Showers of Blessings!

It has been crazy with activity as I prepare for heading back to the states in just 36 hours!!! We finished picture days at ALL our 18 Mission of Mercy CarePoints and even gave out some blankets at our 2 non-Mission of Mercy CarePoints today!! It is cold at night so I am happy that our kids can stay a little warmer these nights!!

We have taken 2263 of our 2736 sponsored children's photos doing fun activities!!!! 83% Finished!!

In other news: 

Mitch got his trach out today and is eating again!!!! 

What showers of blessings we are having!!!

On top of these great blessings, we had our first ever "baby shower" for our 7 pregnant (okay 6 pregnant because one already delivered) facilitators on Monday!!! We spoke of what a blessing from God children are and that they are special to Him and we have a responsibility to raise them knowing His love. We had staff pray over each one, got to open gifts (generously provided by Children's Cup and missionaries who donated items to fill the handmade diaper bags)!!! Each of the 7 got a diaper bag, baby carrier, diapers, wipes, baby powder, petroleum jelly, diaper cream, 2 outfits and a crocheted cap! We topped the party off with, of course, cake and punch! It was a fun time to laugh together as one big family (we have almost 40 facilitators total). Enjoy some of the pictures. The ladies were seated by the others in the order they expected the births to come (4 of the 7 are due in June).

 

Nokhthula “Knock-two-lah”, Dorah, Celiwe “(click)ay-lee-way”, Bethusile “Bay-two-sea-lay”, Clarah, Phindile “Pin-dee-lay” and Khumbuzile “Koom-boo-zee-lay”!

Pink and blue cake!   

 And prayers of blessings!!

 

Ready, set, open your bags!!!!

Enjoying a great time together! God is good!! Thankful for our numerous blessings!!!

Many people from the US ask me about being a missionary in Swaziland; maybe the video below will help answer some of your questions.
But.......if you would like to

1) ask me questions in a more casual setting about how God can use anyone in missions and/or

2) find out more about the country and culture of Swaziland and/or

3) discover all the different facets of what Children's Cup is doing in Africa and/or

4) just hug on an old friend
then host a dinner with friends, family and/or colleagues while I am in the states and be able to do any or all of the above.
(I'll even buy the pizza for the evening!)

Just let me know and we can schedule a dinner (or lunch) on my calendar. Most of my Sundays I will be speaking in churches but there are a few in June that are open and July 22nd.

My tentative locations while in the states are:

June 2nd (arrival) - 17th - Oklahoma (Tulsa/Broken Arrow)

June 18th - July 4th - With family

July 5th - 8th - Missouri (Clarksburg & St. Louis)

July 9th - 15th - Georgia (Loganville)

July 16th - 20th Traveling from GA to OK via Baton Rouge, LA (home of Children's Cup)

July 26th departing back to Swaziland
Thank your for your support!!!!
(for prayer, financial and loving on me!!!)

Emergency Appeal

If you follow me on FaceBook you know that we have been flooding the heavens with prayers for Mitch's recovery. As I leave for the states I am torn because my dear friend is still not out of the hospital after almost 9 weeks! On top of the physical, emotional and spiritual battle he and Char are going through, there is now a financial struggle! Please pray about helping and be obedient if God chooses to minister to these amazing people through you!!! 

I have copied the post from our Children's Cup website. If the links do not work in my copy, please go to www.childrenscup.org and click on the picture that matches the one below. 

THANK YOU!!! 

 

HOME > EMERGENCY APPEAL FOR MITCH HILDEBRANT

EMERGENCY APPEAL FOR MITCH HILDEBRANT

If you’ve been around Children’s Cup much, you know we don’t use language like this very often at all. But we have a crisis and we need your help.

WE NEED TO RAISE $200,000 QUICKLY.

Here’s why: As of May 9, 2012, Children’s Cup Swaziland Director Mitch Hildebrant has been in the hospital in Africa for seven weeks, with a projected six more weeks to go. He is battling complications following a surgery in his intestine.

A little over seven weeks ago, he had an emergency appendectomy in Swaziland, during which the doctors discovered a problem in his intestine. They successfully removed the affected portion of his intestine, but over the following days, a leak developed in Mitch’s intestine, creating a very dangerous situation. Mitch was rushed to South Africa where a higher level of care is available. After several emergency surgeries and procedures, Mitch is stable, on a feeding tube and various other supports, and is being observed closely through a very slow recovery process that so far has been laden with setbacks.

We have been in consultation with several medical professionals in the USA and their consensus is that Mitch is receiving a very high level of care in South Africa, and that relocating him to the USA in his current condition would not be worth the potential risks involved.

