{"id":1512,"date":"2009-03-16T00:51:04","date_gmt":"2009-03-16T07:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pierfamily.com\/wordpress\/2009\/03\/16\/our-week-in-swaziland\/"},"modified":"2019-08-21T14:53:54","modified_gmt":"2019-08-21T21:53:54","slug":"our-week-in-swaziland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.pierfamily.com\/wordpress\/2009\/03\/16\/our-week-in-swaziland\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Week in Swaziland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well we got to spend another week in Heavenly Valley. The temperature continues to get cooler \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c which is wonderful – and the rains came down \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c which is OK too except they came right after I got the car washed on Friday and by Friday night it was covered in mud.<\/font><\/p>\n

Monday we had a wonderful P-day. We got our time in at the internet caf\u00c3\u00a9 so we could read all the letters we got from family and friends and answer some of them. In the afternoon we went with elders Katende and Kona to the Mlilwane nature preserve that is only about 15 minutes from our boarding. Elder Kona really wanted to see it before he got transferred on Wednesday and we gave him a reason for going. We saw a hippo, a crocodile, many warthogs, a buffalo, zebras,\u00c2\u00a0and many different antelopes. For a preserve that sits in the midst of lots of homesteads it is pretty good but we look forward to seeing other preserves before our mission is up. President Mann encourages the couples to see the mission and enjoy the wonderful scenery and animals.<\/font><\/p>\n

Tuesday the Wilsons headed for Durban for a mission presidency meeting so we were the only couple in Swaziland. Since it was the last full day in the area for elder Kona and our own elder Makono, we told the district that we would treat them to lunch at KFC. We had no trouble getting them to agree. In the evening we invited elders Eddy and Makono over for ice cream and introduced them to The Great Dalmuti. Elder Makono said goodbye for the last time \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c the only time we know we will see him is at the All Zone Conferences but we will always remember his smiling face.<\/font><\/p>\n

Wednesday half the elders in the zone headed off to Durban for transfer day. We went out with elders Eddy and Katende to see if we could track down any of the Ezulwini ordinations that are missing. We got to travel the back roads and visit some of the homesteads we have been to before. We found out that most of the men had certificates and they would bring them on Sunday. We also found that president Shongwe kept good records so we are hoping that will help us clear up the rest. <\/font><\/p>\n

During the day we bought a couple of new slashers \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c manual weed whips \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c and then went to Manzini to get a file so elder Eddy could sharpen them. I felt that we wasted a lot of energy trying to cut the tough grasses with dull slashers and was more than happy to pay the $4 US to find out if I was right.<\/font><\/p>\n

In the evening we went to the Shongwe homestead where the elders taught a Preach My Gospel lesson to about 10 young people. It was wonderful to sit there and see all these young men and women gather together to talk about a gospel subject. Most of them had a PMG and it was obvious that they have been reading in them.<\/font><\/p>\n

As we left Elder Eddy told us that when they started these lessons a few weeks ago, it was more of a social gathering and they had a hard time getting the youth to stop talking to each other long enough to teach them anything. But now they are quiet, pay attention and most of them join in the discussion. It is something that would be good to have in every branch and ward in the church.<\/font><\/p>\n

Thusday was an interesting day because we got to go do some slashing at our newest Ezulwini convert\u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u2122s homestead. As I have mentioned before Nathi is one of the most spiritual men that I have met and is very serious about learning what he needs to do to keep the commandments. The sharpened slashers were a great success. We were able to clear in about 30 minutes an area that would have taken a couple of hours with the normal slashers.<\/font><\/p>\n

After we finished slashing Nathi got the makings of a fire and then picked some fresh corn \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c this is not the kind of corn we are use to at home – so we could have cooked corn for lunch. The way they cook it would not pass health standards in the US but it works and our first fully Swaziland meal turned out pretty good. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

After lunch Nathi wanted to discuss fasting and fast offerings. He had read the pamphlet on tithing and fast offerings and wanted to make sure he understood what he needed to pay. He directed most of his questions to me and I was happy to answer them. As we talked about offerings and tithing, he committed himself to paying both because they were commandments. <\/font><\/p>\n

He also wanted to discuss making a business plan so he could get a loan \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c he needs to borrow about $70 US – to expand his small business. I told him I would get a couple of books and then we could have a good discussion and I would help him with his plan.<\/font><\/p>\n

