El Shaddai

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you". John 14:18

This is likely the view we'll see when we first get to El Shaddai Orphanage. Smiling children. Eyes filled with hope. Hope that comes from expectancy. Hope that comes from the truth of God's word. Orphans are dear to the heart of God and in just 17 days, our small group of 25 will have the privilege of becoming the hands and feet of Jesus to these children. Yes indeed, Jesus will come to them....just as he said. Can hardly wait!!

Wherever You Go

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

26 days and counting. That's the number of days until we once again return to Swaziland, Africa. More work, more ministry, more opportunity to hopefully impact lives for Jesus Christ. Just yesterday our group of 25 (above) who are going on this trip had our final group meeting together. Lots of information shared. Much planning and prayer has gone into getting to this point. Are we prepared? What will we encounter? What will God do on this trip? As a 'veteran' (this will be my 3rd time in 4 yrs) this should be old hat....but the 'butterflies in the stomach' are back. Feeling a little anxious. Yet as I spend time in God's word I'm reminded that He does not want us (me) to be afraid...but to trust Him. So ok Lord, here it goes: Keep us focused and in tune with You as we continue to look ahead to this marvelous work you have prepared. And thank you that You have promised that wherever we go, and whatever we encounter, You will be there with us....each step of the way!

Ps 134:22 "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jXxnr-FzQU

September 19, 2009 will be a night you won't want to miss!! Compassionate Life Foundation and New Covenant Ministries present the very first Sanctuary For Swaziland - 'Meet Me At The Rock' Benefit Concert. The event will be held at New Covenant Church in Clio, Michigan with special guest performers; the world famous 'African Children's Choir'. To date, this may be their only Michigan performance for 2009. Tickets are $20 per person ($30 VIP seats) and they'll go fast....so don't hesitate to get yours!! Many sponsorship opportunities are available as well for this event with proceeds going to support our work with orphans and widows in Swaziland, Africa. For more information visit the Compassionate Life Foundation website: http://www.james127.org/

So....Save The Date and I'll See You At The Rock!!

Educating others

(El Shaddai Children's Home)

Had the privilege this past week of giving a presentation to 3 classes of middle school aged students about Swaziland. They are studying about the country in their social studies class; learning about it's people, the culture and the challenges that they face. We even had a 'bucket relay' so about 130 students could experience what it is like to have to walk a distance carrying a 5 gallon bucket of water back from a rural stream (something commonplace in Swaziland). It was great to see their enthusiasm and interest...not only in learning but also in wanting to help, wanting to make a difference. They are 'adopting' a middle school class their same age at El Shaddai Children's Home and will be writing and raising funds to help the children there. Very cool! I came away encouraged and excited as to what this group of young people can and will do.

Pandemic

"Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice." Mark 9:39

Pandemic: A mega epidemic.

I've been reading a book lately called 'Red Letters' by Tom Davis. Powerful. Some things he mentions:
-39.5 million people worldwide are living with HIV (24.7 million in Africa
alone!)
-12 million plus African children have lost 1 or both parents to HIV-AIDS.
-Many people groups, villages and tribes are on the brink of extinction.
-This is the greatest crisis humanity has ever faced.

If ever there was a pandemic...this is it! I don't know about you, but it's easy to look at the statistics and feel overwhelmed. What can I do? I'm only 1 person. Well, we can all do something, because each number represents someone.

-We can give to an organization that is on the front lines
fighting the war against poverty and Aids
(like Compassionate Life Foundation: www.james127.org).
-We can help to send someone else that can be our
representative in bringing hope and help (a cup of cold water) to the
desperately needy.
-We can be outrageous and go ourselves .

No matter which option we take...we must do something.

Another quote from 'Red Letters' says: "What if you knew your actions could prevent even 1 death? What if you knew you had the influence, resources, and ability to make a difference in what seemed like a hopeless situation. Would you act...or remain silent?"

We cannot wait any longer. We must do something.

