Never Too Late to Have a Merry Christmas!!!

Surprise! I got a call Wednesday of last week asking for help in transporting boxes of Samaritan Purse boxes to our Fonteyn CarePoint. The Catholic church in Mbabane had gotten a delivery and was making arrangements to pass them out to all the children in the local government schools and preschools. I stuffed my bakki "bah-key" (truck) full of large boxes of gift boxes and made 4 trips back and forth to the CarePoint. Fonteyn school children walked the 2 kilometers and picked their boxes up at our CarePoint and Mangwaneni "Mahn-gwah-nay-nee" CarePoint walked our preschool children to the Mangwaneni Primary School for their boxes. It was so much fun!!!

For the older children a booklet about Jesus also accompanied their box.

Most of the boxes we left sealed so all the contents would get home safely. But as you can see we opened a few of them. Even though it is summer here now, the children and adults were thrilled to find warm caps and gloves and scarves in the boxes for the children. In a few months it will be chilly enough that these will help keep the kids from catching colds. Also crayons, pencils, toothbrushes and washcloths are great and needed items. And the toys and sweets are fun. Thanks to all who help fill these boxes!!!! They are such a blessing!!!

Sewing Class Graduation!!!

Another milestone at Mangwaneni CarePoint. We had 4 girls graduate from our first sewing skills training. Sphesihle Bhembe "Spay-see-sleigh Bim-bay"; Nontobeko Shabangu "Known-toe-bay-go Shah-bawn-goo"; Thembi Mncina "Tim-bee M(click)ee-nah" and Bongekile Dlamini who is in high school and could not attend the graduation because her new school is far away. We are working at all our CarePoints to develop ways to grow skills and values in the boys and girls that will help them succeed.

Diane Page, one of our newer and domestically talented missionaries, (I can barely sew let alone design a program) has been overseeing the project. Dudu "Doo-doo" is our actual sewing teacher at the CarePoint. Here you see them with one of our graduates.

We have learned a lot and the next class will have even more spiritual and practical applications to life beyond sewing. As you can see the girls did several projects over the course of their class. They also made placemats that we sold to team members that visited last year.

As part of their graduation they not only were awarded a certificate but a box with 2 meters of fabric, thread, ruler, pins, scissors and all the tools they need to start their own projects.

We had invited our proud parents to join in the celebration.

Now comes the learning on how to save and budget when you make money. We are very proud of our graduates and look forward to selling you some of the items they make when you come visit us in Swaziland!!!

It Never Gets Easier

Today I give tribute to my little friend, Singobile Sibandze "See-(click)oh-bee-lay See-bond-zah"

He passed away at the start of this new year or the term in Swaziland is "he is late".

Those on the Oct. 2008 Oasis Team to Swaziland probably remember him well. He was a "chatter box" and a comic. His verbal English skill was very good even though he struggled with his classwork. The team nicknamed him "Doc". He had never really gotten to go to school much so he joined our 2nd year class and graduated in Dec. of 2008. He had finished grade 3 in the public school last Dec.

Over holiday this year he had gone to stay with his "gogo" (grandmother). She had done what her tradition and upbringing had taught her. She took him off his medications and gave him "traditional healing" treatments. He became sick and dehydrated and his health spiraled downward. In a matter of just a few weeks (holiday is from beginning of Dec. to middle of Jan.) he was gone.

It never gets any easier to say goodbye. But God is faithful and I know He was with Doc through it and they are together in heaven where there is no sickness. I am thankful to be here to touch these lives that might only be here for a short time. To tell them God loves them and has not and will not ever forget them. To say that their lives matter.

Farewell Doc!!! I'm sure God is smiling and laughing in heaven at your stories!!