Children’s Cup is committed to stand with Mitch and Char through this. We are doing all we can to help them financially, but the truth is that we don’t have a solution on our own. But we do have you, and we’re praying that God has already put some of you in a position where you’ll be able to help. Right now in ICU, every day that passes is another $5,000 in expenses.

Every Children’s Cup missionary has medical insurance, but due to the extremity of Mitch’s situation, they have exceeded their insurance’s cap. In Africa, that means it is now a pay-as-you-go system, meaning that if the bills aren’t paid as we go, he will be discharged.

The only way to avoid that is for us to raise a lot of funds very quickly (doctors estimate the total needed will be more than $200,000). Will you pray for Mitch and give what you can to help today? Thank you for engaging this challenge. We know that God will be glorified through it all if we’ll simply do what he asks us to do.

You can give online right now and choose “EMERGENCY MEDICAL FUND” from the list. That is the quickest way to help, but if you prefer to send a check, make sure it is tagged “EMERGENCY MEDICAL FUND” and send it to:

Children’s Cup
P.O. Box 400
Prairieville, LA 70769

Whether you give online or by check, WE NEED YOU TO GIVE TODAY.

Mitch and his wife Char carry a high level of responsibility and have excelled in their roles with Children’s Cup. But as you might imagine, these are challenging times for Mitch and Char. Their faith is strong, but the challenge is tremendous. When you help with this need, you’re helping us to keep giving hope to them and to many more.

For updates on Mitch, stay tuned to Children’s Cup’s facebook page and be sure to post some encouragement on Mitch and Char’s facebook wall, too.

Let’s stand together on the truth that with God nothing is impossible as we uphold Mitch and Char. Pray for healing, for wisdom for the doctors and everyone involved. Pray for peace and strength for both Mitch and Char. And pray for God’s glory and presence to fill their lives like never before.

Thank you in Jesus’ name.

Happy moments!

The last few weeks have been rough. During these times you learn if you really believe God is your refuge or not.

Please continue to pray for Mitch Hildebrant, our Children’s Cup Swaziland director, as tomorrow makes 7 weeks since he first entered a hospital. He is currently in ICU and scheduled for another surgery (think this makes 4) tomorrow. His wife Char is by his side and his mother, Bobbi, has come to visit him. We believe this is the beginning of the turnaround point to a steady and full recovery. We miss him tremendously!!!! But we also trust our Lord that He sees what we cannot. And has Mitch in the palm of His hand!

For those who might not have seen the posts on FaceBook, my ex-husband, Keith Chesterman was killed in a head-on car crash on May 1st. We were married 23 years and raised two remarkable sons. (We have been divorced for 7 years and he was remarried to a sweet lady, Debra.) It was hard not to be able to make arrangements and be there for the funeral. I heard my boys did an amazing job speaking about their dad. I have always been proud of them but it was uplifting to hear other commend them. Keep praying for the Chestermans. This is a difficult time for them all, especially his parents and his current wife. We always think a child will outlive their parents and when that is not the case, the pain is great.

On top of all that is going on, my truck seems to have issues lately. I am tired of seeing the mechanic for even small things. It is difficult to want to handle the problems that arise when you heart is hurting so much for close friends and family who have much more complex issues they are having to deal with. It will all sort though. I even got the added joy today of the mechanic locking my keys in the truck. At least it wasn’t me that did it and they were amazingly good at breaking into my truck.

So, while the road has been rough, the Lord has been gracious that my job allows me a season of taking pictures of all our Mission of Mercy sponsored children! Over 2,500 in just two months! We have gotten half of them completed (9 CarePoints) and so I would like to share some fun shots from this half of the adventure! We all need to take time to smile! In Mission of Mercy’s theme of “Health and Wellness” we could have done pictures of the children eating the nutritious Feed My Starving Children rice or visiting with the nurses during medical clinic but we wanted some fun shots! We felt the sponsors would enjoy some fun pictures also! So, each child gets to choose which activity they want their picture taken doing. We have the swing (very popular), teeter totter, slide, skipping rope, netball (similar to basketball) and of course soccer (also quite popular)! We even have some handicapped children; Tengetile “Tayne-gay-tee-lay” (her left leg is amputated below the knee) loves to skip rope and Mcondisi “Em-(click)own-dee-see” (has a cerebral palsy type disease and is in a wheelchair) loves to go down the slide! (Theirs are the first 3 pictures.)

I hope this glimpse at these fun shots of kids being kids sustains you like they have me. God has made each of us special! He loves and cares for each of us more than we will ever comprehend! (Even when we do not understand the whys!)

Tengetile

As the storms come, He is our refuge! He is our strength! He is our hope!!! Hope’s name is Jesus!

Mcondisi (note wheelchair)

Mcondisi (He loves to slide!