Shop til We Drop!

We arrived at Thokoza last night at 8pm after a long, dark drive from Maphungwane. We were served dinner and we bolted to the long awaited hot showers. We all had a great night's sleep and were totally refreshed in the morning. We spent the morning cleaning and reorganizing our equipment for next weeks clinic, which will be in the southern part of the country. After lunch we travelled to Ngwenya Glass Factory where we toured and saw how the figurines and glasses were made by hand out of recycled glass. Little did we know that the speed limit was 80km/hr, when our guide...Carl+ was going 96km/hr. Ask him about when you see him! Then we were off to the market, it started to rain and the "boys" were getting antsy...imagine that! So we will be off again tomorrow to get more shopping done and to visit the Swazi Candle Factory. We returned to Thokosa Center for more food and fellowship in the thunder. Now I am blogging with Nolwazi (Kendra) and Sabusiswa (Stevie), everyone else in playing cribbage. Hi to Emma and Chris, and my Make Vera. Love, Gugu (Elizabeth)

Thursday by Kaelly

This morning we said "Good-bye" to our families. It was sad for my "Make" (magay=mom) and me to leave our new family because we felt so close in such a short time. The ride to meet the others was quite funny. Peter+ tried to tell us he had a ten year old sister, when he had to be in his fifties. He asked,"Why do you always laugh at me?" I told him because, "You are too funny," I said. Later Father Charles explained to us that cousins, nieces, and nephews in a America are called brothers and sisters in Swaziland. So what Peter+ was telling was true for him :-).
Our long, bumpy journey to the clinic felt shorter than usual. When we arrived at 8AM, there were many older women already waiting for Dr. Terry. There were less children seen today, but more restorative dental work was done from previous exams earlier in the week.
Bhekani (Begani) greeted us in his native dress and the smile that he always brings to our faces. Carl+ and Elizabeth traveled with Thokosa to two primary schools to hand out dental pouches. They were greeted with warm smiles by the children and given tours by the principal. They gave over 500 children toothbrushes that morning.
Lunch was served again by the ladies taking such good care of us. We had the remainder of the goat, which I did not eat, due to seeing it before butchering! We were also served pumpkin, beets, cabbage slaw, and a trifle...which was really yummy.
Father Charles and Thando showed up with the trailer, than the "good-byes' started to come faster. It was hard to say good-bye to the nursing staff because we had become so close. We packed up the trailer with all of our equipment and off to Thokosa we went. We learned many things from Father Charles on our ride home. It was another amazing day in Swaziland. Love, Nothando(Kaelly)

Clinic Update by Holly

It is the third of the dental clinic the things are going smoothly, but at a much slower pace than the first two days. The group of preschoolers that came on Monday with no permission slips, came again with slips today. As they waited for Dr. Terry we were treated to several songs. They may be little in form, but mighty in voice. During our slow times, Evan keeps us entertained as Charity and Mpumi teach him Siswati. He is a willing student, and is doing quite well. I am so thankful for his presence, he gives me the lift I need. On our way back to our homes we learn that we would be leaving our homes after Thursday morning. This news made Kaelly and me sad. We have enjoyed our stay with our family and wish we could spend more time getting to know them. They will always be in my heart. We do look forward to a flushing toilet and a shower though. Kaelly did better than I thought she would with our toilet "accomodations!" So as I sit here Thursday morning writing, I realize I will even miss those (bleep) roosters that start crowing at a an ungodly hour...before 3am. From now on when I hear a rooster crow it will bring me home to Swaziland. God does have a plan for me. My heart has become hardened at home and here God has broken it and turned it into clay so that He can reshape it and provide me with a heart that is filled with passion and joy, one that can receive love, as well as one that can give love. He has broken my heart open so that it may be filled with joy. Blessings to all...Nokuthula (Holly)

St. Thomas Parish

Photo of youth at one of Father Charles' Parish...they were all over Evan and Kaelly for Facebook addresses! This was taken on Sunday after our wonderful service that Father Carl presided with Father Charles.

