I'll have a V for visitors please Bob

I have had some visitors over the last few weeks; firstly Clare Turner from Warrington, and then my mum and dad. I am very pleased they were able to come out, as it is always difficult to really describe what it is like out here. I can tell tales and share pictures, but seeing it for yourself is different. All visitors welcome!

Mum and dad flew straight out to Swaziland, and I met them there. We had a few days holiday and then went to stay with Nomsa and her family. You may remember that I wrote about Nomsa, and shared a picture of her in van, which I had converted into a minibus by putting seats in.

Nomsa runs the Swaziland project, and supports a network of care workers in the community. Nomsa’s husband died 15 months ago, and she has been in formal mourning ever since. The few days we were there, she was preparing for a family and community weekend to mark the formal end of her mourning period, when they would burn her black clothes and dress her in colour.

They had prayers every evening, and mama was asked to give a “word from the Lord”. Singing was unaccompanied, and prayers enthusiastic. As more and more people turned up for the weekend, prayers were moved to the kitchen building, and was interrupted at one point by the children chasing the chicks to put them away in a box in the corner. God is very real for them.

We all helped with preparations, and mama planted some squash in the garden. They grow cabbage, onion, spinach, beetroot and a number of other green things.

We also visited in the community, and gardens and hens are very much a part of their life. One farmer showed us his 500 chickens, and was very amused when mum and dad said they had six. Swazi is much more rural and although beautiful, life is hard work for people. One of the ladies commented on the seats in the van, and said it was much more comfortable than sitting on the floor!

We spoke to man who had walked 11 kilometres to and from his primary school every day; try telling that to the traffic jam around school gates in this country!

Six days after we left Nomsa we heard that her eldest son had died suddenly, and it is another example of how hard life can be for them. He will be buried next to his father.

I then drove mum and dad back to White River. We had another trip to Kruger Park, and I saw more elephants in one place than I ever have before. We also went for a boat trip in Blyde canyon, and dad got stopped by the police on the way back. All part of the Africa experience. As is the big freezer in the supermarket full of frozen cows heads...

Dad helped me with some work in the village, which meant hanging on the back of a loaded buckie (pick up truck to you English folk), for the 6k off road drive up to the farm. He didn’t fall off, so that’s alright then.

Mum and dad also spent time in the community, and visited an old lady who is 2 years younger than granny. She wanted her photograph taken (with her medication) so that we could show the “English lady”.