Stand Together

"All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD." 2Chronicles 20:13


Yeah! We had our first 'team meeting' today after church with the group of people (25 of us) that, by God's grace, will be going back to Swaziland Africa in July of 2009. A combination of 'veterans' - those of us who've been there before, mixed with the 'newbies' - those looking for their very first chance to experience that beautiful country and it's amazing people. I love this group already!! At this stage of preparation the meeting was mostly informational with topics such as: Shots needed, passports, trip dates, cultural differences, etc. But the best part was when we each had the opportunity to answer the question "Why are you going"? One person said "I've seen the faces and heard the stories of starving children in Africa my whole life and now it's time to go and do something about it in person". Another shared "I have to go, God is calling me there". Still another said "The need is so great and from the first time I saw the pictures and heard about the trip I knew God wanted me to go". But the answer that really touched me the most was from 15 year old Clara. She said "People often say that young people my age can't make a difference...so I'm going to Africa to prove to them that they're wrong!". You go girl!! I am so blessed to be a part of this group and can hardly wait to see what God has in store for this team! A big THANK YOU to all who are partnering with us in this work....both financially and in prayer. We cannot do this without you! May we all be encouraged and our faith strengthened as we stand together in anticipation of what the Lord will do!

Remember

"After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done..." Judges 2:10 (NLT)

One year ago today. That's when a small group of 25 people (among whom were me, my husband and our 2 daughters) left on a 10 day journey to serve and work with the poor and needy people of Swaziland, Africa. It hardly seems like it's been a year already. But then again there are times when it seems like an eternity. Alot of life has been lived since then. Times of joy & celebration. Times of sorrow and loss. Busy times...fulfilling responsibilities with work, family and ministry. One thing I've come to realize though is that if we're not careful, it becomes really easy for us to forget, doesn't it? Maybe I'm becoming more nostalgic as I get older, but as I spend time in God's word I see that there are many times where God tells us to 'remember'. So it must be important. So here goes...come along with us on our trip down memory lane today...this 1 year anniversary of our life changing trip to Swaziland, Africa. I remember...

• The gracious welcome from the Swazi and Mozambican people when we first arrived.
• The poor living conditions of the people....amazing, they have so little.
• People searching for food in the local garbage dump...which was situated adjacent to the city cemetery.
• Watching a young boy (maybe 5 yrs old) carrying a large bucket of brownish water up a hill after drawing it from a muddy creek.
• The smokey haze hovering over the hillsides as people burned their fields in the hope of producing more fertile soil once the planting season arrives.
• Combis (vans) jam packed with people commuting from one place to another.
• The sick children and the look in their eyes.
• The smiles and games we played with the school children at El Shaddai Children's Home as we painted their school bathrooms. (oh yes...and the smell in the boys bathroom!!)
• The awesome view of the mountains and the valley below that the children at El Shaddai get to enjoy every single day.
• The rugged dirt roads leading up to El Shaddai. (and you think we have pot holes...!)
• The people (both children and adults) that would run up to our van as we drove by, grinning from ear to ear, in the hope to catch some sweets (candy) we were offering to them....and their graciousness once they got some.
• Speaking to the 'Go-Go' (grandmother) and her amazement that people would spend their vacation time and money (of which she couldn't even fathom) to come all that way to Swaziland to help them. **Sadly, she has since died.
• The resourcefulness of the Swazi people....and their hard work ethic.
• Looking into the clear southern hemisphere sky at night and seeing the Southern Cross constellation. God you are amazing!
• The choirs singing and dancing at the 4 hour long church dedication service, and the table filled with food that the Mozambican and Swazi women prepared for the celebration. (took them 3 days to prepare!)
• Being charged by a somewhat irritated elephant that stopped just a foot away from our landrover. (and the look on our girls faces as that was happening :)
• Being just a few feet away from a pride of lions, seeing giraffes perfectly camoflaged in the thick brush, eating some impala for lunch, and being captivated by the beautiful African sunset.
• Children just wanting to be held. And held. And held.
• The privilege and joy of meeting our sponsored child, Nkosimphile.
• The emotional sharing from each group member during our debriefing sessions each evening. None of us will ever be the same again. (1 group member has answered God's call and has since moved to Cape Town, South Africa!)
• The ache in our hearts as we were leaving. It's still there.... (Lord willing we'll be returning in July 0f 2009!)
• The culture shock when we returned to America.
• Witnessing God's love, God's presence, God's faithfulness in every situation.

So there you have it...just a few of the things we've been remembering today. But wait, I remember...there's 1 more thing! Nothing new, but it's been on my refrigerator for years and kinda sums it all up: "Love God, love people....nothing else matters". I hope we never forget that! God bless.