EYES TO SEE and EARS TO HEAR July 31st–August 6, 2012

It has been what we would call a ‘slow week’ but still filled with so much to glean from and internalize to help us be better servants of our Heavenly Father and Savior.  Our eyes should be constantly opened to see what the needs are for these people and our ears ready to listen to their hopes and dreams.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAKE!   Tuesday, July 31st, was Blake’s 5th birthday and that lucky young man got to celebrate on the California beach.  Wish I was there with you.  Love ya tons!

It was Zone Conference this week.  This is a day of being fed by our mission president and AP’s – truly an inspiring day.  We left early Tuesday because I had an appointment to get my haircut!!!  Boy was I in need of one.  I have such confidence in my sweet friend at home that has done my hair for 7 years, I was so reluctant to go some where else.  But it was a mess and seriously, I couldn’t go 18 months without one.   So, I had Sister Miller make me an appointment with a girl that she uses.  Another blessing!  She seemed to know what I wanted immediately and went to work and the result was good.  I was happy.  The Millers put us up again and that night she hosted  Pres. Von Stetten and his wife for dinner.   We had a great dinner and enjoyed the conversation later.  I am surrounded by amazing spiritual strength that continually buoys me up. 

Our Zone Conference consists of both the Swaziland Zone and the Newcastle Zone – 34 elders in total.  It was an uplifting day.  I would like to share some of the highlights:

• Helaman 14:30 – And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free”.  Our Heavenly Father has given us the knowledge of the gospel and it is up to us what we do with it.  What are we doing with that knowledge?
• A quote from a talk by Elder Holland:  “I have never met anyone who doesn’t know the gospel is true.  Bearing testimony brings forth an echo of truth that sounds familiar.”  We all accepted and had a testimony of the gospel in the pre-existence and we chose to come to earth.  But there has been a veil of forgetfulness erected and we just need to remind the people of what they already know.  Let’s help them remember!
• Every person who comes to the earth has the light of Christ.  We need to help them rekindle it.
• Preach My Gospel came about when Pres. Hinckley expressed a concern that too many missionaries were returning home and becoming inactive after spending two years teaching the Gospel. Thus the Preach My Gospel manual was developed to convert the missionary as well as help them find and teach investigators, and to learn to feel the spirit.
• Elder Holland also talked about the story in John of Peter and the apostles being not sure what to do after Christ had died, so they went back to fishing.  As you remember the story, while fishing they did not catch anything.  They heard a voice from the shore telling them to throw the nets on the other side.  As they did, the net was so full they could not pull it in.  It is then that they realized that the man on the shore was the resurrected Christ.  Peter cast himself into the see to greet him.  “So when they had dined, Jesus saith unto Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?  He saith unto him,yea, Lord: thou knowest that I love thee.  He saith unto him, feed my lambs.”  Three times he repeated this.  The Lord was instructing Peter what he and the apostles were to do.  They would never be fishermen again.  For the rest of their life, they would preach the gospel of Christ unto all the world.  He likened this to missionaries.  We have all left our past lives behind.  We should never go back to being the same as we were before we came on our missions because of the experiences we are having.  After preaching the gospel for two years, our lives have changed.  He also, stated, that this is the only time when the men are called “elders” like the apostles.  Amazing thought.
• We had role play on how to find people to teach.  Dennis was involved in one of the role plays.  He was a disheveled man on the street that is approached by two elders.  He missed his calling in life.  He should have been an actor.  The entire congregation was impressed with his portrayal.  Sometimes, missionaries forget that it is more about people than just teaching.
• We need to know what the gospel is and be converted to it before we can teach.  “Now this is the commandment; Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do.”  3 Nephi 27: 20 – 21
• We are all different – color, large, small – but when we speak of Christ the gap narrows.

Playing prelude, opening and closing songs – oh, how I wish I had practiced more

Our Swazi Zone with matching ties – including me

Sister Wilding and Miller

Elder Wilding (Ladysmith ) has only been here for a month and Dennis

Three generations – Elder Kanyembo (grandfather)  trained Elder Maclean (dad) who is training Elder Mokoena (son) and Pres. Von Stetten

Assistants to the President – Elder Brown is going home in two weeks

A little game of football – Elder Wilcox

Elders Shipalane and Eliason comparing who has the biggest stomach on mission

Thursday and Friday were catch up days from the last two weeks.  I laundered, cleaned house, baked, shopped, and organized our “duty wall” that we have been trying to get started and finished.  I am a visual person and this helps so much to see what we need to do and keep me focused.  We also, had lunch with our Zone Leaders on Friday to discuss how we are going to keep the elders motivated from Zone Conference.  Dennis and I will share thoughts during DTMs.

Our duty wall

HAPPY BAPTISM DAY EVAN!  My grandson, Evan, is being baptized today and we are not there.  Days like these is hard to be so far away.  We were able to talk to him before and after his baptism which helped a great deal.  So proud of you Evan!

