Demolishing Sister Jill's home.

10 Jan 2012

Had a meeting today with Khulisa Unmtfawna, the NGO that is receiving 50 of the sewing machines and we made the plans for the formal ceremony presenting the machines to the Tinkhundla Centers, Brother George Dlamini, Sister Concelia Ntshalintshali, Stella Lukhele and Sister Blackburn discussed set the program.  George thinks at least 100 people will be in attendance.  This afternoon we finally got a big thunderstorm with rain and cooled the temperature so we do not feel the humidity so much.  Elder Tameilau reported that his thumb is not broken, just very tender.  We saw Sister Shongwe at the market while we were buying food for Saturday and she told us, "the goats are a big problem.  They will disappear one at a time and Sister Jill will blame us."  So Elder Blackburn telephone Sister Jill and she said she has the goats placed in a place in Malkearns.  What a problem she has to deal with.  Selling the goats should not be a big problem for her.  Lots of people here would like to buy them, just not at her asking price.  We had a nice chat with Elder and Sister Nuzman on skype tonight and they will be going to Durban for the couples dinner on the 28th of January.

09 Jan2012

Our training for the sewing machines fell through, Sister Blackburn made a pan of brownies for the Elders, they will be by later today to pick up a cabinet for Nhlangano to store their electronic equipment in.  We took the invitations to Stella at Khulisa Umntfawna so that she can get her people invited for the handover ceremony.  Elder Tameilau and Adams came by after playing soccer to see if Elder Tameilau's thumb was broken, it was not swollen so we put ice pack on it and informed him he could not get a doctor this late at night so he would have to wait until tomorrow.  Today was P-day and we did laundry. President Von Stetten left for interviews in New Castle.

08 Jan 2012

Church in Manzini, Fast and Testimony Meeting, Sister Blackburn gave the lesson in Relief Society to show the Branch how to give lessons and Testimony on Fast Sunday.  Sister Von Stetten was there also and they wanted to make a good impression for her so the Branch Relief Society President really tried to start on time and keep everything on track.  Time will tell if the R.S. President really understood the lesson.  Elder Blackburn brought Sister Von Stetten and Sister Blackburn back to the house to rest and prepare dinner.  He went back to Manzini for District Council Meeting -They determined that Elder Blackburn and President Jerome Shongwe would go visit Sister Jill - who is staying with Sister Chozen Dlamini, after her house got torn down.  The Shongwe family had taken the goats to their homestead temporarily (53 goats).  About 50% will have kids in April.  Sister Jill did not salvage her food storage so the women did not have anything to eat and wanted a food order.  Brother George Lukhele offered to take the goats, if Sister Jill would give him some of the new kids.  He has a homestead in the southern part of the country.  Jill just does not want to accept that she is homeless and needs to make plans for her future.  She has a sister in Manzini and a sister in Richards Bay, a daughter in Michigan, USA and a daughter in Manzini. President Jerome Shongwe told Elder Blackburn, that the Country is taking back all the old concession farms and tearing down the houses so that the concessions can be sold again.  So all Swazi people who live on homesteads are subject to their farms being taken from them and sold to someone else.

Sister Chozen Dlamini and Sister Jill at Sister Chozen's home.

President Von Stetten interviewed 16 missionaries and 6 prospective missionaries. President then came to our house for a nice dinner which we served on the veranda since the house was way too hot.  The wall plug for the airconditioner had stopped working and Sister Blackburn could not find an extension cord to use another outlet.  Outside was really nice though.