I'm Back

What can I say…I’ve been kind of busy and kind of forgotten about the whole blogging thing. Well I’m back, back like retro jerseys, back like the economic powerhouse China, back like tech stocks, back like Mission Impossible. So, what’s been going on here in Swaziland you ask? A lot and a little but mostly a reminder that my place is at the feet of Jesus. Some of you reading this completely understand this statement and are nodding your head right now while there are others of you who are baffled by this. God is our source and he can only truly work through us when we walk in daily awe of him. To do this you need to get up each day and spend time with God. So what does this look like, how do you spend time with God? God wants to have a relationship with us right? So it is like any other relationship, it involves communication, trust and love. A lot of us just talk at God and never wait for his reply or ask to know what he thinks. I challenge you all to sit and ask God to speak to you. We are going through a book right now called “The Art of Listening Prayer” and it has been a good reminder that my first desire should be God and hearing his voice. Imagine the creator, all powerful, all loving God speaking to you…its earth shattering and it is an experience like no other. Go ahead, try coming before God…kneeling at his feet and asking him to come through that door and spend time with you.

Cool Pic

We had a team of doctors go around to 5 of our Carepoints this past week. They were from Kansas City and were a delight to work with. It was a long week but a lot of fun. They are continuing to work around Swaziland with other organizations for another week. I'll have another post on the week soon but please check out Dave Ohlerking's post on a disturbing situation that happened during the teams time here. Check out his post titled "ANY DEADLY THING"

http://daveohlerking.blogspot.com/

Please lift her up in your prayers

God's been speaking this to me...challenging me with this thought:

"Would you believe me if I said
that God can make miricales happen today
Would you believe me if I said
that you don't need to wait for the answers before
You step out in faith
Would you believe me if I said
That nothing is ever impossible...For GOD"

This is from a Hillsongs United CD and the song is 'Free'

God's really been saying, just sit back and watch what I'm going to do
I've been getting frustrated with some things and attitudes over here but I need to have faith and confidence in God that he can transform, restore and ignite

Random

So what to write about today…it’s a Saturday morning and I have no responsibilities or any errands that have to get done today. It is finally sunny too…the last couple of days its been raining very hard so its nice to be able to feel the warmth on my face again. Where I stay, that is live, in Mbabane, we do not really need the rain but it’s the other areas of the country to the south and east that need the rain. In Africa or at least Southern Africa the rainy season is in our summer months of Mid November to Mid February. Depending on what part of Southern Africa the rainy season may be much longer or much shorter. During the winter months down here a lot of places get no rain or very little rain. There is a song on the radio down here that’s popular right now. It goes, “Your kiss is like the summer rains”. I was talking to a lady from Zimbabwae and we were comparing what we associated with Christmas. I was saying how cold weather, snow and hot chocolate reminded me of Christmas whereas she associates Braiing (like barbequing but much more rustic approach) and warm thunderstorms with Christmas time. It’s interesting how different people’s experiences can be and how much we are shaped by those experiences.

Well just rambling about things today I guess…let see…what other random thoughts or explanations do I have. I kind of want to avoid the heavy stuff in this update because life is not always heavy over here. So, we were over in Mozambique the other day and Ben and I were sitting in a meeting with some of the community. Side note* the preferred place for a meeting is under a big tree and the women usually sit on mats while the men sit in chairs. Ok, back to the story so we’re sitting there and we’re talking to this committee that the community made. People keep coming up and sitting around the meeting trying to listen in on what is going on. Over on one side of the circle are the Mamas sitting on their mats. These Mamas decide to start breastfeeding during the meeting…and they have no shame…in fact it was almost like musical boobs at one point. In Africa you kind of get used to seeing women out in the open breastfeeding but this was such a concentration it was funny. We’re answering some questions and then all of a sudden a group of 6 old men with one young guy walk/march up to the meeting. Everyone got deathly quiet and we are sitting there wondering what was going on. It turns out no one had invited the chief of the area. It was straight out of a movie just how his presence changed everyone’s demeanor and how the meeting was run. Our Mozambiquean guy Mashalela now had to stand each time he talked and there was this whole formal atmosphere going on. Well we got things sorted out with the chief eventually but the funny thing was the chief and his men sat right in front of the Mamas. So on one hand you’re trying to look over there with respect but the every now and then you see behind the chief and see more of the musical boobs going on behind him. Definitely an Africa experience…interesting.

Bible Club Retreat and Where I've Been

So to continue the last post. The bible club leaders' retreat was powerful experience. Some of the lighter moments were where we almost lost Lindiwe to the river and the transformation of Nathie to a mountain man. Lets just say we had an fun hike to the river and got slightly lost on the way back. It was fun though and the scenery was breathtaking.

So we were dealing with how to reach out to a hurting, often abused orphaned child. One of the exercises that Mary(the one leading the sessions) had us do was to go back to our own childhood memories and feelings. The next morning we were having a time of prayer where we were asking God to heal our hurts and pains. The bible club leaders need to be healed, restored and feel God's love before they can minister to the needs of the children. Well during that time of prayer we had 5 ladies step up and ask for prayer about past hurts they were harboring inside. We asked God to take their burdens and give them peace. Then the majority of them began to forgive the perpetrator. What a powerful thing forgiveness is...it literally set hearts free for the first time in years. Tears were flowing, God was moving and a real turning point happened in these ladies lives.

Thinking about it leaves me looking more and more to God. I don't even want to think about the percentage of girls that are or have been abused in Swaziland. How scary, how hurtful, how utterly destructive is sexual abuse. Recently we've been connected with some Christian counselling centers and a orphanage that can take children who are being abused. Please pray that this partnership works out and we are able to help those children who are still...yes this very minute....being abused. This thing is so much bigger than me.

On another note, during the holidays I got to see my friend Tarryn in South Africa. It was a good time with her, her family and her friends. She lives in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. So I got a trip to the beach and just time away which was nice. Much love to all of you who help me to be here and who continue to pray for me.