Sunday, September 22-church at Swazi Mbabane building-Elders speaking-lombardi for din

Today is Sunday and we are going to church at the Mbabane building, because we are meeting with the Branch President and our PA guy after church. We have not been to this city or church building. We reached it after a beautiful drive on winding mountain roads at the top of mountains. It is a very pretty part of Swaziland. The church building is also very nice and the people quite welcoming. The Sutherlands and the Lombardis were also there.

Sacrament meeting was a missionary theme with four Elders speaking. We met them before Sacrament and they are a very sharp group of young men. They were all fairly new on their missions, but did not seem at all nervous about speaking. As you can see from this photo, they all had really big smiles on their faces.





The first speaker was this elder from Kenya, who did a great job: God expects us to keep his commandments and do his will. How can we be valiant soldiers of God unless we follow our commander. Pray often that we might be humble. Pray often that we might be true followers of Jesus Christ. Pray often that we will think more of others than we do of ourselves. Pray often that we will love our neighbors and let our lights so shine that we glorify our Father who is in Heaven. Our duty is to bring many souls unto Christ. Our battles may be many, but our victories will be sweet. Satan is strong, but God is omnipotent.



The second speaker, Elder Lowry from Idaho on left, was a great speaker. He had a way of smiling while he talked and during his whole talk he looked radiant (as they all did). He spoke of love being the way to be successful with missionary work. Without love, even successes will turn into failures. People need to feel the love that we have for them. We need to be good examples of patient, loving, honest and true members of the church.

We also need to love those who are baptized, so that they do not fall away after the member's newness wears off. Everyone wants to be loved and accepted. If you have trouble loving the way Christ loves us, pray and ask Him to help you develop Christ-like love for everyone you come in contact with and he will bless you with that gift.


The third speaker, Elder Ferrin, talked about how hard it is to be a missionary and bring others into the Gospel. As members we often try to leave that up to the full time missionaries and shy away from doing that ourselves. Even missionaries sometimes find it hard to approach strangers to teach them the Gospel. They sometimes feel inadequate, timid or afraid of rejection. They may have very little confidence that as an individual they can accomplish converting someone. Satan also wants us to believe that we cannot do it, so he can accomplish his goal, which is to keep all from obtaining eternal life. He talked about how he was into sports in school and his friends talked him into joining the track team. He did it, but didn't really find joy in running and didn't think he was that good, but he liked the high jump and decided to learn how to do that. He began to practice jumping every day after school until he was a pretty good jumper. Finally after several competitions,  his school went to the regional finals, where he was seeded number one. He talked about how each person gets 3 jumps to try and make it over the bar without knocking the bar down. It was down to he and one other person and he had to do his jumps last. The other person could not make the jump. It was higher than either of them had ever jumped before. The problem with this is that even if both people make the same mistakes and knock the bar down, the person who goes last will lose, so it was very important that he make the jump. He was very nervous. His first two jumps, he did not make it, which made him think he could not do it. He was standing by his coach thinking this was it...He was not going to make his last jump and the other guy would win. While he was thinking these negative thoughts, the coach stood beside him and put his hand on his shoulder and told him that he was good enough to make that jump and he would do it. He told himself that the coach was right and he was good enough to make the jump.  He ran and sailed through the air making sure his arms and legs were pulled up and away from the bar. Finally he was on his back on the cushion below the bar and the bar was still there, the crowd was roaring and he realized he had done it. His coach had given him back that voice in his head that tells him he can do things and he did it. He likened this to the way the Lord stands beside us and tells us we are good and can do it, even with little doubts creep in and we think for a moment that we cannot. Listen to that voice and then do your best and you will accomplish great things for the Lord. The goal is to know if the Gospel is true. As you pray, you will get an answer and that answer will be powerful, as if the hand of Heavenly Father is on your shoulder and he is saying, "You can do it."

The fourth speaker was Elder Daniels from Port Elizabeth. He spoke about the scriptures and the importance they have in teaching people about the Gospel. He spoke about the Book of Mormon being the foundation of his testimony and the proof that the Gospel is restored in these, the latter days. If we read and ponder the scriptures, pray that we might know the truth of all things, be good examples and love all those we come in contact with, the Lord will pour out his Spirit upon all things good and we will see the glories of Heaven. He didn't have much time, as the other speakers took up the time, but he bore his sweet testimony.

