I just want to take the opportunity this Mother's Day to testify about my own mother.  I can truely say that my mom is one of my best friends.  What a blessing?!  At twenty seven years old she is still the first person I want to share all my good and bad news with.  There is an unconditional love in her heart for all three of us.  Kim and Travis would agree that we are blessed to have the parents that we have.  When things got tight I never felt it.  She kept us so protected and loved.  My mom has taught me what it means to sacrifice. 

I thank God that I have had such a great example of his love and provision through Tricia Howry.  It is a blessing to pass on all that I have learned from her as I minister to orphans in Swaziland and American interns.  I pray that our Lord would bless her for all the ways she has been an encouragment to me. 

I love you MOM!

(please go to u-tube and search Happy "Mother's Day from Swaziland" to see me and my interns)

This has been a busy season... please expect more posts soon.  I have so much to testify about.  My God is a consuming fire! 

The government hospital in Manzini, Swaziland is over capacity and under staffed.  Sometimes the patients have to bring in their own bandages, meds and needles.  Eighty percent of the people that check in never check out.  Eighty percent of the people that go in for treatment are beyond a cure; they die.  It is so difficult for me to understand what is happening in Swaziland. 

The problem lies not in the death but in the culture of unblief.  Swazi calls itself a Christian nation.  But the gospel is watered down and added to.  Ancient cultural practices are mixed with the gospel of Christ.  A friend explained it to me like this: 

It is like a vacination.  A bit of something is injected so that the person will over time become immune to the whole thing.  This is what happens when the word is watered down.  Hope is diminished.  We are afraid of doing just what the bible tells us to do.  DIE. 

When we die to self we are made alive in Christ.  I don't want a vacination.  I don't want a cure.  I want the church in Swazi to die.  I want to see these deaths stop.  I want one thing.  JESUS. 

Pray with me for the nation of Swaziland.  If we want to see the dying stop we must pray for death of self, and the life of Jesus to be lived through people here. 

When I was a young girl I loved gym class.  Why?  I was the best.  Each year we had physical fitness tests, and I loved trying to beat my score from the previous year.  I loved science class because we got to do experiments and really see what we were learning.  I loved reading because there was a new discovery behind each cover.  What did you love about school? 

America is great isn't it?  Every child gets an education; rich or poor.  They don't call it the land of opportunity for nothing, right!  However it would be fair to say that Swaziland, Africa is the land of little opportunity.  Everything from the structure of the government to the structure of the family is set up for kids to have little chance to attend school and even then to graduate from high school. 

There are no public schools in Swaziland.  School fees range from eighty Dollars a year for first grade to six hundred dollars a year for twelfth grade.   Because Swaziland is a polygamist society many fathers have twenty children all supported by one bread winner.  There is no way families can send all their children to school.  Not to mention orphans to whom eighty dollars might as well be eight thousand.  

The need in Swaziland is overwhelming.  I don't think lots of money is a good fix to the problem, though it is a great temporary fix.  I think that standing in faith for these kids is the beginning to the fix.  As I pray for the children of Swazi I am starting to realize the need to pray for this government and for the families as well.  I wonder how many westerners have come with lots of money to throw at this problem become overwhelmed and left. 

I don't have the answer.  As of now I am a well meaning westerner sponsoring twenty six out of the millions that need to go to school.  I don't know the solution, but I know THE PROVIDER!  I know God's plan for these kids is for a hope and a future.  I am not giving up on that.  Because shouldn't each child in Swaziland have an answer to the question, "What did you love about school?" 

Sunday at church Dennis Brock, an AIM missionary, proposed to his girl friend Zwagele Mamba.  Dennis came forward to give a testimony and Zwakele stood as his translator.  Dennis spoke of the Lord's redemption in his life, his calling and the path the Lord had set him upon.  He said though he is called to be a missionary there is someone who has been a missionary to him, Zwakele. 

Zwakele translated all this to the church, but just laughed with joy when Dennis pulled out a beautiful engagement ring.  The church prayed over them, and we are all very excited for these two to join their lives and minister together.  What a joyous day!?  Dennis is paying a traditional labola (bride price), and soon they will celebrate the joining of these families by slaughtering the first two cows that Dennis pays to Zwakele's family.  Please pray for Dennis and Zwakele's marriage and their ministry together!  (See pictures by browsing my photos.)

This week several of the interns serving here as First Year Missionaries met a man named Matthew, who had been in a terrible car accident.  Matthew had stitches across his face and his arm was in a sling.  He was in so much pain he pleaded with them to help him with medication.  The interns had no medicine to give him, but they did have faith.  They told Matthew that they didn't have medication, but that they know THE Healer.  So they prayed for Matthew and went along their way. 

The next day they saw a man running toward them waving his hands wildly.  He called out to them, "Friends!!  Jesus healed me!"  Their new friend Matthew stood before them telling them that his pain had gone completely away.  We are praising God because HE heals, answers prayers, and used us to further His Kingdom.  Read more from the FYM's by going to www.adventures.organd looking under First Year Missionary.   

Several of the First Year Missionary Interns have spent this week ministering in the Squatter Camp.  We are asking for you to partner with us in prayer for these ladies.  Our contact with them has been sparse.  We desire to provide food daily at the Squatter Camp while building relationships with these young ladies.   Please pray for provision for food outreach and for favor in the community. 

The injustice of people selling themselves for food in a country where there is plenty of food is unbearable.  We are not willing to see these young ladies perish into the hands of the enemy; we are trusting in God to redeem them! 

Pray for wisdom and endurance as we enter into this ministry.  Pray that as physical needs are met that Jesus would heal and restore these precious young ladies.  Please contact me through e-mail to find out how to help further.    

