SwaziCompanions of Iowa

Monday, November 26, 2012

Packed & heading home

Our apologies for the apparent silence.  We have been having a great visit with extremely full days -- the gate at Thokoza closes at 10:00 pm and most nights we have not been here by that time.

The first couple of days were occupied with companion/partner meetings.  On the day of Bishop Scarfe's consecration, One World One Church met with the three companion bishops, +Alan, +Meshack and +Neville.  Bishop Ellinah (el-LEE-na) had a couple days but also had no time to meet with her clergy before facing the wider companionship.  She has met those challenges with grace.

Our two "on-the-road" days were both long.  One does not make a trip to Mpandestane or Matsenjeni (sp?) without visiting the other.  The Thursday trip went to the far southeast area of the country.  On Friday we got a late stop but visited Luve and Lomahasha (northeast) and the house Fr. Charles and Thulie are building near Siteki.  It was after 9pm when we got to a restaurant that night -- and after 11 when we got to the gate at Thokoza.  Saturday Paula stayed in Mbabane while the others of us made a trip to the Hlane Royal Game Park.  The three of us shared a "safari buggy" with a urologist from Bemidji, MN, and his taxi driver from Siteki.  It was the first trip to the park for the driver.  (He also had some advice for our driver who got stuck near the watering hole and caught the biggest share -- but not all -- of the mud from the spinning tyers.  It did take another jeep to pull us out.)  Elephant, lions, white rhinos, warthog, impala (including several little ones) made for a good day.

Yesterday we got to Esganeni (sp?) to Fr. Charles' "big" church.  There were 420 attending from his five churches for +Ellinah's first official parish visit.  That was followed by a pot luck dinner -- an Iowa innovation to western Swaziland.  Later we met Katie Walters, the Peace Corps volunteer from St. Andrew's, Des Moines, who came here in June.  We gave her a ride part way back to her home -- leaving her at another volunteer's home in Mankayane.  That gave us an excuse to drive a gorgeous route that we hadn't seen before.  However, whoever it is in South Africa who has Julianne's luggage is probably enjoying the monster bars from home.

The sun has come through -- at least part of the time -- so we do expect to be able to fly out from Manzini this afternoon.  (Plan B is to drive to Johannesburg.)  Still have to return the rental car -- I've almost learned how to shift and access the emergency brake with my left hand.  We have exceeded our 200 km/day allowance (no unlimited "mileage" here!) so will have to see how much that costs.

Thanks for all of your prayers.  We will continue to post some reflections as we have time.
Dave

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Right Rev. Ellinah Mamukoya, Undoubted Bishop of Swaziland

A few more reflections on the Consecration and Enthronement, before we move on to happenings since Saturday . . .  Those of us in the audience had a great view and were immersed in the choruses of powerful singing as the welcomes and then the Consecration Service unfolded. We heard a sermon from Rev. David Dinkebogile that emphasized the importance of the historic moment and then pointed out that more properly this consecration was like all others, marking a transition point, a moment of transformation on a Bishop-Elect's walk with God.  This time it happens to be a woman's walk with God.  Rev. Mandla Dlamini recapped the serman in siSwati.  Rev. David's presentation was energetic and engaging, but Rev. Mandla surpassed even that.   Archbishop Thabo Makgoba's smile and voice expressed his sincere joy about  the consecration of this woman as the first woman Anglican bishop on the African continent.  After the laying on of hands by the Bishops present, joy broke out on the raised platform as the peace started.  Then came the legal part of the ceremony, part of the Enthronement I believe.  Three judges read the documents, verified the signatures and finally proclaimed that Ellinah Mamukoya as the undoubted Bishop of Swaziland.  After that one group of clergy after the other were called forward to stand with Bishop Ellinah and proclaim that she was their undoubted Bishop and they would be loyal to her and to their ordination vows.  It was a very impressive part of the service.  Welcome and blessings from official "link partners", representatives of "civil society" and government representatives were acknowledged.  Then it was time for the Eucharist.  The Holy Spirit filled the entire convention hall at that point.  One highlight was concelebration of the Eucharistic sentences by the Archbishop, Bishop Ellinah, a Provincial Bishop and then Bishop Nigel Peyton.  This, in particular, honored the Companion relationships of which we are a part.  Bishop Ellinah's words of welcome to those present.  She expressed her humility at having been chosen by the Diocese and confirmed by the Province, and also spoke of a growing acceptance that God would guide her and provide what was needed for the Diocese of Swaziland.  She said that ArchBishop Thabo had come to Swaziland in March and instructed the priests to "soak Swaziland in prayer" as they approached the transition point represented by the election of a new Bishop.  Bishop Ellinah said that they had done that, and that her election was the result.  In this presentation and in others, "women's powers" or "motherly skills" were mentioned.  These seem to be the combining of a woman's love and compassion for her family with the strength to do the things that must be done to ensure the success of the family. 






This has been a pretty dense block of text. Here are some photos as a reward.  

