Happy Sleeptember

Sanibonani bantfu  bami! I hope that you are all doing well. I am
thankful for each one of you, just so you know.

Well, as I said in my previous blog/email, we went to Umhlanga – The
Reed Dance. It was quite an interesting experience!! I decided to go
all out for the event and wear full traditional attire (the modest one
that the make’s wear…not the one that I encouraged you to Google).
Let’s just say I got a lot of stares, laughs, and compliments! I wish
I had good enough internet to post a picture! It was so much fun. We
made the trip to Ezulwini, which is near Mbabane (almost two hours
away) and got there so early that we preceded the security. While
Heather and Sienna stayed in the arena, Wayne, Kim, and I decided to
go look for some food. When we tried to go back the way we had come we
were instructed to go through security (which wasn’t completely
assembled yet so we had to wait!). While we were walking, a man from
SwaziTV came and asked to interview us! So – now we’re Swaziland
celebs. Then it finally came time for the event. We had a very kind
man that we met in the line sitting next to us explaining everything,
which was so helpful. Otherwise, it would have seemed like mass chaos.
There were tourists from all over the place. We even saw a few belungu
(white people) among the maidens! There were so many girls that just
when you thought they were all in the stadium, another five hundred
would start pouring in. We were able to see the King Mswati III also.
He was a part of the celebration. It was such a culturally unifying
event. I have never seen anything quite like it.

The next day, we had made plans with Jabulani from CHIPS to go to
Siteki Good Shepherd Hospital. The CHIPS kombi takes HIV patients to
the ARV clinic for their regular check-ups and to refill their ARVs.
What an overwhelming and eye-opening experience. We know in our minds
that almost half the population here is HIV positive, but it became so
real when we rode in a kombi full of people we knew were HIV+ and then
walked into a clinic teeming with people – all there for the same
reason. Let me tell you, clinics in Swaziland are a lot different than
ones in America! There are no patient privacy laws in Swaziland. We
were allowed to just jump in and start helping the clinic because they
were swamped. Kim and I went into a room where we counted people’s
ARVs and recorded their information in their files. We also weighed
them and took vital signs. It was the first time since I’ve been here
that I’ve felt despair like that, especially since I know the future
iffy circumstances of the ARVs. But I also haven’t felt like I was
truly doing what I am passionate about until that day. It was hard to
think about the fact that all of these people could be in serious
danger of getting AIDS in the coming months if something doesn’t
happen with the ARV situation.
An exciting thing that happened this week was FINALLY getting packages
from home! Brandt sent me his camera on 11 July (mine broke when I got
here) and it just got here. I also got Macaroni and Cheese. I had been
missing that the most of all the food I can’t get here!! Needless to
say it was such a bright spot in our week! Kim got letters from home
and adorable cards from her nephews that are now hanging on our wall
:)

Every week we go to TEE (Theological Education by Extension) class
with our supervisor, Wayne. When Wayne told us what time TEE would be,
he also said that Babe Masuku (our “dad”) told him that the children
would be gathered around the same time. We were like…what? So we had
little idea of what to expect. When we got to Mafucula, all the
children were there singing. We had a little children’s day camp thing
that Make Tsebebze put together and all of the adults had given money
to feed the children after the event! I was so pleasantly surprised.
This isn’t really a common thing for the congregation to do so I think
they are taking cues from our short-term team and making it their own!
We taught the kids about creation and played a game with them to help
them remember the story. It was so wonderful! We are actually now
going to do this once a week with the kiddos :) We have a children’s
HIV curriculum that we are thinking about going over with them and
then just storying from the Word!

That night we had Bhekie staying with us to do language the next day.
We made him hamburgers and macaroni & cheese. It was funny because at
TEE he told one of the ladies that he couldn’t eat too much because he
was going to eat American food that night! I never tire of learning
about the ins and outs of Swazi culture. I do believe that our
ethnography could easily be fifty pages! ;)

The weather has warmed up quite a bit. It is now beginning “spring”
where it is easily 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit.

We are beginning a True Love Waits study with the youth girls at
Mafucula, which will hopefully be able to meet this week. We were
supposed to meet with them this past Saturday but a funeral impeded
our plans.

Also, I got my hair cornrow-ed this past week. Once again, wish I
could post pictures! Our friend Figile has a hair salon next to our
homestead. It was a great time to sit with the girls and just talk
while Figile was doing my hair.

Thursday, I had an interesting experience! I went with Wayne and Babe
Mavuso to a revival at Luhhwahhweni, where my friend Bhekie lives. I
had never been to an African revival…and I was in for a fun and
different time! Everything was very dynamic, especially prayer. The
speaker reminded me of my childhood p*stor the way that he got so
passionate and banged on stuff. Though, even if I was fluent in
SiSwati, I don’t think I would have been able to understand much of
what he said. There was a lot of dancing and singing which I happen to
enjoy very much! :)

Something really awesome that the Father did for me this week – both
of my p*stors from America emailed me on the very same day! I really
needed the advice and encouragement that they gave me and it was just
so awesome to see Him at work in that way.

I know that this experience isn’t about me and I have learned so much
about my Father and His heart for the world. I am continuing to learn
more and more. I am so thankful for this adventure. :)

Please continue to take these things to the Creator:
* The ARV situation. The country is rumored to have received a large
shipment of ARVs but we have yet to see the results of them. If they
aren't distributed to the people, there will be serious repercussions
for the Swazis.
* The economy of Swaziland is in a crisis situation and many people
are suffering.
* I have been having some issues with my bank account in America.
Please pr*y that the issues will be ironed out. I have seen Him
working through the situation.
* For our studies with the youth & children at Mafucula...pr*y that
hearts will be changed and especially lives transformed.