COURAGE March 25 – April 7, 2013

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”  Joshua 1:9

The cowardly lion in the movie Wizard of Oz thought he did not have courage because he was not ferocious and had not done something spectacular or shown some extraordinary valor or bravery.   So he heads off to find the wizard to be rewarded with a medal of courage just to discover that he had courage all along. 
When you say the word COURAGE most people think of a heroic act or meeting danger without fear or showing bravery just as the lion in Wizard of Oz.  But I submit to you that it has a much deeper meaning.  The original root of courage  means “heart” – or acting from the heart.  Courage is not just about danger but about acting in what is in one’s heart.  “Real courage drives individuals to do what is right regardless of the circumstances, people involved or consequences.” I am surrounded by people who are courageous when they need to be courageous.  As they chose to serve God and live righteously amid the pressures of the world they show a tremendous amount of courage. 
***We know an amazing young man and his wife that is dealing with circumstances surrounding them that would cause the strongest of people to falter, but they are facing their trials with forgiveness, humility and the desire to be faithful to the teachings of the gospel.  The courage that they are showing in “doing what is right regardless of the circumstances, people involved or consequences” is an example to me.
***Our daughter is an example of a courageous young lady as she faces a C-section in a couple of weeks and doing it without her biggest fan – her MOM. 
***We are surrounded by courageous young people here in Swaziland that leave all they know, (never been away from their small kingdom) to heed a prophet’s call to go out and spread the gospel to all lands.  I witness that courage every time we put one of them on a plane for the first time and see the excitement but fear as they wave good-bye not knowing what lies ahead of them or what they may come home to.  I know that I and many of our young people do that, but these young youth are new in the gospel and a mission is a new concept in their live.  They enter the mission field with faith and courage that the Lord will take care of them and the people they leave behind.
*** There are so many here that demonstrate courage just waking up every morning and facing the unknown of the day…….what they are going to eat, will they find a job where there are so few, providing the basics like education for their children.  That takes courage.
***Entering into the waters of baptism is a courageous act for many of the members.  For example, a few weeks ago a young man in Nhlangano was told by his grandfather who is his caretaker, that if he was baptized he would no longer be welcomed in his home which meant he would be homeless.  He followed his heart because he knew the gospel was true even if it cost him everything. 
***Even serving in the church can be courageous.  Branch presidencies, Relief Society presidencies, Young Men and Women presidencies require a lot of time and mobility which here is in short supply.  The time they put into a calling should or could be spent making money to support their families because they make so little.  At home we jump into our cars when we have a meeting to attend or someone in need to visit which is a few blocks away and just takes us a few minutes to arrive.  Here very few have transportation so fulfilling callings takes walking, riding kombies and traveling a great distance which takes at least an hour.   And at night there are no sidewalks, no lighting, and the kombies do not run.  It is difficult for them and they do it at their own expense.  So accepting and fulfilling callings is a courageous act.
Courage is not always found in the battlefield, or doing some remarkable act of bravery, but genuine courage requires one to follow what one knows is right – it is following your heart when others are doing something different.
Joshua was told: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.”  Why?  Here is the secret: “For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”  Joshua 1:9
Thanks to all of you for your examples of COURAGE.
Monday, March 25th was both sad and happy – two conflicting emotions.  I do not know how a mother’s heart continues to beat.  To experience both sadness and happiness within a few minutes is more than a heart can take.  Monday we had to say good-bye to Misti for a year but had a joyful reunion with Koy and Cassie….all within an hour of each other.  But before we said good-bye to Misti we enjoyed our trip to Joburg and to the Lion Park.  These lions are amazing but they really are quite lazy.  We are told they only eat about once a week and the rest of the time they spend sleeping and just meandering.  FYI, the lioness does the hunting and killing and the lion enjoys the work of the female.  After we said good-bye to Misti, Koy, Cassie, Dennis and I got back into the bakki and drove home in a thunder, rain storm.  It was a lot of driving for Dennis.  What a good man! 

Doesn’t he look like the cowardly lion from Wizard of Oz?

This was a courageous act for me

 

This may be the only way I will see a leopard – they say they sleep during the day and wander at night

Saying good-bye for a very long time

Saying Hello for a short time

Those eyes of mine reflect the tears of sadness and joy that were shed.

Tuesday, March 26th started of course with baking.  Elders Condie and Holmes came over for breakfast and lunch and the Zone Leaders Training session on the computer.  After, Cassie and I walked to the Cultural Village where we joined Dennis, Koy, Bower Kanyembo and Lenhle.  Bower was our zone leader here in Swaziland for 9 1/2 months.  He returned home to Zambia but said that he left his heart here.  He left it with Lenhle whom he baptized a while ago.  So he came back to visit her.  We invited them to go with us to the village and dinner at our home after.  We really enjoy it there – great dancing and singing.  Then we drove to the waterfall which is beautiful.  We love having people over for dinner and tonight was no exception.  Our visit with them revealed a better understanding of what these young people face when it comes to wanting to get married.  Lenhle’s parents do not like Bower so they are telling her that they are going to arrange a marriage for her so she can’t be with Kanyembo.  She said that she is going to cry until they understand.  She wants to spend eternity with Bower.  They will make a very strong couple for the church when they can get married and wherever they end up.

