KNOWLEDGE January 14–20, 2013

“And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.”  D & C 130:19

On Friday, January 11th we took Sister Chosen out to dinner.  Part of our conversation was about her experiences as a teacher.  She was telling us how in the earlier years, she had over 60 pupils and she had to teach all subjects, except mathematics.  She taught agriculture, physical education, English, traditional dance, music, sciences, etc.  Then she made a profound statement…”All that knowledge is now rotting in my brain”.  Her disappointment is that she is not using all the knowledge that she had obtained.  She stated that she had dreams of having a wonderful garden using her agriculture knowledge but that has not happened; she loves music and desired to use that talent better; her traditional dance efforts won awards in competition, but since she has done nothing with it;  with all she studied about the sciences to teach her students, she has not used that knowledge.  So to her all that knowledge that she has gained is now rotting in her brain.  I have not been able to get that comment out of my mind.  It made me ponder what have I done or am doing with the knowledge I have gained? Is it “rotting” in my brain?  Am I using it at all?   If the Lord has said. “The glory of God is intelligence”, knowledge must be pretty important.  So I put this out to all of you…..what are you doing with your knowledge?  Not just knowledge of the worldly nature, but also your spiritual knowledge.  Are we using it or is “our knowledge rotting in our brain”?  Just some food for thought.

Monday, January 14th, we met the Eggett's and Merkleys at Gone Rural to visit some water projects but they were not ready for us, so we played.  We took them to Baobab Batik, Waste Center in Manzini for some fabric, Lennie’s – the carver on the freeway to Mbabane and then the Cultural Village (which we did not attend with them).  We came home to bake for PMG class tonight, the elders came over and we played UNO, Nathi came over to pick up some passports, we went to dinner with the Eggetts and Merkleys while the Lobamba boys were over for PMG.  It is amazing what we can get done in a day!

Tuesday was heart-warming, enlightening, fabulous and sad all at the same time.  We woke to rain, rain, rain, pouring rain.  But even rain would not stop us on our journey to see the water project sights. So on to Gone Rural to meet up with the Eggetts and Merkleys and others that would show us their needs.  Gone Rural is an organization that collects straw, dyes it, distributes it among ladies throughout Swaziland that need the means to make some money to help them support their children and then they create these amazing baskets, etc.   The money that is earned from their sales, goes back to the ladies (50%) and the rest into the organization that provides pumps for water, training in hygiene, etc.  We have agreed to see what their needs are and then determine if we (the church) can help.  So off we went in the rain, wet dirt roads into the middle of nowhere places.  I had no idea that people even existed where we went.  It was an eye opening experience for us.  Our pictures will tell the story.

Every Tuesday, some of the ladies that live closer to Gone Rural, gather to bring their creations to be sold, collect more straw and sit and enjoy their weaving together.  They have a great time!

 

This is Shelly – she is over the humanitarian part of the project

From the Gone Rural Store – the ladies’ creations

The first group we met with where at a school waiting for us.  They were having a meeting to learn how to improve their hygiene.  This schoolroom had many holes in the roof – we were dodging water drips the whole time there.  Bro. Eggett spoke to them through an interpreter.  They then sang for us and we ended with “I Am A Child of God” and some cookies.

We were over-looking a sight of homesteads that had no water.

The water from this stream is a source of water for many people – this is there drinking, cooking, washing water and also the livestock water source. And when it rains it is useless.  The woman come here daily to get their water.  They need a pump closer to their residence and cleaner.

That little collection of water is where a whole community gets their water.  When it dries up, they have no water.

Here is some of the homesteads that use the water from the picture above.  They rely on rain – so today was a good day for them.

You can’t see it very well, but these ladies where taking their wash to the stream to wash.

I just loved this picture – doesn’t it look like a scene from Charlies’s Angels?

This is one of the existing pumps.

This group of community leaders were waiting for us under some trees in the rain.  It took us over an hour to reach them from the pump site.  These ladies are some of the creators of those beautiful weavings that you saw above.  They need so many things…..water, a place for pre-schoolers to meet, health care (the nearest doctor is miles away).  They say when their water system is working, their children are not sick.

I love these ladies!

After a day walking in the rain, this is what my heels looked like.  I could not get them clean.  Eish, it took almost a week for them to look normal. 

I pray that we will be able to help these people.  I learn to love the Swazi’s more and more with each day.  They are amazing and work so hard to keep them and their families alive.  Their knowledge is not “rotting in their brains”.  They may not have a lot but what they do have they sure use. 

