Swaziland

Today my alarm clock didn't go off and so I didn't get up until 8am. bummer. Well, we got up and got ready for the day slowly. Esther came over and said she was going to town and asked if we wanted to come. So we went to get some groceries. We also stopped by a hardware store to get a big piece of wood to put under our foam matresses so that we don't sink down in between the cracks while we sleeping ;) We also got a copy of the key for the front door, accept it doesn't work. Then we got a huge pad lock to put on the bar door for added security. Oh yes, we're safe. Kingston is a good dog too. He barks at strangers who are anywhere near the flats. He's a good guard doggy. He likes me. I like him. I think we are good friends. I want to bring him to America with me. I think Jake would freak out though. But hey, you can't go wrong with a Doberman. They're the best.

On our way out of campus we saw Jim and Ignatius and another lady who wanted a ride to town. So when they hopped in the car and Esther introduced us to the lady, Jim and Ignatius kept repeating my name. Then Jim asked me what my name meant. I told him it meant, Honeybee. Then I asked him what my siSwati name is. He said he did not know because he is not Swazi, he is Zambian. We looked at Ignatius and he was as clueless, being from Zimbabwe. So they tapped the lady on the shoulder who is Swazi and they asked her what my name should be. They said, "Her name should have something like something sweet in it because Melissa means honeybee. She said, "Oh, um, there is a name that means sweet and love. That could be Nothando." It is pronounced no-TAHN-dough. I think it's a cool name, eh? They all liked it and so they said, "Now you will be Nothando. I think I will call you that."

SO. When we got back from Manzini, we scrubbed down the kitchen this afternoon. Tomorrow morning it will be ready to have the cracked patched up. I worked on scrubbing the walls for a couple of hours today and so hopefully tomorrow we can have all of the rooms done by noon if Heidi is up to it. I don't think we will be able to start painting until Friday.

The view from our flat's kitchen is beautiful. You can watch the sunseting through banana trees. Oh, it is nice.

I must add that I like to walk barefooted outside and I do it all the time at home. It is so much more relaxing to not have anything weighing on your feet, but just to walk! A couple of times I almost walkted outside without shoes here. It is so hard because I'm so used to just going barefooted. Here the grass is coarse and there are prickily things that get caught in your skin if you go barefoot. So it is bad to go barefoot outside here. Plus, there are hookworms that like to crawl up through your feet and that is how they get into your body. I don't want that to happen! No parasites!!!

Praise:
-Mathias is doing better and moving around like normal.
-God is teaching me new things each day.
-I feel God's protection over my life.
-We are starting to work on our flat to get it cleaned and painted so we can move in [hopefully] soon.
-I have a new friend from Zambia!

Prayer Request:
-That Mathias would continue to heal
-That God would continue to reveal things to me about myself so that I can better know how to serve Him.
-Heidi woke up this morning with a bad cough. She doesn't feel like she's getting better.
-Health and safety.