Luke Commission Bush Clinic Day Three and Indy 500 in Swaziland!

We left the compound after our melodious prayer and singing led by the Swazi team members. After 1 ½ hours we arrived at Mbowane School, in southeastern Swaziland. As we drove up we could see a few hundred people there waiting for us. The team quickly set up while Harry welcomed, prayed, and instructed the crowd about the happenings of the day. The people clapped as they were told about Jesus. While we were in prayer a former patient’s mother presented Echo with a chicken and 3 straw basket homes for chickens. The mother wanted to thank them for their kindness and care for her son, Lucky, following his burn injury.






The clinic started with our interpreter telling everyone to line up behind the tall white man who was “number one” in line. Imagine how astonished Niles, our dentist, was when nearly 300 Swazis rushed to line up behind him. The look on his face was priceless! The rest of the clinic went smoothly.








In the middle of the day Echo invited us to tour Lucky’s homestead. Thus began our version of the Indy 500. The “roads” to the homestead were incredibly bumpy- and by this we mean that they would have been challenging for a 4 wheel drive. We were NOT in a 4 wheel drive vehicle; we were 10 people in a van made for 8. Words cannot describe the terrain. The drop-offs on the narrow road were steep and challenging and Echo laughed at our fear.

We arrived at Lucky’s homestead, where we toured separate structures which included: his one-room home, kitchen, mother’s home, sister’s home, maize storage building, and guest home, which is where Lucky was burned and disfigured 3 years ago. There was a cattle kraal (corral). As females, we were told to avoid going near there because only the woman that marries the men of the homestead were allowed to enter. On their wedding night, it is customary that the mother-in-law wake up the new daughter-in-law half way through the night and she is to get up and go to the kraal and cry until sunrise.








Our trip back to the clinic was even more harrowing, as we met a tractor coming down the hill. Echo had to create a new way up. Echo laughed and had fun, zigzagging the car up the road at our expense. Then once on flat road, we figured out the answer to “why did the chicken cross the road?” It was to get out of Echo’s way!! Then we stopped for a herd of cattle as they crossed the road. Once the cattle crossed, we were able to continue. A truck tried to pass us and thus began our (Indy)Swazi 500 race. Of course, Echo came out the winner. We returned to the clinic and began work again.


We presented a 10 year old child with cerebral palsy a crank type wheel chair and a 60 year old stroke victim a crank wheel chair.







The families were delighted. We continued with the clinic once again until everyone was seen. Our count for the day was 403 patients total, with 60 HIV tests, 135 eye glasses distributed, 29 dental patients treated with 36 extractions done and physical therapy for 4 patients.








Thus ended our third clinic. By the way, there was a big mistake in our last blog. The world record for “how many people you can fit into the back of a truck to travel home” is held by the Swazis that piled into the truck…not the CLC medical team.