“Time is never for sale; time is a commodity that cannot, try as you may, be bought at any store for any price. Yet when time is wisely used, its value is immeasurable. On any given day we are all allocated, without cost, the same number of minutes and hours to use, and we soon learn, as the familiar hymn so carefully teaches, “Time flies on wings of lightning; we cannot call it back” (Improve the Shining Moments”, Hymns, no. 226). What time we have we must use wisely. President Brigham Young said, ‘We are all indebted to God for the ability to use time to advantage, and he will require of us a strict account of its disposition.’ “ Elder Ian S. Ardern of the Seventy.
A dear friend shared this quote with me and it is so appropriate for the feelings I am having. Time is ticking extra fast these days. There is so little time left to accomplish so much. I have come to realize what a precious gift from our Heavenly Father time really is…….and how I have to make the most of the time left here on mission. The further along on mission, the more valuable time seems to get. So 11 months have gone, oh so fast, and only 7 months left to do all the things we want to accomplish.
Monday, January 21st, was like most of our Mondays lately……baking, laundry, running errands (picking up rings at the Silver Smith, Ezulwini market to get nativities for missionaries and senior couples—sometimes I wonder if my precious mission time is well spent doing these things, but then I realize that it is a service and that can never be bad), trying to find where Lalela lives and finishing with the joy of having the Lobamba boys over. And boy did we have a crowd – 17 young men came (4 investigators) and then our 2 elders. I had fixed dinner for them – pasta soup and breadsticks – and we had the miracle of the “fishes and the loaves” again. I expected at the most 10, so 19 was a delightful surprise. So I doubt that they were full but everyone got a bowl full and a breadstick. Dennis took the time to interview many of these boys to receive the Melchezedek Priesthood at District Conference on February 10th. Elder Lorimer and I were preparing the food and we stole a moment to look at these amazing young men. We both felt a surge of pure love for these young men. (At District Conference they are having a special meeting Sunday morning for those who have been baptized in the last 18 months and we have been busy inviting our recent converts.) Elder Lorimer said, “Just think, 18 months ago these young men were drinking, drug dealing, going down a path of destruction and now look at them.” I cannot explain to you how that comment blew me away. The gospel is true. The gospel changes lives. I am a witness to that! That is revealed in the lives of these amazing young men and I have had the privilege of watching this all unfold.
Tuesday, January 22nd, we left at 6:30 a.m. for a 2 1/2 hour drive to Barberton, South Africa to begin the process of registering our bakkis in Swaziland. There is so much paper work that has to be done and they need it completed in South Africa. Some men that the Joburg office sent to help met us there and pretty much did all the work because they had all the knowledge. We headed back to Swaziland around 2 hours later where we met another young man that was to help us do some more work. After 4 hours at the border, we found out that the work that was done in Barberton was not correct and that we would have to go back there. Eish….frustration plus. We arrived home late and took the elders that were with us to Spur for dinner. It it hadn’t been for the beautiful scenery and the gorgeous setting of Barberton, we might have felt that our precious time had not been used wisely this day. And of course, Dennis got a referral for the elders in South Africa. He always takes the opportunity to share the gospel with the people that we meet. He is amazing.
Elder Guthrie and Gideme in this fun city of Barberton
The Lord continues to humble me. Whenever I start feeling complacent, he presents an opportunity for me to witness how so many of his precious children live. Xolani’s, from the Manzini branch, sister had twins and we wanted to see them. They live in a small city called Hluti where Xolani grew up which is about an 1 hour 45 minute drive. So Wednesday we headed off. What humble circumstances they live in…no electricity, no running water, far away from any city, no transportation, no food but pap – just the gogo, her daughter and her twins and two young grandsons that are now her responsibility since the death of her oldest son and their father from HIV. After our visit, Xolani said to me, “See why I am so hesitant to get married. I do not have a job and I’m trying to take care of my family because I am the oldest now. How can I take care of a wife, too?” It is a big decision for the young people here. Their wealth is meager without much hope for the future. But I do know that if he follows the path that his Heavenly Father gives him which I know includes marriage, he will be blessed. And his choice for a wife, Futhi, is a really good one. Two super strong members that will be the force that will assist Swaziland’s growth in the gospel. We rushed back to attend an appointment with Lalela with the Manzini elders. It was an amazing discussion about the Book of Mormon and restoration of the gospel. She gave the closing prayer and boy was it powerful. I love this sweet young girl. We were able to meet her 10-year-old son and enjoy getting to know him. How I love this work. How I love meeting and teaching these people the gospel of Jesus Christ. It changes lives and gives these people hope for the future. This week’s appointment, she said that she had prayed and received the verification that this church is true and is on baptism date for the 24th of February!!! Our joy is full!!
The mother of these sweet babies – a boy and a girl
The proud uncle – Xolani
The new family – Gogo, sister, babies and Xolani
Abitya (the son) Lwandile and A’laya (protected by God) Malwande Vilakati
Where they live – it was so hot and they still had them wrapped in towels and blankets
Gogo and her two grandsons that she is also raising. Look at that grandma love on her face.
That white stuff on his forehead is a fungus that he is getting from the unclean water. They boil it but it is still not pure. They had some medicine from the hospital but it had ran out and had no money or way to get some more. That is got to be sore for him. But look how cute and precious this little one is.
Xolani’s homestead – he shared many memories of this place. He had such a hard growing up life. He is the only member and the gospel has rescued him for hope of a better life. But how he loves his home. It seems no matter how far we wander away, there is still “no place like home”.
