“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 2 Corinthians 5:1
We are surrounded here by death. How grateful I am for my knowledge of the plan of salvation. How grateful that I know that death cannot separate me from those whom I love so much. We all have a Savior that has made it possible for us to be gathered again with our loved ones. Oh, what comfort this brings.
We received news that Sibusiso’s gogo passed away on Monday, May 20th. We went to where he stays and they were just taking her body away. His heart was aching and we felt so helpless. He was so sad and scared. All we could do is hold and comfort him. He did not want to go back so we just went for a ride. Later, he said he had to return because he had an appointment to go home teaching. A lesson for all of us. At hard times, what should we do……..continue to serve the Lord and that will bring us out of our darkness, at least for a while. As I have grieved for this young man over the past week, my thoughts have turned to our Savior and how grateful I am for his sacrifice that will enable us to life again…turning death unto life. Sibusiso’s knowledge of the gospel is so new, that I pray he understands this new concept of life eternal and he can see his gogo again. I pray that he can take it one day at a time, until his memories of her can bring joy and not sorrow. I pray that he will allow his “new” family in the church help him through his pain with their love and support.
When most of us have to deal with death, it is our grief that is our greatest challenge. This young man not only has to work through his sorrow but has so many other worries. His gogo was the only one in his life that loved and cared for him. He had no other support. His gogo was not related to him. She had just taken him in when he was born because his mother did not want to care for him. So since they are not related the people where he stays says he cannot stay there. He has no where to go. He also worries about what he will eat….will he be able to continue in school. He is scared. Dennis gave him a blessing that night and told him that his temporal things would be taken care of. I know that what he needs right now is our Heavenly Father. I know that his “new” church family will be there to buoy him up and help his tender testimony get stronger. I pray that in the near future he will be able to live life without fear.
They buried her Thursday morning at 3:00 a.m. Since she was married to one of the brothers of the King, she had a royal burial and since he was not related they would not allow him to attend. We were in South Africa at a mission presidency meeting so could not be there for him, but Elder Norbert and Ogutu got up at 2:30 a.m., rode their bikes and found him asleep on the ground in front of the gate where the funeral was. A lot for a 18 year old to cope with but the elders were there to share the burden.
Monday, May 20, brought the said news of Sibusiso’s gogo’s passing but the Lord helped us by bringing us some joy in our day. In the morning we had to go to the US Embassy to get more pages put into our passport. We cross the border so many times that we have run out of pages. That night the Lobamba boys came over for dinner and FHE. Sibusiso was there. The Ezulwini elders’ bakki is in the shop so Dennis had to take Elder Stengile and Elder Weston to one of their appointments….Nokwanda, the young girl with the fruit stand. She, too, has a very sad story but that is for another day. We had visited her last week and Dennis had challenged her to read the first 12 books of 1 Nephi. So during the discussion Dennis asked her how she liked Lehi and Nephi. She claimed she had no idea who they were. This perplexed Dennis, thinking she must not have read it then if she didn’t know who the main characters were. Then the elders said. “he means Lehi (Lay-he) and Nephi (Nayp – he).” “Oh, they were wonderful!” Communication is all in the pronunciation. So funny. We needed a good laugh. After our Lobamba boys left, I made a chocolate cake, brownies and rolls for the trip to New Castle for Zone Conference.
Zone Conference consumed our Tuesday and Wednesday. We traveled on Tuesday and got across the border without incident. Dennis had many sleepless nights lately worrying about getting 4 of the elders over the border because their passports had been deactivated. Nathi had driven down with us in case of a problem, but there were not any. It was enjoyable traveling in a 5 bakki caravan (we got our bakkie back from service that morning). That evening we enjoyed 34 elders and President and Sister Von Stetten at the home of the Millers. Zone Conference on Wednesday was uplifting as usual. We all look forward to these conferences to be spiritually fed and to enjoy being together. It really fires us up to return with a much greater desire to serve. After we said our good-byes to our Swazi Warriors, the men had a presidency meeting while the women went to the Chinese stores for some shopping. It really is great to be with such amazing women. I really wish that we could be together more than just every 4 months. We reunited and went to dinner. We called our elders and found out that they all had gotten across the border – some with a few problems, but they were in and safe.
Some Durban Mission Senior Couples
Lombardi, Wilding, Holt, Miller
Sister Von Stettan, Elder Weston, President Von Stettan
All Swazi Warriors at one point
South Africa Durban Mission Presidency and wives
These young elders are all from Kenya – all but one serving in Swaziland
Swaziland Zone
Mail call
Elder Wilson receives his first package from home – he has only been out on mission for little over a month
They do anything to get into their packages
All these elders are babe’s and sons
China Market
Dinner – is Dennis listening or watching?