Then, it was announced that someone was getting baptized after church and we were all invited to stay for the baptism. The woman who was baptized is married to the guy who handles our missionary visas. They are a very cute couple. They have only been married about two months, so just newlyweds. After the baptism she bore her testimony and talked about how great her husband is...ah...true love.

Sunday School was taught in the Relief Society room and was packed. We're still talking about the pioneers, the hardships of their journey and what we can take and apply to our day and time. Most of which centers around their faith, their testimonies, their obedience and their courage. The man who taught the lesson spoke so softly that it was hard to hear him. Then he would ask a question and let it hang, even if no one answered. He didn't try to fill in the gap or go on to the next item, he just waited patiently until the silence grew long enough that someone would answer. Although uncomfortable at first, I learned that it was very effective. It got them thinking about what he was saying, so the next question they would be ready to answer. Also, although he seemed shy and inexperienced at first, it was obvious as the lesson went on that he was very smart and knew his material and how to teach. He is the 2nd guy from the left in this photo. The guy in the middle of the photo facing right is the District President's 1st Counselor.

Priesthood all met together, but then the young men were excused after announcements. Since there are no high priests in this ward, except for Elder Lombard, he, Elder Kyle and Elder Sutherland met with the Elders. Elder Sutherland played the piano. The lesson was on an article from the Liahona.

The Relief Society spoke about self reliance and the steps we need to take to get ourselves to a point where we can not only help ourselves in time of need, but others as well. I've heard the lesson before, but she did a great job. This is a picture of our teacher.







The ladies all participated in the lesson and were very friendly to me and Sister Sutherland. Of course, Sister Lombardi knew them all and hugged each one. She is such a blessing to this area of Africa. They go home in January and have no one to replace them yet. It would be a tragedy to not only have to let her go, but have no one to replace them as a couple. The area relies on them so much. Pray that more couples will agree to come to Africa! The beautiful lady with her is the RS President.




I took some more photos while waiting for the District President to be ready for us. Everyone wanted to get their photo taken. After I took the photo, they would check it out to see if it was a good one, and if not, they wanted me to take it again. The photo of the three young people was the funniest. I had the hardest time getting the guy to smile (same with the baby). A camera can break a lot of shyness barriers, and look at those cute little girls! It was a cold day.

After church we met with the District President and his counsellor. We told him about public affairs and how that is supposed to work. He was very positive about it and we cleared up some things he was not sure of, so things should work smoothly in that district. Our PA director, Brother Shongwe was also there and we met with him after the meeting with the District President to go over receipts from his previous months expenses, so we can get him reimbursed for PA expenses.

After that, we headed over to Elder and Sister Lombardi's home for dinner. They are always such great hosts and give us invites for dinner. Sister Lombardi is such a good cook that we look forward to getting a nice down-home meal. Southerlands were invited as well. I helped her by making the frosting for the cake she had already baked and for mixing up some cornbread. We had beef roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet and sour carrots, jello-fruit salad and cornbread. Chocolate cake and ice cream was for the Monday dessert. We were too full for dessert after a great meal.

We had a wonderful time and I tried to help Elder Lombardi with some computer issues. I got the MP3 copied on to a DVD, but it would not play on his DVD player and as I explained to Elder Lombardi, it probably would not play on the Elder's DVD player either. It was disappointing, because he wanted to give each Elder a copy of a great talk of Elder Holland's from several years ago, but it would not play without a mp3 player. We're trying to think of another way, but cannot find the original copy of the talk. The guys are relaxing before dinner.

After out great evening, we had to go back to our hotel for some much needed sleep.  Once again, it was a good day.

Monday, Sep 23rd-Swaziland Baobab Batik FHE with Lombardis with La Bomba Boys

Today, the Lombardi's took us to a place called, Baobab Batik - Swaziland, where they transform natural fabrics into African inspired designs with a contemporary twist. Baobab Batik started in 1991 employing 10 Swazi women. The business has since grown and now employs 30 women who utilize their skills to produce beautiful art pieces with a technique named batik. This technique uses melted wax and dye in order to create patterns on fabric. The result of this process creates a one- of- a- kind piece of art. The designs are beautiful. I wanted a tablecloth like the one Sister Lombardi purchased for them with animals on it. They did not have any, because they are working on a big order for the United States...HOME GOODS. I cracked up...We are much closer than I thought.


I kept trying to find something I could use in our current home, but all things I liked, they did not have any on hand to sell. All were orders for other companies, so I finally settled on pillow covers like the ones Sister Lombardi has in her home. They are easy to take home and will remind us of Africa.

