Anniversary Road Trip to Swaziland

Happy Easter! Easter in South Africa is a 4-day holiday weekend with banks and businesses closed both Friday and Monday. And for the kids, it's a 2-week break from school, not a "spring break," though, because it is now officially autumn here in the southern hemisphere. For Easter weekend, we chose to visit the Kingdom of Swaziland as an anniversary getaway, and what's fun road trip it was!

Our 3rd Anniversary Dinner (2nd in Africa) at Level Four at the 54 on Bath hotel at Rosebank in Johannesburg



Martha's anniversary necklace, made
from ostrich eggs, representing our 3
years of marriage



They presented us an anniversary cake to share for desert

Our 3rd anniversary (and 2nd in Africa) was March 23rd. We celebrated by visiting Sinikiwe Women's Empowerment Projects in the morning and presenting them with a cash donation and an HP All-in-One printer/fax/copier/scanner, then we had a Dukes Court board meeting. We celebrated with dinner at a 5-star restaurant, Level Four at 54 on Bath in Rosebank. Great food and ambience, and we heard more American voices there that night than we have heard in over a year. We found out from our waitron that there was an American tour group in the hotel. 

Presenting the HP printer to Jenny (center) and Desiree (right)



The ladies of Sinikiwe and their childrenwho are on school vacation

We left early in the morning on Good Friday, 25 March, and drove 4 hours to the Kingdom of Swaziland, a beautiful country, about the size of New Jersey, enclosed entirely within the borders of South Africa, next to Mozambique. The scenery was gorgeous, dotted with pink and white wildflowers, and the weather was spectacular all weekend.

Flag of the Kingdom of Swaziland

We arrived at the Swazi border by noon. Because of the holiday traffic, it took us an hour and 45 minutes to get through passport control, immigration and customs at the border. But it was all worth it! Compare that to 12 minutes we took at the border on the way home on Saturday.




Wildflowers on the way to Swaziland





Swaziland coat of arms and shield



Entering the mountains of Swaziland at the Oshoek-Ngwenya border crossing

Cars were backed up forever at the border, then we parked and waited in a long
queue on both the South African side and the Swaziland side, for a total of 1:45

One of several places of business at the border

Immediately upon crossing the border you can tell you are in a different country, as nothing looks or feels like South Africa - you are impressed by the green rolling hills at the base of tall rugged mountains. You find yourself "in the mountains."



We drove first to the Ngwenya glass factory, about 5 minutes from the border. The factory was closed for the holiday , but the glass shop and several other small shops were open and impressive. We ate "lunch" at the chocolate shop and vowed to come back to these shops the next day on our way home.

We then drove all the way to the town of Manzini and stopped at sights and markets along the way. Swaziland has a beauty all its own. Swaziland has a king and a royal family and is proud to be an independent kingdom. We drove through Lobama, the legislative and spiritual capital of the country and realized there was something important going on.

There were crowds of people everywhere, most in elaborate and colorful church choir attire, but the service had just ended and they were dispersing. We saw blues, greens, reds and all colors of church choir uniforms. There were literally hundreds of congregations represented.


It turns out that all Christian congregations in the country were invited to join the king and the royal family for Good Friday worship. The Queen Mother was the featured speaker, and the king delivered his Easter message at the same venue the next day, Saturday.


A preacher from the apostolic church
in his white robe and blue sash



One of many clusters of church goers in their uniforms at
Lobama for the Good Friday festivities in Swaziland




We got through the traffic and arrived at the Swazi Cultural Village in Mantenga just in time for the amazing singing and dancing by the Swazi natives at 3:15.  They were very talented and athletic and demonstrated the looks and sounds of the traditional Swazi culture for almost a full hour.

They involved the audience by getting up close and personal



Mantenga Cultural Village is a living museum of old Swazi traditions and represents a classical Swazi lifestyle during the 1850s. It is  comprised of 16 thatched roof round huts for family members, plus kraals and byres for cattle and goats, reed fences and other structures. 

Our Swazi tour guide at the village explains that all 16 huts
make up one "home," each hut being a different" room,"
bedrooms for the plural wives, grandmother and multiple
children, the kitchen, living room, etc.

What a beautiful afternoon in nature and an inspiring and educational cultural experience, with families of African vervet monkeys frolicking in the trees all around us!

After the guided tour of the Swazi village, we took the hike to the nearby Mantenga Falls, a beautiful twin waterfall, the highest in Swaziland.

We had hoped to get to our "hotel," Maguga Lodge, actually a village of rondavels (round African thatched roof huts) up near Piggs Peak, before dark, but our GPS took us on a "shortcut," putting us on a miserable narrow dirt road where we drove less than 20 mph for almost two hours in total darkness. When the GPS said, "Turn right and you have arrived at your destination," there was no place to turn and no sign of anything but darkness, and we were running out of gas and starving.

