Where do we go from here...

Where do we go from here? This question ran through our heads constantly as we lived our Swaziland journey.  Where do we go? What will we do? How can we serve in America?  Tough questions, but they have been central in our thinking and now we have been faced to live out the answers.

It is hard to believe that we landed in America two months ago. After three weeks Andy accepted a job as a builder in OKC.  It was a great job with great benefits...how could he pass it up. We trusted that this was the next chapter in our journey even though there was still unsettled emotions. Shortly after Andy started work I (Amy) was asked to go back to Swaziland for three weeks.  Barbi Moore, Global Outreach director at BFC, was not going to be able to lead the next GO team.  So, with three days notice I headed back to Swaziland to lead another team.

While I was in Swaziland Andy was miserable in America.  There was a stirring in His spirit, still unsettled emotions. He was craving intimate relationships. Coming from feeding orphans to putting in cabinets.Soon he found out about a Resident Director position that had just opened at Northwest Nazarene University, in Idaho.  After juggling emotions he decided to apply. Not even 48 hours after he applied they offered him the job. Where do we go from here?

What do we want our lives to look like?  Do we want to work and have a ministry on the side or make ministry our life? Andy was feeling a call, but not sure what that would look like.  After a lot of seeking Andy decided that he wanted ministry to be his life.  He knew that if he continued as a builder he would not want to get off the couch to go serve after a long day at work. So, he decided to take the RD position.  A step of faith.

Meanwhile I was in Africa being refocused on lessons I had learned from our year there. You see, we had both lost focus during our re-entry process.  Re-entry to America comes with many emotions. Emotions we are still working though. My time in Swaziland inspired and reminded how I to want to live differently. When Andy told me he accepted the RD job, I felt a peace an instant peace in my spirit for the first time in months.

While we were thousands of miles apart God was preparing us for our next chapter.  Our new chapter as RD's has begun.  We are so excited.  We are building meaningful relationships during a time of growth for many. Many times in Swaziland we thought 'how can life get better than this.' Loving others as a team.  Since being in Idaho God has whispered in our ears 'You thought it couldn't get better...but look where I have led you!' To God be the glory!

A little quieter...

               Today we had 23 University students and two sponsors leave Swaziland. As you can imagine our schedule has slowed down drastically in the past few hours.  Our time with the students was very enriching and a perfect way for us to start wrapping up our Swaziland year.
              Being with two college teams is a neat experience.  From the day the two teams meet to the end of the trip a magical bond takes place. This bond is formed while experiencing a new way of serving in a different place with strangers. The SNU/MVNU students served Swaziland with so much joy, patience, and tenderness...it was a breath of fresh air.
               While is Swaziland the team participated in so many things!  They spoke about hygiene at primary schools, worked along side The Luke Commission at clinics and at their home, they dug up tree roots so a garden could be started, they helped putting up a fence and played with hundreds of kids.  In the midst of all these projects they spent a lot of time with some of the same Swazi people.  These relationships were strong and life encouraging for all people involved.
                We were so proud to have these students work along side us and the Swazi people.  Their respect and hard work did not go unnoticed. Students such as these could change our world.

One Year Ago...

           It is hard to believe how fast time flies!  It's hard to believe that it has been over a month since we last wrote a blog. It's even crazier that one year ago today we were getting on the plane to come start our Swazi adventure. In the last month we had so many great things happen.  We had five family members come to stay with us over the span of three weeks.  It was a great experience to share Swaziland with them. We were also able to share Swaziland with their churches too. Their churches stood behind them and raised funds for different organizations we work with.
           Next week, May 24th, we have three different teams coming, equalling 29 people. We are so excited to welcome a team from Southern Nazarene University, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and four people from Canada. SNU/MVNU will be busy all over the country of Swaziland:  playing with kids, feeding the hungry, building, digging, discussing health at schools, and so much more. We are so excited for their energy to come into Swaziland.  Also, there are four people coming from Canada. Marg Stahlbaum, her two children, and friend have been organizing a book drive for Swaziland. We are expecting a 20' container any day that is FULL of books for the schools in Swaziland. They will be assisting schools in setting up libraries...very exciting.  We will write more details later.
         As for now we are busy preparing.  As we prepare we are taking time to reminisce on all the adventures and lessons we have encountered this past year. We head back to the US in four weeks. Time will fly! Thanks for all the support and prayers!!!

