Never Too Old to Learn!

One of the things I do to relax is to crochet. Those who know me know I learned how to make an afghan and that’s all I really knew how to make. Thick yarn is hard to find in Africa and the little I brought wouldn’t make an afghan. I was frustrated.
Then Bethany came here for 6 weeks. She loves to crochet and in fact earned money to come on her mission trip by making and selling “toboggans”. And she taught me!! You are never too old to learn! Check these out. These were my first efforts. (I know, I don’t wear them right- should be down more over the foreheadJ)
Anyway, winter is almost over here but it will be a big hit next winter!!! Maybe I can teach my cooks to crochet and all the kids at the CarePoints will have something to keep their head warm!! I better get busy, that will be over 500 tobaggans --- send yarn!!!

Pepe Update

I was at the orphanage last Saturday for a workday with my church, HPC. I was there again the next Wednesday because it was Banele’s (Bah-nay-lay) birthday. Banele is Pepe’s younger brother. He turned 10. At the workday we helped plant a garden and on Wednesday we played and ate cake.
Pepe looked fantastic! She now has her head shaved like the other Swazi girls which makes it much easier to care for. She is taking her meds regularly and looks fat and healthy. She was laughing and playing and chattering!!! I have never seen Pepe talk so much. Thank you Lord!! He has a plan for her and I will continue to be inspired as it unfolds. This next school term it looks like Pepe will be able to unofficially attend school and then start back officially in January (when the school year starts here). Just pray her lungs will handle the mile walk to school daily.

It's Reality

I work in a nation ravaged by Aids, TB and poverty. Sounds tragic but so often it's just statistics. "Swaziland, a small country in Southern Africa, has the world’s highest adult HIV prevalence rate of 26.1%. AIDS has devastated the ‘tiny Kingdom’. Average life expectancy has dropped from 57 to just 31 years of age, there are 56,000 orphaned children and 10,000 adults and children died from AIDS in 2007 alone." I'm told that currently, one out of every two people I meet are HIV positive (whether they know it or not).

Now, I've been here 9 months, I'm getting to personally know people and I'm seeing the impact more and more. One of the teachers, who I had met at a CarePoint in Manzini died a week ago, I see the impact on the other teachers and staff that knew her well. I got a call Sat. that one of my favorite cooks, Make Motza, her daughter had passed away. It's starting to become more real to me. As I prayed for those with HIV during the first day of 40 Days of Prayer at Children's Cup, I realized how many people I now know personally who are "positive". I'm sure there are many, many more that I don't know their status. What if one of these become part of the statistics? What happens when it starts become that real to me. Don't let me delay in praying, in loving and in teaching others how to live with this disease. Don't let me delay in sharing God's love and that death isn't the end! Eternity matters.

Lord, only you can heal this nation! May I be a light for each of these I know and hold dear. May their eternity be secure in you. Each of their lives are precious! Each of them are your child! May they know you, your love and your comfort!!

Where's my Victoria?

I was going to blog about Victoria but Christy Merrill's take on her blog was so much more entertaining.

“As if my day wasn’t bad enough,” Sandra said. “ I pulled into the gate to find 3 big dogs in my yard and a pile of chicken feathers,- no Victoria.”Shame. She loves that dumb chicken.Ring ring“Never mind. She’s in your yard. I don’t know how she got through the electric fencing, but she’s there. Take Bethany home with you and she will bring her back.”And so that’s what I did. I took Bethany home with me to rescue a pet chicken that had flown to coop to escape 3 big dogs that had mysteriously gotten into the yard. Only in Africa."

Update is that Victoria is doing fine. She hasn't started laying eggs again (that I can find) but she has again started to roam in our yard during the day. No more dogs; Patrick filled in the hole under the fence that the dogs used to sneak into our yard. Victoria has become quite the celebrity though. The first thing all new visitors or missionaries ask when they come to my house is "Where's Victoria?" Maybe I should start selling autographed pictures to raise money for the CarePoints!!! :)

"Will I be healed from this?"

This story is about one of our cooks at Mangwaneni, Mbabane. Jacci is our missionary who does the discipleship bible studies with the cooks. Celiwe (roof of mouth click -ee-lee-way) has a sweet spirit and a caring heart. I've enjoyed getting her know her through the months. Please keep her in your prayers.

