SWAZI WARRIORS July 29–August 4, 2013

Two more Swazi warriors received their mission calls this week.  By the time we go home we will have been part of 16 youth from Swaziland joining the missionary army to declare the gospel to all the world.  We have witnessed miracles happen as these young people prepare themselves to serve.  They have fought the adversary to make it into the field.  They are a remarkable group of young people and we are honored to know them.  They are great missionaries and servants of our Heavenly Father. They have gone out as the sons of Mosiah because… “… they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.”

Monday, July 29th, 2013 I was able to stay at home and be a “mother” to a sick elder while Dennis ran all the errands. It is amazing how much I can get done in the home when I am given the opportunity to stay home for a day.  I cooked, did laundry, cleaned walls, bathrooms, etc.  The house looked and smelled clean.  The elders came over and visited which I love.  It was Majaha’s birthday on Saturday and Musa’s on Sunday, so we celebrated Monday night during FHE/PMG.  Majaha had to work – we missed him – but Musa enjoyed the evening.  The President called later in the evening and decided that we should take Elder Whiting to Durban to have him see a doctor down there.  We want him to feel better and see his SMILE again.  I was heartsick because our internet was down and I didn’t know what was going on with Cameo and her delivery.  Eish, I wanted to be there!

Musa’s birthday

We left at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning to make the trip to Durban and arrived around 2:00.  It was such a great reunion with the office couples.  Boy, we miss the association with them.  We went to lunch with the Holts and then went to the president’s home where they graciously put us up for the evening.  They took Elder Whiting to the doctor while we stayed in their home waiting to hear about the arrival of the new addition to the Lombardi clan.  We called her on the phone because we couldn’t get the skype to work.  She had Lydia at 10:25 a.m. Salt Lake time.  When the president got home, they figured skype out and we were on line to see our beautiful new granddaughter and daughter.  So glad that Lydia has arrived healthy and absolutely perfect.  Welcome to the family!

LYDIA ANN BELL has arrived – she is beautiful

Wednesday, July 31st was BLAKE’s 6th Birthday…..Happy Birthday to a wonderful kid that keeps me in smiles.  Between his animal renditions and wearing pj’s 24/7, you gotta love that kid.

Wednesday we toured Durban and had a great time.  Sister Zackrison was a great guide and hostess.  We went to the Moses Soccer Stadium where the Worlds Cup was held and then went on a skegwag(? I have no idea how to spell it) ride to the beach.  I had never been on one and it was a blast.  Dennis and the president had zone leader training and missed out on the fun. We had lunch then headed back to Swaziland.

Breakfast in the Zackrison’s home – don’t you love the cooks!!!!

Any one want to join the “Beach” religion

Moses’ Soccer Stadium

A bike marathon was going on

Our skegway ride

Durban beach – Indian Ocean

We ran into some other senior couples here from Joburg – Petersons and Knudsens

Dennis and Sister Holt

Our wonderful office couples – Starks and Holts

Thank you Zackrisons for a wonderful time in Durban

 

Thursday – MISSION CALLS for Mfundo and Zweli.  Seriously I was so excited, I could barely stand it.  We met Mfundo at the Manzini chapel to open his call – Johannesburg mission leaving Nov. 28.  He was thrilled.  Then we attended Manzini’s DDM with Elder Rowley leading the discussion.  Later that night the Lobamba group showed up with a few extras to open Zweli’s call – Johannesburg mission leaving Nov. 28!  Zweli was so excited he couldn’t take his eyes off the paper and kept smiling.  Two more Swazi warriors will join the force. (Trifle was served after to everyone)

Mfundo receiving his call…….

and  Zweli receiving his call…… (terrible lighting)

Quick run down for Friday, August 2, 2013- brownies, drove to Nhlangano to get passports and pictures for elders (1 1/2 hour one way), back to Manzini to give Futhi her new wedding dress from the Blackburns – it is beautiful, drove to Mbabane where we had lunch with the zone leaders, back to Ezulwini where we visisted with Thandeka, an investigator that has wanted to be baptized for years but husband doesn’t want her to, at the Ezulwini Market, up to Sbu’s home to take some oranges (he wasn’t there), tried to find Patricia after her work so she could go with us to visit Sister Shabangu but failed, visited with Liz and Joan Deakin – our landlords – Joan has pneumonia and had surgery a few weeks ago, elders came over, cooked for Saturday.  That is our day in a nutshell……

Futhi opening her package…..

…the dress….

