Competition day in Madudula

On Saturday, July 31st all of the churches in the CMC network met in Madudula for a day of games, competitions, and fellowship.

We began the morning with the indoor competitions:  choir, dance, and solo singing.  One judge was appointed from each of the churches and one from the USA as well.  We saw some very good dancing in the traditional Swazi style.  Our dance team actually placed first much to our surprise.  I think this is because they liked our humorous presentation.  We certainly made them laugh.  Too bad we weren't trying to be funny. 

When they announced the outdoor competitions, the big question was "who will get to play the US team in soccer?"  This is because we are considered an "easy win."  The team from Madudula faced us and we only lost 2-0 but in reality we were on the defensive the entire game.  [I'll post some action shots of me playing soccer when I get them from the photographer.]

Team USA fared better in volleyball.  The only problem we had was that kids kept stealing the cones that marked our end corners.  I think they thought they were some kind of toy.

We did have a moment of trouble when a very large and very aggressive man infiltrated the picnic and began rough-housing with the kids (and menacing some of the adults too, apparently).  I found one of our team members from Swaziland and he had a little chat with the fellow and the guy left.  I'd really love to know exactly what he said. 

It was a very restful day for the most part.  In some ways it felt like we weren't working but then one must remember that the most important thing we are building in Swaziland is a relationship with the people there.

Near Mankayane, southwestern Swaziland

Today we drove down to Mankayane.  It is a beautiful drive through the mountains of southwestern Swaziland, and although it was raining ever so slightly it did little to diminish the beauty of the countryside.

When we arrived we began with a service inside two of the school classrooms and then we set up for our clinic & clothing distribution.  The students from the school were told to go outside and wait for the puppet show!  You can see the ocean of eager faces that were waiting.  However, as I went to the van to get my bag of puppets, I discovered to my great dismay that I HAD LEFT THE PUPPETS BEHIND!  I can't express how upset I was at myself for not checking the van personally.  I had simply assumed that the people that loaded the equipment had loaded the puppets as well.  My mistake for not verifying.  So, I asked myself, what do I do now?

What I decided was to tell the story without the puppets.  There is an old saying in the theater "the show must go on!"  So I worked out some motions to suggest the characters (monkey, lion, crocodile, elephant, giraffe, and hippo) and, with the help of my interpreter, told the story.  It wasn't a puppet show, but it got the message and I think was entertaining for the kids.

After the no-puppet show the kids had to line up to go inside our "kids' club" room and do a craft and receive a knapsack and some sweets (that's candy to you and me).  Immediately a problem arose as all of those children began to press toward the door and make it difficult to get in and nearly impossible to get out.  I struck up a conversation with some older school children and recruited two of them to assist me in keeping the others in line.  They did a fantastic job and I rewarded them by personally taking them through the clothing line so they didn't have to wait (since they had given up over an hour of potential queue time to help me).  Their names were Siphosethu and Bongani.

After the work of the day was complete we were treated by the church to tea and scones and we left just as the sun was setting over the mountains.

In Madudula

The tent

This morning we headed to Madudula, which we formerly called the 'tent' site because in 2007 we set up a large circus tent in an open field and that tent served as clinic, distribution center, church, and community meeting place for over 2 years.  The tent is gone now (in fact, I saw it folded up in the back of the church in Matsapha, see the photo).  But just a stone's throw from where the tent stood there now stands a fully build clinic that is serving as a temporary meeting area while the rest of the construction project goes forward.

I got to see the pump house where the water from the well is pumped.  I assisted the water guru Chris Serik a.k.a. "Themba Manzini" in attaching a proper set of filters to the pipe and we drank the water from the tap.  It is an important step because we cannot charter a school  unless there is a clean water source on site.

Posing with Archie

I also had a chance to observe how far the construction has progressed on the classrooms.  Two are nearly completed.  The others had significant block work done while we were there.  Much to my delight I had a chance to catch up with Archie Ngwenya.  He was the second person I met in Swaziland and owns the business that manufactures the block for our construction.  I visited his block works in 2008 and had a chance to make a block myself.  The block I made is probably in one of the buildings behind us.

First work day, near Pigg's Peak

Rode up through the mountains to a town in northwestern Swaziland.  I did not write down the name of the town but it was not too far from Pigg's Peak.  The school we visited was perched high on a mountain and looking down into the valley below we could clearly see the Maguga Dam reservoir. 

