It was so hard to say good-bye to our Ezulwini Branch members today after church.... our LAST Sunday in Swaziland! I had a bag of chocolate 💗s to pass out to them and a little gift for my RS sisters. We got some photos, but I forgot until many had already left for home...

Elder Wold and I were  asked to speak in church, but the first speaker went so long and we had two musical numbers, the YW singing "If We Love Him" and Zola Shongwe singing "Strength Beyond My Own", so Elder Wold  just  had time to bear his testimony.  But he did a wonderful job as always! I bore mine in siSwati for the last time. 

Ezulwini Primary children and Ketsiwe, the Primary President

Ketsiwe and her counselor, Pontso Shongwe and Zola Shongwe

Our Ezulwini Branch Relief Society Sisters (and kids)

We were missing several sisters....and we had some people who the elders are teaching!

(Sindi Mahlobo, our neighbor being taught, was in Sacrament Mtg, but I guess she had to leave before RS...)

L to R: Precious (being taught), Gertrude Mamba RS President, Philiswa Hlophe next to her  aunt, Rachel Simelane holding her little girl, Megan Shongwe (visiting), Zola  Shongwe, Gogo Shabangu (in the hat), Thandeka Mayala, Thuli Ndwandwe (holding baby girl in pink), Khandile Malaza, Me,  in front of me ~        (being taught), Jabu Nkambule, in front of them ~ Zwakele Nkambule with her little girl in pink, Sakhile (friend of Mzwandile Zandamela), Jabu's sister, and Thuli in the stripes.

(Long story about these frames we bought last  Sept. but never used... I got this idea last night  to give to my RS Sisters to remind them of our RS Activity and being "Sisters in Christ" with the Gladys Knight song, etc....

 

Naomi, Elizabeth and Sister Mayala, Pontso and Thuli Ndwandwe  

with her baby tied onto her back

These two cuties, Naledi Shongwe and Iola, are cousins 

and love to  run around together during sacrament meeting. Ü 

(Naledi is Pres. Manqoba and Pontso's little girl.)

Siphiwe Shongwe and I in our color-coordinated outfits. Ü 

She is YW Pres. and teaches Institute. She translated my testimony into siSwati for me.

Siphiwe and I with Cassie (Nkosingphile) Makhanya, YW counselor, and Lindelwa Thwala

Elder Reneer with Sibusiso Dlamini, our Asst. branch mission leader 

& our friend, Cassie

Elder Wold with Nhlanhla (Michael) Khosa and Nkosingphile Ndwandwe

Elder Reneer, Trevor Zulu and Elder Jolley

Jesse, Naomi, Thandeka, and Elizabeth Mayala

Charles Dlamini in front of Elder Wold 

(Eating the  chocolate 💗 suckers I gave Siphiwe for the YW but she forgot....)

One last shot of us with our zone leaders in Ezulwini Branch...

Counselors in our Branch  Presidency ~ Ephraim Dlamini (left) and Moses Khanyile

Today at 4:00 pm we took some dinner up to the Msibi kids. Wendy was visiting from Matsapha with her 5 month old  baby girl.  Masebenza had to work today and so they did not come to church.  (We never saw Simphiwe...) We had sweet chicken in the crockpot in tortillas, cowboy caviar, guacamole with chips, watermelon, soda and no bake cookies. 

It was a nice afternoon with a little breeze... They are up the mountain

in Elangeni.  It's a very pretty setting!

 

Venus (12)

Germany, a cousin (but they say "brother" when it is a son 

of their father's brother) lives with them. He goes to the 7th Day Adventist Church.

A VERY sad "good-bye".... We have been close to the Msisbi family

We stayed until dark.... 

(Of course picture-taking always ends up with dozens of selfies!! )

 Germany with the elders

Masebenza, Wendy and her baby

Driving down the mountain.... The "road' is overgrown with grass

this time of the year! 

SATURDAY

Darling Masisi and Nathi Dlamini from Mbabane Branch met us for dinner at Adega Portuguese Restaurant on Saturday night.  Nathi is our guy here who does all the work permits, visas,  etc. for the elders serving here.  He also gets repairs done in all the flats, and works with the owners, etc...  We will really MISS him!!  

They are expecting their 2nd boy the end of April! 

Saturday night was also a YSA Dance in Mbabane!

We took 50 Rolo-filled cookies to them and got this photo of three of cute Ezulwini YSAs,

Bahle Ngubeni, Amanda Simelane and Nkosingphile ("Cassie") Makhanya.