We continued until we found a paved road, stopped at the first service station for gas and asked where we were and telephoned Maguga Lodge for directions. We found it a half-hour later. 

Our room took up half a hut and was cozy and comfortable. The restaurant, overlooking Maguga Dam (Lake), was exactly what we needed. As we ate, we could hear the hippos bellowing right below us near the banks of the lake.

The view from Muguga Lodge of the mountains and valley



Our rondavel hut and orange tree at Maguga Lodge



Our Nissan Tiida car in front of our hut with other huts, with the
Maguga Dam and the mountains of Piggs Peak in the background

We didn't really appreciate the magnificent beauty of our surroundings until we got up early the next morning and could see it in the daylight when we went back to the restaurant for a wonderful breakfast buffet. What a view!

At breakfast overlooking the lake and listening to the hippos

Maguga Dam as seen from the Maguga Lodge restaurant balcony

Hippos in the shallow end of the lake below the restaurant

Another view of the lake, Maguga Dam, and the bridge we crossed to get there

Then we drove a very scenic hour or so around the lake and back to the Ezulwini valley and its fun shops near the cultural village. We bought lots of souvenirs - high quality handicrafts at incredibly affordable prices - including rings and bracelets made of coarse elephant hair at the silversmith shop.

Our favorite stop was at a reception center and concert venue called House on Fire and the Gone Rural basket shop next door. Gone Rural is a non-profit organization of 750 Swazi women who combine tradition with innovation to create what they call "Afro-chic" home accessories and bold statement pieces, mostly baskets and other woven items. Their products are all hand-made from local raw materials that are harvested above the root to allow regeneration. Those sustainable fibers are combined with recycled plastics, ceramics and fabrics also obtained locally. This highly successful business model empowers rural women through providing them with home-based income and skills training. The artisans take home 40% of the wholesale price and 100% of the profits are invested back into the company's development or community programs, including a health clinic, school fees scholarships for 400 children per year, HIV/AIDS peer education training and access to clean drinking water.

Some views of the very unusual and
eclectic House on Fire reception center
and concert venue

Martha with her bag of goodies outside Gone Rural,
next door to House on Fire

 Bob in a sitting area at House on Fire at Ezulwini, Swaziland





The bar indoors at the House on Fire reception center







Exiting to the outdoor concert venue and bandstand

Needless to say, House on Fire is unlike anything we had ever seen before or since in Africa or anywhere else!













Outdoors is an immense lawn that can seat thousands of concert goers on blankets with picnics facing a bandstand big enough for a 100-piece symphony orchestra.

We had a delightful lunch at Malendela's restaurant in that same complex. The menus were on chalkboards, with a wide variety of choices, and the food hit the spot. It was a beautiful place to enjoy a delightful late summer day.

We made our target of being back to the Ngwenya shops near the border by 3:00, got our last few souvenir items and made it home to Dukes Court shortly after sunset at about 6:30.

We were back in our "home" branch in Protea Glen for Easter Sunday and had a wonderful Easter service. To Martha's great delight, Mlu showed up for his piano lesson having learned a complete hymn, which he proudly played for the prelude music on Easter Sunday as she beamed from ear to ear, holding back the tears.  He has made good use of the keyboard we presented him with last week.

Our Easter thoughts are upon our Savior and his resurrection and Atonement. We know he lives and rejoice in that great knowledge.  

Brother Bikitsha and Butterworth 9 years later

Lunch at Mike's Kitchen with former AP Sipho Mothiba and his fiancee prior to going to the movie, "Risen"

On Friday, 11 March, Bob was working in the Joburg Temple  at the name issue booth when a very distinguished, handsome young African man approached him. He was alone and looked to be maybe in his 30's. Bob asked for his surname, and he said, "Bikitsha." Bob responded, "Are you by any chance from Butterworth?" He replied, "Yes, how do you know that?"  Bob told him he was mission president in Cape Town when the first member of the church in Butterworth was baptized, a Brother Bikitsha, who was taught by the "Sistersons," Sister Johnson and Sister Nillson. The young man replied, "That's my father!" He said his father had done two endowment sessions that morning and was resting, but this young man was there to do two more sessions in the afternoon.  

Brother Bikitsha said there is a branch in Butterworth now that meets every Sunday and are doing fantastic. I asked how many of them were Bikitshas. He did some counting in his mind and on his fingers and said, "I think there are between 12 and 15 of us now, and others are still being taught!" He said all but one or two are very active in the Church. Bob conducted the 3:00 endowment session and presented him at the veil, where it was very obvious that he is a very experienced temple goer. We just love seeing the fruits of Bob's missionaries' labors here! What a family the Bikitshas have turned out to be! Maybe even beyond what Bob and the Sistersons might have imagined 9 years ago!

