Christine Chenoweth - Serving The Kingdom

Gift of Love

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have been taking Jeanette to different Care Points around Swaziland and yesterday we went to one of my favorite places; a Care Point/ squatter camp in Manzini where Temu lives. A wonderful woman from home sent along sweets and school supplies for Temu and her siblings. Yesterday, Jeanette and I had the privilege to bless her with these gifts. Her smile was priceless.

We walked her to her home about halfway through the squatter camp to put the items in a safe place so the other children wouldn't hurt her to get them. We ended up having beautiful God moments along the way and back. There was maybe 20 kids that decided to follow us and so we sang to the Lord and laughed along the way.

when we got back to the Care Point, Jeanette taught the kids, the little rhyme about the church and the steeple.

Jeanette's Here!

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

My Sister Jeanette is here for the next 2 weeks. She was scheduled to arrive at 11am on the 26 of Feb. So that morning I woke up full of excitement at seeing a family member for the first time in 14 months. I awoke with a sinus infection that I knew I needed to get antibiotics for, but was willing to wait until after I picked up Jeanette. I cleaned my house, made the bed for her, washed the cat (she's allergic) then made sure I had whole milk for her coffee, etc. I live just 7 minutes from the airport and I can here when the planes land and take off. I figured if I wait to for the plane to land then drive there, she will be thru customs and have her bags. Well I was wrong.

I arrived at the airport at ten after 11 and realized I never heard the plane land at all, I imagined it in all my excitement. So i went to 4 desks to find out when the delayed plane would be landing and in typical 3rd world coutry style, nobody had an answer. About 45 minutes later as I was waiting outside to watch the plane land, it started to rain, hard, don't you know I had left my windows open at the house because when I left the skies were clear. So now, I have no idea when the plane is going to land and I begin to pray for safety in the storm. It stopped raining and now I was hungry because my thought was to eat light, pick up Jeantte, get her a real Swazi meal, buy meds go to bed. Well her plane had still not arrived and it was half past 12, so I bought a greasy chicken mush thing in a flaky bread. Not good on an empty stomach, but it was that or chips. At 1pm the plane finally landed and by 1:30 we were back at my house.

We just put all Jeanette's stuff away and she said she would come to town with me to get my medicine, so we leave everything in the house, yes everything, including the keys to get back in. So now we are locked out of the house on her first night in Swaziland. I have never locked my keys in before, so I blame the sinus infection, excitement and distraction on the mishap. Well I'm freaking out now and I have no idea what to do. We go to town as planned and thank God, one of the Swazi workers is in the office, a guy who gets things done. I tried to call him on the way as he was the only option of who would help me find a locksmith in Swaziland. He took us to a shop and the guy said it would cost such and such an amount, I had to pick him up at 4 when he could be relieved from his post. I live 20 mins from this shop so I pick him up, we go back and Praise the Lord, opens my door. He charges me 25% less than he quoted me, another blessing, then we drive back to town, it takes us 45 minutes because it's rush hour. My sister stayed in the house and cooked us dinner, bless her soul for that, I got home famished, tired, and ready for bed. So i took my medicine and went to bed at 8. Or at least that was the plan. I guess the meds had some caffeine or something in them that keep me awake, I was up all night and overslept my alarm.

I figure God must have big plans for us, seeing as we started out so rocky in the beginning.

Babysitting

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

For the past 3 weeks I have been watching my friends 3 children while she and her husband were traveling in the States. It's been a very challenging time. The children are eight, seven and five. During the days the 2 eldest girls were at school and the five year old boy was in preschool for a half day. I was able to continue with all my other ministries. The kids and I were up at 5:30am every morning. Breakfast had to be served, lunches packed, school bags double checked, teeth brushed, and finally most morning we were able to do a little devotional before we headed out to the bus station at 6:45am. If you know me at all, you know that I am NOT a morning person. You also know that I am always trying to drink less coffee for a number of reasons. With that being said you must know that I have had way too much coffee in these weeks.

Just this past Wednesday, I had gotten up as normal with the kids; we got ready and off to the bus on time. After I dropped the girls at the bus stop, Ivan and I went for a walk around the block, we tried to do this most mornings because he does it with his mom when she's here, so it's was good for him to stay in routine as much as possible, and I needed an excuse to exercise. As soon as we got back to the house my phone started ringing. I didn't recognize the number but that happens often. I picked up the phone and it was the girl's school. The secretary told me the girls were fine, so immediately I was thinking, "Then why are you calling me?" She told me that some of the children on their bus had witnessed a boy being hit by a car and dying. She said one of my girls had seen the whole thing and was very shaken up. She wanted me to come pick her up from school. I told her I couldn't do that, but before you think I'm heartless, let me explain. The school is about an hour and a half away in an area of the country that I have never been. The directions to the school from what people told me is that it's near some building in this particular town. Nobody could seem to tell me how to get there. Most roads don't have names or sign up if they do have names. I phoned another mom that sends her children from this area to see if she had heard from the school. At that point she hadn't, but she said there was no way I would find the school if I had never been there. So between the two of us, we worked on finding a ride home for my girl. It ended up that she stayed in school. All the kids who witnessed the accident were taken in with a counselor and sent back to class. In retrospect, it seems this was the best thing to do, because they didn't focus on the horrible scene in their heads all day.

When she got home, I took her out and let her talk about it; we discussed life and death and prayed for the little boy's family. After a while she seemed okay. Thanks to the prayers of many, I was able to talk and listen to her in the right way that helped her put things into perspective. The accident happened very quickly and so I was able to put her mind at rest that the boy never felt a thing. We talked about Heaven. I took her for an ice-cream before we went back to the house. Praise the Lord, her sister had been so busy talking to friends on the bus that she never saw a thing. She didn't even know it happened because they sheltered the kids that didn't see anything and the others were asked not to talk about it with them.

