Swazi my Home

Our soccer boys warming up :)

Tickling Sibusiso

Pinda and Ayanda 

Pinda is the short one & I bought shoes for him today!

Tori, Debbie & I with our husbands

Mine is in red!

Love Africa

Singing with Bheki

Eating Sugar Cane with Gogo

(never had it before so good!)

My 2 favorite men in Swazi

Bheki & Musa 

Soccer shoes before they practice

They bring a big bag and dump it out; whoever gets there

first gets the first pick of shoes

Ayanda my friend

Thulane

Go bobhuti go!

View from the Soccer field

On our walk by the field

This is why they are so "fit"

Mr. Mamba carrying the parachute for me

Tnamiso :)

Pinda, the boy I bought school shoes for today!

Nahti & Thulane

The boys

This was hilarious

Best friends :)

Week 6 in Swaziland.  I am in love with this country.  Each day I fall in love with it more than before.  The people just make you want to stay here forever.  I am already getting sad about the fact that I have less than 2 months left here.  It's been a weird switch emotionally for me.  Not that I don't want to come home, I do and I miss family and friends and the comforts of home.  But when I am here, I am completely care free.  I get to hangout with my Swazi friends all the time, talk about Jesus with them, eat meals together and go on walks.  That's pretty much what each day consists of for me.  I have really bonded with 3 girls on my team and we have so much fun together.  Since I know I can talk to them when I get back to America I am trying to soak up every second with my Swazi friends.  Zanele and I have become incredibly close, she is truly like a best friend and I get really sad when I think about saying bye to her.  Down the road from our homestead is the soccer field that Tori, Katie & I go to every day and watch our friends play soccer from 4-6.  They always expect us and watch for us down the path and get huge smiles when they see us coming.  The other day we brought some music for them to listen to while they practiced and they loved it.  It makes me laugh when I realize that most of my Swazi friends are boys.  That comes as no surprise to me, having grown up with my 3 brothers and their friends.  A few of their names:  Nahti (18), Thulane (19?), Owen (12), Seth (13), Selbi (?), Wandile, Ayanda (14), Pinda (13), Tnamiso (11ish), Sibusiso (5).  These boys are what I look forward to every day.  All of them but the last 2 boys play soccer every day.  I actually met Ayanda and Pinda at the Fun Day Saturday we had a few weeks ago at Timbutini.  So I have known them a little bit longer but Pinda plays soccer at the field so I was excited the first time I watched and saw that he was on the team.  Musa and Bheki are two guys I have talked about in other blogs.  They are on the D-team and we spend a lot of time with them.  We go to some schools on Thursday & Friday morning and they are the ones we go with and then this week when I cooked on Monday, I invited them over for dinner so we got to hangout with them outside of ministry so that was fun.  We probably see them 4-5 days a week and I have really enjoyed getting to know them.  I could write forever about my friends but I will save that for my journal :)  Now I'll let you know about this week!

Sunday - church is always something I look forward to every week.  It's such an awesome start to the week, being able to worship with the people here and getting to hear their perspectives on life.  I went with 3 other people on my team to go teach Sunday school at 10:00.  I was in the younger kids class and we taught them the story of Joseph because that's a lesson I had prepared for the school I go to on Mondays.  So it was a lot of fun getting to teach the kids in Sunday school.  Then church was after and lasts about 2 1/2 hours which I am so glad it does because the singing is amazing.  I haven't recorded a church service yet but I will before I leave because there is nothing like Swazi church.  On Sunday nights we usually do worship together as a team after dinner.  I invited Bheki to come because he told me he wanted to come the next time we did it.  He and I were talking about playing the piano and I told him I played so he brought his keyboard to our homestead and wanted to play with me.  He carried it on his back all the way from his homestead, so crazy.  He showed up at the gate with a huge smile on his face and the keyboard on his back.  We went inside and he started playing and wanted me to sing so I did and we had so much fun.  I will post some pictures from that.  So anyways we started team worship pretty soon after that.  In the middle of worship a police car pulls into the homestead following Lelo's car and we were kind of wondering what was going on but had a good idea of why the police was there.  Two girls on the team have had money stolen from our hut while we were not there.  One girl had $240 USD stolen and another had 170 Emanlengeni stolen from her.  We had come back to the hut on Sunday from church and her sheets were pulled off her bed and everything was on the floor.  We have our hut door locked so weren't sure how the thief was getting the money then I walked outside and realized that my arm could reach the stuff on the bed.  So anyways long story short, the guy who had stolen all the money was Maxwell.  Lelo's cousin who comes to the homestead all the time and is drunk 24 hours a day.  It's pretty sad because we had somewhat befriended him, as much as you can befriend a drunk.  So he was arrested that night.  They couldn't find him so they were looking at our homestead for him but he wasn't here but they found him later.  So all of this happened in the middle of worship so we decided to go inside and asked Bheki if he would lead us in singing with his keyboard and he looked so happy.  It was so great to be able to bless him and give him the chance to worship with us. 

