November Team! Blog 1

Day 1: Home sweet Home.

Today was a lot of travel and settling in.  We drove the 4 hours from Johannesburg to Swaziland without a glitch (thank goodness).  Michael slept most of the way and Andrea was reading to avoid car sickness (whaaat?).   Once we got to town, we tried to go to the wholesaler to buy food for the schools, but it was closed.  We tried to go to MTN to get my phone re-activated, but it was closed.  And we tried to go to the grocery store, but the shelves were practically empty.  Typical Sunday in Swaziland.  

So we decided to ditch all of the logistical plans and go to one of our original child-headed homes to play cards with some of our favorite kids – the Msibis!  We arrived with boxes full of pizza and faces full of smiles.  We arrived to find Nomfundo and Mphendulo smiling and giggling as mothers and sons should be (he’s so big now and trying to walk…toward the pizza!)… Sizo ecstatic about finishing high school and starting his singing career (he has two shows booked in the next 3 weeks!), Zinhle doing very well in school and excited to start a new year as a sophomore, and Timmy boasting of her position one score in Foods & Nutrition class (she beat everyone else in her 611 student high school in the exam!). 

Returning after 4 months away to find the kids healthy and happy is my favorite thing in the world!  Nomfundo said that she ran into Philo and Philo was telling her that she’s been counting down the days since July of our return.  So we decided to call Mazwi and Philo to join us, but they turned down a pizza party to…. work in their subsistence farm.  They realize that if the maize isn’t planted then it won’t grow and they won’t eat.  I’m certain that at 10 or 16 years old respectively I would have never been wise enough to put future gratification over instant – just another reason I’m in awe of our amazing hardworking children! Tomorrow is going to be an action packed day and the team is exhausted – more tomorrow…