March GO Team

When a group or a team of people come together there are many different personalities that each individual brings to the table. Over time a main personality or characteristic can take center stage, defining the team as a whole. This characteristic typically affects the team and the people they interact with. Each group that my husband and I have had the privilege of working with in Swaziland has had a different personality.


In March of 2011 a GO Team from Bethany First Church of the Nazarene came to Swaziland. As normal it took a few days to get a feel for the team and what the main characteristic was that summed up their personality.

I must admit I was humbled as I learned about their personality. I’m guilty of having the characteristic of personal satisfaction taking over when a team comes. I want to be satisfied with the work done alongside our Swazi partners. I also want the team to be satisfied with their decision to come to Africa. Out of my nature, I feel pressure to ‘put on a good show’ for them. My American nature of ‘go big or go home’ can take over.

As the week started different things did not go as planned in some areas. Nothing big, but big enough for me to question whether or not team members were having a good time, I wasn’t completely satisfied. About three days into the itinerary the teams’ personality humbled me. I was reminded that I was missing the point of their presence in Swaziland. Who cares if I’m satisfied or pleased…is Christ pleased with our actions.

The point for them being here is to love others. Being the hands and feet of Christ, through simple acts of love. It was their simple, kind and gentle personalities that reminded me of this. It does not matter the number of children at a school or the completion of a construction project. What matters is the love that is shown to our brothers and sisters in Jesus’ name.

Gentleness is the characteristic that summed up their personality as a team. It was a gift to watch each team member be Christ to others. Each one so gentle. One of my favorite interactions took place at a care point in the Tsambankhulu area of Swaziland. We were handing out new shirts and dresses to the children. One of the girls was much older than the others. She had no use of her left side. As we handed out new things I was concerned nothing would fit her. Looking over my shoulder I saw one of our team members helping her put on a new dress. My eyes instantly filled with tears. It was so gentle, simple and beautiful.

God’s love is beautiful. We see it throughout the scripture in Christ’s interactions with others. His beauty is most radiant when we love others gently and simply.

Pillowcases to Beauty

                                        

A group of women at Bethany First Church came together for a day of sewing. It wasn't a typical day of sewing. It was a day to make dresses for girls in Swaziland. Get this...the dresses were made out of pillowcases. In March BFC sent a team to Swaziland and in their bags they carried over many of these dresses.

It was a special gift to hand these dresses out. The first place we handed out the dresses was at a church in the Southern district of Swaziland at the Ntondozi church. The Ntondozi church recently started having a preschool five days a week for 36 orphan and vulnerable children. On top of that they have been feeding these children, plus the primary school children, three days a week for the past two years. Ntondozi is the exact kind of church we love to partner with. They are taking care of their community on their own!

The second location was at a World Vision care point in Tsambakhulu where we held a VBS. One young lady touched my heart.  Her name was Olga.  I'm not sure what her age is, but she is probably a teenager.  Olga spends her days amongst the other preschool children.  This is because she has special needs. Her left side is unable to function, looking as if she has had a stroke. In planning for the day I was debating not handing out the dresses because I did not want to leave her out. As we were handing out the dresses we found one that worked for her!  It was long enough to work as a dress!

As I watch Diane Farris (one of the team members) help Olga put on her new dress. I was taken back with this simple yet huge interaction. I was reminded of God's love. How gentle and kind He is as he takes care of us. As the children rejoiced because of their new article of clothing we were moved by their joy.  Thank you BFC ladies for loving this little girls and helping them feel beautiful and perfect in God's love!

Food Glorious Food

Andy spent most of his time in the container...HOT!

                                                     Some of the notes written on the boxes.

Amy with Dr. Beauty and Evelyn Shongwe in front of the container.

While working in Swaziland we have come to know and respect many organizations. Many organizations we have heard of, but to experience being a part of their work is life changing.  A few weeks ago we were informed by NCM Swaziland that a container was coming full of food.  We were not sure what to expect, but we told them we would be there to help unload.