What we saw on our walk to the village

Cassie performing for us

She is singing a gorgeous rendition of Amazing Grace

The men performing

Bower and Lenhle

I love this picture – Koy and Cassie

It was raining – my hair does not do well here with the humidity

Cassie found this huge spider web by the waterfall – could have caused a heart attack.

The waterfall from the top of the road

Lenhle and Bower telling us their story – a courageous couple

Lenhle on her baptismal day July 6, 2012

This is Lenhle’s brother, Innocent, when he was baptized, July 29, 2012.  Her brother is supporting her parents.  This is hard for her to understand.  Of course, they want labola which Bower cannot afford. But she says that is not the issue.

A gift from the grandchildren – hanging where I will see it constantly – above the computer.

Cassie at our computer

Feeding the monkeys on our front patio.  They are amazing animals.  But I do get nervous when they get too close.  For those of you who think I have conquered my fear of animals, you are wrong.  They are still amazing but at a distance.  Some of these were too close for comfort.

On for some schooling on Wednesday, 27th.  We went to the Imbeleko pre-school in Ezulwini.  In a previous blog I mentioned this pre-school.  Gogo, that is how I know her, started this pre-school for children in the area that could not afford other options.  She charges a minimal fee which does not cover any supplies or equipment . So Misti and Cassie brought some from home to at least help.  So we journeyed this morning to visit this pre-school and the amazing gogos, teachers and children.  Of course, it was raining but it did not dampen the excitement of being there.  The 60 kids, 2 teachers, 3 gogos all enjoyed the supplies, cookies and entertainment.  Have I told you lately that I love these children.  I would love to bring them home with me or at least bath them, wash and fix their clothes, feed them, tuck them into bed and love them. We spent the afternoon shopping and visiting Sis. Dlamini whose father passed away a week ago and Patricia after her work.  Dennis went to his district meetings while we enjoyed the evening at home. We received an email from Trina informing us that they discovered at her routine doctor’s appointment that her baby was breech.  On April 4th they have scheduled her at the hospital to see if they can turn him.  We both shed a lot of tears. 

 

The gogo’s outside the school

Presenting the gifts

The group with two extra guests

Excited about the supplies they received

SWEETS!!!! Look how patient they are being.  So well behaved

A priceless moment

“Do As I’m Doing”

Reading a story

Look how young

They love their pictures taken…”SHOOT” they exclaim, then they want to see it. “ HOW BEAUTIFUL” – muhle kakhulu (very much beautiful)

A drive through Lobamba

Two lovely daughters producing #20 & #21

Cameo’s little girl will make her debut in July and Trina is having her little boy on April 21st and I am not there!

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were spent in South Africa enjoying some of God’s creations in Hluhluwe/Imfolozi game park.  The animals were magnificent and the scenery was breath-taking.  We saw warthogs, impala, giraffes, zebra, vultures, rhinos, water buffalo, elephants, kudu, hyena, baboons. wildebeests, owls, a phython and others that I cannot name.  We stayed in a camp that allowed the animals to wander.  We ate with the warthogs, impalas,and they said there was a hyena around but we didn’t see them at that time.  After two days there we went to St. Lucia to the hippo park and saw of course, hippos and crocodiles.  We had a great time and enjoying this with Koy and Cassie was the greatest!

Here’s our journey through three days of some of God’s most magnificent creations.

Indian Ocean – a windy day

Python at night – our night drive

Vultures

Mom and baby baboon

Monkeys playing around the jeep

Warthog

Wildebeest

Baboons

Lily pads

As we were leaving the park, the cows wanted to make sure they were not forgotten

In St. Lucia with the hippos and crocodiles

Crocodile out hunting

This crocodile was been warming her eggs for 3 months.  They are almost ready to hatch.

It was high tide so the hippos were mostly under water

Dennis chatting with the captain and director

Koy and Cassie enjoying the cruise

This is why the hippos kill more humans than any other animal in Africa.  They look slow and harmless and humans get too close.

When we got home Saturday night, we immediately went to work preparing for Easter.  Koy and Dennis started making 14 Easter baskets for the elders.  What troopers – they did a great job!

Shame – I didn’t take a picture of all of them, but here are two that we gave to our home teachers that came that night.   What a powerful lesson they gave us. 

