(FYI: this blog has been written over the last 2 weeks or so. Finally getting it posted! It's taken 2.5 hours to post this and everything keeps shifting, so sorry if the layout is funky)
Sometimes I like to process what's happening in life by thinking of what I'd title a book written about my current season of life. Past titles have been, Life Outside the Loop, and Single-parenting Your Inter-Racially Adopted Child Overseas (which I'm pretty sure would have a very small readership J). The really funny ones are just too sarcastic to make public, but have been therapeutic for me to think through! Lately I've been in the research faze of my next imaginary best-seller, which is a theological thriller entitled: Technical Difficulties of Life in Africa and Their Threat to My Personal Sanctification.
[I thought this drawing Ellie did of "what mommy looks like when a bat comes in the house" would make a nice book cover]
I guess when I usually write a blog it's about a significant story or encounter I've had. And while there are some pretty amazing days here, this blog isn't about those--it's about the other days...the days that can take me beyond frustrated to just a little bit CRAZY.
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog about Jabulile, and her need for a new house. Some of you donated and some of you have been asking for an update. This blog started formulating in my head as I thought about why I was having so much trouble getting an update written! The plan for Jabulile's house had seemed so simple...she had half the blocks needed for the house, the church men would donate their time, and we'd help raise funds for the rest of the materials. Simple has become a bit UN-simple. Rest assured, the house is happening, and the donated money is accomplishing what it was intended for, BUT just not in the way or time-table that any of us would choose.
[this is a before picture. We're hoping for an after picture soon!]
It's like this: first off wrong materials were purchased. It took a few weeks for anyone to tell us this, and for them to be exchanged for the correct ones. We were told volunteer labor wouldn't work and that we'd need to at least hire a foreman for the job, which also took a weeks to sort out...and it was another expense we weren't counting on. The foundation was accidentally made a meter larger than what we had budgeted for, meaning that the blocks, roofing etc. wasn't enough and more had to be purchased...another added expense. There's more, but those are the highlights. J
Soooo, the foundation is done, and the walls should be up by now, BUT some of the "technical difficulties" have slowed us down quite a bit. Each decision of how to handle a new need that comes up has to be made carefully so that we're not creating dependence or giving the impression we have endless supplies of resources. Different cultures just have different styles of communication and planning, etc and I think I could live in other countries another 50 yrs and still never have it all figured out! I'll keep you updated as my sanity allows. J
On the home front, I've been trying to get some work done on the electricity and water at my house...since last OCTOBER. I finally got sick of the waiting on the landlord to do something, and decided to take things into my own hands. After multiple visits from multiple repairmen, things went from bad to worse. The good news is that they did stop sparks from shooting out of the fuse box, our stove now has all its knobs (they're all incorrect-but it's better than pliers!), and the broiler in the oven was resurrected. Unfortunately, the broiler worked too well, and was actually the only thing that worked on the stove, and could only be turned off by cutting the power supply to the stove. UNTIL one night when I was "broiling" a cake, and I opened the door to check on it--a big WHOOSH of sparks and flames shot out. More good news: I didn't catch on fire, the broiler was finally off, and I got to see the fireworks display I missed on the 4th.
We did have hot water for a few days after the plumbers 3rd visit, but then it quit working again, and the hot water heater (which for some reason is up in the crawl space above the ceiling) had some sort of valve malfunction that caused water to pour down through the light fixture and ceiling-two nights in a row. We had been heating water on the stove for bucket baths, but that became a little more difficult after the broiler incident. It seemed like one thing "fixed" would require a couple follow up visits to really fix it (usually a 3-5 day wait time once you request a visit), and something new would often be broken in the process (i.e. on one visit the plumber forgot his ladder so he hoisted himself up into the crawl space by using the bathroom door, which in turn broke the bottom hinge on the door, which subsequently led to Ellie getting herself locked in the bathroom the next morning and being late for school. J)
[our ceiling, post-malfunction]
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. I'm surrounded by people with troubles infinitely worse than mine, yet somehow I let my life and attitude become so easily de-railed by all my comparatively small "difficulties." One night during one of our flooding incidents, as I was madly rushing around with buckets and towels trying to stop the torrent, I heard Ellie run up behind me giggling and squealing. I turned around to see her jumping up and down with the biggest smile plastered on her face, decked out in her swim suit and flip flops. She thought water gushing from the ceiling was a great idea! I'm pretty sure God has a lesson in there somewhere about how I choose to view my circumstances, eh? What I saw as a flood zone quickly approaching disaster status, Ellie saw as a water fun park and quickly got herself ready to enjoy it! Ellie is so good for me. J And God is so patient with me and all my issues!
[This pic, of course, isn't during the actual flood, but it's the same look of excitement Ellie had on her face, AND it shows you how cute she is in her swimsuit!]