We had a service in the open space between the classrooms and afterward set up a clinic in one class and our clothing distribution in another.  I was tasked with getting (and then keeping) the lines in order.  At first it was a mess because the lines crossed each other, but after a bit of creative juggling I managed to get them separated and after that the whole operation ran smoothly. 

The nurses were able to see all the patients who wished to see them and we gave away all the clothes we brought.  I had a very nice time talking to some school children.  We are always a curiousity when we go to a town for the first time.  The kids are always eager to practice their English and I get to practice my siSwati.

I took this picture while the Bishop Nelson Vilakati was preaching.  In the forground on the left is Pastor Van Moore of the Vision of Missions Tabernacle church in North Philadelphia.  To the right in the foreground is my pastor, Pastor Angelo Juliani of Bridge Community church.  Standing to the left is Bishop Vilakati and to his right is Pastor Acorn of CMC, who was translating.  I love the way the small child in the center walked up and stood among the pastors.  It reminded me of Matthew 19:14 in which Jesus said:  "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

A slow day in Matsapha

This was a slow day today the container was not delivered until after dark. We went to the Christian Ministries Church (CMC) in Matsapha and had a great time playing with kids and talking to people around the church. 

At one point a few of the ladies from CMC set up the goals for a game of netball, which is a game similar to basketball.

As the sun set we realized that there was going to be no unloading of the container, but I think it was a good first day because we had a chance to get to know our team members from Swaziland.

Arrived in SWZ @ 4 pm and were greeted by the church. Saw many old friends. Dinner in Manzini, then a team mtg and finally bed.

Landed in S. Africa. Long flight and no sleep but wide awake with excitement. Bus to Swaziland now.

The tent in Madudula at night (2008)

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden."  -- Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

Day-to-day schedule

Here is our team's schedule, or a reasonable approximation of it.  Everything is, of course, subject to change.  Please be praying for as as we travel tomorrow and Sunday.

Sat. July 24 -- Depart from JFK

Sun. July 25 -- Arrive Johannesburg, bus to Swaziland

Mon.  July 26 -- unpack container, orientation, possibly travel to Mbabane to learn about teaching credentials in Swaziland

Tue.  July 27 -- distribution of relief goods, clinic, kids' club, and worship service in Malindza

Wed. July 28th -- distribution of relief goods, clinic, kids' club, and worship service in Mafutseni

Thu. July 29th -- distribution of relief goods, clinic, kids' club, and worship service in Madudula

Fri. July 30th -- distribution of relief goods, clinic, kids' club, and worship service in Mankayane

Sat. July 31st -- All day picnic and fellowship with all the churches in the CMC network in Madudula (where the tent used to be, and the clinic & school will be)

Sun. Aug. 1st -- Special ordination service for all the churches in the CMC network in Matsapha

Mon. Aug. 2nd -- Day Off, hopefully visit Mantenga Cultural Village

Tue. Aug. 3rd -- distribution of relief goods, clinic, kids' club, and worship service in Mbabane

Wed. Aug. 4th -- distribution of relief goods, clinic, kids' club, and worship service in a location TBD.

Thu. Aug. 5th -- bus to Johannesburg, flight home

Fri. Aug. 6th -- home!

It's the final countdown

[Da-da-daaa-duuuum ... ]

Less than 24 hours until I depart.  Today some last minute preparations.

Went to the chiropractor this morning to get all straightened out prior to my loooooong flight to Africa.  Made a follow-up appointment for when I get back.

Let's see, what to do today?

Better check and make certain that AT&T finally got my texting plan correct.  What a hassle that has been; no one seems to really know the plans well.  Finally I got a customer service rep who seemed to know what she was talking about and then I checked and she had added the WRONG plan.  She added the plan for texting FROM the U.S. TO international numbers, I needed the plan for texting FROM an international roam TO the U.S.  /sigh.  I think/hope the CSR I talked to last night got it straightened out.  I should be able to update this blog from Africa but will be limited to 150 characters so you can expect very concise posts until I get back and can again be long-winded.

Also have to go to REI to get two more water bottles for team members plus a couple of mesh bags that  teammates want to use as shower caddies.  I will also get a survival radio there; I wasn't impressed with the Wal-mart version and returned two of the three I bought.

