Hi guys!

This is the first time I have been able to use the blog myself since I arrived on monday morning! I can only use internet at the church office, and I don't get to come here very often because I'm living at the farm. Mosquito bite count so far: 3

I have been keeping a journal everyday so I can remember all the things I've been up to!
Here is a quick summary of the past 5 days because I don't have the journal on me at the moment!

Ok so Monday I arrived at Manzini in the smallest plane I think I've ever travelled in. No more than 30 people and the pilot asked for a coke to be passed down the plane...I think I slept for the whole flight to Swaziland I was that tired. I got to the farm in the afternoon, unpacked and went round to Make Thandie's for dinner. Each house on the farm is run by a Make, a mum, who looks after around 8 children. Make Thandie has 7 girls and 1 boy. The girl, sadly has no parents and was violently abused by family members as a child. One of the boys at the house was abandoned by his mother as a toddler and was living with dogs on the streets. He couldn't walk or talk, and now he can walk un aided, feed himself and understand Swati. Nearly all the children on the farm have been affected by abuse, and sadly many have lost 1 or both their parents. If you were to look at them they do not outwardly show how it has affected them. Their clothes however are dirty, falling apart. Most of the children don't wear shoes and if they do, they are falling apart. They don't moan about what they wear, and if they have anything with labels on it doesn't mean anything to them anyway. I was grilled at dinner! The boys were amazed that I had seen Steven Gerrard play "with my own eyes!"

This week at the farm is health week, so on Tuesday I was straight into helping teaching the children about health and how to look after our bodies. The kids are amazing, they are so eager to learn, they aren't disrespectful, and they understand how important it is to do well in school. For all of them, school is their only chance. Dinner was the same as Monday nights! Rice, beef sauce, coleslaw, avocado and salad. Ate round Fizile's house then off to house group at Pator Augustines next door! When I went round nearly everyone there was wearing winter coats and covered in blankets. Then I strolled in wearing t-shirt and shorts!

Wednesday was health classes again. This time it was healthy eating! All the children seem to really enjoy it. I got given my programme as well, I'm going to be helping the youth leaders at Potter's Wheel church, because they don't have enough youth leaders. I am also going to be teaching at the home school, working at the pre school, helping at safari club, doing a homework club and doing fitness classes with the girls! (the girls are really unfit!!!)

I ran sport and exercise classes all day today on the farm as part of health week! I was out from 8-4 doing sport with the children! I now have a nice tan on my face, and a awful tan line from my top on my neck! Its horrific!! Africa Nike Training Club is now fully implemented!!!! I almost killed the girls group with sport! The boys didn't complain they were just trying to show off to each other who could do the most press ups! Dinner was the same, again... but had a really good time! We ate at Make Phumlize's with her husband and 8 boys. I had my camera with me and so I didn't see it for most the evening because they were running around taking pictures!! First power cut today, so I couldn't see what I was eating..it was more taste and see sort of thing!!

Tonight is youth at Potter's Wheel. The two youth leaders, Jared and Musa are exactly like Richard and Dave! Serious, they could not be more alike so I feel like I havn't left the youth office!! We went to Pick and Pay to get sweets and drinks which was like going to Macro with Richard!!!
Though I havn't met the equivilent of Dave,Alice, Nicky and Ian yet!

I'll get more details in the next blog!

Salakahle!!!!!!!!!!!!!