Monday - Khanyisile Primary School day.  We taught Part 2 of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors this week.  We didn't finish the story so the kids were all upset because they want to know what happens at the end.  In mine & Kaci's Grade 3 class we did picture frames for crafts.  The kids were ecstatic and it was pretty chaotic.  We never realize how crazy it's going to be, but it seems like Grade 3 is the most difficult class.  We had a lot of fun with them though and they were all excited about the sticky foam designs they were able to put on the frames.  So the school was fun as always.  We got finished a lot earlier than normal so spent a good amount of time at the pool after.  I got sunburned.  This African sun is so much hotter than Texas sun, you can get sunburned after being outside for 15 minutes.  Tori & I cooked hamburgers for dinner and Bheki (pronounced Beggy) and Musa came over for dinner.  Monday nights are fun because it's a free night for us and we just got to play games with them.  Then we all got in a circle and they had a dance off with a few guys on our team.  Swazis definitely dance better! 

Tuesday - Calie, Stephanie & I were planning on doing a Bible study with our translators last Tuesday but they didn't show up so this week was our first meeting.  They were a little late but that's Swazi time for you.  We talked about Mary & Martha and how Jesus told Mary that, "Martha has chosen the good portion."  How we so easily get distracted by being busy for the Lord that we forget to sit with Him and listen to Him instead of always serving serving serving.  Mom, I definitely have your servant's heart and that's something I have realized here in Swaziland that it's good to serve but I can't forget to spend time with Jesus.  So the Bible Study went really well and they are looking forward to next week.  I have been going to the hospital every Tuesday but now I am going to Timbutini care point.  I requested that I be switched with another girl that had been wanting to go to the hospital.  I already go to Timbutini on Thursdays so I like being able to see the kids on twice during the week.  We just play with the kids on Tuesdays because Christine, the American we work with at the school on Monday's comes and teaches a lesson to the girls while we are there so we don't have to prepare anything.  Which is really nice because we have so many lessons it seems like we plan during the week.  Also, my friend Ayanda came and I haven't seen him in about 2 weeks so we talked for a really long time and I told him to meet me at the soccer field where I go watch all the boys play.  Sibusiso (5) fell asleep in my arms which was really funny because he is always so full of energy but he wanted me to hold him.  So after I had been holding him for about 2 hours he finally fell asleep and it was SO precious.  I want to bring him home with me.  I always tell him "ngiyakhutsandza" which means "i love you" and he says "love you Nothando."  He is my little boy :)  After the care point we come home and so I asked Ayanda and Pinda to walk with me.  Tori let them listen to her iPod and they were so cute singing the songs.  American R&B artists are incredibly popular here so they were singing all the words to the songs.  I showed them pictures of my family and they just stared at them for a long time.  I told Ayanda that I would make him a bracelet and bring it to the soccer field.  We met them at the soccer field at 4:30 and he was waiting for me to get there and was so excited when I gave him his bracelet.  He said "I will wear this for all of my life."  I can't say enough, how much I look forward to going to the soccer field and meeting my friends.  At first they are a little shy but it doesn't take long for them to be your best friend.  One of the boys I was sitting next to proposed to me.  It's so funny because it's like no big deal to just straight up ask a girl to marry you if you like her here.  On Monday I was proposed to as well.  A nice self-esteem booster!  Katie and I wanted to walk up this path on the side of the mountain by the soccer field so we started to walk off and Selbi yelled after us to stop because "there are lions".  So I told him to walk with us, then he said he was kidding so I told him he just told us there were lions because he wanted to walk with us.  Which was true!  So Tuesday, another perfect day in Swazi.