A story from Jacci Zuniga, Children’s Cup Missionary, Swaziland:
I’m so incredibly challenged by how our cooks faithfully show up at the CarePoints to cook & feed the children every single day. Let me tell you, it’s incredibly hard work to prepare food for 200+ kids over an open fire in huge kettles …then serving the food and having to clean up day in and day out! And as you know, they don’t get paid for their work - they are community volunteers! I’m not nearly as close to sainthood as they are.
Celiwe walked up to the CarePoint where she volunteers, each step extremely slow and painful.
She had walked a long way to come for our cooks’ devotion time that day. When I was asked her about the pain and how we could help, she told me the doctor said she had cancer (probably cervical). Unfortunately, chemotherapy & radiation have not yet reached Swaziland. One must go regularly to South Africa for that.
She looked at me and asked, “Will I be healed from this?”In that moment my heart dropped to my stomach or came up to my throat, I’m not sure which–maybe both, if that’s possible.
Here’s the thing - there are questions so huge here, so many things that have no easy answers or quick solutions (HIV/AIDS for example) that I must absolutely depend on, trust in, cling to, run to the ONE who has the words of life, who gives hope and comfort and healing that reaches deep into the soul.
And this is what makes everyday seem extraordinary, because my faith is stretched and grows each time I trust in Him, believing Him to lead me and guide me and use me as His vessel to demonstrate His love & compassion in word, action and in wisdom–HIS wisdom.
Would you pray with me for Celiwe and ask God to radically care for her in her illness?
Lord God, would you heal her?

Golf Tournament

This was sent out by Patrick Shores who organized the golf Tournament to raise money for the CarePoints I work with. THANK YOU!!! AND EVERYONED WHO HELPED!!!!I would like to give you an update on our 2nd annual Oasis Africa Golf Tournament that took place in July. It was a success!!
65 golfers enjoyed a beautiful day of golf, food, fun, and fellowship Monday at the Providence Club in Monroe. Chick-Fil-A got us all started with their usual great breakfast spread. Before the golfing even started we made exciting news with Bill Jones winning the Putting Contest. What makes this even more special was that Bill had never played golf before in his life! Beginners luck or just doing the right thing by being there?
Nobody won the Infiniti G35 provided by Infiniti of Gwinnett or the IRAQ experienced Humvee provided by Live, Laugh, Love. Maybe next year! There were some good golf shots all day long by many golfers. Steve Alsup made out very well by winning a closest-to-pin on hole number 7 and a long drive too. By being the closest on that hole he won a round trip ticket for two provided by Wings Air for their special chartered flights (http://www.wingsair.com/). At least one person on each foursome won a trip on Wings Air too. All in all it was a good day for many golfers. When the day was over for golf, we all sat down to a treat of food from Beef-O-Brady’s and our very own EJ Lehman. EJ stepped it up a lot with special food to fill the bellies of everyone.
Here are the winners of the 2nd Annual Oasis Africa Golf Tournament. Please congratulate them when you see them and ask if they had a good time. Next year, if you did not play this year, you should put us on your calendar. It doesn’t matter if you are a great golfer or not. You will enjoy the day, golf, and feel proud of what you are supporting. The children of Africa and I thank you.
1st Place Team

Dennis Mobley
Robert Owens
Pat Jarvis
Don Mackay

2nd Place Team

Troy Shaw

Larry Owen

Gid Samples

Craig Sheppard

3rd Place Team

Edgar Brush

Randy Coleman

Tom Zonitch

Ronnie Stephens

Longest Drive Hole # 9

Chad Daniell

Longest Drive Hole # 18
Steve Alsup
Closest-to-Pin Winners
Hole # 3

Wayne Painter

Hole # 7

Steve Alsup

Hole # 11

Patrick Shores

Hole #16

Wes Skipper
You will be able to check out the pictures of the tournament very soon at http://www.1800wegolf.com/. I hope you enjoy them.
I also want to thank all of my volunteers. Without them this event would not work. Their time and effort is what makes the tournament go smoothly and enjoyable to everyone.
Bonnie Shores, Susan Owen, Scott Cabaniss, Tammy Cabaniss, Donna Hendrix, Tracy Keener, Tammy Tart, Kim Calhoun, Wanda McClure, Amy Wilke, Jordan Wilke, and Jackson Shores.
Our sponsors play such a crucial role in running such an event. Without them the tournament simply would not be held. Please think of them when you need or want the services they provide including Eagle Rock for supplying our Monster drinks on Hole # 7.
It has been my pleasure running this tournament. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.

and Lake Lanier Fishing Charters

Sincerely,
Patrick Shores
Tournament Director

Photo Diary of a New Classroom for Mangwaneni

Thanks to the Oasis church and their funding, Mangwaneni, Mbabane CarePoint has a new second classroom. For the first half of the year they squeezed the class into what was supposed to be the teacher's office/storeroom.This is what the grounds looked like back on April 15th:This is what it looked like after on May 15th, a week after digging out the side of the hill and moving the giant logs!May 21st: May 30th:

June 6th: June 12th:

June 17th Outside and Inside:

June 27th:









May 7th: Wow what some paint will do! Now it even matches the other building!

They moved in on Monday, July 21st and we celebrated on Friday, July 25th with prayer, bubbles, stickers, biscuits (cookies) & juice and of course singing and dancing. Christy led our prayer and our visitors from the states, Bethany and Janet helped with the celebration. Teacher Kiki, the teacher for this class, led our dancing and teacher Dora and I joined in. Thank you!! The kids were so excited! Wish you could have been here.