Elder Blackburn gets a haircut

Elder Blackburn getting a haircut, notice the car battery under the table top. All in all not a bad price or job.  We learned later that he should never go to one of the black shops because of the AIDS pandemic.  If he should get a nick that would put him at risk.  So he will not go back to these kinds of barbers.

Just a new note about our trip to Nhlongono on Sunday, we passed a dead cow on the road; when we came back the cow was gone and there are no tallow trucks in Swaziland; so we were told the community must have had a feast Sunday night.
We gave our lesson on Marriage and Family Relations tonight; the men were surprised with what I had to say, however they accepted everything; they felt we had a lot to offer them since we have been married so many years and have had much experience with marriage; Helped the men understand that they are equal with their wives in the Church and Family. the Branch President, President Siko asked us to teach lessons that would get rid of ancient traditions, so we asked permission from the class and promised them a Celestial family if they would accept our teachings. They would receive information that would bring the gospel of Jesus Christ more fully into their lives. So it looks like it will be an ongoing class for us.
We took a video of all the missionaries telling President Mann and Sister Mann how much they have learned from them, the videos of all the missionaries will be compiled into a DVD and given to the Manns as a going away gift. Sister Blackburn has learned more on dowloading pictures with this project. Talked a little bit with Barbara tonight, always brightens our day to communicate with our family.

The Cox's were following us to Nhlangano on Sunday, June 20th and Elder Blackburn just had to stop and take a picture of his favorite bridge again.

18 June 2010
Time to go back to Swaziland, picked up a desk and mirror to deliver to Elder and Sister Allen, delivered it on the way, enjoyed a good visit with them. Then decided to stop in Richards Bay for a walk around and to buy a "warming" blanket for our bed. spent about 2 hours. that made us about 3 hours behind schedule, then had to stop for about 45 minutes because of an accident, big rig had rolled and the road was blocked. We missed our turn to the Swazi border and went about 20 minutes out of our way before we found a gas station with a map. So, we turned around and went back to the correct border crossing. As Elder Blackburn was filling out our forms, Sister Blackburn heard someone say "I know you" and there were our 6 Elders who had to go to Durban for transfers. They were greeted with open arms and hugs. We were so glad to see someone we know at that time. We all got through the border without being searched, we were happy about that because of the food and electric items we had in the truck, so we caravaned home.

19 June 2010
We were so tired we just stayed home and cleaned house. Elder and Sister Cox called, they are with CES, we went to chinese restaurant with them. We had enough for 2 days of leftovers. We even had to pay for our own dinner this time.

20 June 2010
Drove to Nhlangano for church, the saints were very happy to see us, the Cox's went with us then drove to Richards Bay for meetings. Elder Blackburn had meetings with the Branch President and his leaders, they made a goal to go to the Temple at Johannesburg in August. Took Matse home and visited with his uncle and his mother, he insisted on picking us avocados to bring home. We are waiting for them to ripen (if they ever will, they are pretty hard). We got home about 6:30 pm. Very hungry and tired. we took a protein bar for lunch, Matse and his brother had not eaten so we gave them to the boys.

21 June 2010
District meeting in Manzini cancelled so we slept late; Mission Home called and wanted us to find a Swaziland flag for the Manns; We found one at the Casino and let Elder Davis know we had it for Sister Mann. 8 Elders came over to watch the Bee movie, we fed them sandwiches and juice. Elder Blackburn says "Elders sure can eat a lot" he forgets how much teenage boys can eat.

Crystal Stream Manor

15 June 2010
Went to dinner with the Harms, Callisters, Dlaminis, and George Dlamini's assistant in Public Relations, we can't remember his or his wife's name, they were very shy and quiet. Discussed the wheel chair program for Swaziland, the Church Humanitrian department is donating 150 wheel chairs to the needy of Swaziland. PR and Missionaries will be involved in this.

16 June 2010
Packed our bags and headed for Richards Bay where we stayed with Elder and Sister Pier for the night, she had been in the hospital for 6 days from complications of hernia surgery. They were very hospitable to us, went to dinner for sandwiches with them. Earlier in the day we stopped at Woolsworths (it is still in business in Africa) we bought some food we can't get in Swaziland.

