Volunteer Reflections #5

Thank you so much for all of the prayers this week. We had a great time with the Warrens and were truly blessed by their family. We met up with Bert on Monday in Manzini and headed straight to Phuzumoya. There, we joined Pastor Sigwane, Sifiso, Lloyd, Makhosi, and a few bomake (women) and drove about an hour and a half to an area called Belungu. We spent the afternoon setting up two revival tents and driving stakes into the ground that a jackhammer probably could not have penetrated. Revival services started that night and will continue until Sunday. We enjoyed spending time with the pastors and other Swazis as we were setting up the tents. It was quite a process, and it still was not completed when we left three to four hours later. When we left Belungu, we had about a two hour drive to Tshaneni, where the Warrens live. We ran by the store first and ran into Simpiwae. It was such a surprise and so good to see her. Her son, Fezo, and her new baby were with her. (As many of you know, Simphiwe and Douglas are now living in this new area and are working with the Warrens.) Monday night, we enjoyed sitting around the dinner table, sharing pictures, and exchanging stories from back home with Bert and Lisa.
Tuesday morning the two of us went with Bert and the Warren’s younger son, 11-year-old Matthew, to Phuzumoya. The original plan was to go up to Belungu with Pastor Sigwane and do homestead visits. However, plans in Swaziland are rarely carried out and this was no different. Instead, Bert and Matthew went with Pastor Sigwane and Lloyd to collect firewood for the church. We stayed at the church and played with the orphans who attend a school there. We also played with the preschoolers who attend the preschool that the Phuzumoya church runs. The orphans absolutely loved the attention and the games. They were constantly grabbing our arms, holding our hands, touching our heads, and rubbing our faces. When Matthew and Bert returned, we helped unload the firewood, and then headed down the road to do a homestead visit close to the church. The woman we visited is an active member of the church, but as a result of her diabetes and high blood pressure, she is suffering from extremely swollen feet and legs. Unfortunately, this problem is preventing her from walking. Her grandchildren are taking care of her throughout the day. We just went to encourage her and to pray for her. We also ask that you pray for this gogo. She is a dedicated member of Phuzumoya Baptist and is still discipling women several days a week, despite her physical pains.
On Wednesday, we spent the morning at the house while Jessie, Matthew, and Sarah did their school work. Afterwards, we headed to Mananga which is basically like a country club with a golf course, restaurant, and a swimming pool. While we were there, we saw zebra, kudu, impala, warthogs, and monkeys. There was also a playground that we enjoyed as much as the kids and a pool where Jessie and Matthew swam. The Swazis thought they were crazy, since it is definitely winter here, but the boys loved it. Wednesday evening, we went with Bert to the revival at Belungu. Our friend, Musa, was there as well as the pastors we had seen throughout the week. The two tents were packed by about 6:30. We loved the service, and at the end, seven young men made the decision to follow Christ. The evening was topped off by all of the animals we saw both on the way to Belungu and on the way home. On the way there, Bert drove us through the sugar cane fields that surround their house. We saw tons of monkeys and impala. Most of the other roads we drove on backed up to different game parks or ran beside land where various African animals are being raised. We actually had a kudu run in front of the bakkie and saw baboons on the side of the road eating sugar cane. On the way home, we had to stop due to about six or eight zebra blocking the road. Since we were with an eastern North Carolinian J, we were often driving too fast to take pictures or it was too dark, but we enjoyed seeing all of the animals.
Today, we packed up and said good-bye to Lisa and Matthew. Bert, Jessie, and Sarah rode with us to meet Monica and Lacie in Manzini. We unloaded Monica’s bakkie at the Manzini church for the Youth Leaders’ Retreat tomorrow. The rest of the Warren family headed back to Tshaneni, and we went back to Mbabane. There have been extremely bad windstorms the past few nights in both places. We have just gotten power back at the mission house in Mbabane and the Warrens were without power when we left. Monica says she was also without water for a majority of the last 24 hours. We are thankful it is back on now, and hope to get this update out before we lose it again. The wind has picked back up, so it is only a matter of time. We will spend the rest of tonight preparing for this weekend’s retreat. We are sooooo excited about seeing everyone and being a part of the Youth Leaders’ Retreat once again. Please continue praying for the youth leaders as they plan and prepare for the National Youth Camp. We will send another update Saturday night or Sunday, before we head to Nhlangano on Monday. We will be with Wayne and Barbara Myers until we leave on July 8th.
Thank you for all you do and for what you mean to us!

Love, Hunter and Brinkley