We made it to Johannesburg!

On leaving Swaziland... Mary Jane Oakland

Team Iowa 2008 rode in the vans from Swaziland back across the border into South Africa today (October 28th). Our flights are scheduled to leave early evening tomorrow (October 29th).

We are spending tonight in a delightful hillside bed and breakfast inn. The grounds are gloriously in bloom and we felt like we were dropped into a close approximation of the Garden of Eden.

A little more than 24 hours ago I took a picture of the ground at St. Augustine's school and feeding site for orphans and vulnerable children in Mpaka. In the yard where the children play there is no grass -- not even weeds -- just hard packed clay. What a contrast to the lush growth of grass, trees shrubs and flowers here at High View Gardens in Johannesburg. (Where there is rain in Swaziland, the landscapes are green and more beautiful than expected. But in areas which have suffered from drought, the picture is different.)

Obviously, we have physically left Swaziland and are anticipating with joy our return to family, friends and co-workers. But, I now understand how in a certain sense one doesn't leave Swaziland -- the children, the people, the music and dancing the joyous worship, the friendships both forged and renewed -- have become a part of each of us.

What a privilege to make our pilgrim way with the wonderful committed team of pilgrims and to accompany our Bishop Alan & Donna on this spiritual journey in Swaziland.

Monday, October 27 - from the Lydia's

By Lydia Brown and Lydia Kelsey

Thondo, our driver and guide, surprised us all this morning coming to pick us up wearing an Iowa Football t-shirt, given to him by a previous Swazi companion. Today we split into two groups, one group headed to the South, while the other half went back to St. Augustine's.

We were with the group headed back to St. Augustine's, as we were wanting to spend more time with the children. Our first stop was Ekukhanyeni where Archdeacon Josiah had asked us to do a chlorinator demonstration. Children were just finishing up their ABC's in the classroom when we arrived. The demonstration went well and we were invited for "tea" at an off site location.

We were taken to the location of the new church they hope to build for this community, which has been growing in size. We had a bit of a dilemma when offered a koolaid like cold drink made from water we knew could be unsafe to drink. The cornbread was delicious and we did our best to be polite while not consuming the liquid.

We then headed to Mpaka and visited St. Augustine's where the children were eating lunch. Elizabeth Ward took pictures of each child, so we would be able to bring back faces and names of children to Iowa.

Fr. Dent offered us a tour of his homestead, which utilized bricks made by the 2006 Swazi companions. We headed back to town for last minute errands and to prepare for the farewell dinner and reception.

The evening was lovely, with the final understanding being that this was not good-bye, but a pledge to continue our ministry as companion dioceses with Swaziland and Brechin. We were thanked countless times for everything we did.

From Carl Mann - Sunday, October 26

Sanibonani!