New Year, New Tasks

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Sometimes there are million words to describe what God is doing and how He is working and other times I am in awe of Him, yet I can't put my thoughts and feelings into words. For some of you, you are probably thinking that I am never out of words, but it does happen on rare occasion :)

As the New Year is beginning I am coming into my final 6 months here in Swaziland, it's been a tough time but also rewarding. Just the other day I was speaking with the head teacher at the school I work in and she wants me to add an additional 2 classes for me to teach Bible stories and lessons. I was shocked and very excited at the same time. I knew she was happy with my work overall, but many times I asked for special permission to do stuff with the children that might disrupt the regular school schedule, she always obliged but I wondered if it was too much. It turns out she was happy to make these concessions for me as long as the children were getting God's Word. I am in a position to influence an additional 45 students and I can't begin to describe how thrilled I am. But, I am also sad to know that I will only be with these children for half of their school year, so while I have more kids to teach it will only be for half the time I was able to give to the previous students. Please be in prayer as I begin this new year of teaching that the children's hearts and minds will be open to the wonderful love of Christ.

A girl named Temu

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

There is a girl here who has been close to my heart for the whole time I've been here. She is 13 years old and she's very bright. I met her by "accident" one day. I know with God, there are no accidents, just divine appointments and she was a divine appointment. She came by my gate one day last Oct. with her sister and friend looking for someone else. No one was there but me, so I asked them their names. Then they told me they had walked far to come see this person, so I invited them in for some juice and biscuits. I could see these girls were from a rough area and had probably not eaten that day. The one girl had very good English and we were able to communicate ok, the other 2 looked to her for translation and help with English, and I was trying out my SiSwati as best I could to make the communication easier. We played a little soccer, and then I sent them home because it was becoming dark and it's unsafe for girls to be out after dark. I had mango trees in my yard and so each girl was given a bag and I told them pick as many mangoes as you want to take back to your families. I knew some would be eaten on the way. This began a beautiful friendship.

The girls came by about 2-3 times a week after that to see me, the other person they had come to see moved back to the USA. After a while I was told I shouldn't have kids come to my house, because they might go back and tell others and it would make my home a target for theft. So one day I had to tell them they couldn't come to see me anymore. I started visiting them at their homes and so our friendship was able to continue. I found out that this girl's sister and friend had both been sponsored to go to school, but no one was able to sponsor her. It was too late by the time I learned about this to register her at any school. So this year I have decided to be the one to send her to school. This past week, I took her to pick up her first school uniform ever, new shoes, a notebook, and a pencil set. I got to her home and she was beaming, as she jumped into my car, she was shouting back to her friends that she was getting all her school stuff. She had so much pride on her face, I wanted to cry. She has never been to an official school; many of the kids where she comes from are not able to go to school because of the school fees. I feel so blessed to be able to help her out.

Here is a recent picture of Temu

Pictures

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Zimba

Boots

My New House

Jane and ITraditional WearJane, Walter, Ruby Trad. Dancing

These Pictures are from our Christmas/80th Birthday party for Grandma (gogo) Ruby. The women who all sew for Timbali Crafts (make cool handbags and table runners) came together for the occasion.

Some of the Children from the Care-point where we had the party

Long Time Coming

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's been a long time since I have last updated you, three months in fact. I'm sorry it's been so long. I have many excuses that I won't bore you with. Instead I'll just give you the Cliff notes on the last three months of my life.

In July, I had the pleasure of serving in Bulembu with the students from CHS (Christian Heritage School) and was surprised to have at least 6 people that I knew involved with the team. What a blessing it was to see folks from home and hear news from home. To hear our unique accent and have people know what I was talking about when I mentioned the parkway, Penny's Diner or the circle in Fairfield. I spent a week in Bulembu serving alongside this team, helping with preschool children at the "Valley of Hope" school. I was able to reconnect with some of the children I first met in the summer of 2007 and see how they've grown.

At the End of July, I was able to take some time away and visit my friend Marieka in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I spent 9 days taking in the sights and sounds and having the pleasure of being near the ocean again (not that CT has real ocean) I saw killer whales swimming in their natural habitat and for those who know me well, you know I love animals and so to see one for the first time in the ocean, that's pretty exciting. I also was able to see some dolphins swimming one day. I tasted new foods and even learned a word or two in Africaans.

Upon returning to Swaziland I was given news that I must be moved out of my house, so that began the craziness of finding a place to live in a safe neighborhood, and having that house be within my budget. It took another couple here 10 months to find a place to stay and so I was feeling very discouraged and figured I would have to move somewhere unsafe just to be out of my place on time. God had much better plans and in hearing my situation, a woman approached me and gave me the number of another woman, she said there are no guarantees, but call her and see if she has anything available. To my surprise and delight, she did know of a house in a safe neighborhood with an affordable rent. My house was so safe in fact, that I was able to bless another missionary with my guard dog (his has just died)

In the school, I have been enjoying teaching my grade 2's more stories about Jesus, we went over the Christmas story this week, so they'll be ready for exams in a few weeks. (Yes, grade 2 takes exams). My 7th graders have been working on memory verses, something I wasn't going to push on them because it's a classroom and my lessons were biblical based but not "religious." Anyways after quoting a Scripture one week, some of the girls asked if they could begin to memorize verses and of course I said yes. I am so excited to see them wanting to know the Word of God.

At the carepoint, my girls are also working on Scripture memorization, this has been much more challenging there. the first 2 months nobody memorized the verse, even with prizes for those who did. Finally a few weeks ago there was a breakthrough and 6 girls came with the verse memorized. They received their prize (chocolate) and in the last weeks more girls are trying. My next challenge for them is to learn to apply these words to their lives. It seems to be a tough concept for them to get.

Please pray for all the children I work with, that God will be real to them and they will want to know Him more.

Pray for safety for me as I travel farther now to my ministry points each day. Also I am traveling this weekend to pick up a fellow missionary at the airport (5 hour drive into South Africa)

Pray that my faith will increase and that I will continue on even when I don't see the fruit. that I will perservere despite the challenges.

Thank you all, as always, for your prayers and support!

Hearing God's Voice

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I attend a woman's Bible study every Wednesday, we have been doing a study on hearing the voice of God. A few weeks ago while we were going over the homework someone challenged the group to not just hear God's voice but to do what He says and to do it immediately. A lot of times we know God wants something from us and we intend to get to it eventually. A lot of times eventually never comes around and that thing that God has called us to is forgotten completely. We miss out on becoming more intimate with God as a result and whatever other blessings that God may have had in mind based on our obedience to His voice.