Clinic Update

We are at the mercy of the Swazi wireless...so here are words from Stevie Shively from our week at the first healthcare clinic:
Prayer partners have been essential to our time here, "I cannot thank those you who did this for us enough! Your support and prayers are so important to us all! Matthew 6:25-34 "But strive for the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." How small our contribution seemed compared to what we received from all those who touched our lives during the clinic!
Our days started EARLY with our alarms (roosters) going off anywhere from 1:30-5:00 AM. Kendra and Elizabeth stayed with one family, Evan and Carl+ another, they were close in proximity, and Holly and Kaelly were with another, while Terry and I stayed closer to town with Nezzie and Ethel...the same family Bishop Alan stayed with while he was here. We ate breakfast each morning with our "family" then were on the road to Maphungwane with Carl+ and Father Peter (The Rock) by 7:15AM each day. The drive took us 30 minutes down a a road that looked and felt like a dried river bed. The clinic was very close to the Mozambique border. We passed many rural home and children walking to school in their uniforms and back packs, some over two miles away.
The clinic consists of a "waiting/reception" area outside the building on wooden benches where the children sit until their names are called. The teachers bring the students with their "Parent Permission" forms which are required by the Minister of Health in Swaziland before they are allowed to be seen by the doctor. One by one they come to Kendra. She and the nurse evaluate their health before sending them to Dr. Terry for treatment. Three nursing students help us each day, Francis started the week and and then Charity, Sibosiso, and Mpumi continued from a local hospital called the Good Shepherd where they had just finished their two year training. Some patients are given the "green light" to go on their way, as their teeth are healthy. Kaelly and Evan are in charge of keeping the children occupied with songs, books, crafts (friendship bracelets) and/or games. Evan's soccer ball was a hit, as were the bubbles that Kaelly blew. Charity and Elizabeth maintained a smooth flow of patients while Sibosiso assisted Dr. T and Stevie in the "operatory." Holly made sure all instruments, etc. were sanitized and sterile throughout the day. Carl+ was our "mann" with many hats! He either repaired a dental chair, kept us happy and hydrated, or was the "go to guy" when we needed something! Mostof all, he was always praying...
Lunch was served each day around 2pm, by the women from Fr. Peter's parish. They delivered wonderful food, filling two six foot tables with meat, vegetables, salad, dessert, and soft drinks each day. We were serve goat the first day, a total honor here in Swaziland. We worked until 5PM each day due to darkness falling so early. We saw 119 patients Monday, 160 Tuesday and more to come.
Our families were waiting for us each evening with dinner being served shortly there after. Many memories were shared and information exchanged at the dinner table with our new found friends. We each were given a bucket of water to wash up in, and it was time for bed...ready for the next day...what a priviledge it is to serve the people we are working with....Stevie

Carl+ -Tuesday, 27Sept

Sanibonani,

Usually I'm not at a loss of words, but after only three days I'm not sure of what to talk about.

On Sunday we went to St. Thomas Parish outside of Mbabane, which is on of Fr. Charles' four congregations. Fr. Charles had asked me earlier in the month if I would preach, for which I was prepared, but when I arrived he also informed me that I was celebrant too!

The whole service was a combination of SiSwati and English including my sermon which was translated sentence by sentence. After communion Fr. Charles had me bless the children who had not received the Holy Sacrament and there were about fifty of them, one by one. All during this time the congregation was singing, and it was truly one of the most blessed and holy moments of my priesthood to date.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this mission and I look forward to coming home and sharing more moments such as these. Someone please say hello to my wife and let her know I miss her.

Blessings,
Carl+

Kendra--Sunday 9/25

[MJ and I did see the team this afternoon; they also have not got wireless working so sent some posts back with us]

This morning we attended Fr. Charles' church, St Thomas, west from Mbabane. It is a very young and lovely congregation. After church it was back to the Thakoza Center for lunch and to pack for our first clinic near Siteki. The trip to Siteki took about two hours, this allowed time for the goats and cows to move off the road. Once in Siteki we set up the clinic, had tea and were dropped off at our host families homes for an evening of conversation and preparing for our first day in clinic.

Kendra

Wednesday am

Just a brief note -- expect to have more to post tonight.

MJ and I are off to Mpaka (that is approximately "ba-ga") where she will do another mini-workshop at Christ Church/school. We will then go on to see what the rest of the team is doing. We will be taking another jug of Sidex for sterilizing equipment and some diet coke for those who need that "fix" along with a few more supplies.

Rosemarie just drove up; not sure if she or Andrew will be going with us today but we will also be joined again by Philile and Thulie.

Nice and cool this morning but did get hot yesterday -- mostly 60s and 70s here at Thokoza.

Faithfully,

Dave

Memo to families of team

Yesterday after our first mini-workshop I went downtown to access an ATM, activate the phone the Rockwells had sent with us, and find a place to access wireless. I was successful on only the first task. Mary Jane and I can access her gmail and the blog (but can't post pictures) from the Thokoza computer, but the version of Microsoft Explorer is apparently too old to speak to the Microsoft Outlook that would access my email account. Fr. Charles has his computer with the dental team but I don't know yet how their access has been. We will know more tonight.