Lalela’s first discussion
Thursday, January 24th, we got up early, went for a walk, took an emergency drive to Nhlangano to get passport pictures, took Boysie Dlamini (our most recent return missionary) to lunch, printed invites for District Conference, visited Gone Rural and Ezulwini Market, Sbu washed our car, and made cookies. Just a normal day in the life of a Swazi senior couple. But the story we heard was heart breaking. Elder Awalla was over visiting. He and Elder Zsembery are in Nhlangano so we are always excited to see them. At Christmas, Elder Awalla had tried to call home – Kenya – from here but couldn’t get through. His family does not have a phone so someone else was trying to take one to them. They are not members and live far away from the branch. So the next day, he finally got through and when his mother heard his voice, she cried. She thought he was dead. They had not communicated since he had called when he was leaving to go to the MTC in Africa, so had presumed that he had died. Can you imagine what that mother was going through? We are now going to make sure that she receives letters from him and me with pictures. The mission president has told him he can call more than just the two times. That should never happen to a mother!
Boysie Dlamini
Elder Awalla is the one on the left
January 25th started at the US Embassy to get our fingerprints. Our Swaziland work permit was only for a year so will expire in April, 2013 so we have to repeat all that we did to get here which includes police clearnance with fingerprints. Then we will have to mail it to Washington DC and wait, wait, wait. It doesn’t make sense because how could we had done anything in the US if we have been here for a year. Eish, we just do what we are told. The we picked up Phumelele and her make, Nonhlanhla, to go around to schools to see if we could get her into Form 1 in one of the schools in Mbabane. I am not sure how their school system works, but you have to apply to schools and wherever we went Form 1 was full and I think they had hoped that since we were white, we would have more pull. But, we didn’t and she still is not school. We did find out that schools in South Africa are only a tenth of the cost of schools here. That is why so many send their children to SA to attend school. They sacrifice that separation so their children can be educated. After we went to Baobab Batik to pick up some pillow covers and give them some cookies – again I ran out so hurried home, baked more and took more to them. We visited Chosen at her homestead and then met the Zawacky’s and Delamare’s at Summerfield for dinner.
Phumelele and Nonhlanhla
Zawacky’s and Delamare’s and Elder Delamare’s brother and his wife. The Delamares are going home and will travel for 3 weeks with his brother before they go home.
Satruday, January 26th, the Zawacky’s were over early to cook for their CES training they are doing with their teachers today. We went with Sister Chosen to the hospital to see a sister from the Ezulwini branch that was in a car accident. When we got there we found out that she had been released the night before. We headed on to Nhlangano for a baptism, but the elders called before we arrived to tell us that it had been delayed for a few hours (the kombi was late picking up the people in Gege – the only getting baptized is the pastor”s - who was baptized in December – wife. So we turned around and headed for home because we had things to do. It was a good thing because we found out that it did not end until 5:00!!! I am sure that I would have chased away any spirit there with my impatience. We visited the Shoba family (Musi Mamba’s Ngwane Park family). Sister Shoba broke her leg on January 2nd and has been pretty immobile since. We love this family. We just need to get Sister Shoba baptized!!! Then off to help the Zawacky’s clean up at the chapel. We then went to Ezulwini market to visit Thandeka who is taking the discussions and is so ready to join if her husband would let her and her family. She and her 10-year-old daughter has read the Book of Mormon and knows that it is true. The elders were there teaching another vendor – a young man who is also reading the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is a powerful missionary tool. But we are really surprised how many elders do not use it with their investigators. Dennis is trying to change that with our Swazi elders. Then we went to visit Dumsile Dlamini, the lady we had tried to see at the hospital. She was there by herself. Her husband has left her for another woman and her 10-year-old daughter was not there. She did not know where she was. She was on the couch, cuts and bruises all over and pain in her chest. She had not eaten and luckily we had brought left over lasagne with bread and apples with us. We fixed her something to eat, did her dishes and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. The following day I talked to Sister Mavis Dlamini, the Relief Society President, to set up a plan to visit her throughout the week. We bid farewell and left. It is Elder Lorimer’s birthday today so they all came over for cake and ice cream.
Writing on Sister Shoba’s cast – they had never heard of such a thing
Teaching at Ezulwini Market
Elder Kuwanatsoka and Thandeka
Elder Lorimer’s birthday
Sunday, January 27th – Miri’s 3rd Birthday!!! Happy Birthday to one sweet little girl. It is hard to believe that she is really that old. She is such a joy to her family and to us. Have a marvelous day!
Sacrament meeting was the “rest of the story” for Patricia. She was confirmed by Elder Lorimer and he did a fabulous job. She is so excited and ready to receive a calling and get started in the gospel. I talked to her daughters in Soweto, SA and the missionaries had contacted them and they attended church today!!! Hallelujah! Machawe asked me to play the piano for the choir for District Conference. When will the Lord stop offering these opportunities for me to grow in this area. I promised him that I will go home and start taking piano lessons!!! Of course, I said yes. Then Sister Dludlu called and asked if I would play the opening, intermediate and closing hymns. EISH – I want to disappear. I told the mission president he had to hurry and send me someone who plays the piano on this transfer – the 5th – 4 days before conference. He said that he might oblige. After Sacrament meeting in Ezulwini, we rushed to Manzini for a fireside that Xolani and Mpilo were doing. They did awesome! We stayed for choir practice and then rushed to Newcastle – a 4 hour drive – to prepare for Zone Conference on Monday. We arrived safely and it was so good to see the Millers and Wildings.
It has been a good week filled with joy and sorrow for those around us. Time is definitely passing but every moment is filled with a new adventure and a growing love for this land and its people. Oh, how I wish time would slow. Oh, how I hope I fill the time I have left with all the things the Lord had planned for us to do when he sent us here.
Once a minute has ticked by it cannot be brought back – there is no remote to rewind that time. It is gone. Let us fill each minute we have with joy and happiness.
