What An Amazing Weekend!

Pictured above is our friendly tour-guide Nathie.

Sawubona!

It’s been a very busy few days here in Bulembu, but I’m sure you’ll all be glad to hear that we’re coping really well and adapting to everything the town has to throw at us. We’ve definitely found ourselves getting alot fitter climbing all the tall hills and mountains that connect the town together, and we’re all going to be body-builders by the time we get home.

On Friday afternoon we went to see the Bulembu Babies, a small organisation run by a truly inspirational woman by the name of Robin. For decades she has been feeding the homeless, and bringing orphaned babies into her home and pouring all her love out on to them. We were sat in her lounge talking when we asked how many she had at that moment, and we were extremely shocked to hear that behind the door there were thirty-five children, each of them looked after extremely well.

On Saturday we spent the morning with over a hundred young orphans, with whom we did crafts, makeup, various games and football, which was VERY tiring. The weather for the day could not have been better, and we witnessed more than a few red-faces by lunchtime. In the afternoon we went back down to the pitch expecting much the same thing, but we received a call that the football (Or ‘soccer’) coach couldn’t make his session, and there would be thirty-plus kids not being taught. So being our usual selves, we heartily volunteered and quickly found ourselves coaching ten teams, organising a tournament and playing a MASSIVE volunteers versus ‘the world’ game at the end. Dinner has never tasted so good.

Sunday was our relax day, and in the morning we went to Church. We were all very excited, and dressed up for it, and the service (Done in two languages at once) was very lively, and at times, very random (Random being half a sermon about the man’s uncle who sold bananas). Half of the team went off halfway through to Sunday school, the remainder of the team in the Church blessed by a rant comparing vodka to hot sauce. In the afternoon we took a hike into the forest, to find a waterfall, which turned out to be very beautiful, and a good test for our walking sticks that we have been modelling beautifully throughout the trip. We then were treated to a trip to the country lodge with free drinks, and a few hours to chill out before dinner, warming ourselves by the fire outside and inside.

This morning the real work began. We had our first day at school, and we were good little boys and girls, helping out in classes, making friends with the children and playing games. After school we went down to the football pitch, to practice our Swazi dances and songs, which we are saving as a surprise for the children next week. This afternoon we’ll be starting on our primary project, painting and restoring the Valley of Hope school, as per request of the school staff.

Every night we go up to the view-point, a beautiful point looking over the mountains, border and over to Piggs Peak. We’ve made a big game of spotting shooting stars, and the most we’ve seen in one night so far is twenty.

There is alot going on, which we’ll mention as we go on in the week, but as for now, we’d like a big shout out to Mischa, who today has his 37th Birthday! We’ve forgotten our shout-outs list (Oops.) so we’ll assure you all we’re all thinking of you every day (For five minutes at least), and we hope everything is remaining peachy.

That’s all for now folks, talk soon,

Team Bulembu

P.S. We’ve got hundreds of photo’s (And HOURS of video) but due to the connection we are unable to post more than one picture per blog.