A PERFECT FIT October 2–October 7, 2012

It has been a year since we heeded the prophet’s call and submitted our mission papers.  Our goal was to have our papers in by August, but due to my medical forms, it took a lot longer.  But I truly feel that it took that long because our “perfect fit” had not opened up yet.  South Africa Durban Mission/Swaziland is our “perfect fit”.  The Lord had a plan and and we just had to wait for that plan to be executed. 

As I look back on the past year, so many things have happened, so much growth has occurred, lessons learned, people missed, friendships gained and spiritual awareness heightened.  On November 9, 2011 our mission papers arrived, the family gathered and the news announced – South Africa.  Never in my wildest dreams had I even thought of Africa.  That was such a foreign place for me.  But the Lord knew it would be a “perfect fit”.

Then the holidays arrived.  For those who know me, I love this time of the year.  My home shows that love in the decorations and festivities that surround me and my family during this magical season.  Everything was “this is the last time” – last Halloween, last Thanksgiving, last Christmas, last New Years, last Thankuary dinner, last Valentines, last anniversary until we left and then it was time.  Time for me to leave everything I had ever known for 60 years.  Leave the home I had lived in for 40 years; the valley, state and country that I had never been away from for more than 2 weeks ever; my incredible family that has shared my life daily with me for 40 years; the many friendships that the Lord has blessed me with.  Time for us to leave all this behind for the “perfect fit” that he had prepared for us. 

The MTC was a wonderful time.  A great ease into being away from family and friends and the life of a missionary.  Then off to the unknown.  A place that all we knew was half-way around the world.  We arrived on a rainy evening tired and frightened but ready to serve.   We hit the ground running and never looked back.  We felt at home from the moment we arrived – our “perfect fit”.  The rest of all we have learned is documented in my past blogs.  There is not a day that goes by that we do not thank our Heavenly Father for knowing us better than we know ourselves and finding our “perfect fit”.

Tuesday, October 2 was a sad day for us all.  We said good-bye to Elders Maclean, Nygwenya and Masaya.  Two of these elders have been with us for 6 months – all but three weeks of our mission.  They truly have become family – our boys.  I stayed at home this time because three young men in the back seat of our bakki is not comfortable anytime but especially not on a three hour trip and the president is sending us extra tall young men.  I could not imagine them in the back (later, they thanked me also).  Dennis drove to the border, through the border without incident, picked up Elders Lorimer, Heki (fresh from the Joburg MTC) and Mabena – our new Zone Leader, drove back to the border, through the border without incident and then home at 8:00 p.m. to a welcoming party and dinner of the Swazi zone elders.   So the sadness dissipates as we meet and learn to love these new elders. (I answered 49 emails that had accumulated for the past few days while we were in Joburg, cooked ,blogged and answered phone calls.)