EASTER Morning, Sunday March 31st.  We celebrated Easter with the Ezulwini branch and the sweet children in Primary.  Easter in Swaziland is a reminder of all that the Savior did for us so many years ago.  They have a pure love for our Savior and a great appreciation for the sacrifice he did for them.  They trust him completely and totally give their live to Him.  I pray someday I will have that kind of trust that they exemplify each day.  After church we took Sis. Shabangu home.  She is a gogo that has been a member for 20 years; comes every week even though she does not understand English; lives high in a mountain and has to walk for over an hour to come every Sunday; and is the sweetest women ever.  Koy had to ride in the back of bakki because Sis. Shabangu had two grandchildren with her.  Koy and Cassie was amazed of the sacrifice of this dear member.  We came home fixed a ham dinner for the elders; filled their homemade baskets with goodies that Koy and Cassie brought from home; home teachers came over and gave us a powerful lesson – hard to believe that these young men have only been members for a few months – Musa since July and Nhlanhla since Feb. 10th – preparation and diligence would put many of us to shame; gave the elders the egg story and showed Pres. Holland’s Easter message about Christ being totally alone during his sacrifice.  It was a spiritual Easter and so grateful that Koy and Cassie were here to share it with us.

Primary in the Ezulwini Branch

Sister Shabangu’s homestead

View from Sister Shabangu’s home

We colored Easter eggs for the elders – it felt just like home

Easter dinner

All that was left of our ham….they cleaned that bone

Easter Egg Story

Monday, April 1st was a glorious day.  We had a lot of members to introduce Koy and Cassie too.  But we had to start the day with a walk through Lobamba.  Koy stuffed his cargo pants with suckers – over hundred- but we still did not have enough.  The children came from all over to greet us as we walked down the road of Lobamba.  How they fell in love with the children.  Koy felt so bad that we ran out that we had to walk home and return with more.  We visited with Sibusiso’s gogo who is home from the hospital but is not doing well.  What a sweet lady.  Then off to meet the Msibi family whom Cassie had an immediate connection with Sister Msibi.  We gave them some jump ropes and by their reaction, you would have thought they were gold.  We ended our visits at the Shongwe family who adore our family.  Gogo, the owner of the pre-school, gave Cassie a plastic bag rug that she crochets.  There were so many more people that I would have loved to introduce them to, but time limited us because we had to get back to our FHE/PMG with the Lobamba boys.  It was a great way to end our beautiful day with people we love here.

Our walk begins…….

Some of the beauty on the way

Koy was interested when he saw the sign “St Mary’s Clinic”

The beautiful setting of this chapel

We discovered this cemetery on the way

The people of Lobamba that we love

Even the gogos love the sweets

When offered something, the children clap their hands, cup both hands and then curtsy when it is given

I have no idea what was wrong with her forehead, but isn’t she beautiful

They loved Koy and wanted him to ‘throw them in the air”..there was a long line

Sibusiso, his gogo and me

Busisiwe Msibi receiving a jump rope

They didn’t have any water, so we went to get some for them

Wendy showing us how she carries this bucket full of water when we are not around to drive to get it

This is how heavy it was when Koy helped to take it off her head

The children at the watering tap following Cassie – they must have known we had treats

Easter eggs full of candy

Now they have water, they can finish their wash

Look at their beautiful avocadoes

Koy taking his turn at jumping

The happy family minus four children

Couple of the Shongwe family members

Gogo and Cassie’s new rug

Something we can all learn from

Isn’t she beautiful – I love this lady

Tuesday, April 2nd, we headed early to the pond and up through the river and then home.  We had a busy day trying to mark off Cassie’s to ‘buy list’.  This was the only day we had taken time to shop and the only day left.  So off to the stores we went.  First, Gone Rural for some baskets made by our friends.  Then to Baobak Batik for scarves for friends; Manzini Market for skirts, necklaces, etc.; journeyed to the Manzini chapel to introduce them to Tip Top, Xolani and Pres. Mahlalela and his wife; then ended the day with Sister Zulu at the Ezulwini Market.  She was able to check off all the people on her list.  Dennis ran errands as we fixed dinner just in time before a big lightning storm his the house and blew our electricity.  We spent the rest of the night in darkness playing Mormon Bridge and going to bed.  It never came back on until after we had left to Joburg the next day.

