Brinkley and I have just finished our second day of ministry work here and are currently enjoying some hot tea in front of the fire (seriously!). We landed in South Africa on Tuesday and drove to Swaziland on Wednesday. While we are in Mbabane, we are staying in the “Journeyman house” next door to the Allens. We spent Thursday running errands around town and unpacking. Yesterday, we went to Hawane for an afternoon Bible Study. Steve leads an adult study each week, so we did one for children. Brinkley taught about the four friends who carried the paralyzed man to see Jesus and lowered him through the roof. We also taught them how to do a 3-legged-race and played some other games they are used to. The weather was finally sunny and warm yesterday, because it had been cold and rainy since we got off the plane. We definitely enjoyed being outside. It was great to see several of the women we know from our previous trips, as well as a few of the youth. We have included a picture of Brinkley with Thokozani and Kuseni, which some of you may recognize. We are looking forward to seeing the rest of our friends at Hawane on Sunday.
We had a nice Swazi experience after the Bible Study. The Hawane church was finally shown a plot of land that they have been granted so they can build a new church structure, because they have definitely outgrown the building they currently use. We sat in the grass with several of the elders and the chief’s assistant (or the indvuna), Babe Jele, and talked about the new location for about an hour or so. The Hawane church has been waiting for 8 months for this meeting. It was exciting to be a part of it.
Today, we visited the new area that Steve has been working in- Lesivovu. There were about 20 youth and adults and 50 children. Hunter continued the chronological Bible Study that Steve has been doing for the youth and adults, and Brinkley taught the children. It was the first time many of the children had played with parachutes and Frisbees, so they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Brinkley also made cross necklaces with them, which they loved. Seeing a camera was also new, so we loved all of the reactions and got some good pictures.
Another Swazi experience, which is also the highlight of today, was having 32 people in our single cab baki (truck). There were 29 people in the back, including both of us and Jane, who came to help translate. Steve, Lacie, and Maria counted as the other 3 in the truck. There is a picture of the back of the truck included. It is impossible to see us, but we are all the way in the back. This will at least give you an idea of our fun. Please remember, this has also been the warmest day we’ve had yet, and we were close to Manzini, which is always about 10 degrees warmer than Mbabane, so fun is a great word to use. J We have also included a few more pictures taken in the back of the truck today, after we had dropped off all of the children.
Monica’s mom arrived tonight. The kids were thrilled to see their “Gogo Polly.” Also, Maria and Jane both send their greetings to First Baptist. Tomorrow, we will all go to Hawane, and the plan is to have a baptism service if the weather is warm enough. This will be a new experience for both of us, and we are really excited. We hope you enjoy these pictures. Please feel free to email us (hunterclaire88@yahoo.com or brinkleyj91@yahoo.com). As always, thank you all for your prayers and support. We will send another update soon.
Love,
Hunter and Brinkley
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