Wednesday, January 16th was spent recuperating from yesterday.  Dennis took Elder Shumway to the doctor again, (he is doing so much better), attended Mbabane’s DTM, went to see Patricia at the store (she called to say Hi – we hadn’t seen her since her baptism), took some material for a skirt to Manzini market, Dennis did temple interviews, and then we took 2 mission calls to the young people anxiously awaiting their assignment.  Brother Welile Dlamini is going to Simbabwe leaving on May 5th and Sister Thembeni Dlamini (Pres. Mahlalela’s daughter – both her parents died when she was 5, so Pres. and his wife took her in, raised her in the gospel and look at her now) is going to Uganda leaving March 7th.  What an exciting time!  The Swazi missionary force is growing.  That will make 10 out from this little country.  We then went and visited with the Manzini elders.

Welile Dlamin (he joined the church in Dec. 2011)  He is now the Mbabane Mission Leader.  He opened his call at the church.

Thembeni Dlamini – Uganda leaving March 7th – and family

Thursday and Friday we were without wheels.  We had to take our bakki in to get it serviced and it always takes them so long.  But we planned for it and had lots to do at home.  Machawe came over to help me create a Christmas DVD for the elders, I baked because Nathi and Masisi came over for dinner, it was Elder Karabonyana’s birthday so the elders came over for cake and ice cream.

Masisi and Nathi – they still have not set their wedding day

Elder Karabonyana was not feeling well, so I took the cake to him.  He had to take his pieces home with him to eat later.  Being sick on your birthday should NEVER happen.

We almost forgot the ‘heavy, heavy hangover’  ---shame

Friday we went for a long walk and baked and did paper work.  We finally were able to pick up our bakki at 3:00.  Then we went to pick up Sister Chosen.  She has to pass Summerfields every day.  Her homestead is about 15 k’s on dirt road past the resort of Summerfields. Once we asked her if she had ever been there.  She laughed and said she has always been too busy just getting food on the table and her children in school to go out for dinner.  So we made a plan to surprise her and take her there.  Today was the day!  We called and told her we were coming and were going to take her someplace.  She was so surprised.  She was in awe of the beauty of the place.  When the waiter brought her the menu, she had no idea what to do with it.  She looked at it and said she had no idea what all that was or how to chose.  She closed it up and said you pick.  So the waiter chose for her.  He did a great job.  She enjoyed her food.  It was a delightful evening. 

“Rain, rain, going away. Come again some other day.” I know the people need the rain, (Sister Chosen told us that she has lost a lot of her maize because of no rain) but I need a break.  But it wasn’t to be today.  We picked up a clothes washer that was being fixed, picked up my new skirt, took two birthday cakes to the Shongwe’s homestead – it was Zola’s and Sebe’s birthdays, made posters for the District Conference, deliverd them and then met Elder Lorimer and Elder Kiwumi on the road – they were soaked – and invited them over for hot chocolate and popcorn.  They were so wet they would not come in so we visited outside. The dedication of these missionaries never ceases to amaze me.  What wonderful young men.

January 20th is Logan’s 3rd birthday.  These are the days that we hate to be away.  Missing birthdays and their special events is so hard.  But I loved talking to him.  He is so excited to be “3” that his birthday cake is going to be a 3!!  I can’t wait for pictures.   Logan, I love you and miss you tons!

Sunday, another day in PARADISE.  Lalela, the waiter from Summerfield (she is reading the Book of Mormon on her own and quoted scriptures to us once when we were there) consented to go to church with us.  So we picked her up and brought her to the Manzini branch.  What a friendly welcome she received.  The members greeted her with such love.  I sat with her during Sacrament meeting and one of the speakers were using scriptures from the Book of Mormon and she kept looking at me and saying “I know that scripture.”  Then she would take notes on everything that was said.  There was a young man that spoke first and she was so impressed that someone that young could give such an amazing talk.  She took notes all through the investigators class and Relief Society.  Then we had to hurry her to the place where she would be picked up for her ride to work by 2:00.  Church is 10:00 – 1:00.  Later we received a text that said…” I would like to thank you for everything.  I found all the teachings interesting and I willing to learn more and my kid I know he would like to learn.” She has an appointment on Wednesday at 5:00 with the missionaries to learn more.  (She has a 10-year-old son)  We came back to the Manzini Chapel because Dennis had a district meeting and I had a planning meeting for our next YSA activity – a spiritual carnival.  We had 6 youth show up.  I was pleased.  They did a great job throwing out ideas and accepting assignments.  I also brought a birthday cake for Xolani and Tip Top that we all enjoyed.  How many birthday cakes did I make in the last four days?????? Lost count!  It was a good day.

Sister Dlamini (soon-to-be missionary), Sister Simelane (just sustained to be Sister Chosen’s 2nd counselor in the District Relief Society), Lalela (soon-to-be member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Futhi (soon-to-be Xolani’s wife) and Sister Shoba (we hope her mother will soon be a member).  Quite a group!

Xolani blowing out candles on his half of the cake

Tip Top said he had forgotten that it was his birthday until we reminded him.  Look how excited he is!

Our committee

*****A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.  Khalil Gibran

*****Knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.

*****Knowledge is the food of the soul .   Plato

*****Knowledge is love and light an vision.  Helen Keller