Africa Dispatch
SUNDAY SCHOOL PARTY
We set the date for a Sunday school party at the outstation church for May 30th. Before dawn on that day, a moderate rain began to fall. It would be hard to change the date for this party at such a late time, so we decided to plow ahead. The rain usually sounds heavier from inside the house than it really is outside anyway, because our roofs are corrugated iron and amplify every raindrop.

The second trick was that because this was a party, 4 of our girls' friends were going to come, too: Yenzie, Phayo, Philiswa, and Nonduduzo. We planned to walk to the church and take the kombis back. This was the first time Ruth had walked to church in a few months. During the end of the pregnancy she would take a combi. Sometimes there would be a combi at 9 am, sometimes not till 11 am so We planned to walk and leave at 7:15AM to make it easy. The rain dampened our spirits, but Ruth and I simply put our best foot forward and got our girls ready. The other girls showed up at our house at the appointed time, and even though we left at 7:45 instead of 7:15, I figured we were off to a good start.

The rain remained mercifully light at the beginning of the walk, and about a third of the way there ended altogether. It was still cloudy and cool, but no precipitation fell. I had made a sincere prayer request back at the house that the Lord hold off the rain so that this party could take place. Ruth puts a lot of effort into preparations for these parties, and our girls (and I suspect the other kids) really look forward to them.

We reached the church just over an hour and a half later-this is quite speedy. The weather conditions were good for walking, and our girls walk much faster when they are travelling with friends; it's more like a game than a laborious walk when company is along. We entered the church and found that most of the benches were missing (we assume they were borrowed for a memorial service for one of our members). For some time we were the only people there; we started thinking that perhaps we would have a party for whomever did arrive for the 10:30 starting time, and then another one at a later date for those who couldn't come because of the rain. But by 10:15, a goodly number of kids were present, and by the starting time we had a full house. Let the games begin!

We played dodgeball, a modified version of "The Price is Right" ("who can get closest to the actual price of this can of sardines without going over? Do it, and the prize is yours-if the price is right"), and a "guess who made that barking sound" where two groups of kids sit on opposite sides of the church with their backs to each other, one appointed child barks like a dog, and volunteers on the other side try to guess who it was. The dodgeball was a little hard to do, given that we had to do it inside (the rain became considerably heavier after we arrived-providential); but lots of chewy candies and small bags of chee-tos were consumed, so winners and losers were all happy. Children then received the collated coloring pages of Bible stories they had accumulated over the past few months, and were invited to choose prizes based on their number of attendances. This involved more candies and chee-tos; no one should have gone home hungry this day.

We had an abbreviated church service, and everyone but our troop headed home. Ruth and I then had a decision to make: should we walk out to the road and hope for a kombi or other vehicular transport, or should we march our merry troop back the way we came? The rains (which had pretty much ended by leaving time-providential again) had caused us to think that even if the roads were not impassible, kombis and other transport may be rarer now. I (Rudy) was in favor of walking; I prefer something sure and steady (even if it takes longer and is a little uncomfortable) to hoping that a driver feels like taking his chances getting down a dirt/becoming mud road. We still had lots of candies and chee-tos left; so when I proposed walking to Ruth, I said "And we'll feed the kids leftover treats on the way back". She was less than thrilled. She felt like she should get points already for walking to church six weeks after delivering and carrying the baby most of the way and that walking back was pushing it for her. But she said we should put it to the kids. All but one of them voted for walking (actually they voted for treats which they could only get by walking), and the dissenting vote was pretty muted. Score! Put on coats and backpacks, put your feet on the trail, and break out the junk food! Our return trip took longer than the outward bound one, but I don't think anyone really objected to their sugar-and-fat-fueled journey. The party was a success, start to finish. Looking forward to the next one!

CLOTHES FOR JABULILE
The Bhembe's are members of the Mater Dolorosa church in Mbabane. We see them there occasionally, and have spent a weekend at their house north of town. We may work together with them in a marriage encounter group (a support group for married couples) sometime in the future.

A few weeks after we spread the news of Jabulile's April 10 birth, the Bhembe's said they had a gift for us. Mrs. Bhembe gave us a large plastic bag filled with something soft. I try to resist the temptation to open packages from town when I am by myself; it makes it more fun for everyone to open them together. Thanks be to God I resisted this time, because what a suprise when we did open it! The Bhembe's gave Jabu several hundred Emalangeni worth of new winter clothes. Innumerable times Swazis (both those we know and complete strangers in town) have chastised us for not dressing the girls more warmly. The Bhembe's made sure this would not happen with Jabu. She now sports full-body suits reminiscent of the younger brother in the movie "A Christmas Story" whose mom dressed him up like an extended deep-sea diver before he went out in the snow. We've been reproved for not having gloves on our 6-month olds; the Bhembe's even covered that, as one suit sports matching gloves. Jabu sleeps very well when we carry her out in these suits. Thank you Bhembe's, for keeping our girl warm and reducing the frequency and severity of our tongue-lashings!

CHRISTMAS TRIP?
Sometimes people ask how they can help us. Rudy's teacher salary pays for all our living expenses, but it doesn't cover flights to the US. We like to go back to the US every two years, but for financial and pregnancy reasons we did not go in 2009. We last visited the USA for Christmas in 2007; December 2010 will mark 3 years in Swaziland. We'd like to see family and friends over there again. We know times have been tough financially for most folks in the US, so we are reluctant to make this request. All that being said-if this is something that you would like to help with, tell us with an email and mail a check made out to Rudy E. Poglitsh (Rudy's dad, and sorry--it won't be tax deductible) to:

Rudy E. Poglitsh
133 Bayberry Trail
Southern Shores, NC 27949

He will deposit the checks into our bank account, and then we'll start shopping for flights. Thanks for considering it.

NSUKUMHILLBILLY
Your eldest daughter has lost one of her dress shoes. You can't find leather shoes that are comfortable at any of the stores and her daddy has fits about the way vinyl shoes make her feet smell. So you take a black permament marker to the rubber parts of her low-cut canvas basketball shoes. Even Cubby and Kit get into the act. They look pretty good with a dress when you finish.
Hillbilly

You are walking back from church with your wife, four daughters, and their four female friends. Your eldest daughter says she needs to urinate. You tell her to find a nearby bush. She replies "Just here is okay; we're all girls". You shake your head and keep on walking as she takes just a half-step off the trail to do her business.
Hillbilly

Your wife's whole body is cold and sore after walking back from church on a cold, drizzly day. You suggest she take a hot bath. She objects, thinking that two inches of hot water in a freezing cold bathroom doesn't sound too relaxing. You suggest a basin of hot water for her feet. She agrees. In the end, everyone in the family has their feet in the steaming plastic basin.
Hillbilly Hottub

Your eldest daughter throws water onto your second-born daughter, without warning or provocation. Your wife takes the perpetrator inside and asks her if she knows why mommy is angry. Perpetrator nonchalantly replies "No". Wife takes perpetrator and victim outside, puts a basin of water in victim's hands, and directs victim to throw water onto perpetrator. Perpetrator anticipates oncoming deluge and takes one step back, avoiding the water and putting a smirk on her face. Wife observes miscarriage of justice and quickly douses perpetrator from behind with 1 liter of water from pitcher in her hand. Drama Queen perpetrator screams and pouts and understands why Mommy wasn't pleased.
Hillbilly justice

Your daughters prefer to sleep together in one bed. Since it is winter time and the house is about 55 degrees F in the morning they have hooked up sheets going around their bunk bed to make a tent so that they can be cozy in the bottom bunk all night.
Hillbilly

Have a good day,
Rudy for the gang