January 2012

06 Jan 2012
We have both been sick this week, both taking antibiotics.  Hopefully we will be a lot better tomorrow, President Von Stetten is coming for quarterly interviews with the missionaries and to interview 6 prospective missionaries.  The new couple will have the blessing of seeing them off to their respective missions.  Brother Smith came for dinner and showed us the video documentary on the Wheel Chair project and it was so well done, as Elder Blackburn said, "That was professional".  After all, Brother Smith has his doctorate and teaches communications at USU in Cedar City.  We saw in the newspaper today that Sister Jill lost her battle to save her home; the man who supposedly bought the land from the chief came early morning yesterday and moved her, her furniture and all her animals and then demolished her house, we called her and she said she is still going to go to court to fight what he has done, he denied even summoning her to Court on Christmas Day.  We have seen other times when the Chiefs have sold homesteads where widows were living in their parental homes or deceased husbands homes.

This house is no longer there.

05 Jan 2012
We had the privilege of speaking with Brother and Sister Lombardi on SKYPE today.  They are going to be such vibrant good missionaries here.  We were so happy to be able to tell them that they are in for a wonderful adventure, they viewed our pictures on Face Book and as they said, "We were on a high all day", we were so excited.  We took the Manzini Bakki to South Africa to get the Swazi stamp so it is legal for another month.  We also, bought an upgrade for our internet, we had to pay extra for the month of November - the first time since we have been here and we don't want to have to do that again so we upgraded.  We received a beautiful Christmas Card from Edward and Annie today, those pictures are so well done.  We went to the Airport to bid Elder Verde goodby and all his family and frieds were there, that was so good to see.  We picked up a steel cabinet in Matsapha to store all the electronics in Nhlangano, to try to keep them safe from theft; when we got back to the house the Manzini Elders were on our veranda having their District meeting.  Good day.  We saw this lady going through customs with her wheelbarrow.
  It is amazing how many people use this method for carrying their water and food and other items.

04 Jan 2012
We took the Ezulwini Bakki to the Ngwenya Border Post and into South Africa, did a U turn and came back so we could get the stamp allowing it to be here for 30 days.. In another month will have to do the same.  Nhlangano Elders will take their Bakki through the Mahamba Border Post so we won't have to go all the way down there.  We went to Mbabane this evening to set apart Junior Verde as a missionary, he is going to Johannesburg, South Africa Mission.  His parents and Aunti and cousins were there, it was a very nice meeting with them.  Sister Verde is the Mbabane Relief Society President.

03 Jan 2012
Went with the Missionaries to teach Josephine and her daughter one of the lessons on Polygamy and explain to her that if she did not know it was wrong she could still be baptised; her husband has died.  Her daughter has been very faithful in walking many miles every Sunday to Church and that has made a difference in Josephine's attitude, she was more open to being taught.  Elders picked up English lesson books so GeGe can institute an English class.

01 Jan 2012
Both of us sick today; Elder Blackburn went to Mbabane to do Temple Recommend Interviews.  There was only Sacrament Meeting today, which was fine with both of us.  We are on our last Rx of antibiotics - good thing home is just around the corner.