From Left to Right – Mary inside the Port Durnsford chapel, Sister Hafen with Fufu, Sister Hafen taking picture of youth with the Port Durnsford chapel behind them, Sister Khumalo watering the garden at the Esikhawini chapel. There are four or five women who raise part of their food supply there. Sister Khumalo told me that their family saves quite a bit of money by growing a garden.
Even though it was raining all day yesterday and today, we were enjoying getting acquainted with the area and starting to get to work.
This morning – Tuesday that is – we went over and looked in on the elder’s boarding that was being cleaned. It is a very nice place and is bigger than our current boarding. There was a large crew in cleaning the wall and everywhere else. It was wise to have professionals do this because there was black dust everywhere.
We then went and looked at used furniture and put some on hold. We got our hair cut – I was rather shaggy after 3 month – and then went home for lunch. After lunch we headed out to do more errands and then to Esikaweni to get some things laminated and to talk to president Machaka of the Port Durnsford branch.
Up until the time we got all this done and was heading out of Esikalweni to go home everything was wonderful – even the rain was good because it kept things nice and cool.
We were just about 1K from Esikaweni when two high school aged young women who were standing on the shoulder of the road, walked out in front of our car. It came as a complete surprise because the people of South Africa are very careful about walking out into traffic because they will get run over. What made this even more surprising is that I saw them look right at us but they still started across the lanes.
Luckily I was paying close attention – I always worry about hitting some walking along the road – and was able to stop before hitting them. Unfortunately driver behind me was not quite as alert and slammed into the back of our car. But I am not sure even being alert would have helped because everything was so unexpected.
To make a rather long story short, there was major damage done to the rear end of our car and to the front of his borrowed car. The couple in the car was very nice and it is a shame that it happened to them. We exchanged information and – after tying down the boot lid with my tie – we drove back to Richards Bay and got two estimates from panel beating shops.
The only good thing about any of this is that no one was injured and the two young ladies will be more careful about looking more carefully before crossing a busy road.
Pictures to follow later!
Our new boarding in Richards Bay. On the far right is the jungle that comes right up to the yard on one side.
This male monkey really did not like me sitting outside near where his group wanted to come. He first got in the tree just in front of me and shook it and screamed at me. When that did not move me he jumped on the roof and looked down. I decided I really did not want him in my lap – he must have weighed 20 – 25 pounds – so I went in and he happily left.
Our last picture in Swaziland with our great friends and fellow missionaries the Wilsons. Few dress up for Easter here but this member of the Mbabane chapel came beautifully decked out and the umbrella was the perfect accessory.