Our walk

Gone Rural BoMake

Baobab Batik

Manzini Chapel

Our sweet lady that makes our skirts and making 9 little girl skirts for my granddaughters

Koy in Manzini Market

Sizar (makes our nativity sets) and Koy in Manzini Market

Sister Zulu showing Cassie how to wear the wraps she bought

Ezulwini Market

Wednesday we woke up to still no electricity and a lake surrounding our refrigerator.  We mopped up the water and placed towels around it in hopes the electricity would soon turn on because we had to leave to get to Joburg for Koy and Cassie.  I was worried all the way so I called the Manzini elders and asked if they would go get my meat in the freezer so I would not lose all of it.  They very willingly and lovingly responded to my call.  It eased a lot of worry from me.  We drove to the Lion Park so they could see the big lions and bet the baby ones.  They enjoyed their time.  By the time we got back to Joburg it was too late to do a session at the temple so we went to the area office and introduced them to friends there.  The airport was very hard for me.  Unlike last time, this time there was no one arriving and the plans now is that no one is coming until we go home.  That is a long time and makes me sad.  My heart did break when I had to say good-bye and it continued to hurt for the next few days back at home.  The Curtis’ had agreed to let us stay with them for the night which we so appreciated.  We have met so many wonderful senior couples on mission.  It is truly one of the many blessings of serving a mission.  You make instant friends because we are all far away from home experiencing the same feelings and opportunities to serve the Lord.

Ostrich

Saying good-bye at the airport

Thursday, we woke up early to get all the things we needed to accomplish before we headed for home – saw Portia at the Area office (she loves working there and looks great);  attended to business at the Area office; went to Joburg mission office to present Sister Leavitt with a plate from Swaziland (she can’t make it to Swaziland so we decided to bring Swaziland to her) and then headed for home.  I knew the minute we headed off that we were not going to make it home in time to talk to Trina before she left for her appointment to turn the baby.  I cried all the way home and yes, I was right we were late.  I called and left messages and she emailed as soon as she was through.  The baby would not turn, so they scheduled a C-section on Sunday, April 21st.  She’s a trooper!  Arrived home with electricity and everything okay in the frig.

Friday was a day of catching up – Dennis waited in lines for work permits for the elders, bought a new bike for an elder whose bike was stolen during the electricity outage, delivered packages, checked on Mbabane elders bakki that broke down and in the shop for over a week and the poor elders were on foot.  I laundered, vacuumed, cleaned, answered over 50 emails and had a ‘pity’ party for me.  Den took me out to dinner and we came home and watched a movie.
Saturday, April 6th was back to business as usual.  Koy and Cassie had bought a Chicago bulls cap and shirt for a sister that loves them and had her cap stolen.  We did not have enough time to deliver it to her while they were here, so off we went to be the bearer and boy we were blessed.  Dennis walked in to her work with the cap on and it took her a minute to see it.  When Dennis asked if she wanted to wear it, she screamed, jumped up and down and had a hard time containing herself.  Then we showed her the shirts!!!  A few hours later she was at the church wearing her new attire while cleaning the chapel.  She did take them off long enough to give her talk on baptism at the baptismal service for Carissa Chirwa – a 12 year old whose father finally consented to let her be baptized.  Then off to the Ezulwini chapel to enjoy an Institute lesson with the YSAs there. We completed our day with dinner at Summerfields with the Basso – a couple from Joburg that is here with their visiting son.

Sister Constance Dlamini with her new Chicago Bulls cap and shirt

Baptism of Carissa Chirwa

Elder Condie, Carissa, little sister and Make – she was baptized a few years ago, but just received permission from her husband to have the Carissa baptized

Dinner at Summerfields with the Basso’s

On the schedule for Sunday was to attend Gege’s sabbath services – a group that meets in a school.  It was an amazing experience – 33 children who sat with arms folded for  2 hours, 8 women, 1 older man –a recently baptized pastor -   and the rest youth.  The Malinga’s were not there who are the long-time members, so a 18-year-old young man who was baptized in July, 2012, set up the room, prepared sacrament, conducted, bore testimony, and responded to the call to take over like a branch president.  WOW.  Then he approached Dennis about starting his papers for a mission.  What courage this young man shows as he accepts the responsibility of an old man and does it with such power and confidence.  His name is – Manqoba Mdluvo.  He will be one amazing Stake President some day. I attended the Young Women’s class were the 17-year-old 2nd Counselor was giving the lesson on the atonement!  I couldn’t do what these youth do now let alone at their age.  The church has many courageous youth here in Africa.  We then had the Basso’s over for dinner.

My computer is giving me havoc over this rendition of my blog.  It has taken me hours and days because it is not working correctly.  Besides all the headache,  I do enjoy it.  I get to relive my life here on mission twice – once in living it and while I write and post pictures, I get to enjoy it all over again.  I know it is a long one so maybe just enjoy the pictures.  I wish that you could experience Swaziland through my eyes – you could see so much more,  I have a hard time picking out pictures because I want to share so much.  I love the work here, I love the country, I love the people and I love my Savior.  I am so grateful for all the examples of courageous people that continue to amaze me.  I have so much to learn and experience before I can even begin to be as courageous as those I have mentioned.  Thank you for all your examples.

“Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. COURAGE, brethren; and on, on to the victory!   Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad.  Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth into anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel……” D & C 128:22