I planned to spend holiday updating my blog but instead I have been working at our closed offices remodeling, organizing and decluttering! I have barely had a chance to get on the internet, let alone blog, but I am taking the time tonight to stay at the office and finish updating Michael's great Christmas with me. The pictures make me smile. Shame he is busy at school and not having as much fun as we did a few weeks ago. Here are the rest of the highlights.

We went with the Brennans and visited Bulembu (Boo-lam-boo).

It is at the top of a mountain where it houses an orphanage and several group homes for children. Some of the children preformed for us. Below is Randy, Karen and Michael. Shelly, their daughter also joined us.

It also has a little hotel. Check out the toilet paper holders in the women's and men's bathroom. Bet you can tell which is which. :)
During Michael's stay we went on a couple of hikes. The first one was over a river and through the woods and up the rocks at Emafini. Michael jumped rocks, I took off my shoes and waded across the path. Mike, our new missionary on his way to Zimbabwe went with us and kept us laughing the whole way!

Our other hike was up the same one I did last year at this time and swore I would never do again --- EXECUTION ROCK!! I handled it much better this year although I still don't see how it is fun to hike that far!! We left our house at 6:30 am and started the hike at 8:00 am so it wasn't as hot as last year. The hike include (left to right) Mark, Shelley, Kay, Michael, Daran, Jackie, Nate and Patrick. Michael seemed surprised to find such young, pretty missionaries in the field. He thought they were all old like his mom! :)
Once again I made it all the way up and was thankful to be picked up by the faster ones on my way down! Ask Michael though, it was defininately tougher than he expected.

What is Africa without seeing the animals! I've uploaded enough for now so I will just have to keep you hanging until next week to show you our trip to the Kruger Game Reserve!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!
What an end to a great year! Michael, my son was here to join me for the holidays and it was such a blessing! The internet here is not an easy thing to connect with. I have to be at the office, which when Michael was here, I spent a lot of time away. Michael has been my strongest family supporter in my following my call to become a missionary. He vowed when I left, to not cut his hair until he saw me again. He kept his vow but the day after he arrived he was ready to lose his long golden locks. (Note he did not make that vow at the end of this visit.) Zinty helped us pose for the African haircut but then I cut the locks and Ben shaved the rest.

This set the tone for all to know that my son was going to be lots of fun. He did not disappoint. He was great with the kids at the Mbabane Christmas party.
When he first arrived he stayed close to me, saying “Mom I came to spend time with you!” A week into the trip, the young people at my church, HPC went to a water park in Badplaas, South Africa. He decided to join them rather than come to the office Christmas party. I asked him why the urge to now venture away from my side and he replied "because I thought there would only be old people missionaries. I didn't know there were people my age to hang out with." So much for bonding time (just getting we got to hang out a lot during his stay.) Michael said the park was "the same just different" than the ones in the US and smaller. He also found that the African sun is "the same just different" -- much stronger than the US. He put on sunscreen SPF 30 four times in the 6 hours they were there but not a shirt. He fried!!!! Needless to say, we spent the next 2 days totally inside. He didn’t even want to see the sun come through the window. I’ll share more of our adventures later.
I’m starting the New Year examining what my personal goals are. BALANCE seems to be the key word I have been hearing the last part of 2008. How do you balance everything? Family is so far away but I need to not neglect my relationship with them. Ministry is important but if I don’t take care of myself, physically, mentally and spiritually I won’t be able to minister. Sounds so easy and straightforward but putting it into practice will definitely be a challenge. Just because you have a daily quiet time doesn’t been you are balanced. I have some down time here in Jan. and plan to reread Joyce Meyer’s “Look Great Feel Great” which is a great book for practical applications on living a balanced, healthy life. I’ve also never done the “Purpose Driven Life” and think I will do that, since The Oasis Church is doing "40 days of Purpose" as there Jan. series. If anyone has the book and wants to go through the book with me, email me sandra@theoasischurch.org. Other great books I might reread is “Facing Your Giants” by Max Lucado and “The Shack” by William Young which is a great fiction book to emphasize the importance of our relationship with God as opposed to being religious. It is not a good read if you want God to fit in a box. It challenges all our preconceived ideas of God.
Thank all who read my blog (even if you aren’t on the “Tuned In” list) for all your support, whether financially and/or prayers and/or emails and/or visiting me here in Swaziland. I feel so blessed. It’s hard to believe I spent all of 2008 in Africa!! Surreal!!! I have grown so much! God is so good! He gives you what you need when you are obedient to His call. I would have never foreseen myself as a missionary, let alone in Africa, but now I can’t see me anywhere else!!!! Have a blessed 2009!!!!!! Follow where God leads you in 2009, even if it doesn’t make sense and I guarantee you will not regret it!!! He has your BEST interest at heart and all sacrifices are so worth it!!! Love and hugs and friendship.

