I'm Homesick

I know you are saying "but you haven't even moved to Swaziland yet"!!

I'm not homesick for GA, I'm homesick to be back to Mbabane!! (I know, I read Christy's blog, in a few months I will miss GA)
Those who know me though, know that I RARELY, almost never, get emotional. I've been crying or on the verge of it since yesterday and have a deep, beyond my comprehension, desire to be over there already. This surprises me more than probably anyone else. I was sorting through photos in preparation of the Oasis @ Swaziland fundraising and wanted to hold and learn each of their names. To tell them they are loved and there is hope!

These children are the ones I will be working with. These children are the ones that if the funds are not raised I will not be able to minister to them. And these children are the ones that will not have the consistant food they need if we do not succeed in raising at least a year's worth of support by the end of Oct.

Thank you for supporting me in prayer and funding. I don't like not "working" meaning earning my own paycheck and having to ask others to be my "employer". But God has called me to be in Mbabane and has definately put the passion in my heart. In the physical, I don't see the financial numbers. My house hasn't sold and the current donations won't even pay the rent over there but spiritually, yesterday and today have confirmed that God will provide!!! He is so good!! Mbabane is my new home!!!
Enjoy these other faces that show "little is much when God is in it."

I did not start writing this to initiate funding but if you feel God stirring you to support me and these children; you can make donations to Oasis @ Swaziland 3275 Tig Knight Road, Loganville, GA 30052 and or click on the link for the Oasis Church. (Note: I am still with Children's Cup but the Oasis church is overseeing monitoring and supporting my finances.)

"Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." Colossians 4:17

When in doubt, read the directions!!!!

My families and friends said to not be so serious and to laugh more.

Here goes, I will try to laugh with you instead of you laughing at me!

As most of you know, I live alone. I was given a smoothie blender and have been using it almost daily. I've had it for 2 months, I rinse in out and put in the dishwasher regularly but I was never able to get the base unscrewed to wash it separately. Now it was starting to bug me that there was "grunge" gathering underneath the rubber ring but I still could not get the base to unscrew. I tried everything. I soaked it in hot water, I used various grips and still could not get it to budge. I called friends for advice. (Actually I was on the phone for something else when I was trying to unscrew it for the 20th time.) I started thinking I was old and weak. My son, Michael, came home last weekend and I told him I needed his BIG muscles. He strained and dripped sweat. He had me hold the pitcher section as he tried to turn the base --- then . . .

As Michael was trying to get a new grip on it he said "Mom, it says to loosen turn it this way." I said no it is always "Righty tighty, Lefty loosey!" He said but the arrow points the other way. We then tried it the "wrong" way -- toward the right --- and, you guessed it; it came unscrewed!!!! It only took me 2 months to get that base off!. Stop laughing!!!! To my defense, those words were white raised letters on a white background on the bottom side of the pitcher. My girlfriend still almost fell to the floor laughing when I called her and told her.

Moral: Even when not in doubt, save time and read the directions!!!

I would have included a picture but I've misplaced my camera. I'll write again if I've stuck in the freezer or something. But to continue to help you laugh. Here is me trying to balance oranges on my head in Swaziland :)

Bonnie's Impressions

I asked some of the other members of our mission team to give their impressions of our trip for me to put on my blog. So today you can see another perspective as expressed by my friend Bonnie Shores. When you see the pictures, she's the one with purple in her hair! :)

I didn't know what to expect from Africa. In many ways, it was exactly what I thought it would be and completely different at the same time. I didn't expect the landscape of Swaziland to be so beautiful. The endless mountain ranges, dotted with random rock formations, framing tiny mud huts bring conflicting emotions to mind. On one hand, you praise God for the beauty of His Creation; on the other hand, you are angry with the Swazi government for not utilizing the land's natural resources to better the lives of the Swazi people. The Swazi people--their character exemplifies hope. "

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame...". Most have lives so difficult that, even though we saw it with our own eyes, we still can't imagine what it would be like to live in a one or two room hut with a dirt floor, no toilet or electricity or refrigerator or tv or stove or sofa or lights or books or food. "...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." I will do my best to remember what I saw when I begin to complain about anything. I truly believe that lives will be changed by our (The OC) efforts to support the care centers. If we will simply sustain these beautiful children with food and medicine, provide a basic education so that they are able to see beyond the limitations of ignorance, and teach them of God's love by our actions, there is no limit to the things they will be able to accomplish in their own lives and the lives of others.

Rocks in the road

"Be sober, be vigilent, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" 1 Peter 5:7

During my quiet time this morning God gave me a mental picture that was so revealing, I just have to share it and then I will post some pictures of kids from the CarePoints I will be working at. I have to preface this illustration with the fact I have had some financial curve balls thrown my way lately and with no longer working and my support not there yet I can sometimes be distracted.

This morning God showed me a jeep coming down a dirt road and me standing next to Satan by the side of the road. Satan put a rock in the road about the size of a bowling ball. I stood there gloating that our problems aren't that big and the jeep can straddle that and drive over it with no problem. While I'm looking at the rock, God showed me that Satan was whispering in the drivers ear and had him convinced the rock was a boulder and got him to stop the jeep!!! I just wanted to yell, Don't stop!! Keep going!! You're on the right track!! You've got the obstacle cleared!! How often do I stop short because I've bought in to Satan's lies??? Keep me in your prayers as I keep plugging away at getting back to Swaziland.

