Here's the next installment from the Swaziland 2010 Trip series:
September 23, 2010
10:22 p.m.
Today is my Dad's 74th birthday so after breakfast, I used the front desk's computer to send a message to Betsie and others asking them to please call and wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
At 10:00, we left (with Musa driving) to go to the carepoint where the Timbali Crafts women meet.
Our group joined a REAL LIFE team in examining and sorting purses. I spent a good long time talking to Michelle from Chicago. Their team has been here 1.5 weeks.
I also had the blessing during this time of serving food to the carepoint kids --- sour porridge [imagine cream of wheat mixed with yogurt] to the little ones and mealie meal pop [thick corn meal mush] with gravy for the big ones.
The whole time, Musa and Jim just talked and talked. :D
After a couple of hours, we left and went to Bheveni. We drove thru a dry riverbed on a the way there. We saw cans set in the dry sand for the water to rie up into so people could scoop water out. The Swazis desperately need God to send rain.
Our main activity at Bheveni today was to give the kids new shoes.
First, their feet were washed by a member of the B-Team and then they were fitted with their new shoes and socks.
I was the official photo taker plus I did other random things that needed to be done from time to time. It was so fun watching the whole event occur.
After the shoe-giving, the children sang songs and then Jim told the last installment of his African story. During this, Mike and Danielle made another home visit.
The children then left and we gave the D-Team members their gifts. They are such strong, amazing, loving young men and women. They do so much for the children of the carepoints and our week couldn't have happened without their leadership and hard work. Among the gifts given were a fedora hat for Musa, sneakers for Xolani, a baseball cap for Bheki, American flag map shirts for each member and fashion accessories for the girls.
When we got back to Manzini, Jim, Erica, and I went walking a bit around Manzini. Erica and I swapped a lot of Swazi stories as she had served as a leader of a Real Life team last year.
At the hotel, Erica, JIm, Anna, and I ate pizza from Ramblas out on the patio.
Danielle and Mike were spending time calling Danielle's Mom. Today was Danielle's father's funeral. [He died just a couple of days before we left the States for Swaziland.]
After supper, I got on facebook for approximately 15 minutes and talked to the bhuti [young man] at the front desk about God. Then we went to Erica's room for team time.
We cut out paper shapes needed for tomorrow's older kids' craft and then talked about our highs and lows of the week. Anna ended our night by praying for all of us. It was a long and beautiful prayer, a blessing in many ways. One of the things she prayed was that Jim and I would know clearly whether we are supposed to move over here or not. She also prayed that each of us would know what to do with what we are seeing and experiencing this week.
Then Jim and I tried to book our rental car via the front desk computer to no avail. [ We will need one for our extra days we are staying in Swaziland.]
Now it is time to sleep. We all are really ready for bedtime and rest every night.
September 23, 2010
10:22 p.m.
Today is my Dad's 74th birthday so after breakfast, I used the front desk's computer to send a message to Betsie and others asking them to please call and wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
At 10:00, we left (with Musa driving) to go to the carepoint where the Timbali Crafts women meet.
Our group joined a REAL LIFE team in examining and sorting purses. I spent a good long time talking to Michelle from Chicago. Their team has been here 1.5 weeks.
I also had the blessing during this time of serving food to the carepoint kids --- sour porridge [imagine cream of wheat mixed with yogurt] to the little ones and mealie meal pop [thick corn meal mush] with gravy for the big ones.
The whole time, Musa and Jim just talked and talked. :D
After a couple of hours, we left and went to Bheveni. We drove thru a dry riverbed on a the way there. We saw cans set in the dry sand for the water to rie up into so people could scoop water out. The Swazis desperately need God to send rain.
Our main activity at Bheveni today was to give the kids new shoes.
First, their feet were washed by a member of the B-Team and then they were fitted with their new shoes and socks.
I was the official photo taker plus I did other random things that needed to be done from time to time. It was so fun watching the whole event occur.
After the shoe-giving, the children sang songs and then Jim told the last installment of his African story. During this, Mike and Danielle made another home visit.
The children then left and we gave the D-Team members their gifts. They are such strong, amazing, loving young men and women. They do so much for the children of the carepoints and our week couldn't have happened without their leadership and hard work. Among the gifts given were a fedora hat for Musa, sneakers for Xolani, a baseball cap for Bheki, American flag map shirts for each member and fashion accessories for the girls.
When we got back to Manzini, Jim, Erica, and I went walking a bit around Manzini. Erica and I swapped a lot of Swazi stories as she had served as a leader of a Real Life team last year.
At the hotel, Erica, JIm, Anna, and I ate pizza from Ramblas out on the patio.
Danielle and Mike were spending time calling Danielle's Mom. Today was Danielle's father's funeral. [He died just a couple of days before we left the States for Swaziland.]
After supper, I got on facebook for approximately 15 minutes and talked to the bhuti [young man] at the front desk about God. Then we went to Erica's room for team time.
We cut out paper shapes needed for tomorrow's older kids' craft and then talked about our highs and lows of the week. Anna ended our night by praying for all of us. It was a long and beautiful prayer, a blessing in many ways. One of the things she prayed was that Jim and I would know clearly whether we are supposed to move over here or not. She also prayed that each of us would know what to do with what we are seeing and experiencing this week.
Then Jim and I tried to book our rental car via the front desk computer to no avail. [ We will need one for our extra days we are staying in Swaziland.]
Now it is time to sleep. We all are really ready for bedtime and rest every night.
No comments:
Post a Comment