This week was busy preparing for Farming God’s Way.  We did a lot of shopping and cooking.  It takes a lot to do shopping and cooking for 60 -70 people, especially in Swaziland.

On Monday evening we enjoyed supper with the Blossers.  They served spaghetti and we really enjoyed it!  The Blossers had a machine that carbonated water.  We used to have one of those when we lived in Swaziland.  It made a nice change to add a flavoring to the carbonated water.

Virginia, Dr Samuel Hynd, Larry

Tuesday, we enjoyed dinner with Dr. Hynd.  He moves a litter slower, but is just as bright and concerned about the Swazi people as he ever was.  He said that Samuel should come to Swaziland because there are no dentists here and they really need some.

Sunday, Oct. 12, we were able to go to the Evangelical Bible Church we attended while we lived in Swaziland.  It was such a blessing to be able to worship with our local friends.  It was wonderful to hear their singing and listen to their testimonies.  Since the pastor was sick, they had a pastor from the Congo speak.  He gave a very good sermon, but I was surprised at how hard I had to work to understand him.  We had attended Sunday School at a different church that morning and the teacher was also from the Congo.  I had to work to understand her as well.  I was afraid that I had lost my ear for hearing foreign English accents, but was glad to discover I was not the only one who had to concentrate to hear.

We were very happy to see some friends from long ago, Bruce and Carol Britton, and hear of their work in Swaziland.  They are now teaching an extensoin Bible School for the Zionist group.  The Zionists here are divided into several groups. There are the White Gown Zionests, who wear whitegowns. They do not participate in witchcraft.  There are the Red gown Zionists who practice witchcraft along with a little Bible.  In between are the blue and green gowned Zionists.  Bruce and Carol Britton hold classes on Saturday afternoon to teach the leaders of these people the Bible. They meet for 4 hours. They have 119 Zionists who attend these classes. Three of these people are the Red Gown Zionists, who are hearing the Truth and learning how to teach the Truth to their people.  In Swaziland the Red Gowns are increasing in popularity.  These are the ones who practice witchcraft.  Pray for Bruce and Carol as they minister to these people. Also pray for them as they are far away from their family. Their daughter is struggling with cancer and the prognosis not good.

We has a wonderful time worshiping with our dear friends at church.They had a nice tea after church and time to catch up on the families we had not seen for so long.

I had been having some trouble with my back since arriving in Swaziland.  I think it was mainly from the long trip in a cramped airplane seat, but I just couldn’t get rid of the pain.  I finally decided to stop by the Chemist and see if they would give me a muscle relaxant.  We stopped after church and they did have some relaxants. I took them for several days and my back is feeling much better.  I went back and got some more for my trip home.

I hope to write more and get caught up on our busy week later.

Miss you all!

Sign on the Highway

Ostrich

Saturday morning we headed  to Hlane Game Reserve.  On the way there we stopped at a little factory where they make soaps, oils and lotions from some locally grown nuts.  With one type of nut, they make lotions and oils and soap for any type of skin. The other type makes soap for oily skin.  I tried the lotion and it is very nice.  They also use the skins of the fruit around the nut to make a kind of candy which is more like dried fruit. We know from living here previously, that the Swazi’s use this fruit to make beer, but this factory  did not produce that by-product. They export their products, especially ther oil to France.  They also export to other countries.  It didn’t sound like they were making big profits yet, but had sponsers to get the business started and keep it going. 

When we got to Hlane, we spent some time driving around.  We saw some impala and an ostrich. We were a little disappointed, but went back to the camp which is near a watering hole for lunch.

Potatoes and Boerewors on the Grill

The ranger built us a fire and we were watching rhino sun themselves in the wonderfully hot sun. Stever asked the ranger where we might see elephant and the ranger said,”They are at the watering hole right now.” We turned around and there they were.  We watched them drink and bathe in the water and dirt.  We watched a baby trying to do the same thing as the grownups, but not being so coorinated. They were there for about five minutes and then left.  As we were walking through camp, Steve noticed some rustling in the bush beside us.  Steve and Larry looked and there was a Black Mamba! It is a very poisoneous snake and if one bites a person, they will die without immediate treatment and then they still may not live. It was a

Can you find the Mamba?

small Momba only 3-4 feet long, but just as deadly.

After a lunch of boerewors and potatoes cooked over an open fire, we sat in the comfy overstuffed chairs under the thatched roof building (no walls) and took a nap.

When we finally roused ourselves, we took another drive through the park. We saw more impala, a warthog, a nyala, a vervet monkey and lots of birds.

