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.