Bob wrote to Sister Nilsson and Sister Johnson to share the experience, and Sister Nilsson replied: 

Dear President Egan, 

       That's about the sweetest email I've ever read. I can only imagine the mansion above for that wonderful, wonderful dear old Brother Bikitsha. I don't remember ever knowing a purer heart. 

       He and his wife had a sitting room in their home or just next to it that was dedicated to worship and thanksgiving. Only very respectful, uplifting and spiritual conversations & music took place there. I believe Sister Johnson and I were admitted into it on one occasion.  :-)

      That handsome son was an amazing man. He would use his truck to drive his parents and his aunt and uncle into church which took about two hours each direction. And he didn't live in Butterworth so his trip took twice the time. Only one passenger could fit inside the cab and the others would lay down in the back of the truck for the whole trip. They carried a small lunch to eat during the day. The son didn't come into church with them.

      On two occasion we were able to teach him at his own home. We knew he was something special but we were not his missionaries. We did make sure that other missionaries were informed about him and knew about his family. 

       How we loved going out to the Bikitsha's home. When they knew we were coming they would kill a chicken and prepare an elegant feast. We were cautious not to visit too often because we did not want to deplete their food supply. 

     One one occasion Brother Bikitsha went into the town of Butterworth with us to introduce us to another relative who worked at the library. 

     After visiting the older Bikitshas we would drive to his younger brothers home and have a second lesson and more food. In those tiny, spotless homes with outdoor shacks for the privy we felt like we were in the grandest of palaces. We were visiting true royalty and they treated us as trusted ambassadors of the Lord. 

    That family added a new and deeper dimension to our mission experiences. We were always extremely grateful to you for giving us that opportunity. How sweet it was, it still makes my heart sing. 

        Love to all of you. 

        Kip Nilsson.

After the temple, Xolani Lubisi (one of Bob's former AP's) and his wife Futhi treated us to dinner at Tasha's in Melrose, as the rain continued to fall. We had a great meal and a delightful and fun conversation, topped off by Haagen Dazs ice cream across the street from Tasha's.

On Saturday, we went to the movie, "The Young Messiah" at Killarney Mall, which we highly recommend. It was a beautifully and thoughtfully presented story of what it must have been like for 7-year old Jesus and his parents to have to leave Egypt and re-locate to Nazareth. It was very thought-provoking and inspirational, especially to imagine what it must have been like for Joseph and Mary and their family, not knowing how exactly or when to tell him who he was.

The next Monday was another South African national holiday, Human Rights Day, and we met another of Bob's former APs, Sipho Mothiba,and his fiancee Gugu at Mike's Kitchen for lunch, and we went to the matinee movie "Risen" about the Savior's resurrection, from a non-believer Roman tribune's perspective, the man whom Pontius Pilate commanded to find Jesus' body and disprove the resurrection. It was a powerful way to get ready for Easter and a fun holiday with this cute couple.

Martha has been amazed at how her piano student, Mlu, continues to progress. On Sunday, 20 March, she was able to present him with his own keyboard so he can practice at home. He was overjoyed and within a week was able to play a hymn all the way through, both hands, for the prelude in sacrament meeting! This is a photo of a proud teacher and her happy student:

Martha presents a gift portable keyboard to her amazing piano student Mlu

Singin' in the Rain for Martha's Birthday

Martha's birthday lunch at Flames at the Four Seasons Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg

Martha's birthday necklace by Cinda Hunter

March 9th was Martha's birthday, and we began celebrating the day before, on Tuesday the 8th. Bob hadn't been to Cinda Hunter's unique and quaint accessory shop in Midrand, which Martha loves, so we decided  to go there together and find a birthday treasure for Martha. And we did! Martha fell in love with a beaded necklace that contained four special beads from Morocco and discs of compacted amber, and highlighted by a beautiful and unique bead from Nepal. And she also immediately loved a scarf from Thailand, woven of wild silk. Those were her birthday presents.

We didn't go for our normal 4-mile morning walk on the 9th because it was poring rain, and the rain continued all day, all night, and well into the next day. This is by far the longest and heaviest downpour we have experienced in Africa. There was just a brief break in the clouds at noon when we went to lunch at the Flames restaurant atop the Four Seasons Westcliff Hotel. As soon as we were seated and enjoying the amazing view, the downpour continued and the blinds were pulled down to protect us from the storm, as the rain pelted the roof over our heads.

Norwegian salmon with fresh veggies
and a crushed almond sauce - delicious!

