Friday, September 29, 2017

We had two wonderful days with our mission Pres. Leavitt and Sister Leavitt for zone interviews and zone conference in Mbabane, Swaziland on Wed., September 27th and Thurs. September 28th.

We drove to pick up two of our Manzini elders Wednesday, drove them to Mbabane, then picked up our ZLs and drove 58 km past Manzini (out in the middle of nowhere almost to the Mozambique border) to the King Swati III International Airport to pick up Elder Chaimane.  He is from Mozambique but didn't get a visa to South Africa, so he flew to the Ghana MTC then to Johannesburg and on to Swaziland.  His flight came in at 4:55 pm and he was SO happy to see us!! Since Elder Feliciana is from Brazil and speaks Portuguese, he was able to communicate best with him.  We drove back to Mbabane in the dark, just in time for him to be interviewed by Pres. Leavitt.

He will be companions with Elder Brown (Layton, UT) in Mbabane since Elder Campbell (Chino Hills, CA) left after zone conference to go to Johannesburg, where he will complete the last 3 weeks of his mission and his parents will come to pick him up. Elder Chairman is an awesome young man!

After we brought Elder Chaimane back to Mbabane with the ZLs, we picked up our Manzini Elders again and took them back home to Manzini. They had a teaching appt. a 45 min walk from their flat, so we drove them there. It was pitch dark when we drove home!


Our First Swaziland / Mbombela Zone Conference 
September 28, 2017

The Jensens, Senior Couple in Nelspruitt, South Africa (2 1/2 hours from us) and the Nelspruitt
and Kanyamazane, South Africa Elders, joined us in Mbabane, Swaziland for Zone Conference

(I couldn't help but think "Where's Sister Wold?" when I saw this photo! I didn't get the memo
to wear black!! : /  )

Back Row L-R: Elder Hamilton, Elder Campbell,  Elder Avril (Mbombela Zone), Elder Chaka, 
Elder Noguiera, Elder Schwalger, Elder Feliciana, Elder Perez, Elder Brown, 
Elder Sinclair (from Queen Creek, AZ), Elder Smith 
and Elder (?) (Mbombela Zone ~ from Switzerland).

Front Row L-R: Elder Chaimane (Mozambique), Elder Francis, 
Elder and Sister Jensen (Mbombela Zone ~  from Provo), Us,
Elder Wilcox and Elder Kokotiko (Mbombela Zone) and Elder Powell (New Zealand).



On the way to Manzine and the King Swati III International Airport 
(The airport is in the low veld and it is VERY dry and much browner
there.... We came within 37 km of the biggest game part in all of Swaziland
called Hlane.  It is more savannah and much warmer there.


I can't get over the BEAUTY of Swaziland!!





The King Swati III International Airport
(It is VERY pretty and modern and Elder Wold read 
that it cost close to 1 billion dollars!!



Not many cars outside and when we went in we could
see why!! ONE arrival and ONE departure!? 


This is the biggest suggestion box I have ever seen!? Ü



Cute Elder Chaimane, who was still smiling even
after sitting at the airport in Johannesburg for 9 hours!!!
No flight until the one he came in on.... : /



Elder Powell (New Zealand), Elder Chaimane and Elder Feliciana


Driving back to Mbabane on Wednesday night... There was
SO much traffic!! Everyone here uses their high beams 
ALL the time at night and people walk along the highways
wearing DARK colors!  It is SO scary driving!!


Us getting "squeezed out"!!! 
(It reminded us of Ethiopia! Ü )

What happens when you lay your camera down....after Zone Conference!! Haha!
Elder Feliciana (Brazil) with Elder Brown (Layton, UT) and Elder Schwalger (San Diego, CA)




This sign cracks us up!  It's along the road to the 
Chapel in Manzini so we have passed it several times... Yikes!

1 comment:

  1. Yikes is right! Hopefully none of the Elders are on foot! And maybe in that giant suggestion box should be several suggestions to add a flight or two so people won't have to wait 9 hrs.! Crazy!

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