Swaziland Post No. 3

DISCLAIMER
I first must apologize for all the typos and errors in spelling and otherwise *blach* in my typing. I am using a keyboard that is not in US native English, and the spell check capabilities, well, ugh...so, while normally a stickler for those kinda things, again, my apologies .

I want to share more of the joy and positive things that happened while we were in Swaziland. There were moments that lifted my heart and humbled me in ways I never imagined.

TOOTHBRUSHES
Many of you know David and I gathered about 1,000 toothbrushes and some 500 small tubes of toothpaste to bring with us to hand out. Having no idea how it would all work, I was amazed over and over and over...each time we handed one out one to a person. The first day David I went on Home Based Care (HBC), together, we brought about 200 or so toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste. Imagine to our complete surprise, when mid afternoon, after seeing patients and people on the side of the road, we ran out. EEEK!

Upon arriving at a homestead, or tree on the side of the road, or any other place where patients from the Good Shepherd Hospital lived, or generally agreed to meet when the HBC team came, their overwhelming thanks for attention from the nursing team, David and I were REALLY knocked out when we handed out a toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. People in Swaziland are possibly the most gracious, to a person, I have ever met. Never, was anything that was provided, the entire time we were there, handed out, given, received with no less than two hands cupped together, a small bend at the knees, and a "thank you" offered - man, woman, and child. A simple toothbrush and tube of toothpaste, sometimes brought large smiles, a few whoops and giggles, and for the children...it was hard not to break out in tears a few times...their ear to ear grins would stop any traffic anywhere in the world.

We would not only hand out individual brushes and paste to the patients, but we would ask how many people were living in their homesteads and provide enough for them as well. Again, the 'thanks' were amazing.

The delivery of toothbrushes and toothpaste continued on other ride-alongs with the HBC team, and I am so happy to say...every last toothbrush and tube of toothpaste we brought with us, is now in the hands of nearly 1,000 different people in Swaziland.

I was just a conduit to make it happen - and I owe a LARGE, GENEROUS, HUGE "thank you" to those that donated (I'll list them all when I get home).

There we many other examples of the happiness and just general nice times that I can share, that weren't so focused on the hunger and poverty and illness and very difficult situations in the country.

Our friends Scott and David made friends with MANY Swazis, and while raising a bit of money from friends and family to pay school fees for kids, buy shoes and school uniforms, pay for medical expenses from some, and even pay for the construction of a few homes (pictures coming - 10'x10' cement block structures), they dug deep into their own pockets to help many.

(My) David and I were able to witness the results of much of the past year of their work and we, and because we are friends, we were received, welcomed, and hugged, kissed, and in a sometime embarrassing way, shared in the generosity of their good works.

The houses that were built for sisters Doris, Elsie, Selena, we got to see them. The ones in progress, we got to see them. We got to share in the pride and joy that a cement structure provides to someone instead of living in a (very common) stick, mud, stone thatched roof home.

We were able to share in the happiness of kids who received monthly bus fare ($10) from Scott and David so some they could go to school every day.

We were able to see and share in the measuring of a few children (WAIT until you see these kids' pictures) as new school uniforms and shoes would be on their way.

We were able to share in, as I briefly mentioned in a previous post, a going away dinner that will forever live as a seminal moment in my life. David and Scott essentially helped a young boy, Tabiso, 12 years old, after his mother died shortly after they arrived nearly a year ago, get relocated to live with his aunt and uncle, and their 9 children, and over the past 12 months, weave his way from being an extremely difficult child, into one that is coming to integrate into a new family, and one that has received wonderful care and attention from our friends Scott and David that include buying a 5,000 liter new water tank for the house to catch the rain, and over various good things over the year.

On our last Saturday, Halloween in the US, we were able to be part of a most generous, honoring, 'last supper' (Scott and David leave Swaziland Nov 12) that Tabiso's aunt and uncle provided. You will see pictures of this as well. While having a cow is one of the highest status symbols in Swaziland, their family was fortunate enough to have goats (next in line). So, to thank Scott and David for all they have done the past year, they killed a goat, we cooked the goat, and a great feast of food was provided including potatoes, salad, mealy-meal (maize product), and drinks...words cannot share with you all how it took our breath away many times during the evening when we saw just how happy and honored and thankful the family was for what had been given to them...I will never forget it.

And the last happy, joyful, pure emotions I will share that I will always remember will be the children's faces...a smile that starts from the bottom their BARE feet...comes up and passes through their heart...and them comes out in this big, broad, wide, tooth filled grin...I will cherish those forever.

I have been writing all these posts in Cape Town, South Africa where David and I have spent the last four days. I'll share more about Cape Town in other blog posts, because if you ever(!) have the chance to come you...you have to! This city and region's physical beauty in unsurpassed in anything I have yet to see anywhere else in the world!

We leave tomorrow, Friday afternoon, for our 30 some odd hour return trip home.

There are so many more stories, of course, that haven't written about, but in conversations and emails and maybe other blog posts later about Swaziland, I'll share, cuz there are some GREAT ones...trust me!

This has been a three weeks in my 44 years that surpasses anything...I...have...ever...done. David and I have been moved to tears in so many ways, at so many things, both good and bad, and yet we leave here with a very happy and contented heart!

PEACE...
Mark