Thursdays are by far my favorite care point days because we go to Mahlabeneni. Over the river and past Matata, to Mahlabeneni we go (over the river and through the woods to Grandmothers house we go). As soon as we step out of the car, my team is greeted by many smiling children from that community. It makes us feel loved. One of the main reasons I love this care point so much is because of my sweet friend, Tema. My heart breaks for this handicapped young woman who I fear may never understand God’s unfailing love for her. She was fearfully and wonderfully created. God always seems to...

I sit on the church steps and pray for the preschoolers on break. They are counting from 1 to 20 (always forgetting the number 14), fighting over the swing, and chattering back and forth in si-Swati. Statistics say, 1 in 5 of these children have HIV.  My God, be with these children. Give them long lives and give them joy for tomorrow. Allow them to grow up and be leaders of this community. Give them your love and grace, I pray. I trust that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor...

On Sunday a group of us went to church with one of the missionary families that we work with. The church they go to is in English and the songs are similar to those back home. As much fun as it is to worship with the Swazis and to attend church with them, I love that there is the opportunity to also have church in a familiar setting. The pastor wasn’t there this past Sunday, so a member of the congregation did his best to share a message with us. He spoke mostly from Matthew 26, preaching on the woman anointing Jesus with the expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what the woman...

Darkness and beauty surround me. How can they intertwine? Yellow eyes and broad smiles. Empty stomachs and hearty laughter.   Yes, there is a darkness here. It lurks and weighs on the shoulders of this land. It resides in the shadows of the sugarcane fields. It slithers alongside the mambas. It disturbs my slumber and waits for me to turn around.   Do you not know? Have you not heard? I will never turn my eyes away from the Love I see. Your crafty claws are no match for the Craftsman. My friends, bring your torn hearts to the Healer and bask in the majesty. Yes, there is a...

This trip to Swaziland is a Father-Daughter trip for me and my heavenly Abba. My heavenly Abba has had this trip planned out since before I was born. As I grew older He would tell me a little bit about it and give me small glimpses as to where we would go (Africa), but He couldn’t tell me everything until I was ready (and He likes to surprise me). As I grew up my heavenly Abba prepared me for this trip; I didn’t always know it, but He was teaching me things that would equip me for this trip so that I could handle it and enjoy it to its fullest. It took me some time to learn all...

Let our lives be a love letter, a song of Solomon.  Let our prayers be a basket of roses, an offering of frankincense and myrrh.  Let our words be a sought embrace, a breath of life.  Let our songs be a sparkling jewel, a psalm of David. Let our walk be romantic, let us be your bride.    Shall we send the wedding invitations? Tell our loved ones and beloved friends? Find peace when remembering our first meeting place? Squeal with joy when sharing the time the truth was humbly uttered?    “I love you” says stained lips. “I love you”...