I WILL LOVE THEE, O LORD October 22 – November 4, 2012

I opened my scriptures this morning to find out what the Lord wanted me to know today and it opened to Psalm 18: 1 – 2  “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”  I pray that He knows that I love him with all my heart, might, mind and strength.  He is the “rock” that I build my testimony on; His “fortress” protects me daily from all the worldly temptations that surround me and He delivers me from all the silly things that I do.  He gives me strength and courage to do things I feel I cannot do like this mission because I feel so inadequate.  I will continue to trust Him.

I felt His arms embrace me today as I needed a Heavenly hug.  I need Him constantly in my life and He is there, takes me by the hand and directs my path.

So my theme this week is just my testimony.  I want all of you to know that I have a testimony of the love the Savior has for all of us.  I feel his love daily not only in my life but in my family’s and in the life of all those around me.  I am so grateful for His atonement – all the aspects of it.  I love His gospel.  I know He is the head of it directing every aspect of what goes on.  I am grateful for inspired men that live righteous lives so they can be worthy to know His desires for us.  I have never in my life felt such a complete, unconditional love for everyone.  I love all of you and all the people in this amazing country.  I never thought I could love my husband and family more, but I do.  But the greatest increase has been the love I feel for my Savior.  He is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my strength.  I pray that my life is a reflection of that love I have for Him.

The past two weeks would be more categorized as vacationing than missionary work.  I thought I would enjoy it more than I did.  I really missed Swaziland, the members, the investigators, just all the people here in my new home.  But it was delightful seeing all our good friends in Durban.  Monday, October 22nd, after Dennis finished all his responsibilities that had to be completed, we left for Durban (for mission presidency meeting on Wednesday) and arrived 7 hours later.  We were staying with Grace for the last time.  She is retiring and moving to Australia to live with her son.  We will miss this delightful lady.  The Millers and us drove to Grant and Gay Gundersons for good food, lots of fun with good people.  The Gunderson’s are going home on November 1st.  They will be truly missed!

Elder Zawacky modeling his new pants.

Elders Gunderson, Miller and Dennis  - what to do as senior couples

Dennis and I had a tray made for Grace from Swaziland – she has never been there. You can’t read it, but it says Swaziland in the middle

Tuesday, October 23rd, we were awaken by noises outside.  We discovered that we were right by a tree where the African Weaver birds were making their nests.  There were tons of them.  The male birds work very hard to make homes trying to please the female.  If she does not like it, she will peck it off until it falls and he has to start all over again.  It was truly fascinating.  Then we drove to the Moses Soccer Stadium in downtown Durban.  It was built for the Soccer World Cup held in Durban a few years ago.  I remember watching some games on TV and listening to those awful horns that they blew.  So irritating.  You see those horns all over here in South Africa.  It was an amazing building.  While we were there some school children gathered and we asked them to sing for us which they did – actions and all.  So dang cute!  Got a lot of video of them but you will never see it because I do not know how to add it to my blog.  Then we drove to Victoria Market, went to a Zulu Cultural Center and saw some dancing  and ended the day at Roma Restaurant which is located on the 34th floor of a building which rotates as you eat.  All the senior couples that are located in Durban came and it was great seeing them.

 

African Weaver working hard

Duplex home

Female destroying all the hard work – we woke the next morning and there were many of them on the ground.  Poor guys! Picky females.

Moses Soccer Stadium

Going up…

…..on top

Durban and Indian Ocean

Miller’s, Gunderson’s and us

Durban Rugby team (Shark’s) stadium

…going down

School children singing and dancing for us

Personality plus

Enjoying the entertainment

Downtown Durban

Victoria Market

On our way to the cultural center

Showing us how they ground maize

Traditional dancing

The Roma Restaurant – it was raining

The mission presidency without the President – Elders Shumway, Miller and Lombardi

On Wednesday, October 24th, we made our quarterly trip to Bake-A-Ton – a store where I purchase a lot of my baking ingredients that I have a hard time getting in Swaziland – cocoa, castor sugar, chocolate, yeast, etc. and I got a lot for preparation for Christmas.  We then went and visited some of the elders that had served in Swaziland with us – Elders Paulo, Maclean, Nygwenya.  They become like sons and it is so good to see them again.  Dennis rushed back for presidency meeting while Sister Miller and I helped Sister Von Stettan with the preparations for our braai at their home with all the couples in the area.  Unfortunately, it was raining so we had it inside with cooking of the hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken over the stove.  But it was a great party with entertainment from Elder Murdock with cowboy poetry and Pres. Von Stettan with his native Indian flute which took a lot of coaxing.