Wednesday - Our day to do whatever kind of ministry we want.  I go on home visits every week and really enjoy it.  This week we went to a Gogo's house we have been trying to see for a few weeks but she is never home.  Today she was finally home but when we got there she was in the field so her great grandson went to get her for us.  She is 90+ years old and still works in the field!  Swazi women are so strong it amazes me.  We talked to her for a long time and brought her a loaf of bread and a liter of Coke.  She was so thankful because she had just run out of food this morning and didn't know what she was going to eat.  She told us that the Lord always takes care of her.  She has 11 kids (6 have died), 27 grandkids, and I don't know how many great grandkids or great great grandkids.  She still walks to church every Sunday.  What a powerful woman of God she is, I was blessed just to sit and listen to her talk.  We were going to fetch water for her so we walked down the road with the containers but the person in charge of the padlock for the water pump didn't have the new key so we couldn't get any water for her.  Then we went and visited Musa's Gogo again.  She is still in the same physical condition with not being able to use her legs from her stroke and has slurred speech but every time we ask her how she is feeling she says "The physical doesn't matter, my spirit is well!"  What a testimony of joy she is to me.  Last week I mentioned that Zanele told her I was Musa's girlfriend and this week she remembered me and said I must marry Musa and so should Zanele.  Then Zanele and I can live on the same homestead together and cook for her!  She is a pretty funny lady and she was just eyeing me the whole time, I guess sizing me up!  I read Psalm 73 to her.  I especially wanted to read the verse in the chapter that says "my flesh and my heart may fail, but God remains the strength of my heart and my portion forever....the nearness of God is my good, I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of all your works."  Then we sang "How Great is Our God" with her and prayed for healing of her body.  When we left, her caretaker climbed the tree with Zanele and picked Guavas for us.  I'm pretty sure they aren't the same as Guavas in the States but they tasted pretty good.  I'm always nervous to eat things right after you pick them here because I don't know how clean it is but we always ask for grace on our bodies and haven't been sick yet, so praise God.  Wednesdays are a lot of fun for me because our leaders aren't around and we just get to do whatever ministry we want and I love seeing our translators so we get to spend the day with them.  We invited them over for dinner and it was a lot of fun to just hangout with them. 

Thursday - I go to Timbutini from noon-3:30 with just three other girls on the team. It can be a little overwhelming some days because there are so many kids and just 4 of us but this week wasn't bad because a lot of the Primary School kids were at their track meet in Manzini. I met some new boys and talked to them for a long time. Boys here like to talk a whole lot more than girls, at least they talk to me a lot. They are so entertaining. I feel like I'm gaining new little brothers every day and it makes me sad to think about leaving all of them, but I won't talk about that now! We brought one of those big parachutes that kids love to play with. I was carrying it from our homestead to the church and we came up on a group of boys so I had one of them carry it on their head for me (note one of the pictures).  His name is Mr. Mamba, I couldn't remember his first name because it was really long so he told me to call him Mr. Mamba. The kids went crazy when we got out the parachute. They were screaming and running underneath it, I wish I had my video camera because it was awesome. I love Thursdays at Timbutini because normally our leaders don't come with us so it's just me and the kids, which is my favorite thing.

Friday - we went to the Primary School in the morning.  There was a lack of communication with Musa not letting us know his van was broken down so we got to the school later than we wanted to but it all turned out fine. Of course, I always love going to the primary school so this week was great just like the others :) This afternoon we went to Khanyisile Primary School to teach Grade 6 & 7.  Kaci and I have the Grade 6 girls and this week we taught on abstinence and the girls received it really well. They were very interested in what Kaci had to say and they asked some really good questions. At the end of the lesson they wanted to act out a boyfriend/girlfriend scenario and it was absolutely hilarious. They acted out a first date and eventually proposing and they loved it! Kaci and I were incredibly entertained by them.  After the primary school we go to Dabas care point. This week the girls wanted to talk about 'puberty.' A surprising topic for us to talk about but girls here are very interested in learning about things and are not shy when asking questions so we really like spending time with them every Friday. 

After we get home from ministry every day a few of us girls go on a walk to meet our friends at the soccer field.  We have been going for 3 weeks now and look forward to it every day. The other day I met a guy, who proposed to me and still gets excited everytime he sees me.  He says "my wife! It's so good to see you!"  Don't worry mom :) He is pretty cute though, I'll post a picture. Swazi men are something else, I can't even describe them to you, so if you want to know, come to Swaziland! So all that to say I am SO enjoying the friendships I have made here and am not ready to leave them. Luckily I have just as much time left here as I have already been here. Does that make sense? In other words, I've been here 6 weeks and still have 6 weeks left! The first few weeks were all about building relationships and now I just get to enjoy them which is the best part.

Swaziland has a huge piece of my heart. I know I will come back here many more times and am already planning in my head when the next time will be and I want to bring some of YOU with ME!