In the evening we got to meet the new missionaries who will be serving in Ezulwini and Nhlangano. I should mention that Nhlangano is pronounced kind of like it was spelled Shlangano with the Sh sound made by sticking your tongue against the top of your mouth and blowing air out both sides of your tongue. <\/font><\/p>\n

Elder Murch, who will be serving with elder Eddy here in Ezulwini was trained by our own elder Katende. He is from Issaquah, Washington and has been out about four months. He seems well trained and willing to work.<\/font><\/p>\n

On Friday Portia \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c a young women who is trying to get enough money to pay for her boarding at school –\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>came over and cleaned the house. While she was doing that I took the car up to get it cleaned. While I was waiting the 90 minutes it takes to get a car cleaned here, I struck up a conversation with another customer. He turned out to be a major in the army, is married and has five children \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c four sons and a daughter. We had a good talk about military life, the guarding of bridges, and other things. As we were talking I realized I did not have a single piece of literature to give him. So as soon as my car was finished I rushed back to the boarding, got a pamphlet about the plan of salvation and took it back to him. I really must remember to be better prepared for the times the Lord puts good contacts in my path.<\/font><\/p>\n

We were supposed to go out and visit with the elders but once again their bakkie broke down and since the Wilsons were busy with piano lessons way down in Nhlangano we got to help the elders get it to Manzini to try and get it fixed for the third time. I think that bakkie could guide itself to the garage. When we got back to Ezulwini we volunteered our car to the elders so they could get some work done. We did not want elder Murch\u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u2122s first full day in Swaziland to be a complete bust.<\/font><\/p>\n

Most of Saturday was spent in Mbabane helping elder and sister Uffens put on a training program about family health, HIV\/AIDS and unwed mothers for the district RS leaders. The sisters had a light lunch \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c it also allowed those who had a long ways to come to make it here so the actual training could start on time. I set up the electronics, Mary played the piano, and we both handed out the pamphlets as they were needed. The best guess is that 4 out of 10 people in Swaziland are HIV positive. Elder Uffens said that due to the AIDS the population in Swaziland has fallen from 1.2 million to under 900,000 in the last decade. Hopefully our youth will learn to be chaste and thereby avoid this terrible disease.<\/font><\/p>\n

On Sunday we attended the Mbabane branch meetings. The PEC meeting was very good as they talked about people more than programs. It was missionary Sunday and I got to speak in sacrament. I had an outline of some scriptures I wanted to talk about but I also put my trust in the Lord\u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u2122s promise to provide the words that I needed to speak. As I spoke I felt the spirit helping me fill in the ideas I had outlined. One part of my talk I had not even thought of was testifying about the need to read the Book of Mormon as a family each day. I guess that some of the members needed to hear this today. The Lord does watch over his missionaries.<\/font><\/p>\n

Mary taught the literacy course in Sunday School (three students this week) and I worked on trying to get some more information about ordinations. I just hope that we can get this cleaned up by the time we have to leave. I had a chance to talk to the Elders quorum president, Brother Sampson, about home teaching. In PEC I could tell he was pretty discouraged about it and so I gave him some counsel about how he might approach it. I told him not to be discouraged but to make sure that he and his counselors and the other leaders did theirs so they could lead instead of push the rest of the brethren. He thanked me and said that he really needed to hear what I had to say.<\/font><\/p>\n

After the meetings there was a baptism of a young man.\u00c2\u00a0President Mtshalintshali was worried because he had deadlocks and did not want to cut them off. I said as far as I knew this does not disqualify him from being baptized. I then told them the story of Fritz Schmutz and how he went from looking like a hippie when he was baptized to being one of the most spiritual men I have ever known. Now I hope this young man will prove me correct.<\/font><\/p>\n

So we had a wonderful week of serving in Swaziland. Some days are more spiritual than others but each day the Lord seems to provide us with some experience that makes us know we are where we should be and doing what we should be doing. We would not mind staying in Swaziland for our whole mission but I am pretty sure that we will be re-assigned about the middle of April. We will of course go where the president wants us to go and know that we will have opportunities to change lives \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c including our own \u00c3\u00a2\u00c2\u20ac\u00c2\u201c and receive many blessings. <\/font><\/p>\n

How wonderful it is to be called to serve here in the South Africa Durban mission. It is an experience too few members get or take the opportunity to do. I just wish we had started serving missions sooner so we could have experienced more countries, met more great people, and received more blessings.<\/font><\/p>\n

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