View overlooking Johannesburg from the Four Seasons
in a torrential downpour on Martha's birthday, March 9th

It was only fitting that we topped off the rainy day in the evening at the musical, "Singin' in the Rain" which ends its run this weekend at the majestic Montecasino Teatro in Sandton. It was a magnificently performed musical based on the 1952 movie. The rain scene ‘rains’ (and recycles) over 12,000 liters of water per performance. This famous part of the show is the highlight, leaving front 3 rows a little wetter than when they first arrived! We had great seats - about 15 rows back. There were big, colorful and remarkable musical singing and dancing numbers where the movie's iconic choreography was flawlessly and beautifully performed on stage. What a production! For the finale and curtain call, the entire cast was on stage with umbrellas doing the Singin' in the Rain dance! We loved it and it capped off a perfect birthday!

Grand Finale in the "rain"






Montecasino

Fabulous Reunion Weekend in Durban

 

Egan SACTM Reunion at Durban Mission Home, Saturday, 27 February 2016
Back row (l to r): Siyabonga Gwala, Matthew Walsh and Saige, Pres. Egan, Sandile Mdanda, Sifiso Mkhize, Paul Kriel
Front row (l to r): Sister Egan, Anele Gwala, Rylee Walsh, Caitlin Walsh, Zamambo Mkhize and Irene Mkhize

Today, March 2nd, is our 13-month mark, meaning we have just 5 months left on our mission. We spent a lovely weekend in Durban from Friday through Sunday, 26-28 February, staying at the Protea Hotel Edward on the beach. The drive from Johannesburg, through the Drakensberg Mountains was spectacular and green, and the missionary reunion on Saturday at the mission home was an amazing evening. All five of Bob's former elders who live in the Durban area and served in the Cape Town Mission from 2005-08 were in attendance. The three married ones brought their beautiful wives, and their 3 daughters. It was a most fun and memorable time. Lots of laughter, love and reminiscing.



Scenery on the way to Durban

Our hotel, the Protea Edward, center, on the beach, from the pier

Soon after we arrived Friday night, we were met at our hotel by Paul Kriel, who volunteered to be our tour guide and show us Durban. He drove us north up the coast to the newly announced Durban LDS Temple Site (groundbreaking announced for 9 April) and showed us the sights along the way. The temple site is beautiful, at the crest of a hill, with a spectacular view of the surrounding rolling hills and valleys.

 

Bob's former missionary, Paul Kriel, now a Durban Stake high councilor,
shows us the site where the new Durban Temple will be built, starting with
the groundbreaking ceremony on the 9th of April

Durban LDS Temple site




The temple construction site has been fenced in with a locked gate

One of the amazing views from the Durban Temple site



 

A monkey sits in the driver's seat of a Caterpillar on the site

The upscale beach properties at Umhlanga Rocks, just below the temple site

The lighthouse at Umhlanga as the storm approaches

 

Dinner with Paul

Paul took us to the aquarium to see the sharks and, just as a major thunderstorm and torrential downpour hit us, he led us to a buffet dinner above the aquarium, with a live Salsa band.

Saturday, we spent the morning walking the Esplanade along the beach, watching the people and enjoying the warm sunshine and light ocean breeze. There was a surfing competition underway, right in front of our hotel. In the afternoon, we bought the refreshments and drinks and made our way to the mission home for the reunion, which went from 6 to 9 pm.

With the Gwala Family at the Reunion

With Paul Kriel at the Reunion



Laughing with Sandile Mdanda at the Reunion




Mkhize Family at the Reunion

With Matthew Walsh, his wife Caitlin and girls Rylee and Saige at the Reunion

 

Three generations - grandfather, father and son - Elder Gwala, left, trained Elder Walsh, center, who trained Elder Kriel

 

On Sunday, we were invited by President Sifiso Mkhize, branch president for just two weeks, to join his Mbhedula Branch for church and be the sacrament meeting speakers. We met in a pre-school in the township on the top of a hill overlooking Durban and, in the distance, the Indian Ocean. Then they invited us for dinner afterward in their humble 2-room cinderblock home, with a corrugated metal roof, where they have rented for 6 years as they save to buy their own home.

The Insizwakazi Pre-school where the Mbhedula Branch meets, near Pinetown



At 8:55 only the branch presidency were there, but by 9:10, there were over 100 in attendance!

Pres. Mkhize, center, and his counselors, get ready to start the sacrament meeting

Looking toward the front door of the
 Mkhize home from Zama's room.
 

Sister Egan and Zama, 6, in her bedroom at the Mkhize home.
  She showed Martha the family photo album and was so happy
to have us there!
 

Our dear friends, Elder Bob and Sister Sharon Berg from Utah/Texas, who were our host couple when we
arrived here, completed their Area Public Affairs mission yesterday, March 1st, and headed home to Houston