I have to decide whether there is any American style food I really am craving before I leave.  I have had my Chipotle burrito, my Pizza Hut stuffed-crust pizza, my Egg McMuffin, and my Whopper with cheese.  I may get a steak but perhaps not since I don't want to eat too much heavy food prior to spending a long day on an airplane.

All the clothes I want to take are clean and ready to be packed, I should probably straighten up my office before I leave but I am skeptical that will happen.  I will need to pick up the stuff I have left scattered around the house or my wife will be unhappy.

Two days to go!

Getting ready today means doing laundry and packing my suitcase.  Tonight we have a special packing meeting during which we will each pack a piece of 'team luggage.'  What this means is that one of our two allotted checked bags will be filled with supplies for the team and the other with personal items.  My team bag will contain the puppets and some other supplies.  Having only 1 bag plus a carry-on for personal gear means I have to be selective about what I bring.

Another item on my agenda for today is to prepare my notes from my last two trips and place them in a binder to take with me.  We are all expected to bring a binder for team notes, song sheets, etc.  I purchased the binder last night, so today I just have to print out my notes and insert them.

Finally, I will be visiting one of my daughters and her two children.  I think we are going to a playground with the grandkids, so I am looking forward to that.

Preparations, continued again

Today I bought the Dunkin Donuts coffee that I forgot to buy yesterday. Two bags; one for the suitcase and one for the carryon to ensure no days without coffee. Also learned how to update this blog via texting, which will allow me to update daily from Swaziland, but looks like I will be restricted to 160 characters.

Puppets!

Just wanted to post a picture of the puppets that I am taking to Swaziland for the Kids' club stories.  As always, click for a larger image.

Preparations, continued

Four days to go!  Got up early today to run some more errands.

Stop 1 was the barber shop to get a trim on the noggin and beard.  Chuck at Ralph's Barber Shop in Glenside always does a great job.

Stop 2 was Dunkin' Donuts. I forgot why and bought a sausage egg and cheese sandwich and a coffee.  I was supposed to buy 2 lbs. of original blend coffee to take with me.  I'll have to go back.  I have made an arrangement with Cheryl, one of the nurses.  She is bring a coffee press and I am bringing the coffee. Then we'll both enjoy coffee with our breakfast.  Seemed like a better idea than buying and packing my own coffee press.

Stop 3 was Wal-mart.  (Please don't flame me, I know that PBS Frontline has questioned whether Wal-mart is good for America but I am not prepared to take a dogmatic stance on the Wal-mart issue at this time.)  I was still looking for luggage and a fleece bag.  I didn't like the luggage and didn't find a fleece bag but I did find some crank-powered radios.  They weren't as nice as the ones at REI but they were more compact and a little less expensive so I bought three to give away.  I also bought a birthday present and card for my nephew's girlfriend.  (She's getting Twilight:  New Moon on BluRay.  I think she'll like it.)

Stop 4 was Sears for luggage.  On the way in I saw some swim trunks with the design of the Bennington flag on them.  I admit I was tempted to purchase them. But it is actually against the law (US Code Title 4, Section 8d) to wear the U.S. flag so I resisted the temptation, even though technically the Bennington flag is not the U.S. flag.  I know and deeply respect too many veterans who would be offended -- the novelty wouldn't be worth it.  I did manage to find a nice set of luggage though.  Now I can start packing.

Stop 5 was Dick's to once again look for a fleece bag.  I found a green one but it wasn't exactly what I wanted.  Close, but not close enough.  I think I will just take a set of sheets and use the blankets at the convent where we are staying.  I did purchase a bouncy lacrosse ball for a skit I plan to do with my puppets in Swaziland.

Stop 6 was home.  Planned to pay some bills and update this blog before heading out to see The Last Airbender.  Got caught up working on my computer and missed the movie; maybe tomorrow.

Please keep praying.  More later ...

Preparations

Spent the morning diddling and fiddling because it was raining and I didn't want to drive.  As the skies cleared I decided to get to work on preparations for my trip.

