dinner time in Swaziland

My all time favorite time while in Swaziland was dinner time. It was the time of the night when every one came together, crammed into one room, all 13 of them plus the 10 of us.. sitting on the floor, children on our laps.. a single candle or oil lamp lighting the room. Elizabeth would bring the food in, the older daughters would help to dish everyone a serving. It would be silent other than the scrapping of everyones forks against their plates. I look around at the dark little heads.. a rim of light creeping over them, a smile comes to my face at the beauty in this moment. I loved so much those times of fellowship. The closeness. A chance to cuddle up inside, get away from the cold night and enjoy a meal together as a family. After dinner we would take time to pray all together then say our goodnights to the children. This family has something special. The way they operate, and function. The understand HOME. They understand FAMILY. It was such a special thing to witness and to be a part of every night..