All that being said, I went home that day, encouraged and excited. What was God asking me to do? How would I know it was God? Would it be something that I would willingly respond to in His time and not my own? That night as I was trying to go to sleep, I started having all these great ideas of how I could bless the people of Swaziland. I spent at least 3 hours lying there and planning out all this stuff I could do for people. I knew of a church that has been raising money FOREVER, just for some new chairs, I could easily give to them. I knew of a girl that was trying to get into university and had spent all her resources just on transportation to get the right paperwork in, leaving no money left even for a meal. I see children all the time in rags, others that can't be in school because of school fees, mom's that need formula for their babies. And the list goes on.

Then I thought of the children in Nsoko, those sweet sweet children that don't have shoes, the ones that wear rags that are shredded in many areas, the ones that eat only if the carepoint has food that week. The children that are raising their siblings because one or both parents in dead and many times the other had abandoned them. The ones who come to play at the Center in Nsoko because they know they won't be turned away no matter what. These same children sometimes sleep on the porch of the center because there is no one to go home to. These are the children that God has called me to do a clothing drive for. It seemed like so little for their so many needs, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was telling me to do it and to do it immediately.

I started calling around to a few missionary families in the area that I knew had children and asked if they wanted to donate, I then went through my own stuff and pulled out the clothing that I won't get back into no matter how I watch what I eat, I grabbed shoes that I never wear. Then I asked a team that was leaving if they wanted to donate anything for this clothing drive. There was a family on the team and so more kids clothes, but adult sizes. I then ran out to a store to purchase girls and boys underwear. As I was about to drive the 90 min. drive to surprise the pastor and the children, I passed by a truck on the side of the road, a man was selling oranges in bags of 30. I bought 4 bags and was finally on my way.

When I got to the carepoint, I told the pastor my intention and he was thrilled, him and his wife were so thankful, they do what they can, sometimes giving children food and leaving theirs with none for a night. We organzied the kids by age, youngest to oldest and washed all their hands and feet and faces, then we redressed them in the new clothes and gave them all an orange. We got to the adults and were able to bless them with new things as well and gave them all an orange.

God is so amazing and I am so thankful that I listened to His voice, because I was blessed beyond anything I could imagine that day. One little boy got a new pair of sneakers and socks. He started strutting around and the older children kept calling out to him what nice shoes they were. I never saw a boy so proud to wear used shoes. At the end of the day everbody was dressed in clothing the right size and there was about one black bag left of clothing we hadn't used. Nobody went home without something new. About 90 people in all.

The People and Places I Love

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of the girls at Bhekelanga Carepoint

Teacher Brenda's 2nd grade class at Khanyisile Primary School

The ocean in St. Lucia, South Africa ( I went for a day trip and it was the first time I've been to the Indian Ocean, it was well worth my $3 parking fee to drive through the safari to get here)

Teacher Holmes 2nd Grade class at Khanyisile Primary School

The kids playing soccer from Timbutini carepoint

Julie and I after hiking a mountain in Mbabane The rural area

Rural area and some kids running home at the end of the day Jacci and I after the hike in Mbabane, she knows the name of the "rock"/mountain

Some of my kids at Thulwani Carepoint

New Life

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"NEW LIFE" is the theme for our women's camp coming up June 12-14 for the women who cook at our care points and sew for Timbali Crafts. In a place with so much death, we're getting really excited about God is going to do during our weekend focused on LIFE...true life found in Jesus. The camp will hopefully have close to 80 women in attendance, including the 40+ women from Nsoko who just started sewing for Timbali last fall. This will be the first time all of the women have been together and they are excited for the opportunity.

The cost for each woman will be around $25.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE TOWARD THE COST OF THE CAMP
you can do so through the AIM website:
https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=swazi
(Choose Swazi Craft Co-op in the drop down menu.)

Here are some stories and pics from Julie Anderson's blog, (http://julieanderson.myadventures.org) who works with these women and heads up Timbali Crafts...

NOMSA

A while ago my friend Nomsa told me I needed to come to visit her home so she could show me what she has done with money she's earned through Timbali Crafts. Nomsa is a precious woman, who works hard, never complains and has a beautiful smile. Yesterday afternoon Ellie and I, and a few other friends, were able to visit the home of Nomsa and her family.

Nomsa and her husband, their 6 children, 3 other children they care for, and her husband's mother all live on the same homestead. Nomsa's house is small, only one room made from stick and mud, with a very leaky roof that was threatening to cave in during heavy rains. There were several other similar stick and mud homes/rooms shared by the family members and also a concrete block home (one room) for the grandmother. What Nomsa was so excited to show us was the nearly finished concrete block house/room that they have been able to build using money she had earned through the purses she sews. We captured some great pictures during our visit, but I wish you all could have seen Nomsa in person yesterday-she was BEAMING with the excitement of visitors to her home and showing off what the Lord has provided. It was such a good time of rejoicing with my friend. There was one less chicken running around their yard yesterday afternoon, as Nomsa had also prepared a meal for us! I hope it encourages you as it did me to see the good things the Lord is providing for these precious women!

THOKO

I met as usual yesterday with the Timbali women to cut fabric. Afterwards about 17 of us piled into the van to go and visit Thoko. I heard on Sunday that Thoko's daughter, had passed away over the weekend. About 9 months ago I blogged about a couple of trips I'd made to a local HIV/AIDS clinic with Thoko's daughter Lindiwe. At only 24 she had been too weak to walk, barely able to speak, and had to be pushed in a wheel barrowdown a small path to the road where I could pick them up. Lindiwe had been doing pretty well for a while, but in the last couple weeks grew weak again, and finally passed away on Friday. This is the third child Thoko has lost in the last few years, and her husband is also very sick.

We drove as far as we could in the van, then walked across a small valley to Thoko's homestead. As we got close one of the women started singing a song and the others joined in. Everyone took their shoes off at the door and crowded into the small 7'x7' stick and mud hut. We sat on the floor and sang, prayed and shared scripture with Thoko. It's hard to imagine the heaviness of Thoko's grief.

During the afternoon Psalm 62:8 kept coming to mind, and I shared it with the women while we were sitting in Thoko's house: "Trust in the Lord at all times, O people. Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." I pray that Thoko will know that they can pour out their hearts to the Lord, that they can trust Him and that they can find refuge in Him.

Nomsa and Thoko are just some of the women that will be attending the "NEW LIFE" camp. These times away can be great times of encouragement, refreshment and healing. Please consider helping to make it happen!