Co-workers in Christ!!!

"But arise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you." Acts 26:16
I have hit the ground running! I'm so excited about the opportunity to be back to help and see Oasis @ Swaziland develop and explode before I return to Africa. My DFCS background has kicked in already in that I'm talking in the possessive that they are "our" families and children! I feel protective and maternal after just a short time there. I know you can ask other team members like Scott who made similar connections already! When we look back in a year we will be amazed at what God has allowed us to do as His vessel with these children, teachers, cooks and families!!!
Enough of the writing, -- here are some photos. Lining up captions is too difficult for this large number of photos. Most speak for themselves. They are from both of our CarePoints. Later this week I will list the team members and talk about how God used such a diverse group of people to touch, be touched and to come back and share the experience to touch even more hearts locally to change lives globally!!! But for now, here's the team and some of what we participated in.

Please note that we did have men on our team, I just don't have any photos of them yet. Each day I will reveal more of our experiences. It's a lot for each of us to process. Have a blessed week! Worship the Lord for he is good!--- all the time!!!!

Unjani!!

(Oooh-john-knee) is How are you? I'm great!! You'll be speaking the language in no time!!
We are heading home today and will arrive tomorrow! It has been an awesome experience! God is so great!! The team here is fantastic and I look forward to getting to know Ben & Susan, Daran & Teresa, Christy and Patrick even more personally. They have made me feel so welcome and comfortable. I don't see how they get done all that they do though!!

Tomorrow I plan to fill my blog with lots of pictures so please be patient!! As I process my trip over the next several weeks I will break more of the trip down in to more detail for you. It's just a little overwelming to even digest at this point. The team from Oasis that came are great and I will cherish the time I have spent with them. Watch out for God using each of us in powerful ways!!! Click also on the Oasis blog and website to see the activities related to the "Oasis @ Swaziland" golf tournament and other activities to support 2 CarePoints and me.

See those of you in Loganville soon!! And I can talk to any of the rest of you on the phone come Saturday. That's going to probably be the hardest part about moving here, not hearing your voices regularly.

Have a blessed day!!!

Sawubona!

Forgive me if I have not spelled this right for those who know and for those that don't know it's pronounced "saw-bone-ah". It means greetings!
This is such an awesome experience! We are now in Mbabane, ("beh-bawn"), Swaziland. The Oasis church mission team worked hard at the Fonteyn CarePoint today, priming the walls and windows in a new addition, clearing bricks and fire wood, fixing the chicken wire in the garden area and flattening out ground around the new addition. We also found time to love on kids and played "duck, duck, goose" and the "Hokey Pokey" and thumb wrestled as well as tickling. This is one of the CarePoints the Oasis Church will be funding soon and the one I will probably be overseeing. We met the teachers and cooks and other hard working men, women and boys in the community. We then got to visit several homes. Oh, my! The hills and dirt roads and large rocks and long hikes to the homes. Some children walk miles to go to school! We met cooks who had taken in orphaned and vulnerable children in their homes as their own and provide a home for them in the simplest since. A stove or pit fire. A simple bed and maybe a table or floor mat. Hard ground floors, cinder block or even mud made shelters with tin roofs that are held down with rocks that often blow away in hard storms.
I met a small child today Zewell (spelling?) and his brother, Nudomzie (spelling?). Zewell looked maybe 18 months to 2 years old. I tried to connect with him with a small soft soccer ball and tickling. He finally gave me a high five with prompting from his brother but would not crack a smile or show any expression at all. He sat in my lap and I helped him toss the ball, clap in praise and hide the ball under his shirt. I saw no response at all. No smile, no emotion. I rocked, sang and held him for a few more moments and then he was ready to get down and go on. I pray God will break through and Zewell will experience joy and peace and hope in Jesus. I only got a glimpse of what it is like to be in survival mode and to be so hungry and hopeless to not be able to respond to life around you.
Keep the team and I in your prayers! Open our hearts! Those reading this from my work and wanting to pledge a one time or monthly donation, please do. I need to continue to raise support so I can come and stay Nov. 1st. (and now that I have seen the homes I will need to visit I definitely will need a hard core vehicle!!! Or a pack mule!!! LOL!!)
In Swaziland there is no high speed Internet only dial up and so the pictures will have to wait until I get home.
Be blessed and safe and full of love for others as you go through your week! Tomorrow we do crafts and have a health clinic day! Oh we do have to paint more too! It should be less physical and more fun tomorrow! Take care.

Bom Bia! (Good Morning) We're Here!

Good Sunday morning!!!!

Traveling internationally has been an experience! It has been 3 days 2 hotels and 2 countries with major cultural differences. Here they mainly speak Portuguese. We have had a few interactions with local authorities which makes you appreciate our law enforcement in the states.

Yesterday we visited Healing Place Church in Mozambique. They were having a youth service and we also interacted with the children that were outside of church. A Go Global team had just put in a playground and the kids were having so much fun! We will be back there this morning for church and then on to Swaziland this afternoon.

I am so pumped and the trip is only now getting started! The Children's Cup staff is fantastic and I can't wait to be coming back to stay! They have made me feel so welcome! There is so much to absorb!

Have a blessed Sunday!! Worship with your heart and not just observe the service. Peace be with you.