Stop 1 was REI to pick up three BPA-free Nalgene bottles.  I had one that had been on five mission trips on three continents, but I left it unattended in 2008 for a few minutes, and it disappeared into the high veldt.  I bought its replacement plus a bottle each for Pastor Van and his brother-in-law Chuck.  I also looked for a fleece bag and a cheap backpack but the fleece bags were too small and the backpacks too pricey.  Last item was a survival radio.  The kind that operates on solar or by cranking it and has AM/FM, weather band, and a built-in flashlight.  Sticker shock made me put off the purchase but I suspect I'll be back by the end of the week.

Stop 2 was Target, to comparison shop for a fleece bag, backpack, and survival radio.  They had no fleece bags and no survival radios, but I did find an inexpensive backpack that had the elastic side pouches for my water bottle.  $8.99 and sold!  While at Target I surprised myself and bought some new cargo shorts, which I really needed.  I think it's been 2 years since I've purchased new summer clothing and it's starting to show.

Stop 3 was Office Depot where I bought nothing but decided that what I really wanted was some cheap pens and a small spiral pad, just one.  Years ago I learned from Rick Buddemeier, a friend and missionary-mentor to me, to always have a pad and pen handy to write down names and contact information of people you meet.  I've done it on every trip since and it's always proven to be sound advice.

Stop 4 was Pathmark to purchase a rotisserie chicken for tonight's potluck and prayer meeting.  Fail!  They were sold out.  I bought some ribs instead for my lunch and will go back after finishing this post and claim one of the birds that was in the rotisserie cooking.  Bought my notepad and some blue ballpoint pens.

Home now and writing this up, seems more boring than I expected but will post anyway and then head back to the Pathmark for my chicken and then on to the potluck/prayer meeting.

More preparations and perhaps a more interesting post tomorrow.  Meanwhile, you can check out Mary/Sihle's blog.

I own a chicken!

Yes, I own a chicken.  It was given to me as a "thank you" by a woman named Dudu Matsenjwa on behalf of her family.  It was actually the second chicken that was given to our team.  I accepted a chicken from the church in Madudula (the church that met in "the tent") that was given to our team.  I had no idea what to do with a live chicken, but I asked a man from the main church in Matsapha and he transported it for us (and also slaughtered it, cooked it, and served it -- along with several other chickens -- at a dinner following the next Sunday service).

But THIS chicken I did not eat.  This chicken I entrusted back to the Matsenjwa family to take care of for me.  Now, as I understand it, the arrangement is this:  The chicken is mine.  In return for caring for the chicken for me, the Matsenjwa family is entitled to eat any unfertilized eggs and (I am pretty sure) to some of the chicks and to their eggs as well.  But the chicken and most of its offspring belong to me.  When I return, I have the option of giving the chickens to the family, to other families, or to ask the Matsenjwas or some other family to care for the chickens for me.

The truth is, I don't really know what to expect when I get back to Madudula.  It has been 2 years since I last visited Swaziland, and I don't know how old my chicken was (the life expectancy of a chicken is about 7 years if it manages to avoid Perdue, Tyson, or Colonel Sanders).  I also don't know how many chicks this particular chicken is likely to have had, or how many chickens the Matsenjwa family has needed to eat or sell to make ends meet.

Nevertheless, when I return to Madadula, I plan to take a walk over to the Matsenjwa farm and visit them (and the chicken).  So when I get home I'll let you know how it turned out.

Please pray for this family.  They are: Ian, the father who is trained as a paramedic but who has had difficulty finding work, Dudu, the mother, and the children, Ntsikelelo, Thabo, Zuzu, Mcebo, Ebenezer, and Dabenhle.

The Container

Every time that our team has gone to Swaziland, we have sent ahead a cargo container with relief supplies (medical, clothing, baby formula, etc.)

I thought you'd be interested in seeing these pictures of the container being loaded.

\

As always you can click to view a larger image.

The container shipped in early June and should arrive in Durbin, South Africa soon.  From there it will travel by train to Matsapha, Swaziland and will then be delivered and unloaded at Pastor Nelson's church.  When our team is in Swaziland we will distribute these supplies in eight separate locations around the Kingdom.

Please pray for the safe arrival of these essential supplies, and thank you to everyone who donated items that were shipped on the container.

Back from vacation!

Hello!

If you have been returning to this blog wondering why I stopped posting, it is because I was on vacation with my lovely wife.  We are back and I plan to get back on schedule with regular updates.

Also, if you have any questions or suggestions for a post topic, please tack a comment onto this post and I'll get back to you.