I was told to keep this short so I will see what I can do although there are two parts to what I have report.
First, as transportation coordinator and primary American driver, I have had the unique experience of viewing Swaziland through a windshield from the wrong side of the vehicle and the wrong side of the road, at least from an American perspective! I probably don’t need to go into much detail as that last line says it all. As we leave the hustle and bustle of the city each morning, proceeding through the last robots, (traffic lights), over the last of the speed bumps (they’re everywhere), and begin the ascent or descent of endless mountains and valleys, I say, “Let the insanity begin!” Seriously, I am considering a third career as a NASCAR driver. It took the better part of three days to feel comfortable enough to become as crazy as the local population in regard to operating a motor vehicle. This is one of few places on earth where it is perfectly acceptable to pass the car in front of you and immediately hit the brakes because there may be a very large bovine or goat taking a leisurely stroll across or down the middle of the road. And that is on the main four lane highway, possibly even in town! When one departs the main highway to travel to one of the various outstations, one finds them self on a road that we would consider a ‘level B’ road back home; teeth-rattling, bone-busting, and maintained once a year whether it needs it or not! But that all right because that’s the way it is. Let’s just say that the panel beaters (body shops) and breakdowns (tow trucks) appear to be keeping busy. OK, that’s enough about that for now.
The second part is in regard to the 40th Anniversary Celebration held yesterday in Manzini. It was a wonderful service containing a balance of traditional Anglican and culturally rich liturgics and music which lasted for a good three hours and a bit. And that was just the first part of the celebration! Then came the ‘Welcoming’ portion of the program which lasted just a little over two and a half hours! Suffice it to say that it was good practice for the return trip on the airplane. Aside from the length, it was glorious! The order of service was followed as close as possible but when ever a unforeseen break in the action occurred, somebody would break into song in the Makwaya style (traditional African) and before you know it we were up on our feet clapping our hands, singing at the top of our lungs, and movin’ to the groove thing! It was quite amazing, actually. It was a spontaneous, heart-felt, soul-clenching worship which was as natural as taking a breath yet still very Anglican in a sacramental way. Outward and visible actions radiating an inward and spiritual grace nearly beyond description due to its heavenly source and generation; literally an inspiration of the Holy Spirit!
This entire trip as been an honor and a humbling experience in which we have been received and accepted as brothers and sisters in Christ! My everlasting thanks to the congregation of St. Alban’s in Spirit Lake and the Diocese of Iowa for allowing me to be a part of this mission.
An off-the-cuff reflection: I believe that we, the team, have been ministered to by those of whom we have met in a far greater capacity than from anything that we have had to offer them , which is striking because we have accomplished a significant amount good by the loving grace and mercies of God!
On a personal note: Jane, if you have been waiting to hear from me, I love you and miss you, and the dog, and in that order. Mom, if you read this, so far there have been no international incidents but we haven’t left the country yet! To my congregation: I hope things are going smoothly, and I will see you this weekend. Don’t forget that we have All Saints’ Day service on Saturday, and the 3rd Annual Hunter’s Mass celebrating St. Hubertus on Monday.
Hambakahle!

Carl+

From Angela Zahn - some thoughts

Everywhere I look I see rolling mountains, red earth, and people who seem to be coming from nowhere and a destination out of sight as well. I still haven’t gotten used to seeing young children walking along long stretches of road bare foot, maybe walking to school if they are lucky or home from the market, again if they’re lucky. I have to imagine each person’s story but as soon as I begin, a new face quickly appears and replaces the others in a blur. The road are littered with grazing cows, donkeys, and goats keeping the grasses at a manageable height. Mothers with babies strapped to their backs and heavy bags in each hand holding as much as they can bear, all while balancing a container (hopefully full of water)on her head. As we stop along what seems to be a deserted area for our lunch, we learn very quickly there is always someone somewhere in the dusty, red winds. I try very hard not to look up and make eye contact with any of the people of Swaziland, ashamed of what is in my hands; the guilt fills my stomach far more than the food which has been carefully prepared for me. I have been burnt by the fiery African sun, hit with the dusty, red winds, felt cold bitter enough to go straight to my bones, and have even been thanked for bringing rain to parts of the country that haven’t seen rain in three years. Africa holds so much beauty, it is like an onion; it takes some work and some tears to get through it all. Angela Zahn

From the Bishop

What a tremendous day yesterday as we celebrated the Diocese's fortieth anniversary. The exuberance and joy in Christ was palpable. I am glad that we have decided to continue focusing our relations in one diocesan partnership with Swaziland and Brechin. I have begun the process of asking the team what the Spirit is saying to them as they return home, and some amazing mission desires have been articulated already. I intend to share these with Bishop Mabuza in our final conversations this afternoon, and see where they might fit in to his overall vision. We are particularly touched by the situation in the southern region, as well as concerned to assist the water ministry to be further expanded and coordinated.

We have been honored guests during our time here, and I make it very clear to the Swazis that their ministry to us as we come among themis the making of disciples. We cannot fail to be effected deeply in our spirit by what we see, and what touch us from the brothers and sisters of all ages we meet. This communion of ours which Christ is the creator of is precious. It is a network for human compassion and caring which takes us deeper into each other's lives than we can imagine. Just sitting under the same tree where the village council meets to settle its internal disputes and then be "part of their agenda for the day" is an incredible honor, matched only by the open response of gratutude from our hosts for our coming and gift of clean water.

