Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!
What an end to a great year! Michael, my son was here to join me for the holidays and it was such a blessing! The internet here is not an easy thing to connect with. I have to be at the office, which when Michael was here, I spent a lot of time away. Michael has been my strongest family supporter in my following my call to become a missionary. He vowed when I left, to not cut his hair until he saw me again. He kept his vow but the day after he arrived he was ready to lose his long golden locks. (Note he did not make that vow at the end of this visit.) Zinty helped us pose for the African haircut but then I cut the locks and Ben shaved the rest.

This set the tone for all to know that my son was going to be lots of fun. He did not disappoint. He was great with the kids at the Mbabane Christmas party.
When he first arrived he stayed close to me, saying “Mom I came to spend time with you!” A week into the trip, the young people at my church, HPC went to a water park in Badplaas, South Africa. He decided to join them rather than come to the office Christmas party. I asked him why the urge to now venture away from my side and he replied "because I thought there would only be old people missionaries. I didn't know there were people my age to hang out with." So much for bonding time (just getting we got to hang out a lot during his stay.) Michael said the park was "the same just different" than the ones in the US and smaller. He also found that the African sun is "the same just different" -- much stronger than the US. He put on sunscreen SPF 30 four times in the 6 hours they were there but not a shirt. He fried!!!! Needless to say, we spent the next 2 days totally inside. He didn’t even want to see the sun come through the window. I’ll share more of our adventures later.
I’m starting the New Year examining what my personal goals are. BALANCE seems to be the key word I have been hearing the last part of 2008. How do you balance everything? Family is so far away but I need to not neglect my relationship with them. Ministry is important but if I don’t take care of myself, physically, mentally and spiritually I won’t be able to minister. Sounds so easy and straightforward but putting it into practice will definitely be a challenge. Just because you have a daily quiet time doesn’t been you are balanced. I have some down time here in Jan. and plan to reread Joyce Meyer’s “Look Great Feel Great” which is a great book for practical applications on living a balanced, healthy life. I’ve also never done the “Purpose Driven Life” and think I will do that, since The Oasis Church is doing "40 days of Purpose" as there Jan. series. If anyone has the book and wants to go through the book with me, email me sandra@theoasischurch.org. Other great books I might reread is “Facing Your Giants” by Max Lucado and “The Shack” by William Young which is a great fiction book to emphasize the importance of our relationship with God as opposed to being religious. It is not a good read if you want God to fit in a box. It challenges all our preconceived ideas of God.
Thank all who read my blog (even if you aren’t on the “Tuned In” list) for all your support, whether financially and/or prayers and/or emails and/or visiting me here in Swaziland. I feel so blessed. It’s hard to believe I spent all of 2008 in Africa!! Surreal!!! I have grown so much! God is so good! He gives you what you need when you are obedient to His call. I would have never foreseen myself as a missionary, let alone in Africa, but now I can’t see me anywhere else!!!! Have a blessed 2009!!!!!! Follow where God leads you in 2009, even if it doesn’t make sense and I guarantee you will not regret it!!! He has your BEST interest at heart and all sacrifices are so worth it!!! Love and hugs and friendship.