Fun with Mer Ber

Amy and Meredith at the beach in Mozambique. 

First time to put their feet in the Indian Ocean!

        Meredith Diffee came to Swaziland on the first GO team from BFC two years ago.  She knew that she wanted to come back and stay longer than a week.  She did come back, but now as a RN.  Meredith came with the GO team and stayed for three weeks after.  She worked with the Luke Commission and lived with us.  We had so much fun! We learned from her as she was experiencing Swaziland for the second time. Meredith you will be missed!

Moments of Impact

            In past blogs we have written about The Luke Commission, a medical team holding clinics in rural areas. I (Amy) have been meeting with the counselors on staff once a week to have a ‘debriefing’ session of their weeks work. Even though we have spent time at clinics, the last clinic we went to was different. For the first time I sat alongside the counselors as they interacted with each patient.

            Each patient that is tested for HIV meets with a counselor.  During this time their status is revealed. I’ve tested many for HIV during a clinic, but never told them their status. Needless to say my time spent with these patients was full moments of impact not only for each patient, but also for me. From lunchtime until we loaded up at midnight, I sat arm to arm with individuals who approach the human experience with boldness. Never in a million years did I think I would be telling people their HIV status.  My heart experienced a new kind of compassion.

            Not only did I learn from the individuals who were positive, but also from the individuals who tested negative.  The power in the ownership of their status, whether positive or negative was inspiring. My prayer is that each individual will grasp and live out the information discussed in regards to further transmission.

Andy's girlfriend from the clinic...

He was her advocate for a new wheelchair!

High School Compassion

             For the first time the compassion team from the GO Team held school assemblies in High Schools. The assemblies were held at Manzini (700 students) and Sidvodkvo (250 students) High School.  Both the Swazi and American students participated in singing, dance, and drama for one another. The youth pastor from BFC, Chris Polluck, also led a message regarding scars.  Every person has scars from their life experiences, some scars are visible and some are not. At the end of the message each student was given a chance to anonymously write down scars/prayer request they have.  The students placed their answers in a big box and cards were later handed out to the team members so they could be prayed for.  The dynamics of the cards varied and the majority of the ‘scars’ match ‘scars’ we have in America.  Here are a few were received to pray for:

-I need help I want to succeed in life, I want to be he greatest person in the world eg: a poet, singer, songwriter, and the happiest man in the world.

-I’m 17 years old and I shunned my friends after I was saved. My problem is that they are plotting to do anything to harm me, what must I do?

-Please pray for me to pass.

-When I fail at school and I really disappoint my parents.

-I am a child of God but I’m short tempered. I use to pray for myself. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.

-I don’t pass well at school no matter how I study (please help).

-My family is financially struggling.

-I was once physically abused by my uncle while I was in grade 4.

I have broken my parents rules, I got involved in love affair so I want God to help me come out of these and follow my parents rules again. And help me to allow God to take place in me.

-The way my family behaves at home and the way I’m being treated by classmates.

-Help my father to do right because he has hurt us much.

Shoes for GiGi's

Karen Miller putting on the first pair of shoes.

         GiGi’s place (one of 19 care points through Children’s Cup) is a soup kitchen located minutes from where we live.  The soup kitchen wears many hats in the neighborhood where it is located.  Each day they feed around 250 children.  All of the children are OVC’s (orphaned or vulnerable children). The meal they provide comes from an organization called, “feed my hungry children.”  Each packet of rice has a full day’s worth of vitamins.  This is great news because this one meal is typically the only meal these children will eat each day.  GiGi’s is has a teacher who teaches preschool to many of the OVC’s and a few Grandmother’s who volunteer their time to cook for the children.  GiGi’s offers a safe place for the children to be before they head home for the evening.

         The children who attended Bethany First Church’s VBS raised money for the children at GiGi’s.  The kids raised $2500!  This was enough for each child at GiGi’s to receive a new pair of school shoes and a pair of socks.  While the GO team was here the compassion team played a role in purchasing and passing out the shoes.  The joy on the children’s faces were priceless!  Thank you BFC kiddos for making a difference!

GO Team Come and Gone

Open air service on Sunday before the roof went up.

The team singing for the church...big group!

The construction team the last day...almost done!

       It is hard to believe that the GO (global outreach) Team from Bethany First Church has come and gone. The planning for this team started over a year and a half ago, literally hundreds of hours to make the week a success for 64 individuals.  The week went very smoothly and we are all proud of everything that was accomplished. We plan to write about each team and we will start with the construction.

         Andy’s main project was heading up the construction of Embelkwini Church of the Nazarene. This church has been under construction for the past ten years. In Swaziland building is done differently: they build as they receive money. For example, if the congregation raises enough for twenty

cinder blocks, they purchase the blocks and add to what they have

already started.

The timing could not be more perfect for Bethany First Church to come

and partner with the church. Due to the next step in the construction

being the roof, which is an expensive step. Imagine the years it would

take to raise the funds for the roof. God continues to show His

faithfulness as He directed the hearts and steps of the partnership in

taking BFC to Embelkiwini.

         We started out the week by having a church service in the unfinished church.  The team was welcomed with love and they decorated the church just for us. For the remainder of the week Andy spent eight hours a day with multiple team members and church members in completing the church.  When the team left there was a little left to be finished. As I write this Andy is at the church finishing the project.  What an exciting time for the people of Swaziland and the United States.