Our Cup Runneth Over: May 2015

As we come to an end of our mission, we have discovered an important truth - FRIENDS ARE FOREVER. The Swazi's have implanted themselves in our hearts and our memories will connect us forever. We will be SWAZI'S FOREVER....

Sunday, 15 December was spent enjoying the Sabbath day with the Manzini Branch and Nhlangano Branch......and celebrating Xolani and Elder Mkude's birthdays.......and enjoying the company of the Herrington's that came from New Castle to enjoy all the sights that Swaziland has to offer. I love it when people come to stay with us. It fills our home love and laughter. I fixed a traditional Sunday dinner with roast, potatoes, gravy, rolls, vegetables and of course a dessert - apple crisp. A beautiful day. (I have no idea where my camera was, but I have no pictures....shame. Now I realize the value of always having my camera.) Monday, the Wildings joined us (they were returning from Kruger) and we showed them all the sights of Swaziland. Near the end of the day it became rainy and really foggy, so we returned home and played games and got ready for our Lobamba FHE. It was a great lesson that the elders did. They did role playing and they all participated.

Jabu (Mbongiseni's sister) and Hlophile role playing

Herringtons enjoying the lesson

Two future missionaries - Sibusiso...Zambia and Sifiso....Johannesburg

Love these youth

Tuesday we spent the day again with the Wildings and Herringtons enjoying all that Swaziland has to offer....Gone Rural, Cultural Center, Ncwala, Summerfield, Manzini Market and then came home to a lunch that I had prepared. The Herringtons had to leave but the Wildings stayed another day. Bro. Hlatswayo came over to visit. Love that man. One of the blessings of mission is the friendships that we make.

Wednesday, 18 December, I was up at 5:00 a.m. to prepare baked beans, barbecue chicken, brownies for a farewell lunch for the people at the Silver Smith. But before lunch, we met the Wildings at Summerfield for breakfast to say good-bye to them and then the elders came over. Our lunch at the Silver Smith was grand. How I am going to miss them. The owner, can't remember his name but his son's name is Mark, made me a mother's ring that he had designed. It is beautiful! After lunch, we went to Manzini to help Xolani and ended our day at the Shongwe's were we showed them the DVD that I made as a farewell gift. I am a lucky lady.

Jerome and Thoko Shongwe's home giving them a DVD that I made

Thursday I was up again early cooking the same dinner I had prepared the day before. This time it was for our original Lobamba boys. After all our errands, they came over for dinner and then we presented them with a DVD that I had made with pictures of each of them, our Monday nights together and the activites we had done. Those who have left on missions, I had already given them one. We had a Christmas devotional and then they bore their testimonies. Again, a night I shall always remember.

Saturday, 21 December we had our Elder's Christmas Party. We started at Friar Tucks for dinner where I had decorated the table and each elder had a Santa hat and stocking which was filled while reading scriptures. Then it was back to our home where we had a devotional, watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas, gave them our special Swazi Warrior ties and played games and had a special dessert. This was our last Christmas with the elders. How we will miss them. They are a special group of young men. I know that our Heavenly Father is proud of the service they are doing.

Sunday, 22 December, was another beautiful Sabbath day. I taught a special Christmas lesson in the Mbabane Relief Society. I really feel inadequate in teaching. It just is not what comes easy and fluently for me. But I do it because it is part of the Lord's plan to help us grow. Then we rushed to Manzini Branch to be part of two baptisms. Again, we will miss being part of these baptisms so often. There is nothing like the spirit that accompanies those that choose to be baptized and be part of the Lord's kingdom. Then Sister Mdzeniso from the Manzini branch had a gathering for her birthday. Her home was way up in the mountains....it was beautiful. But they were really late in getting started and we had to get home because the elders were coming over. We did stay for most of it. The Swazi's know how to party. We had a great time.

Sister Mdziniso

Part of our heart will always be in Swaziland

On 27 March, 2012, my blog entry was entitled FIRSTS. I listed all the FIRSTS that I was experiencing as I started our mission in Swaziland. My first birthday celebrated away from home, leaving our family for the first time, starting our first mission, my first week in Swaziland, first time waking up to a rooster crowing, first time seeing more people walking than driving cars, first game reserve visited, first time seeing woman carrying items on their heads, etc...... but most importantly for the first time truly seeing how the Lord loves these humble people in Swaziland.

So December 2013 was filled with our experiencing our LASTS. Our LAST zone conference in New Castle, our last baptism to attend in Swaziland, our last Sabbath days in each of the branches (eish, I am going to miss Sundays in Africa), sending off our last missionary, our last transfer, our last Christmas in Swaziland, our last FHE/PMG Monday night with our Lobamba group, our last time taking a family to be sealed in the Johannesburg temple and most of December was saying farewell to all these wonderful people that have become our family. So, "I thank my Heavenly Father for opening my eyes and my heart to this wonderful country and magnificent people".

Thanksgiving Dinner with our Swazi elders - 2 December

Family Home Evening - 2 December

Zone Conference with Pres. and Sister Cook - 4 December 2013

A day of spiritual feasting

The day after we returned from Kruger Game Park with the Wildings (an earlier blog entry), the Carlile's from Bloemfontain arrived to visit us. It was great introducing them to Swaziland.

There is a Chinese place in Joburg that we bought over 200 ties for R140 each which is $1.40. We then took these ties to a place in Swaziland called Dixies that embroidered Swazi Forever or Swazi Warrior - warriors were for our elders who served with us and for those in Swaziland that served missions. We gave Swazi Forever to the rest of the men that we knew in Swaziland. Just a gift of our gratitude for the opportunity of serving with them the past two years.

Saturday, 14 December was a day of celebration. Bowers Kanyembo and Lenhle Mcina came over to inform us that her father had finally given them permission to marry. A Christmas miracle. We are so excited for them. We took them to the Silver Smith to find an engagement ring. Then it was off to Manzini for their Christmas party and then drove to Gege for a party that the Malinga's held for the return of Muzi Vilakati. They know how to throw a party. Such a delightful day.

Lenhle Mcina and Bowers Kanyembo