Game Day with the Girls

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today was a great day. I decided that since we are in a school break that I wanted to give the girls at the care point a game day. I have no idea what Swazi teenage girls like to do so I brought with me some card games. I grew up in a family of nine children and my dad always seemed to pick the house at the edge of town where no one my age lived or we lived on a bust street and therefore it wasn't safe to play in the road. So we played a lot of board games and card games in my home.

I taught the girl Skip Bo, Phase Ten, and a good old fashion game of war. I had candy bar prizes for the winners. Not a single one of them ever played any of these game before and trying explain without a translator for 2 of the three games was difficult, eventually I was able to go around to each group and teach the game. My translator got stuck on the first game and decided not to even figure out the other two.

We put together little gift bags also with fruit and candy inside.

I painted all the girls nails for a special treat, they are not allowed to wear nail polish in school, but during break it's no problem. They have 3 weeks for it to wear off :)

I brought my laptop

After all the games and prizes we watched the movie Princess Diary. Swaziland is a monarchy and so even though it was in English they got a lot of it. They really enjoy the main character's klutziness too.

During the movie they got to snack on cheese puffs (Jax) and I brought along some orange juice to drink.

All in all I had fun, the girls loved it! Today was the first day after more than 8 months that some of the girls spoke to me. Thank you God for the breakthroughs :)

Game Day with the Girls

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today was a great day. I decided that since we are in a school break that I wanted to give the girls at the care point a game day. I have no idea what Swazi teenage girls like to do so I brought with me some card games. I grew up in a family of nine children and my dad always seemed to pick the house at the edge of town where no one my age lived or we lived on a busy street and therefore it wasn't safe to play in the road. So we played a lot of board games and card games in my home.

I taught the girls Skip Bo, Phase Ten, and a good old fashion game of war. I had candy bar prizes for the winners. Not a single one of them ever played any of these game before and trying explain without a translator for 2 of the three games was difficult, eventually I was able to go around to each group and teach the game. My translator got stuck on the first game and decided not to even figure out the other two.

We also put together little gift bags with fruit and candy inside.

I painted all the girls nails for a special treat, they are not allowed to wear nail polish in school, but during break it's no problem. They have 3 weeks for it to wear off :)

I brought my laptop

During the movie they got to snack on cheese puffs (Jax) and I brought along some orange juice to drink.

All in all I had fun, the girls loved it! Today was the first day after more than 8 months that some of the girls spoke to me. Thank you God for the breakthroughs :)

Nsoko

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Aside from teaching Bible at the primary school and discipling teenage girls in the rural area, I have been taking trips twice a month to the poorest part of Swaziland. A place called Nsoko. By far this is the most difficult thing I do, physically and mentally. Physically the drive is long and it's very hot. Nsoko is a barren place where the rain falls sparsely. There has been an official drought there for at least the last 4 years. When I go there, I am there to take pictures and update AIM's supporters on what's happening there with 8 care points, a community center, a clinic, and how the Pastor is doing. Mentally it is hard because the desperation is so great there and I want to help them all, but can only help a few. Prayer is needed for people to rise up and serve here in a full time capacity.

The people in Nsoko are very kind and warm. As I drive up to the community center they greet me with huge grins and a few have even come to recognize and trust me enough to hug me hello (something that is rare here). I have driven to all of the care points at one time or another and have visited multiple homesteads. The conditions are heartbreaking, people are wasting away, and most don't have the strength to get up from where they are sitting. The children run around half naked without adult supervision. The Center provides meals 6 days a week for the children and a safe place to play. Recently a playground was constructed on site for the children with room for 50 kids to play safely at a time. A field has been cleared for soccer games and nets have been put up for netball games.

Most of the children are too poor to go to school and so they have hours and hours to waste in the day, many end up falling into dangerous activities and groups. This Center provides a place for safe activities and even the women can come and learn sewing.

I added these pictures so you can pray for the people of Nsoko, to put a face on these beautiful people ho have all but been forgotten by their own. As of right now we don't have any full time staff living in the area.

Pictured here is Pastor Gift, his wife Philile and his three children Nothando, Nduduzo and Okuhle,

He is a wonderful Swazi man who has a huge heart for the people, he has moved his family down to this desolate area giving up many comforts, just to be close to the people.

Just some of the beautiful children in Nsoko

Khanyisile Primary

Sat, 7 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Since the new year I have been working at a private primary school just down the driveway from my house. I have been wanting to do something there since I got to Swaziland in August and the doors opened in Jan. I have had the awesome opportunity to teach 2nd graders from all religions about Bible characters. This is a great ministry opportunity because there is nowhere else that half of these kids would ever hear about God and Jesus. Some of the kids I work with are Muslim, Hindu, non-religious, and traditional Swazi. Please pray that God would open the hearts of these children. I took a few pictures so you can see these precious kids.

This is one of the classes

A Cultural Lesson

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It turns out that going 50km/h to pass a vehicle going 20km/h in an 80 km/h zone is reckless driving. I know this because the other day I was the driver going 50km. I was in a zone where there was a dotted line and so I figured since the person in front of me is going sooo slow I will pass them, it's all clear on the other side, and once I pass I can get to my translator and not be late for the first time. So I speed up to pass in what I thought was a passing zone and not a minute later I was pulled over. The female officer asked me if I knew my offense and I said no. She said then in an angry tone, "You don't know what you did wrong?" again I said no. So she proceeded to tell me that I passed illegally in a "no passing" zone and THAT was reckless driving, punishable by a night in jail, a 2000 rand ($200) and a court date.

She told me I was being arrested and I needed to go to jail with her. I told her "I can't go to jail today because I am going right now to teach children about the Bible" Well she didn't really like that and said I should call and tell the somebody that I wasn't coming because I was going to court and then sleeping at jail until I paid R2000. I replied, "I can't pay that and I can't go to jail." She didn't like that and so I said can I give you R60 and get a ticket because I was REALLY sorry and I just didn't have time for jail today. She said she didn't have a receipt book and so she couldn't give me a ticket. I said I can still give you the money and I don't need a receipt.

this is not the actual police car that pulled me over :)

Then she was really upset again and asked if I was trying to bribe her, I told her no, but that I needed to get going because my translator was waiting for me to pick her up so we could go and teach the children. So then, me in my brilliance said, I have a piece of paper, you can just write me out a receipt and then I can go. She said it was no good. Then she asked me who was going to court that day if I wasn't going to go, and I told her I didn't know but it couldn't be me. She didn't want the paper and finally said, don't drive recklessly and walked away. I called out thank you and drove off. I ended being late once again in picking up my translator. I tried to explain what happened, why I was late, but she just said I always had excuses.

