Sometimes My Job is a Blast!!!

Sometimes my job is a blast!!!! I might have put a lot of kilometers on my bakkie (truck) but it was worth it to visit all the CarePoints and see the joy the new swings and see-saws have brought to each one!!!

Lomahasha,

our CarePoint near the Mozambique border had never had any play equipment and the children are so excited!!!!

Here are some of the responses to the new equipment:

A teacher said "More children are coming and it is exciting for the children!! We have to chase them now when it is time to go home!"

Another said that there is a line at the gate when they come to open the CarePoint now.

A cook said that she is very thankful. "They are now playing. They are now having fun. They eat fast so they can go play."

Another child said "I am happy to have more swings. Now I can fly higher than anyone!"

One child said "I like the see-saw. I had never seen one before. I love going up and down!"

It is because of our partnership with Mission of Mercy and donors like Pastor Jim and Gary that made this all possible. As one child put it, "May God bless those that gave us the swings because I like playing to see how high I can fly on the swing."

I Won't Go Back

I have changed! I am not who I used to be. Praise God!!! I pray I will continue to grow to be more in His image each day.

As I look at my past; my self reliant, defiant, manipulative past; I see how God has molded me into a better person and I am grateful. Do I seek to be rich in wealth? No, I seek to handle what God gives me with an open hand and a giving heart. Do I seek to have it "my way"? To be honest, sometimes I fall back into that but when I can see or hear God's way, I have learned that His is the better plan. When I failed to submit to authority in the past, I now realize I was opposing God not any particular person and I've come to trust Him even in what seems like failure or disaster. Sometimes, submitting to authority seems like you are the passenger in a car and you see the driver heading for a head on collision and you want to jerk the steering wheel to avoid the crash!!!

Have you ever felt that way?

I now realize that by doing so, I prevent the driver from steering away from the danger or I'm not trusting that God will either intervene or grow me through the recovery after the collision. See how my perspective has changed? It is so freeing and less worrisome.

So why and how did I change? Is it because I live in Africa? Is it because I see poverty daily that is so beyond what I would have thought of when I lived in the states? Is it because what I perceived as problems a few years ago were really selfish whines failing to see my amazing blessings?

Yes and no. I don't think it is so much that I live in Swaziland as it is that I became surrendered to God. Maybe, for me, He had to remove me to Africa to get me to really look at my life. But on the flip side I don't think that if you really look at your life He will move you to a foreign country. LOL When I can get just glimpses of seeing with His eyes, my whole being strives to be gentler, kinder, more loving and full of mercy. And it is not "me" it is Christ "in" me that has enabled me to change. It was Him doing all the work once I just let go, trusted and obeyed.

I still fail quite a bit and stumble over my bad habits but I can see I am changing and I won't go back!! Does that mean never physically move back to the states? No. The change is not about where I live but whom I seek. I don't plan on leaving Swaziland but I know if God calls me back to the US or even to another country, He will give me the grace I need to go.

Thanks for letting me share my recent epiphany!!! I am blessed!!! I am happy!!! I am a child of the King and loved beyond measure!!! I am on a journey and I will continue to draw ever closer to my Lord!!!

And I won't go back to the person I used to be!!!

My Inspiration

So often I get put, by some, on a pedestal for moving to Africa. Those that know me well, know that I am no different from any other Christian who hears God prompting them to do something and follows through. (Maybe I'm in Africa because I wasn't as good at hearing God's voice as I am here. . . where there are less distractions.) We are all called to trust God and obey what He has us to do during each season of our lives. I want to share with you a friend of mine who is doing just that and is blessing children halfway around the world from where she lives.

My friend is Patty Tebon. This is her 3rd trip to Swaziland. The first time she came to visit, she came to meet the sponsored child she had through Mission of Mercy at one of our CarePoints. On that trip, besides just raising the funds to come, she raised enough money for a CarePoint to have a slide & swing set. By American standards, Patty would by no means be considered rich. She just let God use her and followed through with what she felt God was nudging her to do and WOW!

God continues to bless this! Patty came out last year and brought a couple of suitcases of winter hats, gloves and blankets for the children at the CarePoint. She realized that the area, even though it is "Africa" gets cold in the winter and the children live in drafty, mud & stick homes. She also sponsored a second child with Mission of Mercy on that trip. Sponsoring a child is not an enormous monthly commitment but it is a significant one and one Patty takes seriously. She goes without cable TV or the internet so you can afford to sponsor a child. You can tell where her heart is. God keeps moving her heart for the children of Swaziland and she keeps obeying. When asked how she can "live" without having the internet, she asks "which child would you want me to give up in order to get it?"

This past year, Patty started collecting donations of blankets and letting others get involved in the ministry. She told me "God taught me this year that He is using me but I just need to get out of the way and watch Him multiply it!" She gathered over 2,300 blankets!!!!

It is one thing to collect the blankets but how do you get that many blankets over to Swaziland? For anyone who has tried to send me something in the mail, the cost has probably stopped most of you in your tracks. But God is sorting it!!! You might think to just send it with the people on teams who are coming over? Easy to say but Patty lives in Wisconsin and the rest of the team she was coming with were from North Carolina and Louisiana. But God is AMAZING and orchestrated people traveling through her area to the other states to distribute most of them and others donated money to pay for shipping and for Patty to have extra luggage on the flight!! The rest will come over later this year with the Back-To-School shipment. If you hear all the intricate details God worked out, your jaw would be left dropped open.

When Patty arrives in Swaziland, she just oozes love!!!! Her eyes light up and her arms open to give lots and lots of hugs! She was able to distribute some of her blankets herself at Moneni "Moe-nay-nee" and at Mangwaneni "Mahn-gwah-nay-nee". The children left warm with blankets and hats. Patty said "my heart when I am back in the states is still with the children in Swaziland. Americans don't realize how blessed they are!" But Patty is being faithful to what God has called her to for in this season of her life. She is raising awareness and providing for needs for the Children's Cup ministers to year round. She is an amazing, loving example of being God's hands and feet. . . and did I mention she has now sponsored her 4th Mission of Mercy child!!! Thank you Patty!!! You are an inspiration to me!!!