Passion Conference in Durban, South Africa

This week the "D" Team, Erica, Morgan and I were blessed to attend the Passion Conference in Durban, South Africa. 

The D Team - Nombali, Celimpelo (Pelo), Sanele, Thondi (H is silent) and me.

The "D" Team is made up of four college-age Swazi's who are the spiritual leaders for the children's carepoints.  Morgan and I are the 2 interns spending three months in Swaziland, and Erica is one of only two full-time staff workers in Nsoko, Swaziland.  A benefactor in the United States donated the total cost of sending the seven of us for a spiritual overnight retreat to hear Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin at Passion International in Durban, South Africa. 

Enjoying a real Mocha at the Mug and Bean in Durban

The conference was spiritually encouraging for all of us, and the first time most of the "D" team had every been out of Swaziland.

On our drive back to Swaziland we stopped at a South Africa beach for a few hours.  I was sitting on the beach in South Africa while my parents and sisters were at the beach thousands of miles away in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  And our God is the God over us all!  Pretty awesome to think about.

On the beach in Durban, South Africa

The "D" team marveled at seeing the ocean for the first time.  It was a testimony to the power of the Lord!

So many stories...

I've heard so many stories in the last month...so many stories of people in unimaginable circumstances. 

Gogo Maria who has back problems and can barely walk, but manages to provide for her two grandchildren.  Sadly she cannot pay for their school anymore.  (In Swaziland children can only attend school if they pay school fees.  These fees are very difficult to pay for a population who barely has enough for food.)  Despite these setbacks she still told us, "It is well with my soul."

The young woman with four young children who's husband will not allow her to go to church, yet has such strong faith in God.

And finally, in my last post I mentioned spending the day in the hospital with a 19 year old young man, Linda.  The hospital didn't admit him but sent him home with a handful of medicine.  Tragically, he passed away yesterday from HIV.  Please pray for his mom, grandma and sister.  He came to know Christ through the ministry team here.  They rushed him to the hospital and spent hours praying with and for him but he succumbed to the ravages of the disease which is so prevalent in this country. 

And the stories continue day by day...walking by faith.

This is a photo of a little boy at Mahlabaneni carepoint.  He posed for the camera after he sat in my lap and dozed on and off during the Bible lesson.  The children are hungry for love and affectionate.

   This last week has been crazy busy, but amazingly, I am learning that the normal week here is anything but normal.

On Monday Morgan and I found out what it is like to go to the hospital when we took a 16 year old mother and her twin 1 month old boys to get a check up. We got there at 8am. and they waited until about 3:30 to be seen by the doctor. Then again on Thursday, we unexpectedly took a 19 year old with HIV to the hospital after he collasped at school and waited most of the day.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we harvested more spinach and visited carepoints. I am thanking God for this wonderful opportunity to serve His people in Swaziland!

Sept. 16^th & 17^th

On Monday and Tuesday we harvested spinach from the gardens and then delivered and handed them out at four of the carepoints. Nisela Farms has many small farms and three of them have given AIM small plots on which they plant and take care of the vegtables for us. The only thing we have to do is come and harvest them. This is a huge blessing for the children who only eat a bean and pap (similar to dry grits) meal every day.
 

Morgan, my teammate, in Swaziland. 

Sept. 14^th

I am in Nsoko and we are all settled in! Morgan and I are staying on a small Nisela Farm. We have a real toilet and a shower, so we are doing great! The power is iffy here and we have no internet. The missionary that we are working with, Erica, lives about five minutes away and she is kindly letting us use her internet.

 

So far we have toured all ten carepoints and met the D-team. The discipleship team in Nsoko is made up of four amazing people, Nombali, Thandi, Sanele, and Celimpilo. I can’t wait to work along side of them! Hopefully, if it does not rain, on Monday we will start our “job,” which I will be able to detail once we’ve done it. It is the very end of the winter here and it has rained most of the time we have been here, which makes carepoint visits challenging with all the mud.

 

 

 

 

 

  Well....I kind of forgot my password and couldn't get into blogger to post, sorry about the silence. Hehe :) The family leaves tomorrow for Alanta, Georgia, where we will be staying with my aunt. We will have some time to visit together before I fly out from there Monday evening. Can't wait to leave!