I'm updating my blog today because some girls on the team and I came to Manzini for our 'day to pick what ministry we want to do.' There is a place called Hope House here in Manzini, that is basically like hospice in the States. Half of my team goes there on Mondays & Fridays, when I go to Khanyisile Primary School. So Kaci & I wanted to come meet the people they have built relationships with at Hope House. Then we decided to spend the rest of the day here in Manzini. We woke up this morning at 6:00 to walk to school with some of our friends, then we took Public (transport) to town. Taking public is SO much fun, because instead of being in our sick khumbis we get to ride to town with Swazis and just talk with them. It's such a fun cultural experience, and I got to do it on Saturday too! So I don't have to write about the past few days when we come on Saturday, I will write about the first half of the week now :)
On Sunday we went to church, like always. Going to church here is one of my favorite things, I will miss it so much when I come home. There is nothing like Swazi church. Afterwards, we came home and we had some friends over. Katie, Debbie, Tori & I have made lots of friends here so we get to spend time with them everyday at the football field. We invited 4 of the boys over for lunch on Sunday after church and we made pizza for them. Phinda & Ayanda were at church with us, so they walked home and then with Katie and I to go to Vuma's homestead to get him. When we got to Vuma's we could hear that he was still in church which is in a room on his homestead so we just waited outside. I learned that his family goes to a Zionist church. I had never heard much about Zionists until coming to Swaziland but I have met quite a few kids who say they are Zionist. Nathan, Adam, Dad do you know anything about what Zionists believe? That's something I want to research when I come home. So anyways, Vuma eventually came out and we walked back home and made pizza and bought them soda. It was so much fun. My favorite Sunday for sure; most Sundays are pretty stressful and busy, just like they are at home but it was nice to come home from church and just hang out with the boys and get to know them better and outside of just the football field. They love to laugh and make us laugh all the time. They let us paint their toenails! Swazi boys like to do one stripe of toenail polish on their toes, and we noticed this one day at the football field so we decided to ask them if we could paint their toes and they said yes! I of course was so excited since my brothers would never in a million years let me paint their toenails :) When we asked Ayanda how he felt about his toes being painted he said "I feel so happy and proud." Ha, he is so cute. Ayanda is 13, Phinda 12, Vuma 15 and Mbonisi 15. We love love love these boys. I especially do because they remind me of my Joe Boy. Especially Mbonisi, it makes me miss my little brother a lot. They love to sing so Ayanda said "we will sing a chorus for you" then I asked them to do a Swazi dance for us, so we got our our video cameras and they sang and danced for us! I can't wait to show that video to y'all, it's so great. We went walking around Timbutini after lunch and bought them more soda at the general store. Bandile, the 10 year old boy I bought shoes for on Saturday in town met us at the store. He walked home with us and wanted to get his shoes from me, he was so excited. When we got to our homestead I got the shoes and he tried them on, his foot wouldn't even fit inside. I got the size he told me to get, but I think it may have been a long time since he got a pair of shoes so he gave me his old size. He looked so sad when he had to go home without shoes, but today I'm exchanging them and will hopefully see him this afternoon. Other than that small disappointment, it was such a perfect day
Monday was great at the school in Manzini. A few kids were absent in our Grade 2 class, and one of my favorite kids Bandile was one of them. I thought maybe he was sick, but I learned from the teacher that his mom had died this weekend from complications in here pregnancy. Please pray for Bandile and his family. That was heartbreaking for me to hear, not that I would want it to be any other child's mom, but Bandile was one of the boys I have spent time with at the school so that was hard for me.
It has been fun to see the same kids every week because certain ones get so excited to see me and will run up and say 'Good morning teacher Jessica' and give me a big hug. The kids are so sweet, it's going to be hard to tell them bye in a few short weeks.