17 June 2010
Drove to Makro (South Africa's version of Costco) bought some more food and Vuvuzelas. we will send the vuvuzelas home, Elder Blackburn says it is the most annoying sound ever made. The College age grandchildren will enjoy football games. Elder Blackburn had a Mission Presidency Meeting from 3:30 to 5:30 then all senior couples and Mission President with wife went to the revolving restaurant for dinner. Elder Davis, the mission home car czar drove the mission home van and when we came out of the restaurant someone had smashed the right door window. The van was empty so nothing was stolen. Good laughter, Elder Davis had to fill out an accident report on himself (not the young missionaries). Evening of laughter and shared experiences. We stayed at Crystal Springs Manor B&B. Was very comfortable.

Mbabane Chapel

Nhlangano Chapel

GeGe, tent in Brother and Sister Malinga's yard.
School in Ezulwini where the Saints meet.

These are some of the roads we travel, good thing we have a bakki (truck). We will find out what they will be like in the rainy season.  The pictures are just before this post.

On the way to GeGE

DURBAN'S REVOLVING RESTAURANT

After the presidency meeting all the couples got together for dinner at the only Revolving restaurant in Africa.  We had met Elder and Sister Allen earlier at Makro, South Africa's answer to Costco.  We were looking for Vuvuzelas to send home to our grandchildren for Christmas.  We were able to find enough thanks to the missionaries who were willing to give theirs up.

3 June 2010
Elder Davis from Mission Home in Durban called us and all misison vehicles in Swaziland have to be taken to the border and back into South Africa every 7 days. The trucks are licensed in South Africa, the Church would have to pay 14% tax on value of the vehicles if they were licensed in Swaziland, so we have to go to the border every 7 days and pay a road tax of $50 rand.

4 June 2010
President Mann was supposed to come to Swaziland today and had to change his plans; he had some emergencies with a couple of missionaries in Durban; free 2 days.

6 June 2010
Went to Mbabane for Church, President Mann arrived at 1:00pm for interviews with the Mbabane District Elders; at 4:00pm went to Manzini for District business. Arrived back in Ezulwini at about 7:00pm, had dinner and then went to bed.

7 June 2010
Went to Manzini for interviews with Manzini District at 8:00am. President Mann left at about 2:00pm for Richards Bay to do interviews there. He will stay with Elder and Sister Pier. Elder Blackburn met with representative of a cleanup company so they could prepare a bid for Brother Holder.

9 June 2010
Went to Mbabane to pay telephone bill and go to northern border to pay road tax; drove into South Africa and did not find a town for miles and miles finally turned around and came back into Swaziland and paid road tax. Took all day.

11 June 2010
Elder and Sister Harms from Public Relations for Church arrived about 1:30 today; They are assigned all of South Eastern Africa and live in Cape Town. FIFA starts today, we had satellite installed for 3 months today so the Elders could have a safe place to watch the games. They have permission from President Mann to watch the games if they have a safe place. Swaziland is a lot calmer than South Africa, but we wanted to make sure they were safe. Went to dinner with Elder and Sister Harms and George Dlamini and his wife, George is the Swaziland National Public Relations Director for the Church. Came back home and had Chocolate Cake and Ice Cream.

12 June 2010
Took Elder and Sister Harms to the Swazi Candle market and Manzini Market then went to the Church at 2:00 for Public Relations Training with all Branch Presidents and District Auxiliaries.
Then dinner at Portugese Restaurant in Ezulwini then back home for ice cream. A young woman came to our door and asked Elder Blackburn to pray for her, she was sick and had no job, he offered her a blessing and she accepted, Elder Blackburn explained to her what a blessing was. Elder Harms and Elder Blackburn gave her a blessing. She was teary eyed when she left.

