FIRST FULL DAY IN SWAZILAND, 2010 TRIP
After a brief hiatus to share some State Fair fun, I'm back with the next installment from our 2010 Swaziland Trip journal.
7:00 p.m. September 21, 2010
After supper [last night] at Rambla's, we went back to the hotel and sorted clothes for the first day at the Bheveni Carepoint.
Today was the first day at Bheveni and we are now eating supper with our B-Team [Bheveni Team], Elliot our driver, Julie and Ellie Anderson, and the Schiafanos. They are a couple here looking at Swaziland and whether they will move here. We are at Nando's Chicken Restaurant. WOW! So good and SO HOT! The fire-grilled, spicy mealie [corn] was fabulous!
But despite the deliciousness of the chicken and corn, it was no where near as wonderful as our time spent at the carepoint today. It sounds cheesy but it is true. Africa is a fun place to visit but it is the people, especially the children, that make it so amazing. I will write about it in detail later.
11:06 Same Night
I hate that at night I am usually too tired to write very much and during the day we are so busy I can't find time to record much at all. BUT, that said, we are tired because we have done so many wonderful things.
Today's rundown ---
Jim woke up at 5:30 but was able to drift off into a light sleep til about 7:00. I was able to sleep in til 7:30. Sometimes not being a morning person has its perks!
Breakfast at the hotel at 8:20. Jim is really liking the African breakfast options as it is his favorite meal of the day. I had breakfast potatoes, a kind of bacon that is like ham, fresh watermelon, and pineapple. Jim likes the meats such as the boerewor sausages.
We were picked up at 9:30 to go to the carepoint. Deli, one of the team members, rode with us and she and I did a lot of chatting. We rode in the same vehicle that the NFL group had ridden in and saw Saint's player Anthony Hargroves' autograph.
Arrived at the carepoint at around 10:15. Many preschoolers were already there. I spoke wtih the gogos and makes [pronounced mah-gays; gogos are grannies and makes are mothers].
I specifically remembered one of them from a previous trip and showed them photos from that trip. After a while, she remembered that I had given her a pair of shoes. I had forgotten about that. Swazis remember those who bless them and love them.
We sang songs, told a creation story, colored a picture (traced hands, too)...
...played outside with them, [gave them lots of hugs, and handed out] new clothes. The boys all got one shirt and one pair of shorts. The girls got one shirt, one skirt, and one dress. Plus, they all received new underwear. They were very happy.
After a lunch of mini-quiches [picked up and brought to us] from The Corner Bakery in Manzini, the older kids began coming. We once again gave out clothing then we also sang songs. Jim told a story and I took lots and lots of photos.
There were over 100 children today but I was still able to find one of our sponsored children, Banele. We will visit her homestead tomorrow.
I hope to find our other girl, Nocolo, tomorrow.
My favorite part of the day was seeing children and women I remembered from last time adn also getting to see all the D-Team [AIM Disciple-Team comprised of young Swazi adults] today. They are absolutely amazing!
It is nearly 11:30 now so I must read my Bible and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be very, very busy.
After a brief hiatus to share some State Fair fun, I'm back with the next installment from our 2010 Swaziland Trip journal.
7:00 p.m. September 21, 2010
After supper [last night] at Rambla's, we went back to the hotel and sorted clothes for the first day at the Bheveni Carepoint.
Today was the first day at Bheveni and we are now eating supper with our B-Team [Bheveni Team], Elliot our driver, Julie and Ellie Anderson, and the Schiafanos. They are a couple here looking at Swaziland and whether they will move here. We are at Nando's Chicken Restaurant. WOW! So good and SO HOT! The fire-grilled, spicy mealie [corn] was fabulous!
But despite the deliciousness of the chicken and corn, it was no where near as wonderful as our time spent at the carepoint today. It sounds cheesy but it is true. Africa is a fun place to visit but it is the people, especially the children, that make it so amazing. I will write about it in detail later.
11:06 Same Night
I hate that at night I am usually too tired to write very much and during the day we are so busy I can't find time to record much at all. BUT, that said, we are tired because we have done so many wonderful things.
Today's rundown ---
Jim woke up at 5:30 but was able to drift off into a light sleep til about 7:00. I was able to sleep in til 7:30. Sometimes not being a morning person has its perks!
Breakfast at the hotel at 8:20. Jim is really liking the African breakfast options as it is his favorite meal of the day. I had breakfast potatoes, a kind of bacon that is like ham, fresh watermelon, and pineapple. Jim likes the meats such as the boerewor sausages.
We were picked up at 9:30 to go to the carepoint. Deli, one of the team members, rode with us and she and I did a lot of chatting. We rode in the same vehicle that the NFL group had ridden in and saw Saint's player Anthony Hargroves' autograph.
Arrived at the carepoint at around 10:15. Many preschoolers were already there. I spoke wtih the gogos and makes [pronounced mah-gays; gogos are grannies and makes are mothers].
I specifically remembered one of them from a previous trip and showed them photos from that trip. After a while, she remembered that I had given her a pair of shoes. I had forgotten about that. Swazis remember those who bless them and love them.
We sang songs, told a creation story, colored a picture (traced hands, too)...
...played outside with them, [gave them lots of hugs, and handed out] new clothes. The boys all got one shirt and one pair of shorts. The girls got one shirt, one skirt, and one dress. Plus, they all received new underwear. They were very happy.
After a lunch of mini-quiches [picked up and brought to us] from The Corner Bakery in Manzini, the older kids began coming. We once again gave out clothing then we also sang songs. Jim told a story and I took lots and lots of photos.
There were over 100 children today but I was still able to find one of our sponsored children, Banele. We will visit her homestead tomorrow.
I hope to find our other girl, Nocolo, tomorrow.
My favorite part of the day was seeing children and women I remembered from last time adn also getting to see all the D-Team [AIM Disciple-Team comprised of young Swazi adults] today. They are absolutely amazing!
It is nearly 11:30 now so I must read my Bible and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be very, very busy.
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