Tuesday was first of all, incredibly hot! We keep thinking we are going to have cool weather but a few days later there will be no clouds in the sky, and the African sun seems to be much hotter than at home. We went to Timbutini and all the kids were already there at noon. I asked them why they got out early and no one knew so we just played for a few hours then taught a lesson. I know I have said this many times but it's so funny to me how all the younger boys and I seem to get along so well. They all yell 'Nothando!' when they see me, I feel like I have 20 little brothers. Bandile (the one I bought shoes for, not the one whose Mom died) I have noticed spends more and more time next to me. When I first met him about a month ago he would always run away when he saw me. But yesterday especially I noticed how wherever I went he would be right next to me. I pretty much love it. There was one little boy who didn't have shoes on and had accidently kicked a stone with his big toe and was bleeding pretty badly so Bandile followed me as I carried him to set him in the shade, then Bandile came with me to the General Store to buy a bandaid for him. It takes Swazis a while to trust you, but once they do, they don't leave your side. I'm so thankful to have been here for long enough to experience the part where they want to be with you all the time and do whatever you do.
We started to walk home after we taught the boys and girls their lesson and a crazy storm came out of no where. The lightening was striking way too close for my comfort so I walked home very quickly, while taking a video of myself! When we got home it started to POUR. I love African storms, they are so intense, the thunder sounds like it is in your hut and the rain just comes down in torrents. When it finally let up we walked to meet our friends at the football field, and eventually to Vuma's house on the other side of the mountain. Mbonisi walked us home because he lives by us. We decided to walk him home because dinner wasn't ready so we got to see his homestead. His dad, Elliot, is the man who picked us up from the airport in Jo'burg, I have a picture of him on my first blog once in Swaziland (he is walking across the road holding bottles). So we know his family but had never been to the homestead. His Make, Busi, does our teams laundry every week and she is so sweet. His little brother Sito is the cutest kid I have ever met. He always has a smile on his face, Mbonisi said he even smiles when he sleeps. So we got to see his homestead and then Elliot wanted us to meet the rest of his family since they all live on the same big piece of property. I was the first to hug Mbonisi's aunt, who grabbed me and kissed/smacked her mouth against both sides of my neck and then started tickeling me! So, I am incredibly ticklish on my neck/collarbone area and so it took all I had not to freak out when she did that. Mom, I wish you could have experienced it! Oh gosh, I'm laughing now just thinking about it. But Mbonisi's family was so beautiful. It makes me sad that we haven't started going there sooner. They were so welcoming to us 4 and were just so excited to meet us. His crazy aunt asked which one was his wife and he pointed to me. So I think that makes me about 4 different guys' wife. It was getting dark at this point and we aren't supposed to be out when it's dark, which frustrates me and my independent personality. Mbonisi is such a sweet guy and told us he wanted to walk us home. He reminds me so much of Daniel. He is such a gentleman, always walking us home and making sure we are okay. His personality is so much like Daniel's, maybe not as sarcastic, but he is like the Swazi version of Daniel. That's why Daniel is coming back with me at the end of the summer! He is just so protective of the 4 of us and has such a sweet spirit. His dad has raised him so well because he is the same way. I wish I could bring him back with me!
It was not raining at this point but a few hours later it was. Our electricity went out last night and was still off when we woke up this morning. I loved laying in bed listening to the storm outside, one of my favorite things to do at home. But the homes are so different here, it sounds like you are outside in the middle of the storm. I was a big fan of the storm until about 11:45 pm. I woke up to water pouring on me from the roof. Our hut has a grass roof, so this is a problem when there is a torrential downpour. So I decided I could either get in bed with someone else which required me getting out of bed, or just moving. So I pulled my sheet and sleeping bag off the bed and curled up on the end of my bed, because the water was pouring right in the middle and creating a nice sized puddle at this point. It wasn't a slow drip, it was like someone had a water pitcher and just poured it on my bed. Not exactly an ideal to wake up in the middle of the night! But what an experience. Only in Africa :)
This week has been so much fun already. I have been hoping the last few weeks would go by really slow and this week has been so I'm grateful for that. Only 3 1/2 weeks until I'm home which means we only have 2 1/2 weeks of ministry because our last week is our debrief in South Africa I think.
No pictures today because I don't have my cord so I will be putting them up on Saturday.
Ngiyakutsandza umdeni.