Thursday, May 23, we tried to leave early to head for home but there are always things that get in the way – like shopping for things that are way cheaper here in South Africa. The one thing I did not get done was my Zone Conference hair cut. It has been 5 months – yikes – and who knows when I will get it done now. Elder and Sister Shumway followed us home so they can visit our magical kingdom before they leave for their US home. The drive was beautiful and we arrived without any problems. We registered them in Summerfield where they are staying and then headed off to do some sight seeing. Lungelo Nyoni’s, from the Manzini Branch, mission call was at our home when we arrived so we called him and off we went to watch him open his papers. He has been waiting since February – the anticipation just about killed him. We were all there when he found out he was going to serve in Uganda leaving on 22 August. He was ecstatic. Friday was his birthday and he said that was the best present ever!
Tip Top and Lungelo
The sights of Gone Rural
We bought this book and our sweet friend sang “The Wheels on the Bus” for us in siSwati. The book has English words on one side and siSwati on the other
Experiencing Baobab Batik
Who needs modern technology?
Some of my dear friends at Baobab Batik
I love this African sight
Neighborhood in Lobamba – of course, suckers
Cleaning out the chickens…..
…the innards which will be used for meals
This sweet baby was 2 weeks old
The Shumways enjoying the Cultural Village
Mantenga Falls
Pineapple Fields
4:15 a.m. was the call to rise for Saturday, May 25th. We met the Shumways and drove to St. Lucia – a four hour drive one way – to meet up with the Holts so we could exchange bakki’s. They came and got ours at zone conference to fix it, so meeting at St. Lucia was perfect for them – they were going to stay for the weekend. But we had to get back for baptisms and training meetings. Of course, we had to have a parking lot picnic before we left – sweet rolls, banana bars, oj. It was fun and others had to join in on the good food. After 4 hours back we made it just in time for Manzini’s training meeting. Mbabane had a baptism and so did Nhlangano. We went to see Sibusiso but he wasn’t there but Tembegile was who was taking care of gogo and is taking the discussions. She could not tend because she had to be around for gogo 24/7. She now can attend church. We drove by the care point to visit the sweet lady that stays there and there were some workers fixing their outhouses – YEA! The contractor that is building the US Embassy in Ezulwini noticed what terrible condition they were in and offered to fix them. We had a great visit with them. Him and his wife are from Idaho. It was great talking about home. On our way home we met up with some of the Lobamba boys coming back from institute. Luckily I had some sweet rolls and banana bars left over to offer. When I arrived home, I went to work making some posters for our YSA fireside next week with Elder Cook of the 1st Quorum of Seventies. He will be here for the weekend which we have the honor of showing them the country and people. He just decided he would like to talk to the YSA’s so we have to get the good news out. We delivered the posters to the ward houses and then came home and crashed!
Our parking lot picnic in St. Lucia
Sister Holt, me and Sister Shumway
Dennis, Elder Holt, Elder Shumway
Refreshments after training meeting in Manzini
Me and Thembegile
I really need a hair color and cut – when I get home I may have totally become African with the no hair and scarf. Aren’t they beautiful! Who needs hair!
This is the sweet lady that lives at the care point. Some volunteer youth had come in and painted the pictures.
Sunday was crazy! We received a phone call at 7:00 a.m. from Elder Holmes telling us that Elder Goodwin had fainted in the bathroom. We told him to take him to the Mbabane Clinic and we would meet them there. He was complaining that his neck hurt so they did an x-ray which showed that everything was okay. They did some blood work to find out what caused him to faint but we have not received the results yet. They were going to admit him but he started feeling a lot better. We took him home and he was given instructions to take it easy. We rushed back to the last hour of the Manzini Branch Conference. I hate missing Sunday services. It is always such a spiritual feast. We went and visited Elder Caldwell and Elder Whiting because they too, were sick. After sacrament they went to the bakkis to sleep then went home. All four are in one apartment because they are being painted. They were resting and watching Mormon Messages. Such good boys. We had a great visit with them. Dennis was home this afternoon because presidency meetings had been cancelled. He went out to find Senzo and Marcose – his companions – to do his home teaching but was unsuccessful. They do not have phones. I made corn soup and corn bread for our sick elders but by the time we were free it was 9:30 – too late to deliver. Does good intentions count for anything. It turned out great because with all the visitors we had this week, the soup came in handy for last minute preparations.
View from Mbabane Clinic
Elder Holmes and Elder Goodwin
Elder Holmes and Elder Goodwin just a few days before jamming with church music, of course.
Elder Whiting and Elder Caldwell in their sick beds
Almost twenty years ago, my best friend passed away – my mother. She was my biggest fan, my strength, my confidant, my security. I will never forget that day that she passed on. But her memory now makes me smile and brings love and peace into my soul which is what I pray will happen for Sibusiso. I feel her love and know that she is aware of me and watching over me and all my family. There are so many times I wish I could just sit with her and share all these marvelous experiences that I am having. Oh, we could have such a good time. But I am so much grateful for my knowledge and testimony of life after death. I know that if I endure to the end, we will have a glorious reunion. Mom, I love you and miss you.
Part of the family at my mom’s resting place
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me,though he were dead, yet shall he live; And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die…..” John 11:25 – 26
