busy days

The days are so full, it's hard to remember what we've done each day. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were spent at the carepoint doing VBS with the kids. We couldn't believe how many kids are coming to the carepoint everyday, now. There is a school that is running there which the kids can attend for free. This is a huge blessing, as many kids weren't going to school because the can't afford the school fees and uniforms. They are using every available space, and still are packed. When we were here 2 years ago, there was a 13 yr old girl named Swazi that was not in school, and came with 4 children that she cared for (the baby was strapped to her back). This year, we showed up and Swazi was in a school uniform! I am so happy, as she is the sweetest girl! At 15, she is able to be a girl again.

The guys finished the picnic tables! The kids now have 10 tables to sit at to eat and do work. However, Thursday they were all sitting UNDER the tables, trying to keep cool in the shade! On Friday, the three women on our team honored the gogos and makes (mah-gays) that care for hundreds of orphans every day. We served them HUGE plates of Kentucky Fried Chicken (their favorite!), rice, potato salad, rolls, beets, and stew. They licked their plates clean. Laura Clapp encouraged them to continue on through the struggles, and we gave them gift bags of new sewing scissors, ibuprophen, cough drops, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and other goodies. Oh, how I love hearing their joyful reactions to these gifts! And nothing compares to hearing these women break out in song together as they worship God. There is no sweeter sound.

Today, we are going to Pastor Thomas' church to meet with the women of their church. Our hope is to encourage them to share their burdens with each other. It is not in their culture to share their hearts or open up in any way, but you can tell that they long to do that. We will share our own stories, and encourage them to do the same.

Then, we're off on safari! Can't wait for that, but soooooo wish the rest of my family could be here! We'll take lots of pictures, though.

Our days here are coming to an end, and already I am sad. I pray that God allows us to come back. My heart is here in so many ways, and I can't imagine not coming back to see these amazing people, again.

Few pics

update from africa

Ah, Africa. If nothing else, you learn flexibility! We planned for 160 kids to be at our carepoint, but when we began handing out crafts the first day, we ran out when we reached 200! We are leading VBS in the morning with preschoolers, and again in the afternoon with the elementary kids. There were around 170 kids in the afternoon alone! We got through the first day, quickly re-worked our plans for the next two days, and came up with a new plan. It feels like we are constantly coming up with a new plan for one thing or another. But it's so fun, and the entire team is extremely flexible, so we are just going with the flow!

Today, we had a birthday celebration for all of the kids. We had a blow up jump house, a parachute, donuts, and goody bags for every child. The kids even got meat with their lunch, a very special treat. It was so fun to hear the entire hall echo with the kids singing "Happy Birthday, to ME!" And to see the kids head home, over the hills and far away, with their goody bags slung over their shoulders, was great!

I got to spend time with our sponsor child, Nosipho, today. She is a very outgoing, fun-loving, silly little girl. I showed her pictures of our kids, and she was interested to see Maddie, who is the same age as her. I gave her cards that the kids had made and a family picture and told her that we pray for her every day.

The couple that live here full time and work with Adventures in Missions are amazing people. Kriek and Jumbo are from South Africa and have been working here with the Swazis for several years. They have so much work to do, and are all on their own. They have amazing patience and perseverence. I don't know how they are able to face the tragedies that they do on a daily basis, and not become either hard-hearted, or completely give up out of devestation. Yesterday, a gogo (grandmother) found twin 3-yr-old girls alone at their homestead that had been burned in a cooking fire. We don't know how long they had been there. What were 3 yr olds doing alone in a home with boing water??? They were treated at the hospital and sent home.

Nate is doing great here. We went to an orphanage a couple times (the only government run orphanage in all of Swaziland, awful conditions), and Nate's heart was broken over these kids. He played with a 12-yr-old that has only been there a few days, and Nate decided we should adopt Sekile. I wish we could. There is so little hope for these kids. Yesterday, Nate spent the day helping me with VBS. Today, he helped John build picnic tables for the carepoint. I think he needed a break from the kids climbing all over him.

I have tried to upload pictures, but the connection is too slow. I guess you'll have to wait until I get home to see the beautiful Swazi faces....

we're off!

Tomorrow morning, Nate and I leave for Swaziland, Africa. Things have been crazy here with all the packing, planning, and preparing. We are almost done with all of that, and looking forward to sitting on the plane, knowing we have done all we could do to prepare. Please be in prayer for us over the next 2 weeks. There is so much to do in Swaziland, and so little time. We have a team of only 8 people, 2 are under 14. Our plans for the week include: VBS program for 3 days, soccer tournament for the kids, building picnic tables and benches for the kids, planting fruit trees (for fruit and shade), pastor and pastors' wives encouragement, gogos (the grandmothers of the culture that care for the orphans) appreciation dinner, and we will also have opportunity for hospital visits and praying for people (from my last trip, this is definitely the most heart-wrenching, painful part of the trip. Not for the faint of heart). Finally, we will be going to a cultural center to learn more about the Swazi culture and history, and going on a safari.

