Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm still processing this holiday weekend and what God has been showing me and growing me! My life, in general, is not how I would have ever imagined it even 10 years ago! What seemed like disasters have blossomed into opportunities! What seemed like sacrifices have turned into blessings!

My devotion the other day spoke of the verse Luke 2:7 "She brought forth her firstborn Son . . . . and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Billy Graham said "No room for Jesus? No room for the King of kings? No, but room for others and for other things. There was no room for Jesus in the world that He had made----imagine! Things have not really changed since that Bethlehem night over 2000 years ago. God is still on the fringes of most of our lives. We fit Him in when it is convenient for us, but we become irritated when He makes demands on us. If God would only stay in His little box and come out when we pull the string! Our lives are so full. There is so much to be done. But in our busy activities are we in danger of excluding from our hearts and lives the one who made us?"

Then my friend, Mike Pier, a missionary in Zimbabwe wrote on his blog "When Jesus made His appearance in our world, it wasn't with a lot of fanfare and with extravagant celebration. He CHOSE to be born in Bethlehem, a city that surely wasn't a vacation hotspot of the day, in a barn that was full of animals, hay, a few rats and poop and in a manger . . . . a feeding trough. If this is where the Creator of the universe chose to be born, if this is where God showed up on Earth . . . what is He saying to us? I think Jesus is saying 'I'm a real person and I'm here to relate with real people, to meet them right where they are, in the dirty places, where there's animals, rats and poop. Even if it smells bad. I don't need a red carpet rolled out for me, cuz You can be real when you come to me . . . just as you are.' So many times we think I need to get myself straightened out, then I'll go to church. I'm here to tell you . . . NOT SO!!! It's just the opposite, Jesus loves a mess . . . and He loves cleaning up a mess. He already knows that we smell bad, that we are in a rough place and maybe have made a mess of our life."

Then on Christmas Eve, Pastor Roger challenged us to seek God for just one thing in 2012. As David did in Psalm 27:4 "The one thing I ask of the Lord . . . the thing I seek most . . ."

So as the Christmas holiday and 2011 come to a close . . . Have I made room in my life for Christ? Not on the fringe but an abiding resident in the center of all I do!

Am I as real a person as Jesus? Am I seeking the fanfare or am I willing to roll up my sleeves and work with Jesus to clean up the stinky, rotten recesses of my life. Then, am I willing to help Him do that with others? It's one thing to work in your own filth but it's another to step into someone else's.

And what will I ask from the Lord in 2012? What is the thing I will seek most? To be in His presence more? My heart says that in 2012 I should seek to have more of Christ's heartbeat . . . to see others as He sees them, love others as He loves them, work patiently with others as He works without ceasing with each of us. I am so short of being able to do that in my own strength, I am quick to see other's faults, quick to snap and judge and impatient for others it "get it" but for 2012 I will seek that I will be more of a vessel He can use!!! More of Him and less of me!

May your Christmas have been blessed and may the New Year bring us all closer to God!

Before 2011 draws to a close, it is a great time for that year end tax deduction AND to partner with me through http://www.childrenscup.org/give-now/ to give hope, inspire dreams and change lives in Swaziland! Thank you for your love, friendship, prayers and support!!!

Application

Application

Position: Missionary in Swaziland for another year

Strengths: Gift of administration and passion for children

Weaknesses: Unable to do any of this in my own strength and can be self centered and strong willed.

Job Description: Office administrator for Children’s Cup office in Swaziland including payroll for 40+ local staff. Director of Swaziland’s partnership with Mission of Mercy child sponsorship program for the 18 CarePoints and 1,500+ children across the nation. Love on, encourage, counsel and build relationships with 20+ office/church staff as we;; as the teachers and cooks at Mangwaneni CarePoint. Occasionally get to go play with kids, give high five twirls and work with teams from the states.

Salary: None from Children’s Cup. Donations to the ministries of Children’s Cup goes to the ministry and none of it is funneled to missionaries for support, vehicle expenses or living expenses.

I recently found out I cannot pay my way to stay in Swaziland next year. As of January my funding will be cut by more than half and will be below what I need to live here.

My faith is in Christ and in His calling me to Swaziland over 4 years ago. I do not feel He has asked me to leave Swaziland at this time. There is still so much more to be done and so much He is doing!

But it is not by my faith that I will be able to stay here . . . . it is by yours!

· Faith that I am being God’s hands and feet here.

· Faith that the funds I receive I will use with integrity.

· Faith that God has called you to be part of His channel of provision to me.

· Faith that God will honor and bless you and provide for your household as you help provide for me.

Please pray about this with me. God may be calling you to be a prayer warrior and stand in the gap for me and for Children’s Cup. Great things continue to unfold in the Cup ministries and this is just one obstacle that the enemy has laid out there that needs spiritual intervention. God may be calling you to financially assist me monthly or in a one-time gift to cover the next 6 months until I can go back to the states and try to raise support face to face and in churches. I need $5,000 during that time to make sure I can pay rent, utilities, groceries & gasoline to visit CarePoints. I have not been back to the states for over 2 years so I know, unless you have been to Swaziland you feel a little disconnected from me personally. If there is any way I can meet with you when I am in Oklahoma, Connecticut and hopefully Georgia or visit your church, during June and July, just let me know. I love my blog and FaceBook family and treasure your prayers and support. Thank you for praying about it and letting me know what God lays on your heart.

Please accept my application.

Sincerely,

Sandra Chesterman

Missionary

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

There is no such thing as a "White Christmas" in Swaziland!

On the contrary, the weather fluctuates between HOT and thunderstorms!! But it is one of the most exciting times in Children's Cup ministries. . . . the Christmas parties!!!!It is not just a chance for kids to get to get treats and jumping castles, it is a learning experience!!!

Every station teaches about Jesus and centers around the theme that GOD IS WITH ME!!!

From dancing after they learn about the wise men following the star, to learning about Jesus' baptism before they water slide, to learning about fishing for men as they fish for treats,

to hear about the feeding of the 5000 before they eat fish

and bread (and rice),

to playing with a GIANT ball after learning about the stone rolling away from the grave, to hearing of Christ's ascension and then jumping on the jumping castle and then finally getting to color their own special button to remind them that "GOD IS WITH ME" always!!!!

The celebration ends with birthday cake and FIREWORKS!!! So many of these kids deal with situations that even adults should not have to be exposed too! Death, abuse, abandonment, severe hunger and life threatening illnesses!!! Hope comes in the form of Jesus!!!

It reawakens the knowledge of what is really important! I still don't know about how my financial situation will look next year. I have had to wrestle recently with "what if it doesn't come in" scenario and have decided that although I don't feel called back to the states, if God allows that to happen, He will still be with me!!! The Bible says not to worry about anything but to present it before God in prayer, always giving thanks!!!! (paraphrase of Philippians 4:6) So that is what I choose today. Celebrate the season with sharing God's love and the truth of His Son!!! I will rejoice in being able to serve Him here or wherever I end up!!! And I am going to have a blast next week getting lots of kids wet on the water slide!!!!!