After this week I may be starting a new (imaginary) book: "Miracle on Masalesikhudleni Street." My street isn't actually named Masalesikhudleni, because it's just a dirt road and has no name that I know of, but it is my favorite street name in town, and in honor of the small pole that defies gravity by holding up a street sign so long, I've chosen to use it in my new title. The miraculous inspirations are: Jabulile's house is progressin, my electricity is finally fixed, the stove is working well, the hot water seems to be back to normal, and after SO MUCH WORK to get them that way...WE'RE MOVING!!!!!!!!!! Ha!!
After more than a year of looking for a different house to rent in our neighborhood, something has just opened up only a few blocks away and we're pretty excited about it. It's so nice...I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how nice it is, but I have to because it's really a miracle that it's all coming together. The house has a small room/apartment that can be rented out, plus office and storage space that Timbali will be able to rent, so the actual portion of the rent we'll be responsible for is not much more than what we're paying now...and it's sooooooooo much better: a nice big kitchen, a more safe and secure neighborhood, plenty of room for guests (hint hint), and... INTERNET!! We'll be moving at the beginning of October. You can stop by anytime after that!
So I'll wrap up yet another long-ish blog by saying that we're happy and thankful and can continually see the Lord taking care of us in the circumstances of our life whether it's exploding ovens, minor floods, a new home or GREAT FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS. Be blessed!
There are some days when the images and circumstances I see here seem to stand out in my mind more than others. Yesterday was one of those days. I'm going to try and walk you through it. I know this is going to be long, but hopefully some of you will find it interesting, and well, for me, sometimes it's just good to get my thoughts written out. So that's probably more what this is about than anything. J
After the usual mad rush to get Ellie to school on time (it's a block away, but we still manage to barely get there on time most days!), I was off to buy fabric and supplies for the Timbali women. It was cool (60's) and cloudy, so everyone on the streets was either wearing big poofy winter coats or had a blanket wrapped around them for warmth (if they'd only visit Iowa!). I stopped at two fabric stores and the open market, where I was continually referred to as "Makewa Nosipho" (mother of Nosipho, Ellie's Swazi name). Fortunately, after about 4 years of at least weekly fabric shopping trips, I still get excited when I find a new print I like. Zanele, one of the women I frequently buy fabric from at the market, had called me earlier in the week that she'd gotten some new pieces I would like. She was right. She's learned my taste. She's also been able to purchase a small car because I give her so much business!
While in the market area I saw a woman carrying a large plastic bag full of baskets on her head, which while very light, together they were probably about 3 times the size of the small woman. Headlines from the day's paper are posted on light poles around town. These days most of them are centered around the World Cup (although there was one today that said a lion that has been on the loose in the country for a while killed 5 cows!). Thursdays are the biggest market day so people are everywhere selling everything from girdles, to batteries, to home décor items so covered in lace you can't quite tell what they are.
Next I was off to the rural area to meet with the Timbali women. For most the way the road is paved. As usual, I got caught behind a large, slow moving truck carrying something most likely related to the sugar cane industry here. The last few kilometers are a dirt road, where in some parts you just have to choose the section of the road that looks like it will scrape the bottom of your car the least. I stopped to pick up three of the Timbali women walking to the center where we do our work (some of them walk a couple hours). It started raining just after they piled into my car.
As we pull into the care point there were people from the community working on a new school going up nearby. The women were carrying concrete blocks back and forth on top of their heads (the head is a useful appendage here!!). Most of the Timbali women were gathered around the fire where big pots of water were on to boil, in preparation for feeding about 120 children their mid-day meal later on. Slowly they made their way into the building where we work. We're working on some new jewelery products these days. After months of creatingpaper beads off and on, yesterday was the first day the ladies actually got to see some finished products. I think they turned out pretty well for a first try.
I don't understand nearly enough Siswatti, but it still makes me smile to hear the ladies bantering back and forth as they work. One will tease another for working slow, as she proudly holds up her finished necklace, only to find that she's made a few mistakes on her's and has to start over. My "swazi mom" Ruby thought it was great to find out that I had to have a tooth pulled last week, and at 80 years she still has a mouth full. As they worked one of the ladies was gathering money from all the women to give to the family of one of the women, Sibongile Nketjane, who passed away on Sunday. We make a few necklaces, paint and varnish some beads... 4 hours later we finish up. I'd hoped to start teaching the women how to make a new style of bag (just a big tote/shopping bag) but we wrapped things up early so we could go and visit Sibongile's homestead.
After carefully packing up my car (one lady stood there patiently with a sewing machine on her head while I tried to make a space for it) to make room for the maximum number of passengers, about 12-15 ladies pile into two vehicles. It's a bit of a drive out to Sibongile's homestead. The last 10 minutes was basically just a dirt path that winds and splits off a million times. I always wonder how people ever find their way home. Eventually we just have to park and walk the last little bit. Some of the ladies scramble to get their heads covered, which is appropriate when visiting a grieving family. I asked if I needed to cover my head, but they said I was fine...it was one of many situations I find myself in here where I don't totally understand what's going on, and just smile and say 'okay.'