The ladies working there were all very nice. Sister Lombardi brought them some DumDum suckers. She said she usually makes them a treat (Is she an amazing woman or what?), but she didn't have time to make one. They now expect her to bring something, so she brought the suckers. They were a big hit. Everyone wanted a sucker and some pretended that they didn't get one to try to get another. The lady this photo has her hand out for a sucker. It was very cute.




I went around looking at their work. It is so precise and you can tell they've been doing it awhile because of the speed at which they can paint the designs. They use brushes to fill in the flowers and other designs with wax. The material when they finish is stiff as a board. You can see the hot wax in the center. They just keep painting it on with brushes, like you see the ladies doing here. The lady painting the red fabric is in the second stage of the project. When she is finished with her part the fabric will be dried and wax removed and another color added. Eventually it will be dyed black. Another design is in the first stage. Notice the sucker in the one lady's mouth. So cute. They didn't miss a beat while we asked questions and tried to talk to them... very serious about their work. Only the suckers made them pause for a moment.

I then went outside to see the processes going on there. One lady does the dying in a large vat of dye, in this case black, and then another lady hangs them on the line to dry.










The other lady was cleaning up. It makes quite a mess, but they have it down to a science. They seemed to enjoy getting their picture taken. When they discovered I was going to take their photo, both tried to straighten up a bit. Sweet.

Apparently, their stuff is selling all over the world. Handmade in the Kingdom of Swaziland printed on each item. They all seem happy to be doing it and their results...beautiful!




We then ran some errands and returned back to the Lombardi's to help them with dinner. Every Monday night, they host the La Bomba boys for family home evening. Other young single adults have also been coming to enjoy a lesson and dinner, plus the great company. We were very excited about meeting these boys (men actually) that we've heard so much about, so I will introduce them to you as well in this blog. The success of each after joining the church is amazing, considering they were all on the brink of evil before the missionaries knocked on their doors.

A bit of background: The group got started when a gang leader who was doing all the wrong things had the missionaries knock on his door and tell him of Jesus Christ. The ripple effect when this young man joined the church by baptizing other gang members and then other lost young men, most without any parents or family at all their whole lives. The previous gang leader who used to sale his wares in a shack on the hill is now meeting with other young men at the same shack to talk about the Gospel. They support each other getting ready for missions and together with the Lombardis have become the family they never had. They are indeed brothers to each other and are as excited when one gets a mission call, just like most families would be. Not all those who came this evening are without family and three women joined the group tonight as well, but most have come a long way in turning their lives around and finding some happiness that avoided them all these years.

Lombardi's say it this way: "One evening, the Elders came over and told us of a wonderful experience they had that day. They had an appointment with Zweli (the previous gang leader), and then they arrived, his place was filled with young men that wanted to hear what the missionaries had to say. From this group, many found the truth and entered baptism within three months of this visit. All of these young men are the first to volunteer for service when needed."

This is Zweli (short for Zwelinsima) whose baptism on September 11, 2011 started it all. He is a smart man with an amazing grasp of the scriptures and an obvious love of Jesus Christ and the church. Zweli is 23 and waiting for his mission call. "I have never thought of going to church, but the missionaries made that to be a simple step for me... They are an important treasure. Coming to Church has taught me a lot of things in a short space of time, things which I've never heard of before...that were for me to change my life into what Heavenly Father wanted me to be. One of the greatest things that Heavenly Father has blessed me with as a result of knowing who he is are the teachings of the Church that guide me in whatsoever condition I face in my life. Today I testify that I know that the missionaries are servants of the Lord and that their teachings are also of the Lord."

This is Bongumusa, who was baptized by Zweli on March 12, 2012. He is 24. "I came looking for work and met this man I now call my brother, Zweli. I told him I did not have a place to stay and he let me stay with him. One afternoon, two guys came to visit him. They were both white and wearing white shirts and ties. I could see that they were not from Swaziland. In the middle of their conversation, my brother introduced me to them. I was surprised to know that my brother was someone who is into the Gospel. From then on, those guys would visit often and they started teaching me about their Church. Now I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God."