The Reason I Exist

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I have to begin this blog by apologizing, for the past month I have been really bad about communication. My lame excuse is that I got spoiled when I was home and could get my computer at any moment and have internet access right in the middle of the kitchen and now that I am back in Swaziland, I have to drive to the office to get an internet connection. I know, lame. Part of why I have been bad has also been that this past month I have been in a bit of a low spiritually. I have struggled to do my quiet times and felt like my prayers were hitting the ceiling. I would open the Bible (because that's the right thing to do) and read the words on the page and that's all it felt like to me, was words on a page, I might as well have been reading a novel. But God is faithful even when we are not and though it's not easy to go from ho-hum to super excited, the past week has been really good and the Bible is coming alive to me again. This I am sure is because of the prayers of those I shared this with.

While it has nothing specifically to do with ministry here, it has everything to do with everything. I listened to a message from John Piper on Sunday and he was preaching from Hebrews 1:3. The verse talks about Jesus sustaining all life through his Word. Intellectually I know this, but while John Piper was speaking, it hit me deeper inside than it ever had before. The very reason I exist day to day is because Jesus speaks my existence into being, WOW!! that's amazing!! it's incredible!! I like exclamation points :) But think about it, you and I exist and breathe each day because Jesus says we can, same as when the earth was created, it was created by the Word of God, because before that there was nothing. So my blah spirit was blown away and renewed by the fact that I, little ole me is so important to God that He continues to let me live each day.

I didn't mean to preach, but I had to share this. If you are feeling like life is just "whatever" and are wondering what the heck you are here for, know that there is a very good reason you are here and God has something for you to do, otherwise why would he continue to speak your life into existence and let you live. I don't know what God has for each person reading this and some days I am not quite sure what I am doing, but I can rest assured that God knows, He cares, and He wants the best from me and for me.

I hope this encourages someone today. Thanks to everyone who holds me in their prayers, without you, I can do very little. God bless you :)

Happy New Years!!

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Happy New Years! I had the wonderful blessing of being able to surprise my family for Christmas this year. I went home on Dec. 16th and basically showed up on the doorstep of my parents house and rang the bell. My mom answered the door and couldn't believe her eyes. She just kept hugging me and saying my name, stunned to see me there. I went to some of my other siblings homes and workplaces to surprise them as well. Most were speechless and if you know my family at all, it's really a miracle for them not to be talking. I was ale to meet my new niece, Grace, who is 4 months old in just a couple days. I spent 2 weeks home and was able to see most of my friends and family. Thank you to all who kept the secret. :)

I returned to Africa on Dec. 31st and only made it to 10pm to ring in the New Year. I got to spend a few days in Johannesburg, South Africa with some friends which was also a blessing. I arrived back in Swaziland on Saturday to find my car had been backed into while I was gone. The man who backed into the car paid for all the repairs and painting. As I write this my car is in the shop being painted. So the saga continues... :) Thankfully it's not so big of a drama as it could have been. The man did not want to get the police involved which turns out to be a good thing, because the car is still not registered. According to some colleagues, my car should be registered some time in the next few weeks. Please continue to pray that all this car stuff gets straightened out sooner rather than later. I don't know what would have happened if the police were called, maybe nothing, but I really don't want the woman driving with my (her) plates to have more issues either.

A team is coming to stay at the house, where I live. I have been there alone since Nov. 3rd. The leaders arrived the same day I got back and so I haven't been alone in that big scary yard, that has been nice. I asked to have motion lights put up at the gate so at least I would have some warning if someone was trying to break into the yard. They were suppose to be done early Nov. If someone breaks in they can't get into my apartment, so at least I am safe, as for my car and anything in the yard, they are open for theft. I have to be careful to clean my car out each night and hide my car radio. It's not a big deal, but it's good to have others around all kinda watching out for each other. the rest of the team is arriving on the 7th of Jan. Please pray that we all get along and for their ministry here as well.

Support Me?? For those of you who feel the Lord is leading you to support me financially, thank you so much, the Lord will bless you in your giving. The easiest way to give support is through my blog, clicking Support Me' in the left hand column and then fill out the credit card information. You can also support me by sending a check (clearly indicating that it's for Christine Chenoweth) to:

Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470

Thank you so much, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!!

Only in Africa

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I thought and thought about what to call this blog. A few of the other close choices were Thanksgiving Revelation, Divine Appointment and God's sense of Humor. I finally decided on Only in Africa because I can't imagine this happening very many other places.

I was invited by an American friend to an American's family's home for a Thanksgiving celebration. We decided that since we all had to work on Thursday to have the dinner on Wednesday night. I got there and to my delight there were plenty of people I knew, but also some new faces. We (the adults) sat at the table, we let the kids eat anywhere because there were not enough seats. I enjoyed real Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, with real French Fried Onions coleslaw, beet root salad, rolls and Stove Top stuffing. It was almost like being home and it was wonderful.

Well one woman, whom shall remain nameless was visiting from about 2 hours away, she had met this family on a previous trip to Swaziland and since she came alone, they invited to come for dinner. She was very nice and it turns out that she arrived only a few weeks before me, so we had lots to talk about. About halfway through dinner she mentioned this car ordeal she had been dealing with. Before I get to her, let explain my own car ordeal.

