What a GREAT Day!

Today was a great day in spite of the fact that once again today I didn't have enough water to do anything.  But I decided I wasn't going to let that get to me.  I keep a couple of 5 litre bottles of water in my house for days when I don't have water.  So I heated some up on the stove so I could take a makeshift shower and wash my breakfast dishes.  Then I was off to the paint store to buy more paint for the teacher's house.  I took it up to Lomngeletjane and then headed to Cashbuild in Matsapha to buy more cement (Yes, AGAIN.  I swear I don't know where it all goes.) I also got bricks for the stove I am having built this weekend for Lomngeletjane.  The guy, who always takes my order, asked me how much he charges me for transport.  We discuss this every time I come.  I told him that he had been charging me 150 rand the last couple of trips, but I would really like it if he would charge me 75 rand.  And he said why? And as always I said because I am buying the materials for the church to build a school and I’ve spent a fortune at this store over the last two years.  He shook his head as normal, but when I got in the car I saw that today he gave me the transport for 75 rand!  By the grace of God I managed to get all of this done and get to Bible Study just a few minutes late.  Amazing.


After Bible study I went back to Matsapha to pick up the steel frames for the stove.  It took me about 45 minutes of driving up and down just about every street in Matsapha until I finally found the place.  I called the place I was trying to find 3 times for directions.  I kept asking for a street name and the woman would say "Precious, you will never find us if I give you the name of the street." Granted half the time the street signs aren't pointing in the correct direction, but they do help this American figure out if I am at least in the ball park.  I finally found it and actually felt like I had conquered one more thing in Swaziland.  I should have been writing down all these little successes over the last 2+ years.  Two years ago I would have been close to tears.  Today I just kept going on street after street going partly on instinct knowing that eventually I would find the place.


After getting the frames I drove back up to Lomngeletjane to drop them off.  Then I went to St. Paul's to see if the groundskeeper could wash my car since I wouldn't be going up to Lomngeletjane again until Friday.  I started a pot of chicken soup (yes, I pretty much live on this stuff) and then went to the hospital to see Nomile.

When I approached the door and looked in the window, she saw me and gave me the cutest, greatest smile I think I've ever seen.  My new routine seems to be picking her up, hugging and kissing her and then changing her nappie (diaper).  She knows that I am changing her, and not laying her down to leave.  Then we play.  She is starting to make some sounds - pre-babbling. She loves it when I tickle her and get her toes.  Then after a while all of a sudden she stopped laughing and playing.  I wondered if she was tired so I started rocking her and singing Jesus Loves Me to her.  She kind of hummed along with me.  After a bit, when I could tell she was close to falling asleep I laid her in her bed and covered her up.  She let me cover her and kiss her and didn't cry this time.  The nurse had asked me to stop by her office when I left, so I did.  She said the Dr. had ordered an ointment for her and the hospital didn't have it.  The Dr. had told them to tell me so I could buy it from a chemist in town.  They also thanked me profusely and shared how excited they are that Nomile is doing so well.  I thanked them for all that they are doing for her.

As I was walking to my car, I couldn't help but think how God has changed my path.  In 2006 I had a vision of returning to Africa to rock babies.  Over 4 years later, it has finally happened.  I feel like this is why I was called here: to rock this one child.  It is a feeling I can't explain.  But as I walk through the hospital and clinic, so many people from the Doctors to the security guards smile and say hello.  I was thinking back to when I would walk through the hospital where my mom and sometimes my dad was and how that became almost like a second home and realized it was the same feeling as I now have walking through this hospital/clinic.


Yes, today was a very good day.  I thank the Lord for making it so great.