This is Mbongiseni whose baptism was on June 24, 2012. He is 24 years old. He has been a friend of Zweli's since they were teenagers. When he visited him one day the missionaries came over. He asked Zweli after they left who they were, Zweli told him they were missionaries from the Church he joined, but they did not get into a discussion at that time. "After three months I started feeling that I have to go to church. I used to visit churches, but this time I chose to visit Zweli's church. I told him on "Saturday that we are going to church tomorrow. On Sunday we went to church. The missionaries were happy to see me at church. They invited us for soccer tomorrow. On Monday we played a soccer game and got to know each other. In our first appointment they taught me and gave me a Book of Mormon. I read and prayed about it and had a feeling that it is true. I know that the church is true. If we struggle to keep the Lord's commandments and pray for his strength, he will help us. This Gospel has changed my life so much. Now I know that our Heavenly Father lives and he loves us. If we come closer to him, he will give us some rest. I am grateful for the Church."

This is Musa who was baptized on July 22, 2012 by Elder Mokoena. He is 25. He also was visiting Zweli when the missionaries came by. He said that the missionaries greeted him in a polite manner and that one was black and one was white. He said that he went back home because his friend was busy with strangers, but the following day he went to visit him again, but did not find him at home, so he went to his 'selling shack." The same missionaries were there too. Wondering what these guys were doing with his friend, he decided to stay and listen. They gave him a pamphlet about the plan of salvation and invited him to come to church, which he did. They kept on visiting him and teaching him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "I know the teachings of the Church are true, that there is a living God. I know that there is a Savior and the redeemer whose name is Jesus Christ, the son of the Living God. I know that Joseph Smith was our prophet and I also know that Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet."

This is Sibusiso, who was baptized on September 23, 2012. He is 19 years old. He first met the missionaries at Zweli's snack shack. The missionaries were there teaching one of his friends and greeted him. He decided to listen to what they had to say. "What interested me the most was the Word of Wisdom. I was struggling to quit smoking, so I heard them talk about blessings of obeying the World of Wisdom and also the plan of salvation, which was more interesting. As the missionaries taught me, I was able to stop smoking. "Since I stepped my feet into the church for the first time, I now find the church one of the most important things in my life's 'to do' list. I have managed to be a good person. Living the Word of Wisdom is the most exciting thing. I'm free from every bad thing. The love from the members of this church is very pure. It is one of the most important things that made me decide to be a member of this church, which is true. Reading scriptures is in my blood. I'm feeling it run in every vein. The Book of Mormon is indeed a testament of Jesus Christ and works good with the Bible. Since I was baptized and given the gift of the Holy Ghost, my life has changed and the light that shines inside me brings joy and happiness to me and everyone around me. Elder and Sister Lombardi, I would like to wish you long life and peace in your life and family for the love you are showing me. You make me feel at home. You are truly heavenly sent. I love you with my whole heart."

This is Senzo, who was baptized on December 9, 2012. He is almost 23 years old. Senzo moved in with Zweli and met the missionaries at the shack. They began to teach him. "After I have a prayer, a small feeling in my heart testified that they were telling the truth. The Word of Wisdom was an enemy at first, because I was in love with some of the things we don't need to take into our bodies. When I managed to keep the Word of Wisdom, I was baptized. The love I get from everyone is wonderful. The teaching I get at church has made me realize that God lives and he loves us. We are His children. Since I have been at church, I've seen many blessings upon my life...even today many marvellous things are happening. The love the Lombardis show me made me feel at home and encourages me to hold onto the Rod of Iron and be exemplary to my friends and family. I know the Book of Mormon is true and it works good with the Bible."

This is Nhlanhla, who was baptised on May 25, 1996. He is 17 years old. The first time the missionaries came to visit me, I used to run away. I finally won because they left Swaziland, but because Heavenly Father loves me, I met Elder Kiwumi and Lorimer. They taught me everything that I was supposed to know, like truth and having faith. They encouraged me to go to church and to read the scriptures. By doing what they said, there is a big difference. Actually, my life has changed. People started loving me and I'm happy. I thank God for sending these Elders to make me see the way, because I was in darkness. I couldn't even control myself before. I thank God for the love he has for me. I almost die without knowing the truth. My testimony is that I know I am a choice spirit. I'm the beginning of my journey through this mortal life. Our Heavenly Father wants my life to be joyful and to lead me back to his presence. The decisions I make now will determine much of what will follow during my life and throughout eternity. Just because the Lord loves me, he has given me commandments and words of perspective and adorable prophets to guide me on my journey. I testify that these principles are true. I will always be true to the Lord and to His Church in all circumstances. I want to be like him and to be righteous, to keep His commandments."