Just outside the city, Manzini, there is a slum.  Most of the people living there are refugees.  Some of them have been cast out of their families; a common response when someone is found to have HIV/AIDS.  These people are not allowed to own land and most are unable to find work.  They are forced to "squat" on the land surrounding to city dump.  There is no space to farm; the people are hungry.  They rummage through the dump in search of any materials they might be able to sell. 

After spending some time going door to door talking and praying with the people there I found that the biggest concern of the families there is prostitution forced by hunger.  The women there are selling their bodies for bread.  I was horrified to learn that even girls as young as six were known to perform sex acts for a single piece of bread. 

This is not the hope and the future that my God has planed for those that love him!  We are praying for the Lord to reveal his strategy to reach these young ladies.  We are praying for the Kingdom of light to shine where the enemy has planned destruction and hopelessness.  I have been taking interns into the slum to have our quite times in the areas known for prostitution.  We always go with several loaves of bread! 

Please partner with us in prayer for the squatter camp.  Pray that the Lord would show us favor as we step into this new ministry.  Pray that as we pray in these locations God would usher in his presence and people would come to believe in the One who delivers us from every kind of sin. 

Kids from two of our care points, Bhekilanga and Thulwane, attended discipleship camp this weekend.   We had seventy-six kids; each had excellent attendance at our weekly bible club.   The kids just finished a series of lessons on "God is… I am…," which taught about the Character of God and our Identity in Him.  

We transported the kids from the rural area to our team house in the city.   They sang praise songs all the way into town, only stopping to chant, "Overtake driver," when we passed other cars on the highway.  Once they arrived the boys jumped into their beds laughing, while the girls took turns waving at each other from the balcony.  

We ate great traditional food all weekend.   Inyama Khakulu!   (Too much meat!)   The kids played field games and watched movies outside projected onto the house each night.   There was a choir and drama competition between the two care points.   Awards such as best male and female performance were given.   Bhekilanga was awarded first prize for their reenactment of the prodigal son.   It was very impressive each child memorized their parts in English.

We had a guest speaker who shared her story of how she was orphaned at a young age.   It was powerful for the kids to hear from an adult who had overcome her circumstances with the help of Jesus.   We also had a teaching on "Believing and Being"; believing that God is who the bible says he is and being who the Bible says we are.   The kids drew pictures of things that keep them from believing and being and then tore them up and danced on them!  

AIM is partnering with a new organization called D42 to reach out to the poorest region of Swaziland.   There are several care points being established there.    I feel assured of the Lord's plan for redemption as I spend time with the kids in Nsoko.   Their needs are being met and they are hearing and experiencing the love of Christ.   

I am writing to ask for prayer for one of the children from Nsoko.   Her name is Thandiwe she is six years old.   Thandiwe had an infection on her foot that reached her bone.   Surgery was necessary, but her family could not afford the fee of roughly seven USD, or even the bus far to get to the hospital.  

A group participating in AIM's World Race was staying in Nsoko and made arrangements for Thandiwe to have the surgery.   The appointment could only be made a week after the World Race team was leaving; that's where I came in.   I agreed to transport Thandiwe and her mother to the hospital.   The surgery went smoothly but the doctors decided to admit Thandiwe for five days, because the infection was worse than they had thought.    Hospitals in Swaziland do not allow parents to stay with children over the age of three, so Thandiwe's mother was not permitted to stay.  

Thandiwe's mother had to return home to care for her other children; leaving Thandiwe alone at the hospital for five days.   I have a camp for the kids from Bhekilanga and Thulwane care points this weekend, and am unable to make the two hour drive to visit.   Please pray for Thandiwe's recovery, pray that the Lord's presence would be close to her.   She is on my heart on mind constantly.  

I am always amazed at how these kids are brave even in the hardest of situations.   I know that they are positioned to see the hand of God moving.   When this generation comes into adulthood they will be the ones who are proclaiming the faithfulness and provision of the Lord despite their overwhelming circumstances.   I am praying for that day to come in Swaziland, won't you join me?

I can't understand how the Lord works, but I tell you today that He indeed still works.   The Lord will have his way.   He commands all things according to his good purpose.   His timing is perfect and his plans will not be thwarted by man or anything of this earth.

Last night I made a call to a dear friend in the states.   I knew I had only a few minutes of call time on my pay as you go Swazi phone, but just wanted to hear her voice.   I had forty-two Rand of credit; roughly six USD.   This is enough to buy a little more than five minutes of call time to the states.   As many of you know when that time runs out a lady who sounds nice, but is actually very mean and covered in warts interrupts your call saying, "You have one minute of call time remaining."

With that thought looming in my mind I dialed and greeted her with, "I only have a few minutes; how's it going?"   We talked mainly small talk for a few minutes, and then we started talking about deeper needs.   I was sure that my phone would cut off at any time.   It was clear that the Lord had other plans.   As we poured out our needs for prayer the call just lasted on and on.   We gave each other advice and prayed together.   The Spirit of God wanted to move in and through us; God was not about to be stopped by a pay as you go phone plan!!!   I'm pretty sure pay as you go is the tool of the devil, but that is another blog.   (wink)

We shared in deep fellowship over the phone for one hour and fifteen minutes!!!   Now, some might call this a fluke, or even judge me for taking advantage of the cell phone provider.   I just call it a wonder.   God had plans to take back ground from the enemy; He made my five minutes multiply fifteen times so that he could be glorified.  

"I will praise you Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of ALL your wonders" Psalm9:1.   I just want to proclaim that God is moving.   To me this was a small example of how God can make a way where there is no way.   Praise God!!