Sibongile is the third Timbali woman to pass away in the last couple of months. As our group walked together I thought about how, as much as I'm still an outsider and even though there are plenty of frustrations in my work here, I really do feel like a part of these women and I care for them so much. Sibongile was fairly new to Timbali, so I honestly didn't know her that well, but I am of course still sad to hear of her sudden death, and grieved for her children that she leaves behind. It's also a sobering reminder of the fact that many of the women I work with are sick, and Sibongile won't be the last one we lose.
Snagged my skirt on a few thorn bushes, narrowly missed stepping in a few cow pies, and then we were there. The homestead is pretty run down...just a few one room thatch roof buildings. One of the women, Nomsa, started singing and everyone joined in as we slipped off our shoes and crowded into the small room where Sibongile's sister and mother and other relatives were.
The closest female relatives were on a grass mat on the floor sitting Swazi-style with their legs straight out in front of them. There are probably 20 of us sitting on the floor in a 6' x 6' room. After the song is finished and we pray (everyone out-loud at one time), Nomsa shares Isaiah 40:10 and presents the money the women had collected for the family. They'd each donated at least two Emalangeni (about 30 cents) and had over 100E to give. I hadn't seen them do this before and was so proud and a little in awe of their generousity and thoughtfulness. After a long silence someone poked me and said I should say something (yet another situation where I'm not sure what's going on!). I talked a little bit about Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a ever present help in times of trouble." I also shared about how God was so honored by the work Sibongile did with the orphans and vulnerable children at her church's care point. The sister thanked us for coming. There were tears, hugs, and handshakes. Then we left.
We shuttled the ladies to their homes and on the way back we saw Sibongile's Pastor along the road, so I stop to talk with them. We talked about Timbali donating some money to the family and how it could best be used, either to buy a casket or for the needs of the children. The Pastor will make sure it goes where the need is greatest.
By the time I arrived back home I was exhausted and the sun was starting to set. Our friend, Makhosi, had been with Ellie at home all afternoon...a little longer than usual. As I pull into our yard Ellie jumped up and down and waves her arms. She is the best at welcoming me home from a long day. After a little dinner and hangout time with Ellie, we are both in bed by 8:30pm. Good night!
I'm also going to cut a paste the last blog written by my director, Scott Borg. He quotes some pretty grim statistics about Swaziland. A great reminder of what we're in the middle of here, and why we need so many to be lifting this tiny nation up in prayer!!
Here's Scott's Blog:
In February Marcia and I led a trip of 12 men to Swaziland. Among these men were 3 NFL players. Last night NFL Network aired this video.
That trip was a lot of fun since I have never met an NFL player before. Each one of the guys were great to hang out with. But that is not what this blog is about.
In the midst of the excitement of AIM being mentioned on NFL Network, there is the nagging reality continuing in Swaziland. During two trips this spring Marcia and I noticed there were a lot more people dying. The article below - using statistics from 2007 - confirms what we personally experienced.
"Jesus we need you now more than ever in Swaziland. Come in power, come in healing, come and dwell among your people. Have mercy on them and give them faith to increasingly turn toward you!"
Study shows mounting AIDS toll in Swaziland
From Associated Press
June 23, 2010 12:35 PM EDT
MBABANE, Swaziland (AP) - Swaziland's death rate more than doubled in a decade, proof of the toll of AIDS, statisticians in this southern African kingdom said Wednesday.
Nombulelo Dlamini of the Central Statistical Office discussed a new study comparing censuses in 1997 and 2007 in an interview on Wednesday. The study shows that in 1997, the death rate was 7.6 people in 1,000. By 2007, it was 18.03 per 1,000 people. Life expectancy over the period decreased from 60 to 43 years.
"HIV and AIDS has killed many of our people," Dlamini said.
She added that without the rollout of AIDS therapy drugs, "deaths in the nation would be reaching alarming proportions."
Infant and under-five mortality death rates also increased during the 10-year period. About 107 in 1,000 babies die in their first year, according to the 2007 census. In 1997 it was 78. Among children under 5, the death rate was about 167 in 1,000 in 2007, compared to 106 in 1997.
The U.N. says the prevalence in Swaziland of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is nearly 40 percent, the highest in the world. Swaziland neighbors South Africa, which has an estimated 5.7 million people infected with HIV, more than any other country.
