We were sad to hear late on Saturday night, of the passing of our friend, Apollo Msibi.  He, his wife and three of his children all joined the Church back in March 2010.  Simphiwe was baptized in Nov. 2010 when he turned 8. Venus was only 4. In 2012, Apollo and his wife, Busisiwe both got tuberculosis and were very ill.  Their baby daughter died that year and Apollo, who spent months in the hospital, became deaf and crippled from the medication he took for TB.  Busisiwe ended up leaving the family after the baby died and Thantazile was living with her when we met the family a year ago. They had not been active for several years and Venus, who was 11, had never been baptized. The four kids, who were living with their dad, came back to church and we taught Venus with the elders.  She was baptized in January 2018.  We love this family and have been very close to them. What a sad, sad time....

We went to their home on Sunday morning and took some fruit and vegetables to them and a pan of brownies.  Then on Monday evening we went with 12 members of our branch and met with two of their aunties (Apollo's sisters) and plans were made for Apollo's services. I took these cute pictures last night.

Masebenza Msibi (20) with his Gogo

He just completed his last exam on Thursday and will graduate from high school

Thantazile (23) and her little boy, Junior, who will be 3 on Dec. 17th 

Wendy (18) with her 2 month old baby girl, Lindokuhle

Uncle Simphiwe (16) with Junior

The three sisters, Venus Msibi (12), Wendy and Thantazile

Apollo Msibi 

(I took this picture of him on April 19, 2018)

TUESDAY

We were SO surprised and happy to see a BIG envelope in our post office box

on Tuesday with letters and notes from our cute grandchildren, written in September! 

Cute Lungile in our branch had a birthday on Tuesday, so we took her as BIG birthday

cupcake and one for her little sister, Bakezile too. She was SO happy!! 

WEDNESDAY

We had DLC (District Leader Council) with three of our NEW elders in Swaziland. 

(I made Gooey Butter Cake for our refreshments afterwards.)

L -R: Elder Sinclair (ZL), Elder Reneer (NEW ZL), Elder East (DL in Mbabane), 

Elder Van Thiel Berghuys, Elder Mbaki (NEW DL in Manzini), Elder Souza, Elder Mayisela and Elder Rodgers (DL for Nhlangano and Ezulwini)

Elder Sinclair & Elder Reneer

Elder East & Elder Van Thiel Berghuys

Elder Mbaki & Elder Souza

Elder Mayisela & Elder Rodgers

Our updated wall.... We have worked with 42 elders here in Swaziland so far!! 

I bought some avocados to make guacamole for the Msibi family and also some

cowboy caviar.  Look at the size of THIS avocado!! Mmm... they are SO good here!

(Elder Rodgers and Elder Mayisela brought us some avocados from Nhlangano today, so 

we can make some more guacamole for us! Yum!!) 

FRIDAY & SATURDAY AT THE MSIBI FUNERAL

(We were not comfortable taking photos of the funeral services....

but here are just a few)

Elder Reneer taking a turn digging the grave, as Andile Mbuli and Elder Sinclair look on.

When they were this far with it.... the "ELDER" of the community came and was upset because it was being dug in the wrong place.  After digging for a couple of hours on Saturday morning, they had to start all over!! 

In back is the wrong place and in front is the place where Apollo was buried. The casket is lowered into the ground, covered with a blanket, then with a large piece of wood, then the mat it was laid on, then dirt is shoved in in layers and stomped down after each layer. After the dirt has been shoveled, the women each pick up a very large stone, which has been gathered into a pile, and carry it up to the grave where it is placed on the grave by the men as you see in the middle of the photo. All the time, the crowd (100s) are all watching and singing together. 

A tent is brought and also 100s of chairs for the services 

on the Msibi property next to their home. 

We drove to the mortuary in Mbabane Saturday afternoon, with the family members (three sisters and a brother of Apollo, but none of his kids) and other members of our branch in 2 other cars.  We went inside and sang hymns while the siblings covered the casket with a blanket, then walked around it, saying prayers as they walked.  It was put into the back of the mortuary van and we all followed the van all the way from Mbabane to the Msibi home in Elangeni, with our hazard lights flashing. 

This was just after they carried the casket into the house, 

with everyone singing the whole time.

(Masebenza is in the orange vest.)

This was taken on Friday night of our branch members, who came to the service, as we were waiting for the family to come into the tent for the funeral service which was held from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.  After the service MOST of the people, including the branch members pictured here, stayed for the all night vigil (a Swazi custom) until the Sunday morning service which was at 4:30 a.m. just before the burial. I typed and we printed the funeral programs and hymns for both of the services. (We went home at about 10 pm Saturday night, then got up at 3:00 a.m. and drove back for the service and burial.)

Bro. Armstrong Ngubeni in our branch conducted the service Saturday night.  Brother Sipho Malaza and President Manqoba Shongwe both spoke along with Gertrude Mamba, RS President in our branch. We had 20 - 25 of our branch members there, which was very nice, considering how far they had to travel to get there!

 

Service for Brother Apollo Msibi

                                                                                               Saturday, 10 November 2018

                                                                                                             8:00 p.m.

Conducting:  Brother Armstrong Ngubeni

                                                                                    Opening hymn:  #100 Nearer My God to Thee
                                                                                    Opening prayer:  Elder Robert Wold
                                                                                    Welcome:   Msibi family representative
                                                                                     Speaker:  Brother Sipho Malaza
                                                                                     Speaker:  Sister Gertrude Mamba

Intermediate hymn:   #111 Rock of Ages

Speaker:  President Manqoba Shongwe

        Closing hymn:   #98 I Need Thee Every Hour

Closing prayer:  Brother Charles Dlamini

____________

 Funeral Service for Brother Apollo Msibi

      Sunday, 11 November 2018

        4:45 a.m. 

                   (We arrived at 4:30 a.m. and they had already started!)
Conducting:  Brother Sipho Malaza

                Opening hymn: #100 Nearer My God to Thee

                  Opening prayer:  Gogo Shabangu  (not there)

                                      Obituary (The family did not have this.

                                      Speaker:  Brother Sipho Malaza

                                      Speakers: 

                            Baka Nkhambule (elder of the community)

                                                                                                 Belibandla   Brother Armstrong Ngubeni (our church)

                                                                                                                 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

                                                                                                 Bakabo (one of his siblings)

                                                                                                 Bantfwana (one of his children)   Masebenza Msibi

                                        Closing hymn: #85  How Firm a Foundation.

                                        Closing prayer:  Sethsbiso Dlamini 

Proceed to the graveyard

                                             (Someone started singing and everyone repeated each part of the song...
                                              This went on the whole time we walked to the graveyard ~ behind the home 
                                               ~ until the burial was over.)

                    

                        Speaker for the Family

                        Speaker for Umphakatsi

             Prayer  (by a member of the Jericho Church and all had to sit in the dirt)

  *(The grave was dedicated by Pres. Shongwe with Sifiso Silindza 
   from our branch and two members of the family, being the o
ones there, right before the Sunday       

         service ~ which is also a cultural tradition.)