Comfort and Joy!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I know this comes after Christmas but I pray you celebrated the birth of Jesus in special ways. Although unable to be with any of my family, biological or church, I was able to celebrate with my missionary family in Swaziland and had a great day after a hectic season! God continues to reveal His gift of love and sacrifice in new ways every year!

Our theme for the Christmas celebrations this year was comfort and joy. When sharing about God at one of the parties I asked a group of children, “Did you know that God wants to comfort you when you are hurting?” and a girl looked at me with sincere eyes and said “No”. My heart melted as we discussed how much God loves each of them and wants them to pray and let Him know when they hurt so He can bring them comfort.

The children here have such hard and difficult lives. The parties are the only Christmas celebration most of them receive. Thank you for supporting me and letting me be here to share His love.

I pray that 2011 is full of blessings and joy and more awareness of God at work in your lives!!

I know He has been growing my awareness of Him and how blessed I am!!!

Love and hugs to one and all!!!

Khisimusi Lomuhle!

This means Merry Christmas in Siswati and is pronounced "Key-see-moo-see Low-moo-sleigh". The Christmas Celebrations have begun!! Below are pictures from Ngwane Park "En-gwah-nee" Park. The theme is comfort and joy!!! All stations including the waterslide that I oversaw had a message about the comfort or joy of the Lord!! Learning and play combined throughout. The waterslide talked about the comfort of cool water when you are hot and tired and how Jesus is our comfort when we are hurting and uncomfortable. He loves each of us and listens when we pray and brings us comfort and healing! The children got to make a scarf for comfort when it is cold, jump for joy on the jumping castle, have birthday cake to celebrate Jesus' birth, play games to show how difficult the journey was for Mary when she was with child, a play telling the Christmas story, part of the Jesus film in Siswati their native language and a meal including meat, a rare treat for these children and a special gift at the end.

It was so much fun and the Lord blessed us with fantastic weather!!! No thunderstorms which we have had a lot of lately. Enjoy the pictures and a thank you to all who contributed to make these parties possible!!!! You are making a difference in these children's lives. They find it hard to figure out why people who don't know them care so much to love them and treat them special!!!

Thank you!!!!

3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!!

November 19th 2007, I began my journey with Children's Cup along with fellow missionaries Randy and Karen Brennan and Mark and Kay Bojovic.

I still have trouble believing that God called me to be a missioanary in Africa!!!!

(I do not fit what I thought a missionary should be!!)

I am so blessed!!! I have grown so much in my relationship with God!! I would not trade it for anything!!!!!!!!!!!

I might have made what some would call sacrifices to be here, but I feel I am living more abundantly than I ever have before!! I feel God has stripped away so many of the distractions and revealed more of His love and power and grace and joy than I had ever taken time to notice!!!

God has blessed me with so many children to love on and to be loved by, relationships to pour into and be fed by and friendships that hold me up when I am weak, love on me when I mess up, make me laugh, give me hugs and above all else, hold me accountable that my walk may be consistent and able to molded more to Christ's image each day!

My advice, when God calls you to do something (probably not be a missionary in Africa but I'm sure He has asked you to do something) obey immediately!!! You will not regret it!!!

Enjoy a few pictures from when my journey began on my first trip here to just last week at graduation!!! Oooh and ahhh and have a laugh or a sigh!!

I could not do this day in and day out without His grace but also not without the prayers and love and financial support from my family and friends and church back in the states!!!

Siyabonga kakhulu kahle!!! "See-yah-bone-gah gah-koo-loo gah-sleigh" which means

Thank you very much!!!

You are all invited for a visit, I guarantee your hearts will never be the same!!!!

Preschool Graduation!!!

Taking advantage of spending ALL day at home in my PJs!!! (And knowing that next week will be packed and today would be my only opportunity all week!)

How fun it was to take time out to attend Mangwaneni, Mbabane's preschool graduation yesterday! Remember, our school year goes from the end of January until the end of November. December and January are our summer break! (Our seasons are the opposite of those in the states.)

Yes, in previous years our graduation was for those that had completed grade 2. But, praise the Lord, the government is now providing free education for first and second grade and we were required to no longer provide that. There are still kinks that they are working out but we are thankful the government is working to make education for ALL a priority! Continue to hold the Swazi government up in prayer for wisdom and good choices in dispersing the funds needed and making necessary changes to reduce the sizes of the classes.

Next year will also be different at our CarePoints as Children's Cup continues to make changes to better serve the community and the needs of the orphan and vulnerable children.

Continue to keep us in your prayers!!!

Here are some shots of the wonderful ceremony and celebration of learning!!!

Both academic and spiritual!

These guys know their scriptures and it is in their second language!!! Puts me to shame!

They shared the days of creation! And who did it???? GOD!!!

They shared their colors, days of the week, months of the year, alphabet,

memory verses and Psalms 100!!!!

Amazing!!! What a blessing!!!

I love these kids and feel privileged to be able to share with them.

Check out the prayers, the sharing of what they learned

and the dancing in celebration complete with high traditional Swazi kicks!!!

So proud!!!!

For more pictures, please check out my FaceBook album with over 50 pictures!!!

Let me know which is your favorite picture!!

Here are the teacher Nokuthula and teacher Dorah who did a fabulous job!!!

I can't wait until the Christmas Celebrations!!! I pray you have gotten 10 friends to give $10.

If you don't know what I am talking about, read my previous blog and watch the video!!!