Elder Paulo

Look at the size of that snail

Elder Maclean

Our party at the Von Stettans

Then off to our adventure on Thursday to the Lion Park with the Millers.  We saw lions!   Our first time.  They were big  and intimidating.  It had been raining and the ranger told us that they were enjoying the sun – they were sunbathing.   On the way to the lion park we saw these magnificent elephants walking down the road.  Couldn’t have been better.  Then we drove through the beautiful meanders of South Africa (I have no idea why they call it that.  I will have to research that bit of information.)  We stopped at a waterfall, cheese and chocolate factories.  Gorgeous country.  It was sprinkling most of the time which added to the beauty of the country.  We ended in Ladysmith at Elder and Sister Wilding’s home where we spent the night playing cards and sleeping.

  LIONS – King of the Jungle (These are for my grandchildren)

The Meanders

Doing their wash just above the waterfall

Dinner in Ladysmith

Friday, October 26, was a long day of driving through some beautiful country.  We drove with the Wildings while the Millers followed.  The drive to Harrisville was spectacular.  Then we went through a park called Golden Gate.  It reminded me a lot of Southern Utah with its rock formations and colors of the mountains.  But the greatest experience was the animals.  We saw a lot of Blue Wildebeests.  I do not think that America has Wildebeests but here they are animals that we enjoy seeing.  They kind of look like buffalos.  Well,  Wildebeests are found in a lot of the parks but these Blue Wildebeests are a little different.  You can recognize them by their white tails and they run like horses.   Amazing and they are mostly found just in this park.   Then we saw zebras, blesboks (?) kind of a deer, and ended with baboons. Baboons are awesome animals.  There were a lot of them and they had babies under and on top of them.  Apparently, these animals you stay clear of because they can be wicked.  They were all around the road but we stayed in our cars.  We spent a lot of time watching them.  We drove to a small quaint town called Clarens which again reminded me of Jackson Hole without the antler arch.  It was late when we made it back to the Millers for the night.

Homes just built anywhere

Another small group of children that sang for us

This was a stuffed baboon showing why we don’t mess with these animals

Our drive home – isn’t it breathtaking

Saturday we headed for home.  It was again beautiful country from Volkrust to Piet Retief.  I can’t seem to get enough of God’s creations.  We stopped in Nhlangano to visit Kayise.  She called us earlier in the week  upset because there were problems with her passport and she was afraid that would delay her leaving on November 15th for her mission.  We called the man in charge in Joburg and he reassured us that everything would be okay.  We had let Kayise know but decided to stop by to make sure she was okay.  They were still working on it but she seemed calm.  Since then, she received her passport and is now ready to depart.  We tried to see the Mabuza sisters but their home was locked.  Pres. Bulunga was at the church while we were there, so it was good to see him.  We arrived home late in the afternoon and the elders came over for dessert and games. HOME SWEET HOME!

Pres. Bulunga and Mesika Mkhonga – branch mission leader

 

Sunday, October 28, we were awaken early with a phone call from a set of elders that said that two other elders were being held by the police and we needed to come with their wallets to pay a fine.  They had decided to go for a walk and apparently did not cross the street at the crosswalk.  The police stopped them and wanted the payment of the fine right then.  They did not have their wallets on.  They were in shorts with no name tags on.  A lesson to always wear your name tags.  Dennis left to rescue them…needless to say, they were not in the Sabbath day spirit after their experience.  We attended the Mbabane branch and after the block Dennis dropped me off and he continued on to meet with Pres. Simelane in Manzini.  The rest of the day was spent trying to catch up on all that we had left behind for a week and making sure everything was ready for us to leave again the following day. 