Fr. Andrew Symonds spent yesterday with the dental team while his wife Rosemarie took MJ, Philile, Thulie and me to our first clinic in the mountains between Mbabane and Piggs Peak. Today Fr. Andrew will be with us while Rosemarie will be with the dental team.

Thando, who helped move the team on Sunday reported that the set-up went well. We understand there was some delay Monday morning with consent forms, but that the dental clinic was in operation at least by afternoon. We should know more by tonight how their work is progressing. Once I get the phone working we should be able to check in more easily; once I have wireless access we should be able to post some pictures; once Elizabeth gets Fr. Charles' computer communicating, she will also be posting.

Thank you again for your interest and support. Your prayers sustain us especially when we can't talk face to face. Your prayers for the people of Swaziland and for the Anglican Church in Swaziland also give our companions hope and encouragement in an uncertain time.

We are well and about to head our for Day 2.

Blessings!
Dave

First Sunday in Swaziland

What a beautiful, sunny spring day! We all were driven up the mountains to St. Thomas, one of several to many churches served by Fr. Charles Kunene. Fr. Charles admits to still dreaming "in Iowa", and what a delight to worship this morning with Fr. Charles and Thulie. Fr. Carl Mann of St. Albans, Spirit Lake was the preacher/presider. Young people from the congregation read the lessons in English and Saswati. We sat next to the Sunday School Superintendent who shared her hymnal to "encourage our singing". They sang the refrain to "O Come All Ye Faithful" within the eucharistic prayer. At announcement time Fr. Charles introduced us, and told all of us that the green frontal was a gift from St. Paul's Cathedral. And in the back of the church is a clock from Shenandoah, affectionately reminding him of Bud Ferrel, his sermon time-keeper. After getting acquanted it was back through the hills to Thokoza Center for the dental team to pack, eat, and head east to move in with host families and to set up the space where they will start screening and treating school children tomorrow. Yesterday a government official spent a long time with Terry and Fr. Andrew to finish the credentialing process which was a lengthy process of sticky government control. But, at the end she became excited to see what actually would be done, and will be sending several of her para-professionals to the eastern dental clinic for training with Terry. This is very positive and excitin! Dave and Mary Jane enjoyed a leisurely lunch with Fr. Andrew and Rosemary with much conversation about the Neighborhood Care Pointes, and our schedule for tomorrow. We will meet with the women working in the HIV/AIDS office and then off to Ekufikeni to begin program assessment, gather input from all I meet, and then do a mini-workshop for those who prepare the food and care for the children there. We feel so supported by your prayers - and we are grateful! Know that you are in our prayers. Sahle Kahle! (Stay well!) MJ+

In Swaziland

(written Saturday evening; posted Sunday evening)

We arrived at the Thokoza Centre around 3:30 Friday afternoon and got most of the dental team supplies sorted and ready for the next two weeks before our Welcome Dinner. We were joined by Bishop Meshack and Lucy Mabuza, Archdeacon Bheki Magongo, Rev. Orma Mavimbela, Rev. Charles Kunene, Rev. Andrew and Rosemarie Symonds, Thando Mnisi (driver and soon-to-be electrical engineer), and the HIV/AIDS office staff: Philile Ndlela-Hlatswayo, Thulie Ncongwane, and Lungile Shongwe.

Saturday morning we left Dr. Terry Shively and Fr. Andrew in Mbabane to negotiate with the official from the Health Ministry. The rest of us traveled to Hlane Royal Game Park to get energized for the next two weeks of work. Only one lion (male) posed for us this time and no leopards or zebra, but we saw quite a few elephants, white rhinos, hippos, impala and other antelope, giraffes, warthogs, wildebeest, and many interesting birds.

Thanks for all of your prayers for this mission.

Blessings from springtime!
Dave

We are here!!!!

We have safely arrived in South Africa...all 10 team members, 24 pieces of checked luggage and 20 carry on bags! Father Charles Kunene and Thando greeted us at the airport and made sure we were safely tucked into the Life Hotel in Kempton Park, South Africa. We are very tired after our 15 hour journey from Atlanta, and ready for a shower and a good night's rest before we continue on to the Kingdom of Swaziland in the morning.

Days to Departure...

The Health Care Ministry team is on the threshold of our travel to do God's work. We have been updated on our accommodations for our first clinic in Siteki. We will be divided into four groups of two, staying with four lovely families about 20-30 minutes drive from our clinic site in Maphungwane. We are excited to hear that we will be staying with these families and be enjoying breakfast each morning with our host family before our departure to the clinic site by 7:30AM each day. Our site will be a school where we are scheduled to care for 500 students throughout the four day clinic. Stay tuned for weekend posts of updates from both the dental and nutrition teams. The grace of God will keep us where the will of God has called us.