Sunday after church we visited Jabulile's house. Jabulile has been part of Timbali Crafts since the beginning. She was abandoned 6 years ago when her husband decided to take a 2nd wife and she now lives by herself on a small piece of land in the rural area where AIM works. When Jabulile first started living on the land (technically owned by her husband but culturally he has to allow the 1st wife to live on his land) it was still overgrown with trees, brush, etc. Jabulile cleared the land herself, and was able to piece together a small house made from sticks, mud, cardboard and some scraps of corrugated metal. It is literally falling down. Jabulile can't even sleep in her house at night for fear of what might happen if a strong wind came up or if someone broke in. Every night she sleeps at her friend Juliet's house (another Timbali woman) down the road.
We went to Jabulile's house to see her home in hopes that we can start making plans to build her a new house. She's told me before that she has purchased some supplies for the house, but I was so surprised to see the piles of concrete blocks stacked around her house. For three years Jabulile has been saving money from what she receives from her sewing for Timbali Crafts and she has been able to purchase 600 blocks-half of what is needed to build a small two room home (w/out water or electric). What a picture of patience and perseverance. We're hoping that now we can come alongside Jabulile and provide the rest of what she needs to get a new home. Pastor Walter (the main Pastor AIM works with in that area of Swaziland) was with us and said that the men from their church could volunteer their time to build, if we could help finish buying the supplies. Just that morning in his sermon he had said, "If you see something that needs to be done, do it." "Now we will put it into practice," he said. I just talked to Walter again today, and he said the men of the church have already started digging the foundation of the house.
The estimated cost for buying the rest of the materials for Jabulile's house is $1500. If you'd like to donate toward the cost of building a house for Jabulile, follow this link: https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=swazi&multi=
(Choose Swazi Craft Co-op in the drop down menu, and put Jabulile's house in the comment section)
Juliet was also with us during our visit. What was so beautiful to me was seeing how excited Juliet was for Jabulile. Juliet has her own struggles. Her husband, who had also abandoned her several years ago for another woman, died and left her to pay for all of the burial and funeral expenses. There was a legal battle over which woman would receive the husband's death benefit from his employer. Juliet was homebound for several months for the obligatory "time or mourning" until the matter was settled and the husband could be buried. Finally, Juliet received the death benefit and was able to pay for the burial and funeral, and build herself a new house! Juliet has seen the Lord sustain her and provide, and now she is rejoicing in hope with her friend.
So many of the Timbali women have stories similar to Jabulile's and Juliet's. Another woman has had 4 family members pass away since the beginning of the year. Another talked with me about the anger she struggles with because her husband has at least 7 children with other women, two of which have been abandoned by their mother and are now living in her home and she is now their care giver. These situations are almost unimaginable to me, but pretty much the norm for women here. These ladies are of course, notperfect, but I'm always amazed at the way these ladies persevere, even smile in the midst of hardships, and serve others everyday. Please keep praying that God would be their source of strength and encouragement!!
Ellie and Easter
I always have to end w/ an Ellie story...
Easter has come and gone for most, but Ellie is still talking about it. This other morning before school I heard her telling a story to all of her dolls and stuffed animals she had lined up in her room, "...and Mary was looking for Jesus (in the tomb) and Jesus said, ‘Here I am! I'm all better.' Jesus is Alive! Yeah Jesus!" The Saturday before Easter I turned on the TV and "The Jesus Film" was playing. It was a scene from the movie showing Jesus in the Temple. (For those of you who are fans of the movie "Elf," I'll compare her reaction to seeing Jesus on TV to the scene where Buddy here's that Santa will be visiting Gimble's Department Store.) Ellie gasped, pointed at the TV, and yelled, "MOM IT'S JESUS!! I LOVE JESUS! YEAH JESUS!" These are some of my favorite Ellie stories lately. I hope Ellie keeps up the Easter talk, b/c in a place with so much death, Easter is a great reminder of LIFE and all that Jesus represents to those of us who love Him and know His salvation!
This is Ellie on Easter morning with a little bed-head. :)
(I begin pretty much every one of my blog's bysaying something about how an update is way overdue, we've been very busy and internet has been slow or non-existent...so this one will be no different, because, as always, it's true! I've actually tried posting this blog about 4 times over the last couple weeks...maybe today will be the day I'm successful! )
Please check out the new and improved Timbali Crafts website and buy lots of Chrsitmas gifts for your family and friends!!! www.timbalicrafts.org
Hard to believe we've been back in Swaziland for more than a month already. Ellie frequently asks when we can get on a big plane and go back to Grandma and Grandpa's house and see all her cousins. Things are of course back in full swing with life and ministry here. Since the Thanksgiving holiday isn't celebrated here, the Christmas season starts extra early, and we've already planned, prepped and pulled off two Christmas parties for the Timbali women, which included lots of fun, dancing, presents, and the key ingredient for any Swazi party: lots of meat! Last week I sent off 1200 Timbali purses to the US for Christmas sales. Ellie had her Christmas program at school 2 weeks ago, and now is on summer break until the end of January. We did take time to celebrate Thanksgiving by having 24 people from AIM teams over to our house! Pretty soon we'll be able to slow down and really enjoy a relaxed Christmas season, which I'm looking forward to!
