One week since we left home

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So yesterday was a work/play day. We finished up painting at the pre-primary school. More work done on the playground and the electrical.

Then after lunch we played games with the kids again. Same group of kids but different games. This time I was on the soccer field. 2 hours of running in the sun. At one point the clouds came in and I said to the auntie playing with us that it’s nice to have the clouds come. She said now it’s getting cold. The kids had lots of fun - well those that like soccer. The others just wanted to chat. Cam got accused of cheating because he had shoes on! I got smashed in the face with a soccer ball but luckily the brim of my hat saved me from broken glasses. Have a bruised nose but intact glasses so all good.

Ended the day with a power outage and big storm to put us to sleep.

Woke up in a new country. Yesterday on his birthday the king declared it is now the Kingdom of eSwaterini. The ladies got to sleep in a little bit because we were prepping with the Royal Rangers (like Boy Scouts/Girl Guides) for their upcoming camp and they didn’t need until 9. We painted flags for the different groups. Then after lunch we started getting the camp site set up. The guys dug two latrine trenches. We set up large tents and hauled large logs. A committed couple - Ali and Aki - run the program and will have 250 come through the next couple weeks.

Then late this afternoon we went up to Dvudvusi dining hall to face supper with the kids. I sat at a table with 5 boys and their auntie. One was 1 of my soccer super stars. We had fish potatoes, sweet potatoes, cole slaw and fish. I heard we might not like their supper but it was very good! It’s an amazing production to get all these kids fed. They greeted us with a song and we taught them one too. Discussion at the table started slow but then I pulled my phone that had snowboarding/skiing pictures and that got them going. The one little 6 year old asked about the mole on my face but he wasn’t the first one. The pastors baby didn’t go for my glasses but the mole on my face. 😊

Weather has been cool and cloudy but good for a work day. Little rain this morning the delayed some of the work but maybe next week.

God is so great. Lots of grace and mercy, joy and laughter. It’s been a good couple days.

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