We finally got to attend church in Gege today!  We picked up Elder Bowen and Elder Molteno at the zone leaders' flat at 7:30 a.m. and got to Nhlangano at 9:00 a.m. (since we drove the elders back down, from bringing their truck to Mbabane for a new clutch, etc... on Thursday. They needed to change and get clean clothes on before church!) We met with our seminary teacher, Bongoni Villane, who is preparing to serve a mission, before the meeting started, then attended the Nhlangano Branch at 10:00 a.m., just until after the sacrament. We had to slip out to drive to Gege's sacrament meeting that started at 11:00 a.m.  

The members in Gege, which is a 40 minute drive from Nhlangano, meet in Brother and Sister Malinga's home. They were among the first members of the church in 1987 here in Swaziland. (I wish I could have gotten a picture of them!)  They told us that the members in Manzini used to meet in their home in Manzini, then moved a couple of times as they outgrew each meeting place, until the beautiful Manzini Chapel was built.  There are now two good size branches that meet in Manzini and the District President's office is also in the Manzini Chapel. They retired and moved "home" to Gege and started the group there. 

The Malingas have a plot of land they are hoping a chapel will be built on for Gege.  Their son is an architect and is all ready to draw up the plans.  The problem is that there are not many Melchizedek Priesthood holders in their group. (Brother Malinga was the only one today, besides Elder Molteno. Elder Bowen stayed in Nhlangano for the block.) There were about 40 in attendance there today in Sacrament Meeting. What SWEET members!! We LOVED being there. (Bob and I and Elder Molteno were the speakers of course!)  Most of the roads out there are dirt and are REALLY bumpy with lots of potholes!!  They ARE building a NEW paved road to the side of the old dirt road, but it is a long way from being finished! (We drove through beautiful countryside but it was very difficult to get photos on the bad roads and through a dirty windshield!)

It was a LONG drive on a dirt road to Gege, up and down hills...

out in the middle of nowhere....

and past forests with three different types of trees!

We finally got to the turn-off to the Malingas' home, where church is held.

This is their home, but after we parked and go out, we found that the meetings are actually held in another building to the left of their home (not in the photo)...  Primary was held outside in front of the round building straight ahead. The kids brought their little plastic chairs from the front two rows in Sacrament Meeting, outside for their Primary class.

It was interesting to see all the ears of corn hanging on the fence and the huge field of maize and the many cows the Malingas have.

Several photos didn't turn out, but I did get this one on the way back to Nhlangano.

Another photo taken on the way back to the church in Nhlangano... (It is hard to see it but this bridge over a little river has NO sides on it and it's a long way down!)

We met with the seminary and institute students in Nhlangano after their block

when we got back just after 1:00.  Seminary and Institute have not been happening  

there, so we did our best (again) to try to get them excited about attending weekly.

We'll see what happens!?!

(Notice the pretty blue sky.... On our drive home we ran into rain both in Manzini 

and in Ezulwini and it was VERY overcast and COLD!! )

Yesterday morning, we had District Leaders' Council here in our flat.  There were 10 of us, with the zone leaders and three district leaders and their companions. We drove to Manzini to pick up Elder Francis and Elder Musumhi.  After the meeting, we drove Elder Sinclair and Elder East back to Mbabane to their appointment.  It was in a pretty area we have not been in before called Malangweni, which is just at the turn-off to downtown Mbabane. There are STEEP hills they have to walk up and down!  

Malangweni has a BEAUTIFUL view!!