Let me say a little more about our Christmas parties...
Our first one was for the 55 women who sew for Timbali in the Engculwini area of Swaziland. Not only was it a Christmas party, but it was also an 80th birthday celebration for one of the women, Ruby Nkambule. In a country where the average life expectancy hangs right around 30 yrs, 80 is something to be celebrated. Regardless of her age, Ruby's life is worthy of recognition...
Ruby grew up as a pastor's daughter in the same area where she still lives. She worked as a school teacher for many years, and I hear her students loved her. She's never been married, or had any children of her own, but has had up to 8 children in need of a loving home, living with her at different times. Currently she cares for 5 orphaned great neices and nephews. At 80 years old she still volunteers her time and energy at her neighborhood care point, helping to feed many children every day.
Ruby likes to stir things up and cause a little trouble and a lot of laughs wherever she is. Ruby is my "swazi mother" and when my parents visited a couple years ago, the first thing Ruby said to my mother was, "I am number ONE! You are number two!" Sometimes when Ruby sees me coming to return some of her bags she has sewn that need fixing, she runs away and hides. When we play games at our retreats, she's the most competitive of them all...and usually has to be reminded to play by the rules. Last year she won the limbo at one of our events!
Ruby really is a gem, and a great picture of someone who gives of themselves to help so many others. When the car I was driving was stolen last May, along with many of our possessions, Ruby gave me 50 rand because she felt so bad (that's about $7 USD, and she makes about $70/mo). Last year Ruby was blessed by several American women who raised money to help build her a new 2 room home (her old one was literally falling apart) and I can't think of anyone who deserved it more.
I'll end with a few pictures...
Everyone wanted their picture taken with the Christmas tree we brought to the parties!
Many of the ladies came dressed in their traditional outfits, including me. I still just don't quite fit it, do I? :)
Ellie at her school Christmas program. Cute.
This picture has nothing to do with my blog, but makes me laugh hard! Ellie drew this picture a couple weeks ago, and says "it's what mom looks like when a bat gets in the house" (a frequent occurrence in our home!). I think she captured it pretty well...I hate bats! That's Ellie smiling in the corner.
Greetings from the USA. Ellie and I have been here for about 3 weeks now, and are sort of starting to feel like we're getting into the swing of things...just in time to leave for Mexico tomorrow morning! We'll be traveling with a group from my home church in Iowa to Matamoros, where I lived for 6 yrs. I'm so excited to get back and see friends and places that have meant so much to me. I'm not as excited about the long bus ride to get there (abt 24 hrs!). J
It was a crazy couple weeks leading up to our departure from Swaziland. It seemed like God was allowing me to see in several different ways the great needs of that nation and also that He is truly at work there.
A couple days before we left I got a call at 6:30am. It was Phyllis, one of the the Timbali women, calling to tell me that Phila had died during the night. I've blogged several times about Phila and the many trips we've made to the doctor. She had been sick for a long time. Her death was expected, but still so sad for those of us who were her friends.
Phila was one of the first people in Africa to give me a live chicken as a gift. She spoke quite a bit of English, but not quite enough to always communicate clearly, and when she'd get frustrated that I couldn't understand her, she'd just start talking louder. Last year when we were driving home from one of her doctor visits, my car started making a horrible noise. Phila had needed assistance just walking from the car to the clinic earlier that day, but as soon as I pulled my car off the road, she jumped out and ran to the ditch-I think she thought it was going to explode. J
Phila was a care-giver. One of my first memories of her is three years ago when I was asked to pick her up at a hospital about an hour from her home. She'd been staying there (in the hospital) for a month with one of her grandchildren who had been severely malnourished and needed intensive treatment. For a while last year someone had arranged for Phila to stay at a nice health care facility in town. We couldn't get her to stay for long because she was so concerned about her five grand-children who she cared for in her home. She didn't want to eat the food we'd bring her, because she was worried about what the children were eating. She finally won the battle, and left the nice bed, running water, and electricity of the health care facility to go back to her homestead where she had none of that, but could be with her grandchildren.
Phila had a hard life. Phila was only in her 60s, but as long as I've know her she's been sick and walked at a slow shuffle. Last year someone broke into her home and beat her up, fracturing her arm. She was a widow, and ?? of her ?? children beat her to the grave. The good news is that for those of us who's hearts belong to Jesus, death brings relief of all pain, and delivers us to our heavenly home-straight into the arms of Jesus.
Not only is Jesus our comfort in death, he is the giver of LIFE...
