Again, apologies for the late post. The power in the office went out yesterday and I was forced to again postpone until Saturday morning. Of course my parents and grandparents are on there way to Dordt to see my brother's football game (Go Defenders!), so at least they won't notice.
Slowly and steadily, I am building a sense of normalcy here. This week I acquired a refrigerator. That means I was able to have cold milk with my breakfast this morning. For someone who, during one summer, drank a half-gallon for lunch each day, going this long without cold milk has been a trial. But I'm happy to say it's past. Tonight I plan on having grilled cheese sandwiches and a salad for supper.
I also have a real bed with sheets, a blanket, and a comforter. I just got the comforter yesterday, having believed a blanket would be fine for Africa. But I've learned that the temperature here is based entirely on the sun. When the sun is out all day, it will get hot (up to about 95 degrees), and will grow cooler but stay pleasantly warm through the night. However, when it rains, nothing warms up. It might get up to 60 or 70, but nights still get cooler. With no insulation or central heat, that means my bedroom can get pretty chilly. So a comforter was a good investment. It's a new climate, but I think it's nice that summer rain isn't followed by sauna-like weather.
Thursday Tinashe and I went to a World-Vision event out in the country. It was about a 1 1/2 hour drive, and I can see why most people have Toyota pickups or Rav-4s. It was muddy and the roads were not in prime condition. It also seemed like there is less adherence to the concept of lanes here, though that may just be a Tinashe thing. There's no danger (if I'm running on the side of the road, cars will actually move to the complete other side of the road to avoid me), but the painted lines weren't holding the same sacred importance as they do for me.
The event was interesting. World Vision works in the same village or area for 15 years (I found that to be an incredible commitment), and during the past week, they had conducted a business training class for a few dozen young people. The event we attended was a graduation, with presentations from a few NGOs (non-governmental organizations; that includes us), banks, World Vision, and a member of parliament. Although it was in SiSwati and I only caught a few tidbits, Tinashe filled me in on the ride home. It was interesting to see a different development model (a week-long training course), but I felt like it barely helped. These young people now knew how to make a budget, but they didn't have businesses. And unless they had a great idea and got a good loan from a microlending NGO (they have no collateral for a real bank loan), they were in the same spot as when they started. I think World Vision's community-building initiative is great, but I kept thinking how great it wold be if they contracted us to do the business development. It would cost more than a 1-week training seminar, but it could have a serious impact on the community and provide a real change.
I hope everyone is well outside Swaziland as well. I'm sure there's some celebrating in Milwaukee after the Brewers finally managed to clinch the division (after losing a series to the Cubs). Today and tomorrow both Wisconsin and Green Bay test their 2-0 records and I urge my fantasy football teams on to victory (which may depend on whether my cousin trades me Cam Newton). Please pray for missionaries and interns like myself who are going through many of the same things I am. It's also a great week to pray that world leaders see the wisdom in peace and reconciliation and make whatever sacrifices are necessary for it.
-Ben
Edit: I forgot that Wisconsin has played 3 games. And won all of them by gratuitous margins. Of course things will get interesting when we give Nebraska their first taste of their new conference.
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