My Story: I bought my car first week of Sept. also. Paid in Full to the dealer and was told that because I am not a permanent resident yet, I should just register the car in 3 weeks in the Missions name. No problem, because when I go home they will likely want the vehicle if it's still in good running condition. So a month goes by and I am driving my car unregistered all over Swaziland and South Africa. You can even cross borders without correct documentation for the vehicle (that always eases my mind ) So I get a call 3 weeks ago, mid Oct. that there is a women trying to register her car and it turns out that out blue books( that's like a registration form) are messed up and I just need to change the engine number on my blue book so I must go to the police station and meet the dealer to get it straitened out. He never shows up. It turns out he went to South Africa and never told me. I found out randomly from someone else. The following Monday I go to meet him again and he forgot so when I call him after he's already late to see if he's on his way he says, I can't come, I forgot so I will send "my guy" He gives me a name. I don't know if he's Swazi or American. He doesn't know me. He comes and I am there and it turns out there are 2 police stations just blocks apart and I am at the wrong one waiting and so we are calling each other and describing clothes and all and finally I say I am on the corner of this and that street and he laughs and says I will come to you. So then we go to the correct police station only to come back so some guy at the first station can change the number. Then I am told I must give them my car to fix it all. I feel very uncomfortable with this and ask if I can stay with the car the whole time, they say no. So I say I need to go back to my office and work. They come later in the day to get my car and a copy of my license. 2 hours later the guy comes back with my car (Thank God) and says it's all set. So I think it's all set. Oh no my friends, it's not even close to all set. The next day I am out in the rural areas miles from The city and I get a phone call that they need more documentation from me and my residency permit, I say I don't have one and that I was told I didn't need. Well I do and I am in the process of getting it, so I say well can I give you the Missions info. They say yes, come to the office. Well I can't go because I am far away and in the middle of a Bible study. They want to know when I can come but every good time for is not so good for them. Finally I call the dealer (an American) and say, please get this taken care of I paid you 2 months ago for a car and I have spent days trying to get it settled you have the info they need and I don't (at the time my supervisor here is in the States and the info is locked in his office). He says no problem, I am just down the street I will handle it. Good I think, I can sleep peacefully and continue on in ministry and have a car, etc. J the next day, another call, they still hadn't received the paperwork. Everytime I try to call the dealer, he doesn't pick up. I leave text messages, no reply. I am upset, I can do nothing and so I leave it in God's hands and stop answering the phone when the women calls me. I have no new answer for her. She finally stops calling and I think, it's taken care of. Then a week later she calls and says, she needs to take my plates and switch them with this other car's plates, but again, my time is no god for her and her times are no good for me and so we are at a stand still.

Her Story: She bought a car first week of Sept. It got shipped from South Africa to Swaziland with 2 other cars that had been purchased. When you buy a car here, you must wait three weeks before you can register it, but it's ok because you are still allowed to drive it. So when she went to register it, she was told that her paperwork for the car and the car numbers didn't match up and that someone had switched half of her car's info with another cars info. The only to fix this was to find the other owner and switch plates, change the paperwork, which required visits to the police station, the dealer, some office, etc. It's not an easy problem to ix, like they tell you, oh you just have to change your blue book So for 2 months she fought and kept noticing that things were not lining up, finally they said you JUST have to switch plates with the other person. But the other person was never available so they went ahead and just made her new plates with the correct license plate number on it.

We go outside so she can show me what to change on my blue book and she is very helpful, when we get to the car, I notice her car is the same make and model, just a different style that mine and that her license plate is the same as mine, she is the other car, we are having thanksgiving dinner together and I say, I should just take your old plates, but she has turned them in. She tells me she had the same problem with the dealer not answering calls and gives me the name of a guy who helped her out. Turns out it's the guy I met that day at the police station (this time I know what he looks like) Only in Africa can there be 2 cars driving with the same plates and registration and no-one is rushing to get it fixed. Only God could orchestrate a meeting of 2 people who lives hours apart ad use an American holiday in a foreign country to make that happen. My saga unlike hers is not over because I am still waiting on my papers for permanent residency, I come to find out, I also need a tax ID number and a pin number before I can register my car. Please pray this gets cleared up as soon as it can, it requires me to find someone who can get me and ID and Pin number in a timely manner and that's not easy to do here.

Cherish

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For the past 8 weeks I have been teaching a study called Cherish to 57 girls ranging in age from 10-18 years old. The Study is an open discussion that focuses on sexual purity based out of biblical teaching. I wanted the girls to see how they are cherished in Christ and how they are a gift to their husbands if they remain pure. I did have girls that have already been sexually active, so the study included in one full lesson the forgiveness of God for past sins and how they can move forward being pure. In the study it's called restoring their sexual purity. All 57 girls that completed the study, meaning they showed up weekly for lessons and did the homework that was involved, committed to remaining sexually pure. Many were excited about this study and had many questions even though some were relatively young. They are hungry for learning and that excites me. Each girl was awarded a certificate on the last day to celebrate the commitment they made ad the hard work they put into the homework. Even though this particular study is over, I will continue to meet with these girls on a weekly basis and do other Bible studies with them.

Please pray that God leads me in the next area of study. Please pray that the girls will want to learn more. Pray that I will be able to find a translator, the girls who were translating for me are moving onto the schools in the greater Manzini area to continue to teach the Cherish study.

Thanks to everyone for your continued prayer support, it means so much to me and I know that I wouldn't be able to do what I do, without all of you behind me. God bless!!

Here's a few pics of the girls:

The Heaven's Declare!

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

Psalm 19:1-4

I am so blessed to have an opportunity to live in such a beautiful country. As far as I'm concerned the view of the sunsets from my house are some of the best i have seen anywhere. It's so true that God displays his glory in everything He created. To me, a sunset is like a painting God did that day to say I love you. Even the trees and plants here show God's glory and something that struck my the other day was that when God created the earth, it was perfect, no sin had entered, and only when Adam and Eve sinned, did he add thistles and thorns to the land. So the beauty we see today is nothing in comparison to what God intended for us and I believe that when He makes all things new, we will again behold the fullness of the beauty He intended for us to enjoy.

Starting Slow

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

     I have been in Swaziland just under 2 months and I love living here. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, but things in Africa don't always go at a speed I am used to. For example, if I want to go to the bank to exchange money. I must wait in line outside the bank for one person at a time to enter the bank, I assume this is for security reasons, but more than once I have rushed past the line and tried to enter the building alongside another person, only to be pulled back by the next person in line and told that I have to get to the back of the line. Upon entry into the bank I must then stand in a line to get to the enquiry desk, so I will know which line I am suppose to stand in to get my money exchanged. All in all I would say the bank experience here is equivalent of the DMV experience in CT.

     All that to say that I have finally, officially and fully begun the ministry that I have come to Swaziland to do :) Last week I began teaching 44 girls at 2 different carepoints about the importance of abstinence for their physical well-being and more importantly for their spiritual well-being. It's been great to see that all the girls that I offered the Bible study to have accepted and wanted to learn about a better way than what their culture teaches them.