This is Sifiso who was baptized on April 28, 2013. He is 19. He said that he used to see the missionaries in the neighbourhood and thought they came to Swaziland to punish everyone with their false doctrine with a strange book that he never heard of. "But one day the missionaries came in numbers at our training ground with Zweli and Musa and also other brethren who are black. So they challenged us to a game. We played a superb match with them. We played them several times and it was cool. We got to know each other bit by bit. So one day they invite me to play for them and we played and won the match. After that, they invited me to come to PMG on Monday night and it was cool. When they invited me to come again, I did not show up. Musa came to share something about the church and I denied the message, but he came again and was patient with me. I pondered the things he showed unto me and felt a thousand horses racing down my chest. He invited me to church, but I didn't show up. The next week I finalized my decision to go to church. I felt at home because I was well welcomed. I know this Church is true. I pondered and prayed about it and I felt inside my heart joy. I thought if I can hold onto this gospel and the principles, I would feel or obtain eternal happiness, because these principles are true and not a man doctrine. The revelations from God unto us will protect us from evil."

This is Menzi, who was baptized on May 12, 2013. He is 22 years old. He too saw the missionaries first as Zweli's place. That is where he started to know the missionaries, but they didn't know where he lived, so one day he saw them at the place he worked and asked them to share something about the word of God. It only lasted 30 minutes because he was at work, but they began to meet regularly from then on. "They teach me the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the way to heaven to meet our father. They even took me to church at Ezulwini in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where the saints meet and pray. I was welcomed the way I was expecting. I was baptized and even now I am a saint. I thank God for everything he has done for me. My testimony is three scriptures: Helaman 5:12 - testifies to me that if we build our foundation on our Redeemer, who is Christ, we will be strong and the devil will not be able to betray us.
2Timothy 3:16-17 - So, this verse to me it testifies that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 - testifies to me that I need to keep myself away from such people.

Charles was not part of the original La Bomba Boys. He is a relative of the Shongwe's (our PA director's family). Since the Shongwe's were members of the Church, they tried to get him to attend, but he hated church and thought they would try to get him to join if he attended. Then he decided to try just one time to attend and see what happens...only something he would do once. He started attending seminary at the Shongwe's and then the missionaries taught him the Gospel. When they asked him if he wanted to be baptised, he said 'No.'  But it was not long until he was baptized. "I went to the missionaries and asked that I be baptized. That is how the journey started." He then says, "My testimony will just be based upon the Book of Mormon. I love it with all my heart. I have changed to be the person I am because of the way it is...it's unique and spiritual nature. It's one valuable possession I have. I know it's true. I remember the words of one of the Leaders say, 'Those were the days never to be forgotten to sit under the voice of inspiration dictates.'  I had my days where I got to know of its truthfulness as they did. My version is those where the days never to be forgotten to hear from the voice of those who were now speaking from the dust, speaking to me, confirming the truth of what I was reading. I will forever be grateful to my Heavenly Father for helping me to get to know this book."

This is not all, but these are the guys who were there Monday night. The missionaries that were there taught a nice lesson about listening to the Spirit. Sister Lombardi fed them all sloppy joes and coleslaw and chips. The chocolate cake and ice cream were for dessert celebrating a one year anniversary of one of their baptisms. Afterwards, Elder Kyle went outside with the missionaries and a few others and one of the missionaries came in and said, "Sister Kyle, come and see this, Elder Kyle is dancing!"  Sure enough, he had on the hat of this missionary in the photo and he was dancing. Everyone was cracking up. I can't take him anywhere...ha.

Elder Kyle helped Lombardi's take all of them home. Amazing. What a wonderful experience!

Saturday, September 21st meeting with Sipho and off to Swaziland

Wednesday we had to stay in our flat as a repairman came to do some work at the flat. We got a lot done in our office. There was a lot of paperwork to get caught up on.

Thursday we met Sipho Duma, our Hillcrest Stake PA Director for lunch at Oscars in Hillcrest, right across the street from the chapel. Sipho was concerned about the lack of response from people he tries to contact, especially now as he deals with the Elder Bednar visit. We discussed this and many more public affairs things that are coming up. I think he felt better after the meeting. He is such a great person. We've become quite fond of him and will miss him when we go to Johannesburg.

Friday was washing clothes and getting packed for our Swaziland trip on Saturday. We also stopped by the mission office to pick up mail for Swaziland and Richard's Bay. This is the only way of getting mail to these areas, as the post office is not great here and Swaziland is worse.