At our women's camp in June one of the women, Xolile, asked my friend Marcia to pray for her. Xolile is five months pregnant, and had been told that she should abort the baby because it was "in a bad position." (With language barriers it's hard to understand everything, but Marcia, who is a nurse, gathered that possibly it was a tubal pregnancy.) Xolile didn't want to abort her baby, but shared with Marcia that she has never once felt the baby move, and was very worried. A couple hours after Marcia prayed that the Lord would protect and save the baby, Xolile came to Marcia again, this time with tears in her eyes...the baby had started moving!
The next week we were supposed to meet Xolile at the hospital to get an ultrasound done and find out what the situation really was. The night before I couldn't sleep. After much tossing, turning, and frustrated sighing, I said, "Lord, why can't I sleep!" Immediately I knew that God wanted me to pray for Xolile's baby. Marcia was also awake praying a lot Monday night, because she had heard from Xolile that she was in a lot of pain and that the baby hadn't been moving much that day.
The next day the ultrasound revealed that the baby is totally fine and everything is as it should be!! During my last Bible study time with the women Xolile shared with the other women how thankful she was that her baby is okay. I'm not exactly sure what happened inside Xolile, but I know God answered our prayers and protected that little baby. AMAZING. He is the giver of life.
Please continue to pray for the health of Xolile and her baby.
A couple other prayer requests...
--Lindiwe, mother of ten children, lost her husband in June. He'd been sick for several weeks, and now Lindiwe is left alone to care and provide for her family. Pray for God's provision and that he would be a very real comfort to her and her children. Lindiwe's grief was so deep when I last saw her.
--Baby Andile was brought to Pastor Gift's house in Nsoko while we were there visiting the week before we left. (Gift overseas AIM's work in Nsoko.) Andile's mother and twin sister had already died, and now at four months old, Andile weighed maybe 6 pounds. My friends Marcia and Scott (who were leading and AIM team in Nsoko that week) took the baby in and cared for her until they were able to bring her to Manzini and have her admitted to the hospital for treatment of malnutrition. Please pray for Andile's health.
That's all for now. Please keep praying for the needs in Swaziland. We'd also appreciate your prayers for our week in Mexico!
Hope this all made sense. It 1:30a.m and our bus leaves at 5a.m.!
(I've been trying to post this blog all week...this could be the day it finally happens!!!)
I've finally come out of my "post-retreat exhaustion induced coma," and have made it to the office to post a blog about our weekend camp with the Timbali women. IT WAS GREAT and I know this blog isn't going to do justice in reporting all the great things God did.
87 women attended the camp, which started on Friday afternoon and went through Sunday. Our theme for the weekend was NEW LIFE (Imphilo Lensha), and our hope was that the women would be challenged to truly live the abundant life God has for us, and leave behind the "old life" stuff that can keep us in bondage.
Friday night my friend Jacci spoke to the women, and highlighted the truly amazing exchange it is when God allows us to trade in the old life for the new. That night we were able to show the movie, "Yesterday," which tells the story of a Zulu woman named Yesterday, who finds out she has HIV and has to make the choice to care for her abusive husband who is dying of AIDS. The movie did a great job of showing the struggles typical to women in southern Africa and stressed themes like hope in the face of HIV, and forgiveness. Saturday morning Nelly shared her story with the women. Nelly is a Swazi woman who is truly living the new life and has an amazing faith in the face of many of the same struggles so many of the women face daily.
Hearing the stories of Yesterday and Nelly really helped set the stage for the women to tell their own stories to each other. My friend Marcia showed the women a way to map their lives out on paper, and later in the day the women were able to use that as a tool to share with their small groups. It was really beautiful to see the women telling their stories, praying, and sharing scripture with each. Talking openly and honestly about your life, especially the traumatic experiences that are so common to women here, just isn't something that's done much. But as the women shared I think God was able to use others to minister his love and healing to their hearts and help each other release their hurts and burdens to Him.
Marcia shared Saturday night about "Choosing Life" and Sunday morning I talked about the parable of the Sower and the Seed, and making our hearts "good soil" where growth and life can happen and God's word can accomplish it's purposes. I LOVE seeing the power of God's word at work in the lives of these women.
My favorite part of the weekend was worshipping with the women. As the weekend progressed the singing got louder and more joyful, and by Saturday morning the women were dancing all over the chapel. Sunday morning some even started picking up the chairs and raising them over their heads as they followed the dance lines up and down the aisles. Lots of singing, shouting and stomping. It was GREAT.
We also had a sharing time with the women on Sunday morning. One of the older women got up to share and by the time she was done, had all the women chanting, "I want this new life!" Others shared that they felt revived after the weekend, and that they were encouraged to know that others are facing the same problems as them. One of the women, who's husband is very sick and daughter died last month shared that she didn't want to come and just wanted to stay home alone, but that throughout the weekend she felt her spirits being lifted.
So, I'm very thankful for a good weekend and for the fruit we were able to see. Please pray that the Lord would protect these women and that new life would continue to grow in them!
