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!!!

Help Make Christmas Memories!!!!

Remember a Christmas that was special for you? Was it the love? The atmosphere? A special program? A gift? Did you have a birthday party for Jesus? Our kids in Swaziland need those kinds of memories!!!! They need to be loved on, to have an exciting place to celebrate, learn more about Jesus' "comfort and joy" (our theme), get a small gift and celebrate the birth of Jesus with cake and chicken!!!!

Check out this video and help make this Christmas special for some orphan and vulnerable kids!!!

Today, please get 10 friends to give $10 and make an eternal difference/memory for a child this Christmas season!!! Hurry, parties are less than a month away!!!