     The first week was just an introduction week, getting to know who each girl is and her age. It turns out that I have girls from 10-18 years old. For teaching time I break them into 2 groups by age and at the moment I have a few Swazi young adult women helping me with translation and how to be relevant in the Swazi culture. So 2 girls take the older group and one girl and I take the younger group. This first week we incorporated into our lesson washing each girl's feet to show that we are servant leaders and not just there to tell them what to do, but to show that they can trust us and open up to us. This act of service for them is a great ice -breaker because before we do it, the girls kinda just stare at us and listen but are too shy to speak. After we wash their feet, it's like the floodgates open up and they are willing to answer questions and participate in group discussions. We also stress that nothing leaves the room (or group) since we are talking about a sensitive subject.

     This week we are teaching the girls the importance of who they are in Christ. Culturally a girl is no-one until she becomes married and then she is a wife, children and single woman have very little or no value. A girl must do what she is told and she is brought up that way from a very young age. So sadly when a man tell a girl she must "be with him" she feels like she must say yes. Lot's of abuses happen this way and then the girls are ashamed. We are teaching them that it's ok to say no to those kids of things. I don't want to change culture so we have all disobedient children, but if something is ungodly then I want the girls to know it's ok to say no to that and it's not disobedience but rather protecting themselves from harm. I am speaking very general because of the range of my readers, but I am sure if you are old enough to know what I mean, then you do.

Please pray for these girls to have the courage to follow God's word and to say no to people they should be able to trust in these sticky situations. Pray that I will be able to know how to counsel and deal with those who have already been through these things and feel ashamed. Pray for the older girls who have made bad decisions that they will change their ways and choose a new way, the way of righteousness. Pray for the women helping me with teaching and translation that we would be a unified group and seeking God's will for each step of this Bible study, down to the little details that easily entangle us and cause divisions. Praise God that I work with these Swazi women who have chosen to be examples to the youth with their teaching and their lives.

Kids Camp

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This weekend camp was held for kids ages 6-14 at my house which is the team house. From Friday Afternoon to Sunday After church. The kids showed up excited for a weekend away from home and time with their friends in a safe and carefree environment. Tents were set up for meetings and for the male leaders to sleep in. 60 kids plus female leaders packed into the 6 bedrooms of the house. Friday they had a Bible lesson and singing in the tent and then had an outdoor projected movie. In Swaziland there are no movie theatres so this was a very cool thing.

Saturday came and the sun was shining, the kids were up bright and early, about 6am ready to start their day. The played soccer (called football here), basketball (called Net ball here), a jumping castle,more Bible teaching and worship time. At night we had a big barbeque (a Braai) for dinnertime. In between activities one of the favorite things to do is sing and Swazi's sing beautifully. It's like they are born with harmony in them. They love singing praises to God, when given a choice of what to sing the first thing out of their mouth is a worship chorus of some sort, it's so beautiful to watch and hear. Most songs they switch between English and siSwati so I know what they are singing, some songs are just English and others just siSwati.

Sunday one of the discipleship team guys preached. They had small groups for sports, lessons and application to life. Overall the weekend was a huge success. Next week another camp for 60 more kids! Pray that more lives are changed and for it to be a beneficial time for everyone leaders and children.

I know the children will not soon forget the great weekend, and I am blessed every time I spend anytime with them, they are so sweet and they think it's the best when I take their picture or speak in their language. By being able to spend this large chunk of time with all of them at my house I was able to pick up a few more words and phrases, my favorite and most useful phrase is "I need coffee" :) Especially when we are getting up so early.

Teen Retreat

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This past weekend I worked at a retreat with about 220 high school girls who have just finished a program called Cherish. The purpose of the program is to learn that you are a child of God, cherished and loved, and you have a precious treasure that is meant only for your husband.

Overall the weekend went great, for a lot of the girls this was there first time not at home. I had seven girls in my small group discussion, they were pretty shy at first, maybe one or 2 would even make full eye contact with me, but as the weekend went on and I began to share about my life they started to slowly open up. By the end of the weekend when I asked what they had learned and how they would apply it, all of them committed to abstinence before marriage or to restoring their virginity now until marriage.

There is one girl in particular who even by the end of the weekend had not really connected into the group, but as she was leaving to go back home, she came up to me and gave me a huge hug, and told me she loved me. It always amazes me how God works even when we can't see it. When I asked her what her favorite part of the weekend was, she said it was reading the Bible and learning more about God.

Many came with burdens we cannot even imagine and left them at the foot of the cross.

19 days and counting

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I haven't blogged in a while because my thought was that I wasn't in Swaziland yet so why blog. After talking to a friend I realized that I could use this blog for more than just what was happening there. I could use it as a testimony of what God has been doing as I prepare to go.

It has been clear to me from the day I first stepped on Swazi soil in Aug. 2007 that God had a plan for me in Swaziland. I didn't know what exactly but I knew that the 8 day trip I was on was not the only time I would be there. Throughout that week God confirmed through Scripture and the people around me that this was where he wanted me as a missionary.

When I returned home, I began looking into becoming staff at AIM, a process that took about 4 months. I prepared to return to another part of Swaziland to meet the other missionaries and see what ministry looked like on a day to day basis. I spent at least a day with each of the team already in place and watched them, saw the needs and my heart became even more attached to the Swazi's.

On a side note I hear it takes a long time to raise support, I have talked to many missionaries about this and so when I left Swaziland the second time I figured it would be quite a while before I would be back and yet in my heart I knew that God wanted me there sooner. I told close friends that I knew I would be going back before Sept. What is impossible with man is possible with God. That date was only months away and I had maybe 10% of my support in at the time. I clung to God's promises and kept my faith even though it didn't seem possible. Not too long after maybe 3-4 weeks later I received Word from 2 different churches that they would support me, the total of their gifts equaling 45% of my support. Praise the Lord! Any doubts I had were blown away by our awesome God!