Saturday we loaded the car and headed for Swaziland. We had to meet with Jerome, our Swaziland National PA Director, the District President and join Murdocks for a dinner meeting Tuesday with opinion leaders to try and solve issues with joining the Council of Churches and Immigration problems. We had hoped to see some big game on our way this time, but once again, nothing. We didn't even see pigs on this trip like we did last time...only cows. I remembered my Sister's birthday and made a mental note to get the silver earrings I saw in Swaziland the last time I was there. We only trust mailing small items to the U.S. If we put it in an envelope, it might get there.

It rained all the way to Swaziland. Going through the border at Swaziland is always interesting. The South Africa side is very new, a nice building, clean and people are friendly. We cross the border and the building is old, dirty and the people are not as nice or efficient. The rest of Swaziland is not this way, just the border for some reason. We always have to pay R50 road tax to take our car into the country, but the roads in Swaziland don't seem to be reaping those rewards. Compared to South Africa, the roads are pretty bad and in need of repair. On this 7-hour trip to Swazi, we pass lots of sugar cane fields and sometimes an old rusted truck full of sugar cane gets in front of you. I took this photo through the front window of the car during the rain, but it's still a pretty good picture. As you can see, it is a two lane highway into Swaziland and pretty much that way until you get into town, which is not for a few hours yet.

The areas we pass through are pretty poor, which makes sense when you know that 80% of the people live below the poverty level. Once again, you wouldn't know it as they seem happy, but we deal with a lot of members of the Church and they really are happier than most.

These are the sugar cane fields in this photo. There is a huge sugar factory. As you drive through these areas you can see the smoke coming from the smoke stack for miles. Sometimes it smells like burnt sugar, but we didn't smell anything this time.


There is mostly dirt on each side of the road, when there are not sugar cane fields. Homes here consist of concrete houses with some round dwellings with thatched roofs. There seem to be a lot of abandoned buildings. I wonder why no one uses them??? They seem better than some of the homes people are living in, as you can see from the photo below.






Some areas are worse than others, but between the border and the city which is several hundred kilometres away, it is mostly poor areas like these. The schools we can see from the road are mostly rundown and lacking anything but a building...no auditoriums, libraries or sports facilities here...no heating or cooling either, perhaps not even lights because windows suffice. The exception is near the Sugar Mill in Big Bend where the area is quite green and the schools seem to be nicer along with the homes.



I can't explain the fondness we have for Swaziland, but we both do. We always look forward to being there and visiting the senior couple, Lombardis while we are there. I think the fact that the countryside reminds us of Phoenix might have something to do with it. We saw lots of cactus along the way and some mountains in the distance that remind us of Arizona.

Summerfields Botanical Garden Hotel

We got in about 4:00 pm. We checked into Summerfield Hotel again. It seems to be the place everyone from the church stays when visiting Swaziland. We got there, unpacked and immediately found out we could not connect to internet. We called the front desk and they said that the room we were in did not have very good reception, so they changed us to the unit next door where they said it was better. I had just hung everything up, so had to clumsily take things over there, but they were right and it did work better in that unit. We connected with the Lombardis and they asked us to go to a Chinese Restaurant close by their house and we would meet up with the Sutherland couple who were also visiting Swaziland regarding Institute and Seminary.

We met them at the restaurant. It was cold and rainy...Nomvula strikes again. I was given that name because I supposedly brought rain to Swaziland. Now, several months later we go there again and the day we leave it is raining and basically rained through Sunday night. The food was good and had a very large lazy susan in the middle, so we ordered a lot of different entrees and then just kept spinning the wheel to try all the different meals. Yummmm.. They didn't have any sweet and sour sauce to dip my eggroll in. That seemed weird, but all was good.

Elder Kyle was tired from all that driving, so we went back to the hotel and went to sleep, with plans to meet the other couples at the Mbabane ward the next day, where we also had a meeting with Jerome and the District President after the block.

Tomorrow will be a busy day...good night.

Tuesday, September 17th Ixopo orphanage visit

We had a meeting today at the Chatsworth Youth Centre with the Director (Clive) of the Centre. We met him his daughter and some people from his office where we picked up a couple of women and followed his vehicle to a town named Ixopo which about two hours inland. When we had the concert at the centre, Clive asked us if the Church could help with the problems they have in this very poor city. We told him that perhaps we could provide water, but we would have to go and see it first, so Tuesday we found ourselves driving out there.