As you can see, this is a tremendous amount for the few of us to fit into a week and a half. Your prayers are greatly appreciated and desperately needed. Specifically, pray for safety, health (I am currently fighting a head cold, and don't look forward to 20 hrs of flight time!), and flexibility. I am leading the VBS program during the week, and would love prayer for things to run smoothly, and, most importantly, that in the craziness of 150-200 kids with about 8 leaders, that the message of each lesson will be sealed in the hearts of the kids. Pray for Nate. He is super excited for the trip, but I don't think he really grasps what he will experience. Pray that God speaks deeply to his heart over the next 2 weeks, and that He gives Nate the strength and maturity to process what he experiences.

update

I'm finding it harder and harder to keep my blog updated. Sorry to those who check it regularly (Mom...). Here is a recap of life as of late...

- N is currently at his very last wrestling tournament. I will make it there later this morning after dropping M off at her musical rehearsal (B is at a retreat this weekend, so I am chauffeuring all by myself). He made it through the entire season w/o being pinned, which, according to his coach, is a huge accomplishment, considering he has never wrestled before. Every meet he wrestles twice; first one counts, second one is an exhibition. He has lost the first ones, but won several of his second ones. This past week, he even pinned another guy! Wooohoooooo! So exciting! We were thankful he was never presented with the dilemma of wrestling a girl (yes, there are teams that have girls, and no, N would not wrestle one if he had the opportunity. We are in agreement that he would forfeit instead).
- M is in full steam on her rehearsals for The Resurrection, a musical she will be in in April. She auditioned in January, got a part as a townsperson/angel, and has had 3/wk rehearsals since Feb. Rehearsals will really pick up in the next couple of weeks. She loves every minute of it and can't wait for dress rehearsals.
- Just found out this week that N will need braces. He was the one out of four that we thought was in the clear. Nope. All of our kids have beautiful teeth, but pretty obvious jaw issues. Do we take them for a second opinion? Do we take our chances and not do braces? We have no dental insurance, and no extra monthly cash. BUT, we do have a great Provider, so if braces they need, we trust that He will provide a way to pay for FOUR kids to have them!
- We officially leave for Swaziland in less than a week. Friday morning, N and I will be jetting off for 20 hours of flight time (3 to Washington D.C., 17 to Johannesburg). I am not looking forward to that, but N is. He can't wait for 17 hours of movies and video games on demand. Ugh. This is shaping up to be a tough week and a half. Our team is very small (8 people, 2 are under 14) and we have so very much to do! I am currently putting the finishing touches on the VBS plans, and trying to figure out how to do VBS with 5 people (the others will be doing other things) and 160 children! I'm trying desperately to leave my expectations in Colorado, and go with a very flexible and open mind. Whatever happens, happens. I keep telling myself that whatever we do will be a blessing to the Swazi people, and they don't have preconceived ideas of what VBS will be like. I can't wait to go back and hold the children, and to look the gogo's (grandmothers raising the orphans) in the eyes and love on them and encourage them to keep on keeping on! I am supposed to have internet connection where we are staying, so I hope to blog every couple of days about our trip, so keep checking back!

That's all for now. Too much to keep in my brain as I make arrangements for the kids while I'm gone, try to finish up everything for work, make dinners to freeze, etc. A person can get overwhelmed if she thinks too hard!

Talent Show at school

Micah and Maddie joined good friends from church to perform this song at the Talent Show. The song was written during the Civil War and sung by both Union and Confederate soldiers. The kids got a great history lesson in the process of preparing the song...

Caleb's guitar solo at the talent show

Friday Flashback

Where is the big spring snow? Where is the storm that dumps 2 feet of snow, leaving us snowed in with nothing to do but play in the snow all day, and warm up inside with hot chocolate by the fire? What's with this 65 degree days and WIND??? I hate wind! We have had a pitiful winter, with little more than a couple inches of snow here, a couple there. Pitiful, I tell you! So, in honor of my longing for a good dumping, here are pictures from March of 2003. Now that was a good year!

A Daughter's Heart

On Valentine's Day, Prince Charming invited his princess to join him on an enchanted evening of dinner and dancing at the fanciest ball in town. Well, this princess couldn't pass up a night of fanciness and dancing, so she quickly accepted. After shopping for the perfect dress for the occasion, and counting down the days, the big night finally arrived! The princess took a nap, so as to have energy to dance into the wee hours of the night, then bathed, primped and prepared. At the strike of 6:00 p.m., her Prince Charming arrived to whisk the princess away in his chariot, and the night was, indeed, enchanted! She came home with her heart overflowing with love for this man who cherishes her so, promising to love him for all of eternity! And, while life may hold many bumps along her journey, this princess know her Prince Charming will always love her and be there to hold her hand along the way.