Of course we also tread carefully where we begin to realise that ministry has its bumps on the road, and is as dependent on ongoing work in human relationships in Swaziland as it is in Iowa. That is one reason why we seek to keep ministry coordinated at the episcopal level. Not because bishops always get it right, but because they are often at the center on the ground over the big picture. We hope in the years to come we can begin to share ministry through parish to parish. With Swaziland parishes being organised with multiple out stations, parish to parish from the Iowa perspective will mean ministering to a whole region. We hope also to think more strategically of following up on projects with sponsoring longer stays for Iowans with particular interests. There is a commitment on all sides of the partnership for multiple communication.

There is no doubt that God has given us a great gift in being partners with Swaziland and Brechin. I can only look over at those involved in this year's trip and know that God is transforming them in Jesus' likeness.

+Alan

Wine with friends

Our good friend Pat Miller from Brechin bought us all wine to share. Here pictured left to right is Jane P, Glenda, Lydia K, Elizabeth, Lydia B, Pat, Terry, and Angela.

Hello from Fr. Charles!

Fr. Charles says hello to everyone back in Iowa! He is so happy to be home and see his family, but wants to pass along his greetings to everyone back in the states. Everywhere we travel people are so glad to see him and tell us thank you for taking such good care of him.

Photos from Sunday

Saturday, October 25 - Jane Ringwald and Marva Eck

Saturday, October 25
By Jane Ringwald and Marva Eck

Today is our free day!!! We’re off to Hlane Royal National Game Park. This is a protected area and is home to the largest herds of game in the kingdom.

We boarded 2 Land Rovers and started out to see what we could see. Many dead trees, a result of the elephant rubbing against them, reminded me of scenes from the Lion King.

The Park is divided into several areas and the first one we visited is home to many rhinos. They seemed comfortable around our vehicle. The highlight was meeting a mother rhino and her baby (about 1 month old). As expected she was very protective of her little one. We also met up with a large elephant who has only one tusk. When we entered this area, a couple of the Kuudus crossed our path.

As we went along, we say many vultures hanging out in the trees. We found a carcass of an impala – probably their afternoon snack. Trees were abundant in this area, and we did see a cactus looking tree where sap is milky and poisonous (related to the poinsettia).

In another area we ran across a pride of lions taking their afternoon siesta. One of the mothers was grooming her cubs.

We were near a watering hole where there were many large birds, including a large heron, a variety of storks, and more vultures. A large beautiful elephant was also there. He got tired or our taking his picture and decided to charge the Land Rover. That was exciting, but no one was hurt. Luckily the drivers recognized the sign of a charge (the elephant’s ears forward) and got us out of the way in a hurry. Driving around the park we saw many impala.

After the drive, we had time for shopping at the gift shop and had a wonderful lunch at the restaurant. As the menu was impala – a very tender “beef like” meat. Near the restaurant was another watering hole where we saw 2 submerged hippos.

On our way home we stopped at Swaziland Candles. A nice shopping area.

Catastophe #1: Glenda ran to board one of the vans, hit her head on the van and was knocked out for a brief time. We’re all glad she wasn’t seriously injured.

October 24- Elizabeth Ward

Friday, October 24
Elizabeth Ward
Six of us stayed behind in Mpaka today. We helped Terry with his dental assessment and also Mary Jane did a nutritional assessment of the children. After the children ate their lunch of Mealy meal, beetroot and beans, we started seeing the children in groups of four. We were told their typical meal was at 1 pm each day and that’s their only meal. It consists of a corn based porridge and beans. Today there were 43 children and 6 teachers that ate and for the vegetables their cooked with 1 leek, 2 tomatoes, and the greens from the top of the beets – and that’s all they had!
After Dr. Terry and Jane did their dental exam, I helped the kids brush their teeth with their new toothbrushes we gave them in their very own bags with prayer beads, which everyone was excited came from one of Fr. Charles’ churches.
The time spent there was a blessing.