The drive involved winding roads in the mountains and was very scenic. We finally turned off onto a dirt road and drove quite a ways before we arrived. There off the main dirt road was Woza Moya, a community-based NGO located in the Ufafa Valley of rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Using a holistic approach, for dynamic HIV and AIDS community care and support, home-based care and support, child and youth care, water, sanitation and hygiene. They have created a wonderful place in this poor area where the children and women receive first rate care.
The children here are clean and their clothes nice and clean. The building is freshly painted and the outdoor play areas have nice grass with several types of play yards, with swings, etc. Everything is so organized. There are charts on the wall that give the schedule of activities for the day and the inside of the room is freshly painted with murals. Considering this is a very poor area, it was pretty amazing. Woza Moya has put in clean water systems that work through rain water and solar panels that help run everything. It is the best we've seen since we've been here, an NGO that is really doing not only a good job, but a great one. 
The toilets are very state of the art. They are like outdoor toilets, but look like a regular toilet, plus all  is contained, so there is no smell. They work by the liquid waste going through grates and the solid waste basically drying out. Because it is contained, there is no smell. The NGO works entirely on donations and Sue, the head person there has been doing this for 13 years and her husband helps install and maintain all the systems. It's very impressive. They keep this place running the right way and they are also dealing with aids' issues. Most of these children are parent-less due to the death of the parents by aids. Woza  Moya is trying to help the women who get this terrible disease deal with it and feel good about themselves. They are put to work helping out at the center and they make things there to earn money. I bought some embroidered aids squares while I was there to help them with their efforts. They also make pillows, women's bags, CDs, etc. They were having a meeting using cloth dolls that have a computer chip and talk about things like aids and try to teach the women self -esteem, not to be prejudice, cleanliness, etc.

I was beginning to wonder what we were doing there when Sue told us about the other creche where orphaned children go that is not too far away. She said there are several in Ixopo. They are doing one at a time. We got in the cars and drove over there with a young man as our guide. This place was not clean, the children were not clean and there was no place to play inside or out. There was no kitchen, no running water and very few toys. The children were very glad to see us and I felt terrible for not bringing them something, like apples to eat.


The women there didn't speak much English, but they warmed up to us as we played with the children and tried to get them to communicate with us. The inside of the building was unbelievable! There was mold all over the place, the roof leaked and every room was in dire need of paint and repair. There was one dirty rug  that covered 1/4 of the room with just a few toys on it. It was such a drastic change from the other place. I couldn't see how they could teach the children anything in this place.



The 'kitchen' consisted of a couple of children's plastic tables, a two-burner unit that could not possibly have been working even if the electricity worked, which I'm sure it didn't, but might if there was money to pay for it.










A table in the corner of the room held their plates and a bucket of water that didn't look all too clean. There was no water without lugging buckets from the community waterspout several meters away.

Some of the children were barefoot with snotty noses, but they were smiling and wanted to play with us. Elder Kyle taught them how to high five and they all wanted to 'high five' with us. They put up their dirty little hands and smiled broadly every time our hands touched.


They were also fascinated with my camera. I had to show them every photo I took and they giggled like it was the funniest thing they ever saw. I would say the camera was definitely a big hit. One little girl in pink kept calling me 'Miss'. It was so cute. They couldn't speak any English, only a few words, but they proved that words are not necessary when you can communicate by actions and expressions. One little girl, when she saw I was taking her picture, pulled up her shirt and exposed her fat tummy. She was pretty funny. I used to see chubby little kids and think they had plenty to eat, but I learned through this visit that their main staple is something they call 'pap' which is basically made with maize and water. There is little or no nutritional value, but it fills their bellies so they do not feel hungry, but their little bodies become bloated, especially their bellies.

The amazing ladies that run this orphanage

There were three women there watching the children. They are all volunteers and make do with whatever they have on hand which isn't much. One lady was wearing a hat, another had a baby on her back. Those women probably don't get much to eat either, but they give of their time during the day to watch these children and do activities with them.

Once the children realized that they could get their photos taken they all got into the act. They made faces, put their hands in the air and tried poses like these cute ones in this photo.


I took one little boy's photo and he motioned for me to take another with his hand under his chin. It was so funny. Then the little girl in pink wanted to do it to. It was hilarious. They are just children. They may not have parents and good food to eat, but they don't know their plight. They just want to laugh and have fun like all children.