We felt so bad for the elders that received the ticket on Sunday, that Monday morning we invited them over for breakfast to ease the pain.  They had put out most of the “fire” they had.  It was good.  Dennis then had to buy electricity for the elders, get some pads for beds, get some stuff from Matrix and the store while I packed and prepared to leave.  We finally got away around 1:00.  We took a different route and it was gorgeous.  About an hour after the border into South Africa we got into the most incredible lightning storm.  Then the heavens let loose with the largest hail I have ever seen.  We had to pull over due to the fact that we could not see in front of us.  Dennis and I could not hear each other because the pounding was so loud.  It lasted around 20 minutes and then the skies cleared.  We both commented on how if the Lord wanted to pour out his fiery on the world, that would be the way to do it. There are lots of dents on the bonnet (hood) of the bakki.  The president asked if the top had been affected.  I told him that I was not quite that tall.  I would have to get my periscope to find out.  We arrived at the Millers, had dinner and talked into the wee hours.

Can’t see the hail very well

Tuesday Dennis took Elders Luddington and Mabena to see some specialists (that is why we had come early) while I went around doing boarding checks with Elder and Sister Miller and went and got my “zone conference” haircut. They showed us around their mission areas – Madadeni and OsiZweni townships.  Their areas are a lot different than Swaziland.  Each township has over 500,000 people.  You put just those two townships together you have more people than all of Swaziland.  Amazing.  We had dinner at a place called Pint and Pigout with the Millers, Wildings, Von Stettans and the AP’s.  Then home to prepare the food for zone conference on Wednesday. (No pictures – what was I thinking.)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  Wednesday, October 31st.   Now there was a time when I really did not like Halloween.  Getting or making costumes for 8 children is a stressful experience.  But being here where they do not celebrate it made me feel cheated that I was unable to enjoy the festivities that come with Halloween.  So all of you at home, I hope you had a great, fun day.  So instead of us dressing up as witches and goblins, we were spiritually fed at our Zone Conference.  The theme was being truly converted – then we can convert others.  We also talked about having a mighty change of heart; obedience is the first law of everything (Elder Holland); stewardship in the church – temporal and spiritual; missionaries are sowers – parable of the sower; revelations comes in three ways – quickly like a light switch, gradual as a sun rise or foggy – you see a little bit ahead until the light comes.  We also did a short presentation of quick foods you can make.  I demonstrated ‘breadsticks in a pan’ – thank you Cindy Urban.  But of course I couldn’t have Halloween without something so I made a hat from newspaper and wore it during lunch.  We also had witches finger cookies with ice cream for our dessert.  It was a fun, enlightening day.  We spent the night with the Millers again because we needed to be in Nhlangano in the morning and that is a lot of driving for Dennis.  We talked, ate, watched “A Blast in the Past” – just had a relaxing evening.

Our demonstration

Sister Miller, Sister and Elder Wilding

Our wonderful hostess, Sister Miller, in her kitchen.  She treats us like royalty!

How Trina announced she was pregnant – cute huh?

November 1st – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRINA!!!  She has always been my Halloween baby because I started labor pains right in the middle of Halloween parties and had her early in the morning.  I always call her my baby which she will always be.  But now she is having her own baby.  How can a baby being having a baby?  When did she grow up?  It breaks my heart that I will not be there with her when she has this little one.  These sacrifices are very difficult but as one of my friends continues to say…..”The Lord will give us strength to do hard things.”  This will make the second baby that I will miss.  These are things that I cannot think about while I am here.  It is too hard!

We got up early Thursday and left for Nhlangano.   Every person going to the temple for the first time is required to have the temple prep classes.  Since Kayise will being attending the temple while in the MTC, she needs these classes before Dennis can interview her for her recommend.  Her mother came home early from work to attend with her.  It was a great visit.  And then I did another hard thing – I drove all the way from Nhlangano to home – almost 2 hours.  I was so proud!  I was thanking Heavenly Father that there were not many cars on the road about half-way through - I had not had to pass any car.  Right in the middle of my prayer, He decided I needed the real test and not only gave me a car but a semi to pass.  He has a way of keeping me on my toes.  But I did get us home safe.  Not sure how often I will be doing this “hard thing”.