October 24 - Jim Bradley

Friday October 24
Jim Bradley
We started today with a typical Swaziland breakfast: sausage, ham, fried eggs, toast, and marmalade. This is invariably accompanied by porridge, hot tea, or instant coffee.
After sunrise service in the Thokoza Chapel, we boarded our two Toyota vans. First stop is always to fuel up the vans, and also to stock up with bottled water, chocolate, and potato crisps.
Our journey today takes us east and south toward the borders or Mozambique and South Africa. By late morning we are at St. Augustine’s Anglican Mission, where a hard-working parish priest, Rev. Mbatha and his wife run a “feeding scheme” or soup kitchen for about 60 pre-adolescent children orphaned by the plague of HIV/AIDS the effect of which is visible wherever you look here. Rev. Mbatha feeds his children from a burlap-walled 12’x12’ kitchen and a 20’ x 30’ school room, tin roofed and dried mud floor. Modern steel-trussed building skeletons are waiting to be walled when additonal funds are found. The cost of the steel skeleton includes the roof which cannot be installed until the foundation and walls are in place. According to Rev. Mbatha, last year he and his wife furnished two meals five days a week. Now, because of funding, these orphans eat only 1 meal, 3 days a week. Life is hard and getting harder for many here in Swaziland.
Mary Jane, Terry, and others stayed at St. Augustine’s to conduct nutrition and dental exams, while the rest of us traveled 30 minutes over bumpy roads to Maphungwana. There we demonstrated our chlorine machine as part of a sort of tribal or community council. Here, about 50 men and women gathered under a spreading ghude tree to decide community disputes and discuss community business. The had favorable reports about the water chlorinators from other nearby communities, and were eager to learn how to use the machines we demonstrated and left with them.
Driving back to Rev. Mbatha’s dust-blown soup kitchen, we picked up Terry, Mary Jane, and the others. On the way back to Mbabane we were hosted to cold soda and cookies by a couple that remembered Rom and Toni Noah from their previous trip.
Back at Thokoza, we practiced for our singing debut Sunday at the big 40/40 stadium celebration. We have chosen, “I the Lord of Sea and Sky” and “Do Lord, Do Remember Me.” After supper, some of us went to the Cathedral for another rollicking, Swaziland Anglican revival. Thus ends another day is this very beautiful, very dry, and very AIDS stricken kingdom.

October 24 - TR Shively

Friday, October 24
TR Shively

Hi all!

Great day Friday. Back to St. Augustine’s. Got about 50 kids in process. Their Ba be Dent and Christine send their love. Raining in Mbabane – night’s cool. Some hot days. I played “Vana” on demo team (more details later).

Special love to SKS, Kara, Troy and my prayer partners

October 23, 2008 - John Doherty

October 23, 2008 – John Doherty

Rainy day with much cooler weather. We start the day with drizzle and mid 50 degree temps. The fog is thick so there are no views as we leave Mbabane.

Our first stop was Swazi Candles and Crafts. Beautiful handcrafted candles, woven fabrics, and batik’ed materials. We all bought many things. The Swazi economy was helped.

We next stopped at St. Andrew’s School. Lucy Mabuza is the principal there (she’s the wife of the bishop of Swaziland, Bishop Mabuza). There is much need there, books, etc. many people who work at the pineapple cannery live nearby. They have very little by the time they pay rent and food. There is little left over. The school is quickly improving. We meet the teachers and looked about.

Next we all stopped at an ATM for cash that we’ll need at the market.

We are stopping at Montega Cultural Village. Bishop Alan started a volley ball game in the back of the van. We discovered prices vary a lot store to store on some items. Glenda negotiated a great price on our entry fee.

We first walked up to see Montana Falls a double waterfall about <300m tall. Then we were blessed with singing and dancing by the Matsamo Cultural Group doing traditional music.

Twice blessed with the bishop and others dancing. The Shaman asked the Bishop back to his hut, but he declined because of our tight schedule. We learned a lot about traditional Swazi village living. Bishop was presented with a symbol of his being our elder.

Found out it’s about $1,000/year to sponsor a student to school. Lower levels can be less.