Now Ellie and I are in countdown mode until July 8th, when we leave for the States! We're working on lining up places where we can share about what God is doing in Swaziland and specifically about Timbali Crafts. Let us know if you know of anyone that would be interested in having us come to their church, school, group etc. I keep telling people that if you'd like to hang out with us while we're in the USA, you can find us at the Monterrey Mexican restaurant in Cherokee Iowa!!! J
Our "New Life" women's camp starts this weekend, and in the midst of many preparations, I wanted to make a quick post and ask for your prayers!
We have 90 women planning to attend, and I'm excited to see what the Lord is going to do in their lives during the weekend. All the details are coming together and I'm so thankful for the many people God is sending our way to help make this happen.
Here are some specific things you can be praying about:
--Pray for preparations to be done yet today and tomorrow.
--Pray that there will be nothing that gets in the way of the ladies attending the camp (sometimes a sudden funeral etc can keep the women from coming)
--Pray for the all logistics (transporting, feeding and housing 90 women)
--Pray for those who will be teaching and leading worship: Zwakele, Jacci, Nele, Marcia and myself.
--Pray for the women to feel free to open up and share. I'm excited that Nele (a dynamic Swazi woman who loves the Lord!) will be sharing her powerful testimony on Sat morning. We're praying it really sets the stage for the women to share their stories and experience healing in their hearts.
--Pray that we would stay warm. It's been in the 40s at night and only in the 60s during the day. That's cold w/ no heat!!
--Pray for the reality of the new life we have in Christ to be proclaimed in everything we do this weekend. Pray that those who don't know the Lord would experience new life in him for the first time. Pray for all of us to lay aside any things that are keeping us from experiencing the new life we have in Christ!
--Pray for joy, rest, and refreshment for all who attend!
THANKS FOR LIFTING THIS UP!!
We could still use more donations to help cover the cost of the camp.
There's important info at the end of this blog about our upcoming women's camp. If you're in a hurry, you can skip everything else and go straight to that!
A JOBURG STYLE HOLIDAY
A couple weeks ago Ellie and I, and our friend Jacci decided to have a little "get away" in Johannesburg before Ellie started back to her 2nd term at school. Since then, I've re-thought the wisdom of taking a holiday in one of the major crime capitals of the world. J We did have a few really good days...shopping, seeing "monsters vs. aliens," and camel rides. On Sunday we packed up all of our things to drive back to Swaziland. Since it was Mother's Day, we stopped at the mall with another friend for a nice lunch before hitting the road. Our little holiday started to go south when we came out of the mall to find that we couldn't find our car-it had gone off to join the ranks of the 10,000+ plus cars that are stolen in Johannesburg each year. (Thirteen years ago when Jacci and I were both living in Mexico I also had a car stolen...how many friends get to endure 2 auto thefts together? We may not be able to be friends anymore if we want to keep our car insurance costs down!)
We flagged down the nearby parking lot "security guard" (a term we've now used to use a little more loosely than we once did) who felt really bad for us, but couldn't even tell us how to call the police. Jacci went back inside to get help calling the police, while Ellie sat by me on the curb and announced to everyone passing by, "the car is gone." The police finally came, assured us that our car and all it's contents were probably already half way to Mozambique, and then led us to the police station to file a report. GOD BLESS our Baptist missionary friends in Johannesburg who helped us out in a million ways for the next 2 days as we tried to replace some things that had been stolen, got me a new passport, and made many sarcastic comments about the whole situation.
We were of course frustrated about the things we had lost...2 laptops, my video camera, about a week's worth of clothes for each of us, a bunch of Ellie's toys, and the purchases we'd made (including enough tortilla chips, parmesan cheese and mandarin oranges to last us til we leave for the States in July! J). The car we were driving was an AIM car that I was borrowing (since my car has been in the shop for more than 8 months now!). Now I'm driving an AIM van that resembles one my family owned in the 80's...it's got curtains and everything (which I think might actually serve as an anti-theft device).
ANYWAY, it's frustrating to lose all the stuff, but it's just stuff and it's to my benefit to hold on to it loosely. And the truth is, even after losing a significant amount of ‘stuff,' I still returned home to a house full of more. I live surrounded by poverty, which adds a whole other humbling perspective to the situation. The value of my computer alone is about four times the yearly salary of many Swazis, and people have already sent in money to replace it. There is really no room for complaining, and days like yesterday emphasize that fact...
THOKO AND NOMSA
I met as usual yesterday with the Timbali women to cut fabric. At the end we had our Bible study and prayer time together, and Nomsa, who I wrote about in my last blog, shared with the group. Her mother, who lived in a community about an hour away, had been missing for a couple of weeks. They finally found her last week in the woods, where it evident that she had been murdered. I've rarely seen Nomsa without a smile on her face, but yesterday you could see the sadness there. (Can you believe even before Nomas shared her tragic news with me, she came and said how sorry she was for the car being stolen?)