Finally the container arrived two weeks after it was scheduled. The day it arrived we spent three hours waiting as the truck driver attempted to back the container into the unloading area. We all decided it was too late to unload and that we would reconvene in the morning.

The next morning we arrived and opened the container.  The container was full! 1356 boxes of food!  Each box had 33 packages of food. Each package could be a meal for an entire family. Imagine how many people this will feed!!! That is roughly 45,000 meals.

As we touched each box we noticed that the boxes had been packaged by children in America.  Many of the boxes had drawings and words of encouragement directed towards the receivers of the food. Come to find out the children in America packaged everything!

We spent two long mornings distributing the food to the four districts, NCM, and the task force. Even though we were all aching and hot, we all were excited about how many hungry stomachs we were helping to feed. Thanks 'Kids Against Hunger' for helping our Swaziland! Check our these two organizations that help feed Swaziland:  www.kidsagainsthunger.org and  Feed My Starving Children: http://www.fmsc.org/.   It is an honor to work with them!

Simple and Sweet

                               Our friend Thabiso, Mary, Sandziso, and Amy at the eye doctor.

            I (Amy) met Sandziso at Gigi's back in the July. Gigi's is the care point for orphan and vulnerable children that we spend a lot of time at. Children play games all the time. One day when I was there I noticed a little boy not playing in the games. I soon noticed that something was wrong with one of his eyes. It did not take long for me to fall in love with him. Visit after visit he would smile at me and come sit on my lap. Little did I know that this simple friendship would change my life.
After a chain of events we were able to take him to the only eye doctor in Swaziland. Our friend Thabiso came with us to translate. We were unsure of what to expect. Come to find out Sandziso's mother passed away two years ago. His step-mom Mary came with us to the doctor. Mary and her husband (Sandziso's dad) are both unemployed and live in an unsafe area, this is why he is called a vulnerable child.
The first of three visit was very emotional. I spent a lot of time fighting tears as I was being blessed experiencing numerous gifts. Precious gifts of watching Sandziso being brave during the eye exams, singing and coloring with him, building a relationship with Mary, hurdling over language barriers, experiencing Thabiso love on a fellow Swazi...the list could go on. A fun moment was after the the doctor when we went for ice cream. We explained that in America a lot of children get ice cream for being so brave. We all got milkshakes! The look on his face was priceless. He did not come up for air until the entire milkshake was gone.

After three visits our relationships grew and we learned that his eye never fully developed. He has very little vision in his weak eye and strong vision in the other. There is nothing that can be done. Cosmetic surgery could take place, but it would eventually return to its original condition. A good thing is this does not effect people socially in Swaziland as it would in America.

The last few times I've gone to Gigi's I've seen Sandziso playing in the games. I think it was rare the day I saw him sitting out. Maybe it happened that way so our relationship could build. He is a happy child and I am happier for knowing him!

Riches of God's Love

It is hard believe how much time has passed since our last post.  We have been to the United States and back to Swaziland.  While we were in America we were so blessed to spend time with SO many friends and family members.  A total of 35 days, four states, 12 plane rides, 35 hours in the car, and nine beds...time flew!

While in the US lessons we have learned while in Swaziland started to appear. One lesson we would like to share with you has really impacted us.  It is directly linked to what we call our "theme song" while in Swaziland. The song is called Forever Reign, we enjoy the version Hillsong sings. Here is a link if you want to listen  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTU4u30w2tQ.

"I'm running to your arms, I'm running to your arms
The riches of your love will always be enough
Nothing compares to your embrace"

These are the lyrics that haunt us.  The people in Swaziland live in a way that the 'riches of God's love will always be enough!' Christ is what defines who they are.  Not their things or their social schedule. Christ and Chris alone fills their cups...and their cups overflow! Despite the grief they encounter daily.

Some days we struggle getting caught up in the grief that surrounds us. Andy referred to it as 'slap in the face' as we readjust to life in Swaziland. Things look different and loved ones have passed while we were gone. Our prayer is that God will fill our cups with His hope, love, and joy as we approach our second half in Swaziland. May His love always be enough for us!