It was a beautiful day on Saturday.  I arose and baked rolls, made chicken and egg salads to stuff the rolls for the Lobamba boys and elders hike to Sheba’s rock.  We greeted them farewell when they left and then had sandwiches, oranges and brownies when they returned.  Cute bunch of young men. (FYI, this is the group of young men that have been baptized that have a past with the law).  We finally received our package that Shelly sent a month ago and we were so excited.  Inside were some books for the Msibi family that Shelly had bought and sent.  We hurried and took the books to them and they were elated.  Even Sister Msibi started looking at them.  Shelly, thank you so much.  I was so excited to deliver them, I forgot to take a picture.  There were a lot.  Ones for all ages.  Perfect!  The girls said they had practiced a song for us and wanted to sing it.  It was the song with all the books in the Book of Mormon.  They did a great job.  Their accent is so cute.  The way they pronounce their vowels are so different than the way we do.  It makes singing time the best!  Sister Msibi was not feeling as well as she had before, so remained on her mattress.   Then we hurried home to join Ezulwini 2 elders for a teaching appointment with the Dlamini family.  Sister Mavis  was baptized a month ago and is now a counselor in the Relief Society.  Bro. Ephraim has not committed to baptism yet.  He is a brother to the King but you should see how humbly he lives.  It does not make any sense to me that the King would have so much in worldly riches and his siblings have very little. The elders gave a great lesson on the restoration using some visual aids. Very creative!   It was late when we went so I have no outside pictures.  I will get some and post them later.  It was such a wonderful evening.  We are going to the family over for dinner.

On top of Sheba’s Rock – taken at Gables – very far away

Elder Maclean, Zweli, Elder Mokoena, Mbongiseni, Maxwell

We put an orange rind on this plant which was pretty high, and watched this monkey climb to get it

and then enjoy the fruits of his labor

Reading some great books

Ephraim and Mavis Dlamini

The young boy in the middle,  Mbonghasi (their son), was baptized two weeks ago

Fast Sunday and we attended the Nhlangano branch.  It is always a treat there.  Dennis taught the Sunday School lesson at the last minute on the Temple.  Did a great job.  (FYI, in the package we received, were a pair of my boots.  I was so excited!  I wore them and felt like I was home).  After we hurried home for Dennis’ district presidency meeting while I cooked dinner.  We broke our fast, ate and then I opened my fast for tomorrow.  The Elders in the zone each take a day to fast for the softening of hearts in Swaziland so the work can move faster.  Monday is my day and Saturday was Dennis’ so he had fasted for almost two days.  The elders came over for ice cream and chocolate bowls which didn’t work out so well so we had a back-up plan of waffle/chocolate bowls that I had bought.  Plan B’s are always good to have.

Today I learned about the Swazi culture.  His Majesty King Mswati III called for all his subjects to meet at the royal “kraal” for a discussion of the state of Swaziland.  He wanted everyone there but would not call it a holiday so people could get off work.  So we decided that we wanted to go and see what it was all about.  It was suppose to be at 9:00 a.m. but everyone told us that it wouldn’t start until afternoon – Swazi time.  So we got there around 10:30 and we waited outside the crawl.  Bro. Dlamini that we had met just a few days prior – the king’s brother- came up to us when we got there and stayed with us.  I guess he receives no special privileges.  At around 11:45 they blew the horn that announced that we could now enter the crawl.  I started heading with Dennis and Bro. Dlamini and some of the men told me that I could not go with the men, that I had to join the women.  Now, I really did not want to leave Dennis.  I knew no one and wasn’t sure where to go or where I would find him after.  They told me to just follow the women.  So I reluctantly did.  I found a line and started to talk to some of the ladies there and found some great friends.  They wouldn’t let cameras in or pencils and paper.  Interesting.  Like we would write anything down that was said in siSwati.  Now, a kraal is just a word for a corral.  It is where the king has all his royal cows!  Yes, you are right.  Cows poop and that is exactly what we walked on, sat on and smelled for two hours.  I never was able to sit by Dennis.  The men sat in front and the women in back.  So, we sat and sat and sat.  Finally, the queen mother debuts and shortly after her son – the King about 1:30.  He addresses the people and the lady next to me was trying to interpret.  He talked about how Swaziland is the only country in the world that runs their government with a royal kraal – where the king meets with his subjects and they can discuss matter.  The way to fix the economy is to cut the salaries of the civil servants and the reason other countries are not bringing in their businesses is because the crime is high because of no jobs.  Then he said it was there turn.  Then, the announcer got up and said that they should all go home and dream about what they should talk about and come back tomorrow morning to discuss their thoughts.  The people were not happy.  They immediately got up and started making noises and leaving.  That was it!  No opportunity for the people to express their feelings, no announcement, no nothing….four hours of hot, stinking, poopy nothing.  The ladies I had befriended were from Piggs Peak.  They had left at 7:00 this morning and waited all that time for nothing.  I asked if they were coming back.  Are you kidding was the jest of what they said.  Getting out of the kraal was another adventure.  The opening that we came in just barely fit me, so getting out was not easy.  They were pushing and shoving and I just sat back waiting for them to get out.  Dennis found someone that said that Dennis was a diplomat and everybody parted the crowd to let him out!  But he was at the ladies opening when I finally got out and it was good to see him.  It really was fun. But not enough for us to go tomorrow! 

The Royal Kraal – the men’s entrance

Waiting to enter

The man in front is Bro. Dlamini

When I was asked to join the women

My Pigg’s Peak women friends

The women waiting to get in – security came up to me and told me no pictures – even outside

I am not sure why I chose the theme this week other than when I heard it at Zone Conference, it warmed my heart and I realized all I need on this mission is Eyes to See and Ears to Hear to be an instrument for good to our Heavenly Father’s children on this side of the world.  That is the only thing that the Lord asks of any of us wherever we are.  Had a wonderful week.