, so great is my joy.”  Alma 29:16