We went back to the camp watering hole. The rhinos were up and moving around, the elephants graced us with their presence again and treated us to a replay of drinking and bathing.  We also saw the backs of hippos that were submerged in the pool.  Hippos are nocturnal, so it is unlikely to see them in the day time.  The weather has been dry and most of the watering holes had no or very little water in them.  As a result we were able to easly see these animals.

Larry after naptime in the Lapha

After a wonderful day of enjoying God’s creation, We came home ate supper and went to bed.  Another day in this beautiful country.

Rhinos and Elephants at the Waterhole

Rhino and her

Larry with Kudu Horns -- What a Rack!

Virginia with Rhino Skull

Can you find five impala in this photo?

Today we went to staff meeting.  More beautiful Swazi singing.  No dancing today, though.  We had a TWR missionary from Benin share with us. It was interesting to hear some history of Benin and to realize the importance of getting God’s Word to that part of Africa.

Benin is where voo-do began.  Witch doctors from all over the world go there for spiritual refreshment.  It is also the point where Muslims are strong and moving southward. Pray for missionaries in this area and for God’s Word as it is taught and as it goes out over the airwaves.

We had a lovely tea afterstaff meeting and we visited with many friends.  It was so nice. I saw Nelson for the first time today. His daughter was married last weekend and in the breaking of a tradition did not ask the young man for lobola (or cows in payment) for his daughter.  All reports are that it was a very God honoring wedding.

Lorraine and I did more shopping for food for next week.  One has to go to so many shops to get things, it is a never ending job.

We are also preparing dinner for 11 people tonight.  The Cox family is coming, the two men from last night and ourselves. [One more, Chuck Saunders, was added at the last minute to make 12!]

Pray for the Farming God’s Way program next week.  Pray for those attending.  There are many signed up who are not saved.  Pray for their hearts during these two days.  Some are white Swazi’s and some are the native Swazi’s.

It was a wonderful day and I do feel a little sad to think that a week is already gone!  I’m thinking it will be hard to say good-bye, but I will be glad to see our family and the grandchildren again.  I miss those hugs and kisses!

Keep praying for us.

Yesterday I was not able to post, so I am writing for two days.

Yesterday started our pretty much as a normal day.  I had slept all night for the first time since our arival here. I feel so much better after a good night’s sleep.  It was misty and cool in the morning, but quickl warmed up. I had my devotions in our room with the window open and then decided that I could move to the screened in porch at the main house.  I sat there to write post cards. After I finished the cards, we went to town and stopped by the post office.  I got the stamps without even standing in a que. and they even had the stamps.  Quite different from 20 years ago.

While writing my post cards, I was watching the bird bath. I was so happy to observe a Purplecrested Loerie or Turaco. This bird has a  purple crest with dark blue and green on its body.  The wings are bright red.  The Swazi royalty use these featherss for their hair.  It is a large bird.

Yesterday we also did more shopping for the big meals next week.  We came home to make dinner only to learn two guests were coming to spend the next few nights.   We were expecting them for dinner but not for the night. They are two missionaries from England with CLC (formerlyChristian Literature Crusade).  One is a long time friend of the Stavs.  We also had a TWR missionary from Johannesburg at the meal.

Today we went to the transmitter site to do some cleaning.  I got to drive aToyota Venture. It was fun to drive on the dirt roads and use a stick shift again :-).  Larry hasn’t driven here yet.

While at the site, I cooked up the meat for next week and walked over the suspension bridge.  It’s a long bridge and fairly high.

I had a look at the transmitter building and it is looking very nice with the new transmitter and other improvements.  I was quite impressed with the look of it all.  While there, I walked past a door with all kinds of gadgets around it and as I walked past, the door slid open all by its self. I thought perhaps a mad scientist lived behind that door, but it was only Hans Van Kampen.  He  had rigged up the door with an eye of some sort that  opened the door whenever anyone walked by.  He was also quite proud of the robot that he had built.  It manuvered quite well and he had a camera mounted on it,  but the camera was not working yet. I don’t know what his plans are for it.

We stopped by the Christian Bookstore to pick up some cards and happened to meet Dr. Hynd there.  He was our doctor for many years.  We will be having dinner with him next week.  He is full of stories of the history of Swaziland, having grown up here.  He is now about 84 years old.  It was good to see him.

Lorraine and I took a chair and a stool to the Manzini Manzini Industrial Training Center to be repaired.  It took 30 minutes for them to recover the stool and fix the chair.  It cost about $10 and that included the foam and fabric for the stool.  They did a good job.

The wildlife for today was a lizard and a Guinea fowl.