Day 7 - July 21 - Wednesday

First of all, Prayer. Was. AMAZING! Even if it did happen way too early in the morning. Not much happened today - the bishop talked for a super long time, we got to play with the preschoolers outside while the adults inside divvied up clothes and things that we had brought from America to give them, we did a lesson on Ruth for the first and second graders, and we didn't get time to do much with the seven to fourteen year olds besides pass out oranges before they all went inside to pick out child-sized clothing that was left. The bishop has been really frustrating our team for the past two days because he keeps trying to coax us (or sometimes even tell us) to give things we don't have to him or to important members in his congregation (like all twelve elders). We couldn't respectfully get through to him that we were giving by teaching and serving the kids, not through material items. When he asked some members of our team to give small speeches, when they finished talking he kept saying "What else?", expecting us to offer gifts (which he called "blessings"). I was really kind of mad about it; after all, we came halfway across the world to teach and play with and love on his kids, and all he can think about is himself and all of the "important" people - he doesn't care about the kids or our mission at all! I was praying about the situation, and all of a sudden the thought hit me - how often do I do that to God? How often does the king of the universe - infinitely more important and awesome and powerful than a group of Americans - come to whisper to my heart, teaching me what I need to know and sending down His love - and I just brush off His words, hold out my hand, and say "What else?". How many times do I seek for "blessings" when he has already laid out an entire program to bless me with? And how many times do I put His wonderful agenda on hold to exert my own power or spout my own knowledge, like when Bishop Mnisi (Muh NEE see) would keep us from teaching the kids just so he could present us with lengthy speeches and prayers?
On a lighter note, my SiSwati is improving dramatically! I finally learned the entire traditional greeting - figures I would get it on the LAST day I need it, haha! Unlike Americans, who use random greetings such as "Hey!" or "What's up?" or "Good morning!", Swazis greet each other in the same way every time, and it goes a little something like this (I'm guessing on the spelling, like I do for all African words on this blog):
"Sawubona." (SOW uh BOW nah)
"Yebo." (YAY bow)
"Unjanni?" (Oon JAH nee)
"Niapila." (Nee uh PEE luh)
In English, that translates to:
"I see you." (Like they say in Avatar, for those who have seen the movie.)
"Yes."
"How are you?"
"I am fine."
I already mentioned learning "hamba" and "manni", but today I also learned the word "alifun" (ALL ee foon), which means "no" in English! :) Tomorrow is safari/shopping day.