God orchestrated it all so perfectly. I have purchased my plane ticket and I will be flying back to Swaziland for a 2 year term on Aug 7, exactly a year after the day I arrived home from my first trip. This year has flown by and I am excited to begin ministry in Swaziland, to meet the Swazi girls I will be working with, teaching them and learning from them.

pray that I will be open to God's voice and what He wants me to do.
Pray that I don't get in His way.
Pray for my relationship with the Swazi's.
Pray that my time with God will be consistent and relevant
Pray that Christ's love will flow through me so that only He is seen and not me.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support :)

Home a month

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have been home from Africa for just over a month and things have slowly gotten back to normal for me. I am plugging away at my new job, learning all sorts of things about taxes, accounting, and home entertainment equipment. While it's been hard to adjust to life back in America, I know that God has a reason even for this season of my life. For those of you who know me well, you know that my heart is in Africa and my desire to be there is great. Part of the process of going there, is this thing called support raising, basically raising financial and prayer supporters for my time there. I have learned from other missionaries that this time can be the hardest and yet the greatest time. I have already started to see that.

While I have been home I have had at least one divine appointment a week. God has orchestrated meetings with people that I wouldn't have thought possible. My first week home a friend I haven't seen in 11 years contacted me via the internet and we got together for coffee. She is not a believer and when I was friends with her I always had a hard time sharing my faith. She knew that I went to church with my family but that was the extent of it. I prayed and had my sister praying for our time together because I knew I didn't want to be ashamed of Christ, but old habits die hard. I had a chance to share what God was doing in my life and she thought it was great. She didn't quite understand it all but God allowed her heart to be open enough to listen and even ask some questions. Something I never imagined.

I also have been able to talk to some of the women I work out with at the gym, to tell them why I was in Africa, why I want to go back and how I will do it all. They find it amazing that I would be willing to give up being in America to move to a place where electricity and running water are not always a guarantee. That I would love a people group so much that I would give up a career to love them and tell them about Jesus. One woman (not a Christian) was so touched by what I was doing that she told me she would love to help me out. It just blows my mind the way God puts these meetings together when you are not ashamed of Him, and how he always provides for us when we do what He has called us to do.

Some prayer requests I have right now would be:

- that I would continue to grow closer to God
- that hearts would be moved to partner with me in prayer and/or finances for this new stage of my life.
- that I would be a light to those I come in contact with
- that God would help me be content while I am here, even though I am so ready to be in Africa

Thank you all so much for your prayers.

Waiting on Him,
Christine

My last days in Swaziland

Sat, 9 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

First off, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that contributed to my trip through finances, prayer, gifts, and encouragement. It was time well spent getting to know more about Swaziland and specifically more about the ministry opportunities for me there.

During my last week, I got the chance to go to a new carepoint, I drove in with the discipleship team. The goal of the day was to get profiles on each of the children so that we could eventually be able to get them sponsored by someone so they would be able to go to school and have some of their basic needs met. There was about 25 children there that day and to get the profiling done we needed a good distraction for the kids that were not being talked to. The discipleship team had done this before and so they were wise enough to bring along a jumping castle. It takes a bit to set up, but boy was it worth it! The kids loved it, we had a hard time getting them to stop jumping so we could gather some information about them.

We spent about 5 hours there that day. I tried to teach an older boy (maybe 9 or 10) how to spin a ball on his finger and he tried to teach me to play soccer, we both did a terrible job but had fun trying. I played catch with some of the small children. This particular carepoint had a single swing hanging from a tree, so one of my new little friends, Cebiso, insisted by pulling my hand, that I needed to push her on the swing. I didn't understand anything she was saying to me up to that point and then clear as a bell she said push in English, I think it's one of the few words she knew in English, because she was maybe only 4 years old. As soon as I started with one kid, swarms of kids came up to be pushed on the swing, i managed to convey to them that I could do 2 at a time and they had to wait their turn. It all worked out okay in the end.

Right before we left we took the children inside and sang some songs with them, they didn't know any of the songs I knew, but one of the older girls started leading songs they knew and I wish I had video taped it, because Swazi's just love singing. I said goodbye to the kids, it was my last full day in Swaziland and I wouldn't see them again for a long time, or so I thought.

The next day we had to go back and I got to spend time with my friends again. Cebiso came out and greeted us as soon as we pulled near the school. She had a nasty oozing wound on her stomach so I got that all cleaned up and bandaged, I made sure she understood not to take the band aid off and when she got the message, she went about playing, she fell asleep about an hour later so I checked to see if it was still there, thankfully it was. I hope it heals well.

Manzini, Swaziland

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hi From Manzini, Swaziland! After 34 hours of traveling, minimal sleep and lost luggage, I finally arrived in Manzini. am spending 3 weeks learning about the culture seeing many carepoints and ministries and praying for guidance on where God would have me serve here.

My first week I went to a place near the border of Mozambique called Nsoko, there are very missionaries there, none that live there, but they are trying to start a children's village, where orphans can live 8 in a home with a house mom. They have found property to build on and are trusting God for the the funds. There is a Swazi pastor who is willing to move to that area to minister and make sure needs are being met properly and money is not misused by those receiving it. I went to 5 different carepoints in Nsoko and did food distrubution,the children are so hungry for love and affection that before I even fully stepped out of the car, i have 7 children pulling on me and grabbing for me to hold them. It broke my heart all over again. I am willing to drive the 1.5 hours to help there.

This week I have been to some of the AIM carepoints,a squatter camp and the hospital in Manzini. At the carepoints I taught songs about Jesus to the children, brought Mangos for each of the children at the Timbutini carepoint. In Timbutini they have no water because one night someone came and stole they water container. The children there are unruly and it was hard to keep them organized for very long. About halfway through the day, they were all ready for napping in our laps. I had 2 children fall asleep on me. One of the volunteers (Thuli) brought with her, her son, he was very sick and so we paid for her to come back to Manzini with us and take her son to the hospital, God really provided for her because she was given 4 bottles of medicine for 3 Emalangeni (that's the currency), where it would normally cost 300 Emalangeni for 1 bottle.

At the hospital I visited with children who were sick and prayed with their mothers, I also was able to go to the maternity ward and provide juice to a new mother, who hadn't paid her hospital bill, so they refused to feed her. I was able to name her son also, most swazi's give their children a Swazi name and an English name, she let me give the English name, I chose Andrew. I met another new mom and named her son Emmanuel, she really likes the meaning of that. Most people want the names to mean something important so it was hard to name them.

I am still praying for discernment on what I will do besides going to Nsoko and I would love prayer for that. I have a week left to see more ministries. Some time next week I will go with the Swazi discipleship team to their carepoints.