We stopped at the market. We were lambs at the slaughter. Once you entered a store they would bargain you into submission. I spent every Rand on me.

We next went to St. Mathias orphanage. Terry presented pharmaceuticals and toothpaste and toothbrushes. We did a music presentation about brushing. We saw the children getting their lunch. The got a bowl of beans and porridge. They ate with their hands. I asked and they said it was the biggest meal of the day.

Saw the billboard again about savings account at banks for a dignified burial for your children. How different than us, saving for retirement or for our children’s education.

We last went to St. Margaret’s orphanage. Bishop Alan came out of the van with a soccer ball. The boys and Alan played soccer for a while and the girls played a game. The group of orphans sang for us as we gave them stickers and gum. Then we did a dental brushing presentation. There were pictures and prayers.
If you did not believe that the power of Christ could change things, you would be in despair for the world and the people and children we have met today.

The revival was great. We got there late, maybe mid-service. The singing was soulful and the preaching dynamic. We were all called to be transformed people by the power of the Holy Spirit. At one point we all were saying our private prayers aloud. It was as if the tongue of God was upon the Cathedral Church of All Saints.

Ocotber 22 - Bishop Alan Scarfe

Wednesday, October 22 – Bishop Alan Scarfe

Today we met our third Archdeacon. The Swaziland diocese is divided into three parts. And the Archdeacon Michael oversees the southern deanery. We traveled into the hotter and poorest area of the country. The drought of recent years has badly affected the people here. There’s little work in the rural areas we visited. Even the plantings possible a couple of years ago now yield next to nothing and people are showing signs of malnutrition. Mary Jane would pinch the children’s arms to test for fat presence while we were standing watching the chlorinator demonstration. She also pointed out signs of protein deficiency. Any future visit needs to be accompanied with food supplements. Our candy brought joy but helped little toward their real health needs.

I have lost count of the number of chlorinator demonstrations we have done. The team has been great. I never thought that the evangelism would come as we go through the talk, but the good news is there at the end. “This gift is free and may save lives, but there is a great and wonderful free gift from God that saves us forever in His Son Jesus Christ,” are the closing words of the script.
What struck me today - as powerful and emotional day as any I have experienced – was how we give the same chlorinator demonstration, the very same script, and yet every context, every location has been profoundly different.
We have faced cynical representatives of a local chief and the water board, wondering if we were trying to poison people slowly and questioning the science of it all. And we have been embraced by open hearted Christian and community people sitting on rocks over against gorgeous hillsides and mountains. We have joined communities under the trees and in their small churches that are spaces for worship, feeding orphans, health checks, and education.

Today, we began by meeting children – OVC’s: orphaned and vulnerable children – at St. Mary’s Church, Hlatakulu. There are no words to express their impact upon you. Then we were taken to a primary school with 340 children grades 1-7. They gathered in assembly, sang to us, and greeted us. Teachers and parents attended the demonstration as we sat again under a tree overlooking the mountains.
I was given a tour of the Headmaster’s house - foundation cracked, walls coming apart. It is condemned but he must live there as he has to give his better accommodation to his teachers. To replace it costs $6,000. Half for a new roof and then they rebuild walls and foundation.

Finally we went into the dustbowl the deeper South. They have dreams for a school, learning to grow drought resistant crops, and a church able to accommodate more people than their tree.

This was our most emotional encounter. Such humility and poverty combined with laughter and smiles and sense of gratitude to God and any of God’s servants who remembered them.

I am sure others will blog about this gathering. Everything was summed up by one woman who in thanking said, “Thank you for your gift. I know it will be very helpful to us. ONCE WE HAVE RAIN.”

I went out back to the 5,000 liter water tank by the small church. It was empty and has been for a long time. Just 20 minutes away is a government dam shared with South Africa. All that water, only minutes away from desperately barren fields.
This is the contrast of the situation of the Swazi people, facing such poverty in a land so scenic it takes your breath away. There again there’s little that doesn’t catch your breath in this journey. It really is God’s gift to us to share life with this part of God’s world.