…the slip…

Sbu’s nieces and nephews that live in his homestead

Sbu is building his sister a place to stay at their homestead, but first has to make 600 bricks

Sister Mabuli

Elder Weston riding Chester – our dog/horse

Elder Ogutu and Chester

Saturday, August 3, 2013 we got up early to prepare the patio and food for Masisi’s shower here.  Everyone started coming around 1:00 and we ended up with around 15 young ladies and one old one – me.  She has a great bunch of friends – it was really fun to spend time with them.  They are not members, but then, neither is Masisi and I am not sure how much they know about the gospel.  Hopefully, they have a little more understanding after the shower.  Dennis exited the party and went to Ezulwini’s branch presidency meeting.  How convenient for him.  After the shower, the Sutherlands, the senior couple for Seminary and Institute from Durban, came over and we visited then went to Summerfields for dinner where we joined Bro. and Sister Magaqa (he is a paid employee for SnI in Durban, for dinner. ( Before we left to go to dinner, we took dinner over to Liz and Joan.  I have been wanting to have them for dinner since we arrived and her getting sick at least got us to take dinner to them.  They were hoping that we were going to join them but we had the Sutherlands at the home.)  It was a great ending for a great day.

Masisi’s shower

Daughters of one of the friends

Bro. and Sister Magaqa

Elder and Sister Sutherland from Twin Falls, Idaho

It was Fast and Testimony Sabbath and we attended the Ezulwini Branch.  The testimonies were powerful!  There were those that bore their testimonies about how the gospel changes lives and how it is happening all over especially in Lobamba.  These boys’ examples are being noticed and people want to know what has brought about the change.  The residents of Lobamba are noticing and enquiring.  Hoorah for Israel….hoorah for our Lobamba boys!.  Patricia taught the Relief Society lesson – did I mention before that she was put into the Relief Society presidency. She is one awesome lady.  Dennis brought me home then attended the PEC council meeting in Ezulwini and then District Council meeting in Manzini.  I made rolls, brownies, dinner, blogged and emailed.  At 7:00 we had an appointment to visit Shimba (means lion) and Thandeka Mayala family.  She and her three children (Elizabeth, Jesse and Naomi) attend church every week for months but her husband has refused to let her be baptized.  Around 4 years ago she was being taught and attending church but her husband told her he did not want her to anymore.  But the last 8 months he agreed to let her and the kids come back to church and the missionaries have been teaching her at the Ezulwini market where she has a booth. So she asked if we would come and meet her husband.  We agreed but before we left she asked him if she could be baptized!!!  Dennis and I were surprised.  He asked some questions and then said okay if that would make him happy.  We will see if he meant it or just said it because we were there.  But he was really nice and we had a great conversation.  He is from Tanzania and shared his childhood memories (he is 8th of 13) and how he got to Swaziland and how their children got their names.  We really had a great visit.  I truly hope that he was sincere in agreeing to let her be baptized.  She knows the gospel is true and the greatest desire of her heart is to be a member. She needs your prayers!  The elders came over for dessert and to hear how the meeting went.

I love these African children – look at those eyes

Sister Dlamini and her little girl

Loretto Mthethwe

Ezulwini Relief Society

Elizabeth (gogo) Shongwe

Patricia teaching

Mayala Family

Jesse, Naomi, Shimba, Thandeka, Elizabeth

I had a friend ask how the baptisms are going in Swaziland.  Shame on me if I do not mention that enough.  That is the reason we are here and it should be our focus.  The elders work hard and see the results but probably not as much as they would like.  The Swazi’s are respectful, loving, Christian people but have a hard time understanding why they need to be baptized again if they have already been baptized.  Remember, Lalela, our waitress at Summerfield?  She had numerous discussions and read and believed the Book of Mormon, but couldn’t get past the idea that she was already baptized by authority and didn’t see the need for another baptism.  Also, other churches here just require the people to attend on Sunday and then the rest of the week they are free to live any lifestyle they would like and do not have any responsibilities.  So our church is a big change for them.  A big commitment that they do not want to accept.  But the tide is changing and through the help of the members, Swaziland will grow into a stake.

We need to join this army of missionaries with enthusiasm for this work of declaring the word of God to all nations.  Pres. Mckay said…”Every member is a missionary.  He or she has the responsibility of bringing somebody: a mother, a father, a neighbor, a fellow worker, an associate, somebody in touch with the messengers of the gospel.  If every member will carry that responsibility and if the arrangement to have that mother or that father or somebody meet the authorized representatives of the Church, NO POWER ON EARTH CAN STOP THIS CHURCH FROM GROWING.”

The Swazi youth are doing their part, or we doing ours!