Saturday, July 8, 2017

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

We are flying to America this Tuesday. We are so excited to go back and visit my family! I left the States in June 2015 as a single woman… and I’m returning in July 2017 with my husband and beautiful daughter! This is a very exciting time. I should say that this trip is coming at a good time for me personally. Lately I think I’ve been facing a lot of culture shock and all the emotions that go along with it. I’m looking forward to seeing my family again, and being in an environment that is like “home” to me.


Life continues to just be busy as ever here. We now have 160 children at work, and they sure keep me busy! It’s been full of babies having surgeries (one for a congenital anomaly of the finger, another for undescended testes, another pre-auricular sinus removal for recurrent infections..), sick babies (everything from pneumonia to ear infections and rashes), a chicken pox scare, and trying to keep up with all the charts in the meantime. I think I have a really cool job because I’m constantly learning and being challenged with things. It doesn’t come without stress though.
Simo at work with one of the Aunties
Simo is 8 months old now. She is a very smiley and social baby. She sits up all by herself and plays with her toys. She says “Dada” all the time, and never tires of peek-a-boo. She loves listening to music and being outside. Everyone who meets her just loves her hair and wants to touch it. She has also already started driving lessons (see below.) She is such a blessing and a joy to us!





Simo playing scrabble with Mom and Dad

Mapile has been on a break from school at the Bible College, but he’s been working half days over the break. He plays soccer 3-4 times a week, and he absolutely loves playing football (we use those interchangeably here: soccer/football). Lately he has been working on his New Testament Survey course that he’ll be teaching the Monday after we arrive back from our trip.
With daddy on the soccer field

Cheering for Dad!
You may be wondering how Mapile’s TOEFL test went. Well, he ended up not taking it. We would love your prayers for us in this regard – we just aren’t sure where and when we will go to seminary, and all that involves.

In other news, God has blessed us this past month with allowing us to get two pieces of land here in Swaziland! One of them is land that is down south of Swaziland in Mbutfu, where Mapile is from, and another piece is really close to where we live now at the Bible College. We have been trying to get some land in Mbutfu for over a year now, so it is such a blessing that the community finally allowed us to have land! We are hoping to use the land in Mbutfu to have a place to stay while we are doing ministry there. We have a dream of working with the youth in Mbutfu and building a community center one day, so this land is just the very beginning for us – we need to have a place to stay in order to do ministry! The other piece of land came about rather randomly – it was like we heard there was some land for sale at a really good price, and when we saw it, it was great land, so we went for it for the good price. We aren’t exactly sure what God will allow us to do with that land, but we feel like it’s a good investment for the future.
Land near us at the Bible College

Land down in Mbutfu. The community came to bless the land and we had a braai (barbeque) for them. It's the traditional Swazi way of sealing the deal for the land. 
Our dear babysitter and friend, Ayanda, has been accepted to University in the States in Wisconsin! She will be leaving in August to go to school. So when we return, I need to find a new babysitter. I praise God for Ayanda and for allowing me to meet her. She is an amazing young woman, and we've enjoyed many long car rides together to work. I'm excited for her and the opportunity she has received to go to school, but we will sorely miss this lady.























At the beginning of June one of my friends/suitemates from college came out to visit me! She was here for a full week and got to see my work, go to a revival meeting, visit our Gogo down in Mbutfu, and go on a safari! It was so refreshing and nice to have a friend visit me – I don’t get a whole lot of visitors here, so it was really fun to have her.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. There are many spiritual battles going on in the unseen realms around us.
-          Pray for God’s provision in our lives – sometimes it’s very difficult to make ends meet here. We are so thankful for how God has provided for us in the past, and we believe he will continue to provide for us in the future!
-          Pray for God’s direction in our lives as far as when and where to go to seminary/further education.
-          Pray for safe travels and a wonderful visit with our friends and family! We want to make the most of every minute we get to spend with them!

This is a Praise - Mapile's Dad came to visit us on Father's day this year! This is the first time he's visited!
Until next time...

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever an ever! Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-2 












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