Good morning from Swaziland! After a few busy days, I am finally able to get a spot at the 1 computer for our whole hotel, so there is more to tell you than I could fit in one blog!
Praise God, all of our flights, baggage, and transportation went smoothly - which is huge when you consider we flew for over 8000 miles, checked 28 bags, drove across the country of South Africa, and had 2 border crossings! But the Lord prepared the way for us and we were able to relax and begin to prepare for what is ahead!
It has been so surreal being back here - getting used to Swaziland without 15 girls with me, getting used to staying in a hotel in Swaziland instead of in my sleeping bag in a community center, getting used to only being here for a week, getting used to riding in a bus and not driving, etc. But it feels like I was just here last week, not last year!
Swaziland is a beautiful country, with beautiful people, and I have been blessed to be able to see so many familiar faces already! From being picked up by Marius at the airport to getting to spend time already with Jodi, Kriek, Elliot, Julie, Ellie, the D-team (Discipleship team made up of 8 20something Swazis) and many others, I continue to be humbled by the servant hearts of these people whose ministry touches many Americans and Swazis.
We had our first day at the Bheveni carepoint yesterday, where they feed over 100 children every day. We were able to do 2 sessions of Bible school (one for pre-school & one for school aged). This care point is one that I came to only one day last year...to fit 27 of the kids in our 8 passenger van to take them to a Christmas party! It was one near where my co-leader and I commented to each other "some days your paychecks come in dollars, and some days God pays us in sweet songs from Swazi kids!" The joy on these children's faces is evident always, despite the hard things they are living through! We were able to bless each of the 113 kids yesterday with a whole new outfit. Each of our team members were humbled to be the ones to wash these children's faces, help them out of their old, dirty clothes, and into a new pair of underwear, a new shirt, new skirts, shorts, and dresses. Many of them had been wearing their only clothes that they possess...meaning they wear them 6 days a week all day, so you can imagine the looks on their faces as they were able to show their new clothes to their friends!
Well, since I'm paying for internet by the minute (after being shown to this weird room with a tiny desk by a man who let me in with a key and then handed me the key and told me to lock it from the inside), I am going to head out to get some breakfast and then head to day 2 of ministry! We continue to covet your prayers for our time with the kids - today we are focusing on 1 John 4:19 - look it up and pray it with us and for us this morning! Love you all!
P.S. Maddison, as you read this, tell Sam "Happy Birthday" for me and give him a big hug for me!
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