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." It's strange how common-place death seems to be here, and how little people sometimes react to it. I pray that Thoko and Nomsa 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.
NEW LIFE: WOMEN'S CAMP 09
"NEW LIFE" is the theme for our women's camp coming up June 12-14. After getting a new glimpse yesterday of the death that so often surrounds these women, I'm 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.
Normally costs like this would be covered by our Timbali profits, but because of the shipping fiasco earlier this year, we don't have a lot of extra funds to work with. So we're asking you to please consider giving to help make this special weekend possible for the women!
I'm thankful for the days when God allows me to clearly see some of the work he's doing around me here in Swaziland. In the midst of all the logistical frustrations of life here, days like yesterday are refreshing!
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! At one point during our visit I walked around to the other side of the house to see what Ellie was up to and found her with all the other children sitting in a circle on a grass mat. The children had been playing cards and were trying to include Ellie. Just as I came around the corner I saw one of the girls help Ellie adjust her hand of cards and then say, with her british/swazi accent, "Now shut up, and play the game." It was hilarious. Ellie had a blast playing with all the kids.
I hope it encourages you as it did me to see the good things the Lord is providing for these precious women!
Here are some more pics...enjoy looking at them and rejoice with Nomsa!
g what it was intended for, BUT just not in the way or time-table that any of us would choose. 
our down through the light fixture and ceiling-two nights in a row. We had been heating water on the stove for bucket baths, but that became a little more difficult after the broiler incident. It seemed like one thing "fixed" would require a couple follow up visits to really fix it (usually a 3-5 day wait time once you request a visit), and something new would often be broken in the process (i.e. on one visit the plumber forgot his ladder so he hoisted himself up into the crawl space by using the bathroom door, which in turn broke the bottom hinge on the door, which subsequently led to Ellie getting herself locked in the bathroom the next morning and being late for school. 
itely worse than mine, yet somehow I let my life and attitude become so easily de-railed by all my comparatively small "difficulties." One night during one of our flooding incidents, as I was madly rushing around with buckets and towels trying to stop the torrent, I heard Ellie run up behind me giggling and squealing. I turned around to see her jumping up and down with the biggest smile plastered on her face, decked out in her swim suit and flip flops. She thought water gushing from the ceiling was a great idea! I'm pretty sure God has a lesson in there somewhere about how I choose to view my circumstances, eh? What I saw as a flood zone quickly approaching disaster status, Ellie saw as a water fun park and quickly got herself ready to enjoy it! Ellie is so good for me. 
rmth (if they'd only visit Iowa!). I stopped at two fabric stores and the open market, where I was continually referred to as "Makewa Nosipho" (mother of Nosipho, Ellie's Swazi name). Fortunately, after about 4 years of at least weekly fabric shopping trips, I still get excited when I find a new print I like. Zanele, one of the women I frequently buy fabric from at the market, had called me earlier in the week that she'd gotten some new pieces I would like. She was right. She's learned my taste. She's also been able to purchase a small car because I give her so much business! 
ar the ladies bantering back and forth as they work. One will tease another for working slow, as she proudly holds up her finished necklace, only to find that she's made a few mistakes on her's and has to start over. My "swazi mom" Ruby thought it was great to find out that I had to have a tooth pulled last week, and at 80 years she still has a mouth full. As they worked one of the ladies was gathering money from all the women to give to the family of one of the women, Sibongile Nketjane, who passed away on Sunday. We make a few necklaces, paint and varnish some beads... 4 hours later we finish up. I'd hoped to start teaching the women how to make a new style of bag (just a big tote/shopping bag) but we wrapped things up early so we could go and visit Sibongile's homestead. 
hs. As our group walked together I thought about how, as much as I'm still an outsider and even though there are plenty of frustrations in my work here, I really do feel like a part of these women and I care for them so much. Sibongile was fairly new to Timbali, so I honestly didn't know her that well, but I am of course still sad to hear of her sudden death, and grieved for her children that she leaves behind. It's also a sobering reminder of the fact that many of the women I work with are sick, and Sibongile won't be the last one we lose. 
Ruby grew up as a pastor's daughter in the same area where she still lives. She worked as a school teacher for many years, and I hear her students loved her. She's never been married, or had any children of her own, but has had up to 8 children in need of a loving home, living with her at different times. Currently she cares for 5 orphaned great neices and nephews. At 80 years old she still volunteers her time and energy at her neighborhood care point, helping to feed many children every day. 
A couple weeks ago Ellie and I, and our friend Jacci decided to have a little "get away" in Johannesburg before Ellie started back to her 2nd term at school. Since then, I've re-thought the wisdom of taking a holiday in one of the major crime capitals of the world. 
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. 
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. 