Dennis, Sister Shongwe, Kayise

To prove I was behind the wheel.  I really looked stressed - don’t I? I hate profile pictures……not beautiful

Friday, we were back to work (kind of).  We got up early and went on a hike with Elders Shumway and King to some falls in their area in Mbabane.  These young men climb these hills every day to get to their proselyting area and they wanted to share this beauty with us.  It was amazing.   As I said before, I will never tire (?) of God’s creations.  They are magnificent.  The rest of the day consisted of taking a Book of Mormon to a reporter for the Times newspaper, driving to Manzini to get new pads for some elders, helping Futhi move into her mother’s home (she has not lived with her mother for 10 years – she is a little nervous) and then had a braai with the Mbabane elders which the Ezulwini elders joined us.  A good day.

This is where these elders cross to get to their areas.

On the trail we found this.  They just throw their garbage over the edge of their settlement.  It really does not show how extensive the garbage was.  So sad to pollute such beauty.

Elder Shumway found this snake on the trail and tried killing it but wouldn’t die.  We are calling it a baby “Black Mamba”.  It had a cool white tummy

Futhi moved from here to here with her mom

Our great evening with the Mbabane elders

November 3rd was Saturday and it was Bhekiwe’s birthday – one of our investigators which is getting baptized on November 11th.  So I baked a cake and we went over with the missionaries to celebrate with her.  She has just moved into a little one-room place by herself and she had invited people over to join us.  Most of them were children that lived around her, but her aunt and a friend from where she used to live came.  It was great having all of us in this little room.  We went for a walk and I love the little children that greet us.  This group from across the field yelled out at us, “How are you?”  It took them yelling it a few times before we realized they were talking to us.  They are so friendly.  I love these children.  We went on a discovery route – one that we had seen but did not know how to get out.  It took us almost two hours.  It felt good.  Our electricity was out for most of the afternoon and evening so we went out to dinner, which I hate to do.

They ate the entire cake!  We gave Bhekiwe a Book of Mormon with an Africa/zebra hair emblem that we purchased at the distribution center in Joburg

What we saw from our walk

I talked to my daughter at home and I wanted to share one thing she told me.  She said Sabrina, her daughter, prays that we won’t miss them too much.  I thought that was so sweet.  I do believe that Heavenly Father has heard her prayers and is helping us.  That is the only way I would be able to be separated from my family at home.  I love you – grandchildren.

Thank you Sabrina

I love these kids!

Sunday, November 4th was Fast and Testimony Meeting.  We had a wonderful surprise when we arrived at church.  Remember Patricia from Pick N Pay – the lady that we took a birthday cake to?  She came to church!  We had given her name to the missionaries and they have been teaching her but she would commit to come to church and never showed up.  But what a marvelous gift to see her there.  All the ladies were so friendly to her.  She was surrounded by people welcoming her.  What a glorious sight.  After she told me it was a wonderful meeting.  I love that lady.  All her family is in South Africa which makes her alone here.  We have been trying to find time to have her over.  Our days are going too fast and we are not accomplishing all that we desire to do.  Three of the Msibi children came.  We have missed seeing them.  Later, we went to the hospital to visit the gogo of one of our Lobamba boys.  Dennis and the elders gave her a blessing.  What a lovely lady.  She is 83 and her hands did not have a wrinkle on them.  She couldn’t talk so I just sat and held her hand.   An inspiring day.  I failed to mention that I walked to church this morning which started the day out wonderfully.

So, that has been two weeks of my life.  I hope that I do not bore you but every moment here is new and exciting for us and we long to share it with our family and friends at home.  The Lord has been good to us and watches over us continually.  He has made all this possible and we will be ever grateful.

“I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives, who once was dead. He lives, my ever living Head.  He lives to bless me with his love.  He lives to plead for me above. He lives my hungry soul to feed.  He lives to bless in time of need.”