SIYAJABULA KUTSI JESU UNATSI!

Merry Christmas in Swaziland is Siyajabula kutsi Jesu unatsi (see-yah-jah-boo-lah goo-tsee Jay-soo oonah-tsee). "We are happy that Jesus is with us!" It is wonderful getting to celebrate it with my son Michael who arrived last Friday. This is our 3rd Swaziland Christmas party. We had the biggest one in Swaziland on Dec. 6th (4,000) and a smaller one in the more remote area on Dec. 7th (900). The smallest one is the Mbabane party where there are 2 CarePoints of which both are sponsored through the Oasis church. It is shocking to say our smallest one was for 500 children!It is summertime in Swaziland so often it is hard for us Americans to get in the Christmas spirit when you are getting sunburned. At our party it was cold and rainy and was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Not really but it's the closest we could get.

It was a great day with jumping castles, soccer, face painting and dancing. Please note that the local orphanage where Pepe stays was also invited and Pepe is doing great and is in the dancing photo below. We had hot dogs and ice cream. Each CarePoint performed for each other and signed a thank you banner for the Oasis Church!It was so much fun to see the children having such a great time praising Jesus and doing things they rarely have had the opportunity to do (last year's Christmas party). We all want to wish you a Merry Christmas and say Siyabonga! (see-yah-bow-ngah) "We thank you"!

Congratulations Graduates!!!!!

We had the honor of graduating children from their second year at our Oasis @ Swaziland classes. Children's Cup CarePoints offer 2 years of free education to orphan and vulnerable children. The school year in Africa is from the end of January to the beginning of December. Christmas falls in the "summer break". These graduates are now ready to go into Grade 3 at the public school next year. Public schools cost around $75-$100/year and sometimes these children cannot afford that. We try to help as we have funds available.
There were 16 graduates from Mangwaneni, Mbabane and 10 from Fonteyn.
Children's Cup provided caps and gowns for the occassion and it was a special time at each CarePoint. I was honored to be the "guest speaker" at the Mangwaneni CarePoint. I dressed in my Swazi outfit, complete with head scarf for the special day. I spoke to the children and told them how proud we were of their hard work. I encouraged them in that this was only the beginning of what God has planned for each of their lives and for them to continue to grow.
Several of the children at Mangwaneni were older, including Lungile (pictured with me below) who is 12. Without Oasis @ Swaziland and Children's Cup, she would probably have never had the opportunity to learn to read and write. She has done so well we are sure that at the beginning of the school year next year she will get to advance even further than grade 3.

Biggest Christmas Party in Swaziland!

We have had graduations at the CarePoints and field trips to Game Parks for the graduates. Now we are having the biggest Christmas party in Swaziland today for over 4,000 orphaned and vulnerable children!! This is only our 12 Manzini CarePoints!! Tomorrow are the 3 Maphiveni area CarePoints (during the week will be 2 smaller ones in Mozambique) and Monday, Dec. 15th will be the one for our 2 Mbabane CarePoints!
Keep us in your prayers for cool (it's summer here) but not rainy (it's the rainy season and it rained last night) day with a cool breeze (the icing on the cake)! Pray that no child will leave without knowing that the party is to celebrate God's Son's birthday! Happy Birthday Jesus! Pray that all children and the hundreds of volunteers have a safe, fun time!!!!
I'll blog pictures of all of these past events soon. :)