What a FUN day this turned out to be!  The 30 kids who qualified to attend the special District Youth Activity today, by attending seminary 75% of the time and doing their assignments, had a great time together!  We met at Hoofbeats, did paint ball (ten at a time), played games, ate a big lunch, prepared by Sister Ntshalintshali and Sister Simelane, had a little presentation on the Youth Theme for 2018, "PEACE IN CHRIST",  taught by Elder Wold and I, had ice cream cones and cookies, and ended with a dance. Ü 

Sister Simile Simelane, Mbabane Seminary teacher and Sister Ntshalintshali, our
District President's wife prepared the food. They had chakalaka in buns for a "snack" 
and then had a lunch of rice, chakalaka, beef stew, vegetable lasagna and chicken breasts and wings.  (I was dishing up food and forgot to take a picture during lunch...)

Two of the groups ready for paintball!

Two of our Ezulwini girls waiting for their turn for paintball,
relaxing in the shade.... Ivy Ngubeni and Londiwe Dlamini

President Siko Ntshalintshali, President Xolani Sithole 
and Brother Nkosingphile Ndwandewe, district council over seminary and institute

Cute Zwakele Shoba, our Manzini seminary teacher

The kids played games while the others were doing paintball...

 

President Ntshalintshali spoke to the kids about keeping their armor on
relating it to their paintball experience, then we talked about the theme in D&C 19:23

After we spoke, we showed the video "PEACE IN CHRIST" and passed out worksheets

and we all sang the song together with the music.  We also gave each youth a framed copy of the scripture to take home to remind them. 

The whole group before the dance...

(We were missing one from Ezulwini, a few from Mbabane and a few from Nhlangano.)

Yesterday and today was the Reed Dance in Lobamba, where around 40,000 young girls dance topless for the Queen Mother and the King.  It is called Umhlanga and is the BIGGEST holiday of the year.  They present the reeds to the Queen Mother for the royal palace.  The King chose his 14th wife last year at the Reed Dance the week before we arrived in Swaziland.  They also do the Reed Dance in a week or two in Nhlangano.

(This photo was online.)  Thousands come to watch from all over the country and actually from all over the world!!!  Lobamba is CRAZY all this week with visitors and booths set up with local people selling things to the crowds.