We had a fun day with our senior missionary couples here in Swaziland today!  We met at 8:00 and drove to Malkerns to the Swazi Candle Factory and shops.  They enjoyed watching the candle making and shopping.  (The candy factory gave me a free candle for bringing more people there!)  Ü  

I thought I had seen everything at the candle factory shops, but these cute hens caught my eye!  They are made from various kinds and colors of plastic bags! 
These people are SO creative!! 

We then went on to the Baobab Batik Workshop after we all shopped at their shop near the candle factory!  It was fascinating  to see what goes into their beautiful items!  (I bought some fun things!! )

On the road to the Baobab Batik Workshop, there are fields and fields full of pineapples growing on both sides of the road.  It was such a pretty day.  We stopped to get photos! 

On the tour, with the lady describing the EIGHT steps to making a batik item! 

Girls applying wax to the fabric, preparing it for the next color of dye. 

 After they are dyed, they are boiled and then washed, then they are hung up to dry.

This lady started with white fabric and dyed one blue and the other two she sponge painted colors of dye on to make an African sky and a sunset background.

She showed us the buckets of powdered dye.  This one is yellow. Last time we went,

they were not dying anything.  Those ladies were on lunch break.  This time the ones doing the tracing, applying wax, etc. were on break.

Our last stop was the sewing room.  These ladies cut out and sew the fabric into table runners, napkins, table cloths, wall hangings, purses, clothes, pillows, etc...

A few finished products!

My favorite!  I bought one like this.... 

We drove on to House on Fire.  The couples had to see the women's funky bathroom!! 

A banana tree at the  House on Fire...

From there, we went to Ezulwini and drove through the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary....

Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary

Blesbok

I LOVE seeing the beautiful zebras all over the place! 

These tiny impalas were near their mom...

Thompson's Gazelle

Greater Kudu

Impalas

Giant termite hill!

Crocodiles!!

Nyala

Execution Rock (above) and 

Blesbok

We saw this big Mama warthog and four little babies on the side of the road!

The little ones scattered when we got close to them!! 

Ludzidzini (the residence of the Queen Mother in Lobamba) 

We had dinner at Pizza Inn / Galito's at Corner Plaza,  right across the street from our compound, and then came to our flat for dessert on Friday night. 

L to R: Groesbecks, Todds, Reeses, Us, Olivers, Fugals and Trumans. 

(The Leavitts were doing missionary interviews and training all day Friday 

and then had a district meeting that night.)