13 June 2010
Went to Nhlongano for Church, had to pick up the Nhl Elders in Manzini, their truck was not running good and was in the shop. We all went to Church. Elder Blackburn met with President Balunga and was concerned that his counselors were not in Church, he was trying to do everything by himself. We brought the missionaries back to Manzini and Elder Blackburn attended District Presidency Meeting and expressed concern for the Nhlongono Branch and President Balunga. Elder and Sister Harms met us at our home for dinner at 6:30pm. After dinner the young woman who had received the blessing came back and brought her sister and her sister's children. We were busy so she said she would come back on Monday. She looked very much healed today.

14 June 2010
District meeting in Manzini, held it outside the weather was so pleasant. Then we went to the Manzini market and picked up a curio Elder Blackburn had ordered. Went to the Butcher shop aand bought our meat for two weeks. Sister went out to do the laundry and saw a snake scurring down the hill, she said she would not do laundry again at night, "where there are small snakes there are larger ones". The laundry room is in the back of the garage. The elders came over so we had a "braai" barbeque and fed them, then they watched the FIFA game. Elder Blackburn and Elder Mbongwe and Elder Black went to the young woman's home and Elder Mbongwe gave the blessing to the sick child. He had never given a blessing before. Elder Blackburn asked the woman if we could teach her about the Church and she agreed to be taught.

15 June 2010
HAPPY 47TH ANNIVERSARY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EDWARD. Went to the Electric company to check on a bill theat was very incorrect; they said not to worry, the bill was not ours and we would get a bill in a few days. Elder Blackburn got pulled over by the Police, he was not wearing a seat belt, he had to pay a fine right then; the amount was $60 rand or $7.50 american dollars, a good deal.

May 31, 2120
The boarding house is now ours, need to spend some time cleaning, there is much dust.

June 1, 2010
Spent the day cleaning the house, moving the refrigerator to a new place. We blocked the back door with the fridg. Don't need to use that door anyway. Moving it left room to open cabinet doors and see what is there. Cleaned walls and tile. Cleaned closet shelves, etc. Still a lot to be done, will see if landlord will help us find someone for a couple of days to clean laundry room, garage and windows. Wash curtains, etc.  We never got around to getting some help, we just cleaned and arranged the house the way we were more comfortable with it.

June 10, 2010
We have finally gotten to our blog, we will endeavor to fill in most of the days since we arrived in Southern Africa, especially Swaziland.
May 2, 2010
We arrived in Durban, our plane from Atlanta was very late because of mechanical problems, however President and Sister Mann were waiting for us. Our luggage did not make it from Johannesburg so Tom and President Mann arranged for the airline to deliver it to the Mission Home the next day. We were really exhausted after that endless plane trip. President and Sister Mann took us to a B&B where we spent the night. We did not sleep very well, must have been jet lag.  Breakfast was wonderful, the first time for an authentic South African English breakfast.
May 3, 1020
President Mann picked us up at the B&B and took us to the Mission Home, where I tried to arrange to pick up my dental box from Customs and was not successful. We had orientation for the beginning of our mission, right now we don't remember what we discussed. We were given a car to drive with a gps to help us get around. A couple from Ladysmith known as the Ladysmith Wilsons came in they were going home after 18 months, we were taken to lunch with them, Brother and Sister Cox (CES), Elder and Sister Davis and President and Sister Mann. Went back to the Mission Home, we were given our telephone and arrangements made for us to have dinner with Elder and Sister Davis at their (boarding) apartment with the missionaries who lived close to them. It was a very good evening, we felt like we had started a new friendship with the Davis's.
May 4, 2010
Left Durban following Elder Davis, his job was to get us to the freeway heading to Swaziland, we were to meet the Swazi Wilsons at a Petrol Station (gas station) about 1 hour from the Swazi immigration and border. We met the Wilsons on time and they led us through customs and Swazi immigration, then on to our rental (boarding). We rented a hotel apartment for 1 month since the Wilson's would be going home. He was the brother to LadySmith Wilsons. We had dinner that evening at a Chinese Restaurant which was very good.
May 5, 2010
Drove around area of Swaziland that is most populated, went to Manzini to see the Chapel there, it is a very beautiful setting. Then we drove to Ezuwini, the town we live in, the saints meet in a primary school that is really run down and dirty. The Church is in the process of buying property for a permanent facility, sale not finalized.
May 6, 1020
Drove to Mbabane to pay phone bill and transfer service to Elder Blackburn, we needed our passport, good thing I decided to keep our Passports with us at all times, then they wanted pictures, so we had to make appointment for tomorrow to take pictures to them. Went to Church Building and it is a really nice brick building similar to Manzini. Elder Wilson telephoned the Branch President in Nhlongono and learned his wife was in Hope House in Manzini, a hospice facility run by some Cathollic Nuns. We went there, the facility was so clean, Sister Balunga was being well cared for, Sister Bulunga had tuburculosis and AIDS. I wrote "she will probably die soon".
May 7, 2010
Delivered the pictures of Elder Blackburn to the telephone company so they could change the name from Wilson. Then we drove to Manzini to check on progress of Sister Bulunga. She seemed to be better.