We checked out a room that they hope to be able to use to store whatever items that are donated, such as food and toys, etc. so they can padlock it at night. I imagine things will be taken if easily accessible when others have nothing. A new roof obviously is the first thing they need, to get rid of all the mold and leaking. Then some paint and flooring would be good and a proper kitchen. The water issue also needs to be dealt with and this may be where humanitarian comes in.



The other care center had a unique method of rigging up a way for the children to wash their hands. They fill plastic containers with water and then rig the to a post, tie a string to a piece of wood and to the bottle and the children use their feet to tip the bottle and wash their hands. Very creative and cheap way to do it. I don't see why they could not do that here. They have a community water source for people to get water and take to their homes. Our heads were spinning with ideas for this place.









I had to take a photo of my friend that showed her tummy.








As we left the center, most of the children gathered around for a photo. We are humbled by this experience, especially knowing there are many more like this. We have seen a few, but this one so far is the worst. As we left they waved good bye and seemed very happy that we came.

I high-fived until my hand was numb and my camera had dirty fingerprints all over it, but I can't remember when we've had more fun. Children are the same regardless of skin color or how much they do or do not possess.

We left and headed back to the other center to pickup Sue and her husband, as they were taking us to lunch. We couldn't imagine where they would take us, as there was not a restaurant anywhere in this community of modest homes on the hillsides. And we had to drive a great distance from any town to get there, so we weren't sure what was in store. We got to the center and they got into their truck and said follow us, so we took off down the dirt roads trying to see through the dust of the vehicles in front of us.


Finally, we turned right where a sign said Buddhist retreat. 'This is interesting,' I thought. All of a sudden we went from a rather poor view of  the people of Ixopo into a calm green, but modest place where people of the Buddhist faith go to get away from it all, meditate and rejuvenate their bodies and their spirits. We got our of the vehicles and were led to a building where we were to eat lunch. It was already prepared, buffet style in a small room with just a few people.

Anyone can come and purchase lunch there and we did see thee white women who had come by just for lunch, but after that is was mostly our group. Lunch was vegetarian and though we didn't recognize what we were eating it was quite good. After lunch, Sue asked if she could take us on a tour of the retreat and she showed us the rooms where people stay, with the women on one side and the men on the other. She said there were nice buildings for married couples, but most of the time, even though married, they chose to use the single, separate rooms. In the lodging down each hall containing the small rooms made up of a single bed, closet and small table and chair, there is a separate community bathroom, one for the men and one for the women. She said that when you entered the lodging there was a strict code of silence there...no talking. She took us to a large room where people can talk as they gather around the fireplace, and beyond that up the stairs is a reading room with many books to choose from. That room is also used as a meditation room. We then went to an even larger room where you can meditate and I assume do yoga or other like activities. There was a woman in there with a guitar, that we heard was a somewhat famous performer, but we didn't recognize her and felt a little embarrassed that we interrupted her.

 We then walked around the property. Sue explained that they do not worship Buddha or the statue, but it is supposed to help them feel serene. We also didn't realize that this retreat is ranked one of the world's  ten best  meditation retreats. It is described as: "Just a 90-minute drive from Durban, the Buddhist Retreat Centre's remote location in Ixopo feels fully rural. Former President Nelson Mandela awarded the center National Heritage status for its environmentally friendly approach to using indigenous plants and helping to save the endangered Blue Swallow. Accordingly, walking and bird-watching on the extensive property are encouraged. In addition to scheduled meditation retreats, people in search of solitude are also welcome to come and get away from the modern world on their own. Located in a traditional Zulu tribal area, the community here does outreach work with the local population through Woza Moya (The organization funding the center run by Sue and her husband).


After our nice visit, we went back to the Woza Moya center and were shown all the things they are doing there to earn money. We saw the women sewing little bags for sale that have the embroidery design that was done by an aids victim. They also sold the squares with the design on it by itself and they made pillows incorporating the design. The women doing the sewing were in the garage and graciously talked to us and showed us what they were doing. We purchased a few things to support them in this effort and they gave us a couple of CDs. When we got home we listened to the CD and it has African songs and poetry all done very professionally by the people who work at the center, some of who have aids themselves. It is very moving, especially the poetry. We have seen a lot today, some great and some heart-breaking, but we are here to help and these are things we need to see. As we are made aware of these off the main path areas and their problems, we can bring this to the attention of the Church Humanitarian Services through the couple assigned to that mission. We will then recommend to them that the creche be made usable for the children who go there. One step at a time, Africa is slowly becoming what it was meant to be. How lucky are we to be a part of it.