Saying good-bye to Elder Maclean

Someone compared this companionship to Alma and Amulek

Cousins saying farewell

Driving away

Elders Dickerson, Guthrie, Gideme, Ngwena, Luddington

Elders Ngwenya, Lombardi, Masaya

Welcoming the new elders

Hungry young men

New elders Mabena, Lorimer, Gideme, Heki, Shumway

New companionships with new adventures ahead of them

Lorimer and Mokoena

Gideme and Dickerson

Mabena and Maclean

Shipalane and Heki

Elder Shipalane’s birthday

We saw the sun rise on Wednesday, October 3rd.  We were up early to get to the airport to greet Elder Nathi Nhlabatsi home from his mission in Johannesburg at 7:30 a.m.  He is from the Ezulwini branch and numerous members of the branch were there.  Before he left on his mission he served as a counselor in the branch presidency.  For those who have seen Saints in Swaziland, he is known as the “pineapple convert”.  What a delightful young man.  We drove to the chapel where Dennis released him.  We have some of his belongings in our garage so we headed to our home to pick them up for him.  He greatly appreciated the pancakes I made for him.  We then drove him to his brother’s (really his cousin in American terms) who had offered a place of boarding for just a little while.  Then off to Nhlangano to help Babe Hlophe rebuild his new kitchen.  A few blogs back I mentioned we received a phone call early on a Saturday morning from Bro. Hlophe telling us that the rain had destroyed his kitchen.  Well, today we met a few members of the branch including Branch President Bulunga to  help him clear away the debris, measure for a new kitchen and then dig the holes for the poles.  The branch is buying the poles and the cement and we are providing the labor.  The finished product is going to be a few more work days down the road.  Bro. Hlophe was at work (part –time kombi driver) but his nephew helped us.   We brought one of the helpers back to Manzini with us and took him home.  What a humbling experience.  I could not believe this township that he lived is called New Village.  It was anything but new looking and the homes were so sad looking and roads horrible and people walking all over – tons of people.  I did not take pictures because I am so afraid of offending someone, but we want to go back and see if we can get some pictures to show you.  Daily I am humbled by these people.  From here he came to Nhlangano – a hour and a half drive in kombi – to assist someone else who needed his “kitchen” rebuilt and he himself lives in almost nothing.  I do not know his name but he wants to be a contractor and is living with his sister while he is in school.

Elder Nathi Nhlabatsi

Welcoming group – all branch members except the woman who is his sister

After Dennis released him

Branch president Shongwe, Elder Nhlabatsi, and his sister – not a memer

Breakfast in our home

Bro. Hlophe’s destroyed kitchen

This is a picture previous – the kitchen is the one in the middle that is two-tone red/pink

Clearing the rubble – the one in the green shirt is the one that we took home to Manzini

They kept reassuring us that it would not be hard to break the cement.  They said it was not like American’s cement.  And it wasn’t!

The young boy on the homestead doing the wash

Making measurements and getting it straight

Digging holes for the poles

Me pretending I can even take one shovel load

These two little girls took a liking to me and followed me around.  This must have been their dinner -  pap and something else - I had no idea.

Isn’t she the most beautiful young girl you have ever seen? I have no idea who these children were.  But they were on the homestead.

What an exciting Thursday we had.  We had to pick up passports from the elders in Manzini and buy some new pillows for other missionaries.  So we headed to Manzini.  We were told by some of the elders that you could get cheap, good pillows at the Manzini Market, so we headed there.  We found a lot of vendors selling pillows so decided to buy a few from each.  Dennis bought two from one and while he was waiting for a receipt, some ladies came up to him asking if he paid.  We could not understand what they were saying because he had money to pay for the others that I had picked out.  But they kept after him.  Then when he went for his money clip, it was gone.  Apparently, he must have put his clip down while getting a receipt and a young man came by and picked it up.  Some of the ladies had seen this so took off after him. They told me to stay there and reassured me that everything would be okay.  Dennis took off to look for him and the ladies.  After about 30 minutes Dennis and 5 ladies came back victorious – he had the clip.  The woman had chased the man a couple of blocks and then in front of the police station, they started to yell.  The police came out and captured him.  They found Dennis wandering, brought him into the station, gave him the clip and asked if he wanted to press charges.  He said no because he would have to be available whenever the police wanted him.  The women were so proud and excited.  I told them it was “Women Power”.  They loved it.  Later, after retelling the story to some elders, Elder Mokoena said not to worry.  That man would never do it again.  He had been humbled because a bunch of woman captured him.  We were sure glad that it had a happy ending.  It would have been painful to lose our money.  We bought the rest of the pillows (8) from these amazing women, thanked them, and went on our way with a grateful heart.  We drove to Mbabane to deliver the passports to Nathi, went grocery shopping and home.  Went for a walk to release our anxiety.  How the Lord blesses us through other people!  Then we went to visit the Msibi family.  Sister Msibi said that she is feeling better and wants to come to church on Sunday.  Such good news.  The father is back in the hospital so they are again alone.