May 8, 2010
Drove to Nhlongono to see Chapel and meet the missionaries, Sister Wilson gave a piano lesson to 2 brothers. The chapel looks like trailer houses on blocks, it does function for the Church very well. That evening we went to Sommerfield Botanical Garden for dinner, there is a very posh restaurant there that Sister Wilson just loves, I think I just love it too. (link to Sommerfield can be found on google) It is worth looking up. We plan to spend our Anniversary there for dinner.

9 May 2010
We all drove to Nhlongono for church today, Elder Blackburn and Sister Blackburn were asked to bear our testimonies, which we did with great boldness. We stayed for all three meetings, Sister Blackburn attended Primary and was very impressed with the ability of the children to sing and bear their testimonies in English, even the 3 year olds. Gave out candy that Sister Scroggins had sent with us and explained that a Primary President in the USA loved them.

10 May 2010
We had our first District Development Meeting in Manzini District and had the opportunity of meeting 6 of the Elders we will have the opportunity to watch over since Elder Blackburn has been asked to be a Counselor in the Mission Presidency for Swaziland. Went to the Manzini craft market place, the Wilsons want us to know all the tourist areas since most couple missionaries will come to Swaziland for souvenirs.

11 May 2010
Attended our first Zone Meeting in Mbabane, we met all the missionaries and cannot remember all of them or pronounce their names, that will be a real challenge, they speak so softly and with such deeply accented English.

12 May 2010
Had a District Development Meeting in Mbabane with 6 elders, then came back to the boarding to pack our bags to go to a Mission Presidency Meeting in Durban, we will spend the night in Richards Bay with Elder and Sister Piers. Sister Balunga died today. The District will have to order burial clothes from Johannesburg.

13 May 2010
Drove to Richards Bay and met Elder and Sister Piers at McDonalds, had lunch with them, a very gracious couple and so willing to help us. They will lead us to Durban tomorrow. We went to an English class Sister Pier was teaching, there were 3 women, it was really an enjoyable experience, the grandmother had not had any schooling and was just about the best student of the three. Then we went to a youth activity, the kids played Book of Mormon Bingo, the Church building was very humble, it was clapboard on piers, no inside walls, no heating, no cooling, no electricity. There were tables and chairs. No paint on the outside, it was considered a portable building.
We went to dinner on the beach to a Thai restaurant, the food was excellent, with excellent company. Elder Pier gave me a lot of mystery books to bring back to Swaziland, Elder and Sister Pier knew Court Roper when they served a Couple mission in Indonesia, then we got an email from Rachel that evening telling us about a Court Roper in one of her classes at BYU, what a coincidence.

14 May 2010
We got up early to drive to Durban, we followed the Piers to the Mission Home, Elder Harmsworth helped me to try again to get the box from customs, we went to customs and were not successful. Will have to try another route. Had to get my passport certified at a Post Office for customs. Took all the missionaries to lunch (that got out of hand) however they enjoyed it so much we could not begrudge. Elder Blackburn and Elder Pier went to their Presidency meeting from 3:00 until 6:00 pm. Then all the couples went to dinner with Sister Mann, President Mann was somewhere "putting out fires". Then we went to our B&B for the night, it was a beautiful setting and a really comfortable KING SIZE BED.

