40 Days of Prayer

I want to thank everyone for their prayers this past week as I and others have been struggling with being sick. I am lousy at it. I snuck into work the first few days for a few hours and started getting others sick so I stayed home the rest of the week. The thankful part was I was not running a high fever or was so bad to just stay in bed and sleep. But I was sick enough to not want to do anything but be bored and tired and lazy. No time for that! Today I'm going to get something done around the house, even if I have to nap in between. Ha!

For fear of spreading my germs, I have not been to either CarePoint all week and I miss that. The children have been working on prayers for the Children's Cup 40 Days of Prayer With the Children. It's start's August 1st and I hope everyone will participate online. Click on the photo below which is linked to the site.You will not be praying for us but with the children we work with. I will be sure to point out if the prayers from any of the children at Fonteyn or Mangwaneni, Mbabane are on a particular day. In this next year we want to take another step forward beyond the supplying of physical needs and speaking of God but in transforming kids lives. Without Christ transforming these children from the inside, this generation will be cursed to the same mistakes as their parents. We have laid foundation of consistency of the fundamentals at the CarePoints but now we are working to find ways to disciple a few kids at each CarePoint who are showing spiritual hunger to know God deeper. Our prayer is that God, working through these children, will start setting examples of making Christ-like choices in a society where the opposite is so prevelant. We want to raise leaders living lives of integrity and purity and searching God's Word for answers. Showing other children and youth that there is another way. And most importantly growing in their faith that nothing is impossible with God! Pray with us!!!

I'm Back!

I'm back in Swaziland and hard at work! I was blessed to be greeted at the airport by several of my African staff, Nathie, Gugu, Zinty and her fiance’, Lu when I arrived. I was then surprised by being taken to local restaurant for a traditional Swazi dinner with several of my Swazi staff, Nathie, Gugu, Queeneth, Bheki and Roger. I felt soooooo special!!!

That was on a Thursday night and then on Friday I went to both of my CarePoints and the office to let everyone know that Make “mah-gay” (mama) Sandra was back. I was told many kept asking if I was really going to be coming back. My teachers at Fonteyn said, in a little more blunt manner, that America had been nursing on Make Sandra way to long and it was about time they let go and let her come back to nurse her “babies” in Swaziland. There was also a grabbing of a part of the body (theirs not mine) to emphasize this. Guess you have to have been there to catch the Swazi humor in their statement. No offense was intended or taken and it did make me laugh and know I was missed.

The weekend was the point of catch up on jet lag because by Monday I was back in full swing. My name is now heard over and over in the office “Make Sandra” this and “Make Sandra” that. It is good to be back!

It is cold here though and that was hard to come back from summer to winter. It gets dark by 5:30 pm. The cold and dark makes it hard to be motivated. Now back to internet except in the office. The good news is that Swaziland now has a form (slow form) of broadband I can get on my home phone line and Jessie and I have applied. That will make Skype and email so much easier. Jessie had gotten season 4 of the show “House” and we have been watching that a lot. No will power to watch one episode a week.

The monkeys are still around and have come by the house a few times since I arrived home. They are getting bolder. They are stealing the avocados from our tree though (or the tree on the other side of the fence that drops on our side).

Anyway, I wanted to update my blog that I’m back in Swaziland and busier than ever! I do want to ask for those who read my blog for assistance. What kind of things do you want to hear about? What do you want to see on my blog? More life stories, kid stories, personal spiritual growth stories? What in the past have you enjoyed the most? And don’t say you love everything I write but help me focus on which areas you want to see more of. You can comment on the blog (just need to sign in under a google or aim or there is one other but I can't remember it) or you can send a comment by email or through facebook. Thanks ahead of time for your input and for your constant prayers and support!

Sala kahle! “sah-lah gah-(slur out sides of mouth)lay” (Stay well!)