Vegetable Matter(s)


From Mary Jane+:

On Tuesday morning members of the Companion Dioceses and partnership groups, including USPG Ireland, Hope Africa, and the Swazi Schools Project (with connections to London) along with the diocesan leadership attended a meeting called by Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya.  We had a morning of fruitful listening first to the Bishop with time for reporting and conversation among all of us.

After lunch, we were invited by the folks from USPG Ireland to drive out to Luyengo Farm with them.  When David and I were here last year, Rosemary and Andrew+ Symonds were working hard on the paper work and the property was still scrub land.  They have hired a knowledgeable farm manager.  He along with a hard working staff have transformed the land for growing vegetables.  They are feeding the army and selling to some grocery stores.  Right now they are harvesting tomatoes and lots of cabbage.  They are continuing to plant cabbage to meet their production targets week by week, as well as, carrots, and butternut squash.  The folks at USPG Ireland have really moved this farm project into productivity and with rent being paid to the Diocese and as the farm generates more profit, some of that will be used for HIV/AIDS work.
Luyengo Farm Cabbages
 They harvest a lot of cabbage every week.  The cabbages that are not quite perfect, are not sent to market, but are taken to neighborhood care points and other feeding stations.  Some of this distribution is being done by our friend Mandla who is working for USPG Ireland at present.  Adding cabbage to the children's diet is a very good thing, as cabbage would be a source of Vitamin C, soluble fiber, and a range of other important and interesting phytochemicals.  Cabbage is one of the cruciferous family of vegetables (along with broccoli, Brussel sprouts, bok choy, etc.).  They were given their name because of the four petal cruciform formation of their flowers.  Even the lowly cabbage reminds us of the call to live a cruciform life - including the feeding of those with much less.
New tractor from USPG Ireland

Monday, November 19, 2012

Just in time liturgical planning


From Mary Jane+:

As the clergy lined up for the procession into the civic center in Manzini for the consecration of Bp. Ellinah, we were divided into diocesan and visiting clergy.  But, by the time we were inside and seated, I found myself seated among both Swazi's and mostly South Africans.  At the peace, one of the archdeacons approached the priest next to me and told him to quickly find 16 pairs to administer communion.  And then he said, start with these two next to you, referring to Grace+ from SA and myself.  So, very soon, I was standing on the raised stage receiving communion from the new Bishop, and then we went to our station to share with almost overwhelming joy the Body and Blood uniting us with Christ.  While communion was being served, Bp. Peyton from Brechin was one of three Bishops who went to bless the many, many children.  He said he thought some Bishops did not like to do this, but he was glad to be asked and is truly in his element with young children! When Mthr. Grace and I had finally served all who came to our station, we were asked to go up to the balcony to serve the massed diocesan choir.  As we climbed the stairs, we were enveloped in their singing!  I kept looking for one older woman from Manzini who sang in the choir for the 40th Anniversary of the Diocese celebration in 2008. And suddenly, she was the next person in line.  As the Swazi's proclaim often in call and response, "God is Good!  All the Time!"

Surprises and Amazements


Last Thursday, Fr. Charles met Julianne Allaway, Paula Sanchini, and Dave and me at the Manzini airport.  On arriving in Mbabane, our first surprise was that we would not be able to stay at Thokoza until Sunday afternoon, but they had made arrangements for us at Khula Golden Guesthouse. This place had some interesting challenges, but our hosts beamed Swazi hospitality.   As we were eating on Friday evening, three new guests arrived.  As we met them we discovered we were meeting the priest, The Rev. David Dinkebogile from Christ the King Diocese in South Africa, who would be preaching at the consecration the next morning. He was accompanied by his daughter, Maria, and Mrs. Maureen Sithole from the same Diocese.  They were observers at the election of the new Bishop of Swaziland and were delighted to be back.   Maureen had presented the motions in the Provincial Synod meetings in 1992 and 1994 permitting women to be ordained to all three clerical orders.  As she told the story, she was just beaming!  And we got a new glimpse of the significance of this first woman bishop for their province, for Africa.  The next morning at breakfast, we talked more and took some pictures to share with you.  David+ preached powerfully, full of the Spirit from Isaiah 6.  And what a joy it was to be praying for and listening to someone we Iowans had met! 

The Rev. Mary Jane Oakland

Consecration & Enthronement


From Julianne:
     The consecration and enthronement of Ellinah Wamukoya as Bishop of Swaziland brought people together from the African continent & beyond for a service rich in Spirit, in song and prayer. Four had the privilege and honor to attend from Iowa, as one of the 'partner' or 'link' dioceses present, joining representatives from our companion diocese of Brechin in Scotland. The commitment to that relationship and that of other partners with Swaziland was apparent and to be discussed further in conversation with Bishop Wamukoya the following week.

Julianne A. bringing greetings from the Diocese of Iowa

Maureen S., Paula S., Maria D., David+ D., Julianne A., Mary Jane+ O.