15 May 2010
Went to Victoria Street Market in Durban and wasted the whole morning at a giant tourist trap.
We left for home at about 3:00 and stopped at a new grocery store Elder Piers showed us, there are a lot of things we cannot get in Swaziland (Rootbeer, cornchips). We had the worst rainstorm we have ever been in, for 3 hours. We were so glad to get through the border into Swaziland, we felt like we were home!!! We hope we never have to drive in rain like that again.

16 May 2010
Went to Nhlongono for Church then drove to GeGe for another Sacrament meeting. The meeting was held in a tent, the missionaries, Elder Martin and Elder Sichinga were very powerful leaders during that meeting, Elder Blackburn, and I were invited to bear our testimonies, it was a very good meeting, then we learned from Elder Wilson that the GeGe area is not supposed to have meetings every week. Their meetings except for 2 times a month are not authorized by the Church, the missionaries will address this issue with Brother Malunga. (Malinga)


17 May 2010
District Dev. Meeting in Manzini. Elder Thomas advised that the Zone will be probably losing Elders and the Elders are to prepare people to keep the Church going using Branch Missionaries, especially in Nhlongono. The Elders testified about the importance of couple missionaries and how much we help them when we bear our testimonies.

18 May 2010
Drove to New Castle for Zone Conference, we met at the Wilson's boarding at 12:00 to leave in a caravan. We got to the border and the small car would not start, it took about an hour before it finally started, Elder Mbongwe said he was giving it a blessing. We spent the night with Elder and Sister Ward. President Mann and Sister Mann took the senior couples to dinner at a Chinese Restaurant, we had a very good meal.

19 May 2010
Zone Conference, pizza and brownies for lunch, left for home about 3:00pm.

20 May 2010
Went on game drive (mini safari) with Elder and Sister Wilson, first break since we arrived in Swaziland. Saw Elephants, Giraffs, Water Buffalo, Zebra, Rhino, Hippos, had lunch of Nyala, tasted like beef stew. A really great day outdoors.


21 May 2010
Memorial for Sister Balunga at the school where she was a teacher, it was a neighborhood Church School and they wanted to give the memorial for her, all her students were there and the singing was really awsome. No music. Acapella words cannot describe the feeings the music generated. The ministers called for a collection and we were appalled at how they used music to play on peoples feeling to get them to give and when they stopped giving, they called on them to give again. We were shocked that a collection was asked at a memorial service. After the service the body was taken to her home where a service of LDS was carried out. Then she was taken to her homestead to be buried. This took all day and all night.

22 May 2010
Went to Court with Elder Sichinga, he had a traffic accident and was guilty, Court was closed, he was told to come back at 2:00 And pay his fine of R60.00 = $7.00 American money. HAHA
Could not help but laugh at the amount of the fine for a traffic accident. Picked up the Braai (barbeque cooker) for a barbeque at the Wilsons.

23 May 2010
Church in Ezulwini, Elder Blackburn was asked to bear his testimony, we met President Shongwe. Attended primary where we gave the candy Barbara had sent. Went home and rested, did not do anything else.

24 May 2010
District meeting in Manzini, then went to Wilsons for Braai. Elders were in and out all day, did not finish cooking until about 5:00. The Braai worked very well, Elder Blackburn was very proud of it.

25 May 2010
Zone Meeting in Mbabane, took Elder Ellis antihistamine for his stuffiness. When we went to the pharmacy to get them, we were surprised that we had to ask for them and then had to buy however many tablets we wanted, so we bought 6 tablets, what a surprise, no across the counter meds except aspirin or headache powders. Have not seen headache powders since the 1950's.
The antihistamine worked wonders for Elder Ellis.

28 May 2010
Got my hair cut, had the best hairwashing ever, such a good head massage. Marilyn did a great job. Surprised me that a black hairdresser in a black country could cut white people's hair so well.

31 May 2010
District Meeting in Manzini, then Elder Sichinga had a dentist appointment, he had a filling fall out, exam showed 3 teeth needed to be fixed. Then we were free to move into the Wilsons boarding, they have left for home, they were so gracious and helpful to us, showing us around Swaziland and introducing us to the leaders. We will always remember their kindness to us.