Women Power

See those colorful things – those are the pillows

This sweet lady is the one that first took off

The corner of the Police Station – white and blue building

I literally spent the whole day Friday cooking…..ice cream dessert, muddy buddies, bacon chicken and a topping for it, carrots, rice, rolls.  Dennis worked on mission paper work, took an elder to the clinic because he has been throwing up and diarrhea for three days, paid bills, etc.  Then Nathi and his girlfriend, Masisi (remember she is not a member), came over and we went and bought her a silver CTR ring for her graduation gift.  Later, Xolani and Futhi came over and joined us for dinner and games.  I told them Friday night was date night and we were so glad for them to share it with us.  A great, fun evening.

Dennis and I, Nathi and Masisi, Xolani and Futhi

Saturday, October 6th, was spent at the University of Swaziland Graduation Ceremony.  Masisi was graduating and invited us to attend.  It was a hot, blistery day but we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.  We arrived at 10:00 and Nathi had seats saved for us which was good because it was packed.  The ceremonies did not actually start until around noon when His Majesty, King Mswati III arrived.  There were 1,606 graduates who were all presented to the King.  Masisi was near the end so for 2 hours we heard names announced.  The program before I enjoyed.  They had a choir that sang that was really good….of course they sang in siSwati.  One song was very familiar…it was How Firm A Foundation.  I have no idea what words they were singing, but Dennis and I followed along with our version.  They had speakers and then the King talked.  He spoke in his language which was interpreted in English.  There was another member from Manzini, the Elders Quorum President, that graduated also – Philo Nkambule.  It was interesting to see another country’s graduation.  what an accomplishment for these people.  In a country with so little and going no where, these young people can be vey proud.  Later, I walked to Pick N Pay, cooled off, Nathi and Masisi came over, listened to conference on the computer with the announcement of the change of ages of missionary work to 18 and 19, some of the new elders came over, rested peacefully.

University of Swaziland’s (UNISWA) logo

Philo Nkambule

I love Fast and Testimony here in Swaziland.  There is a stream of people longing to bear their testimonies and what powerful testimonies they are.  We attended the Ezulwini branch.  Sister Msibi and 3 of her children did come.  Masabandze – the oldest boy – is working for someone who is paying for his education, and Thandazile is in Mbabane helping her aunt tend.  It was heart-warming to see them in church.  Manqoba Shongwe bore his testimony.  He got that job I talked about earlier – the one that he said it was non-negotiable about working on Sunday.  The owner was so impressed with his commitment to his values and standards that he hired him over a young man that had just graduated in tourism in England.  He is thrilled and loves his job.  He shared a really interesting story.  He said that when his mission president gave him his departing interview, he told him  two things:  1) if you live righteously you will continue to see miracles; 2) remember the gospel principles you have taught your investigators and live them.  He said that during his interview he remembered that and one particular time came to his memory of when he bore his testimony on keeping the Sabbath day holy.  That gave him the courage to say that he could not and would not be able to work on Sunday and because of that he witnessed a “miracle”.  He loves his job and his boss has such confidence in him that he is sending him to Piggs Peak, Kruger National Park, Mozambique and wants him to learn all the places that he will be sending clients.  What a testimony that has been to me.  What faith these people have.  I do not think I could have done that but the Lord truly blessed him and he is happy.  Sister Mtetwa gave the Relief Society lesson and did such a great job.  After the block there were two baptisms – France Tembe and Mpendulo Magongo. Their testimonies were powerful after.  How I love these converts.  I wish we could assist more in their conversion process and in helping them stay strong.  Later in the afternoon Dennis had to go do a temple recommend and then Nathi and Masisi came over to share pictures, listened to conference and then the elders came over.  I love listening to these elders share their experiences of their missions and how much they are learning.  The church is true!!

?, Manqoba Shongwe, France Tembe, Mpendulo Magongo

Elder Heki, France, Mpendulo, Elder Shipalane, ?

I am so grateful for this “perfect fit” here in Swaziland.  The church is a “perfect fit” in my life and the lives of others.  I see how the gospel blesses the lives of these people.  It gives them hope, happiness, skills, leadership opportunities, reason to keep going, personal growth and love for others and the Savior.  A PERFECT FIT