Vilakati Happenings..

 Hey again! Oh how the time flies. Here were are in 2021. 

Last year we moved into our one bedroom house in April. At the end of the year we were able to expand it so that we now have 2 more bedrooms and a living room. It sure is nice to have a bedroom for the kids to sleep in and a guest bedroom! So far we've had plenty of guests to make good use of our new space. 

Mapile started assistant pastoring Big Bend Community Church at the beginning of 2020. He's been challenged by that position and has the added challenge of ministry with covid and covid restrictions. Also at the beginning of February this year Mozambique was hit with terrible cyclone Eloise, which has left Eswatini with lots of flooded areas and houses damaged. There was a flooded community near by our church in Big Bend, and Mapile has been working with the local church to provide some relief to that commuinty as many people lost their belongings in the floods. 

Mapile's gogo, Gogo Agnes, passed away in December last year. Her loss is felt immensely in the family. She helped care for so many kids, and she loved so well. One of Mapile's uncles moved into Gogo's house, and some of the kids are staying with him now. 

Gogo & the kids when I first moved here back in 2015

Simo is 4 years old, she started going to a Pre-K tutoring program at my work place! My work schedule has changed so that I work 5 half days, that way I can take Simo to work with me so that she can have some learning time. She enjoys it but it has been a big adjustment for us, and a much longer time in the car than what she's used to (the commute is just over an hour each way). 

Simo's 1st day

Nicholas turned 2 years old in January. He is so full of energy and mischeif and keeps us on our toes. He loves riding his bike outside, dancing, singing, and wrestleing with his Daddy. He's started to say so many words and sentences, and is just growing so fast. He stays home with Auntie during the days. Auntie is our nanny who's been helping us with the kids for over a year now. She is a sweet blessing to us. 

Auntie with the kiddos

Ministry in the Mbutfu Community has been so encouraging lately, especially for Mapile. We have seen young people step up and take initiative, working to start small businesses to take care of themselves and their families.This is encouraging when so many of their peers settle for drinking alcohol and hanging around rather than making efforts towards a better life. 

The community in Mbutfu has approached us abut helping to re-open a care point that has been closed for several months. We are excited about this oppotunity, not only to offer food to children who need it a few times a week, but also to work on providing more community services. 

We continue to feel so blessed. Life isn't easy, but we continue to see how God provides for us and how he meets all our needs. One of our desires this year, if travel bans and covid restrictions could allow it, is to visit my family back in the US. We are still under a partial lockdown here with businesses closing at 6pm, no travel after 8pm, and unsure regulations about border crossings. 

Prayer Requests

- We continue to need wisdom in so many situations, as well as balancing our family/work/ministry. 

- We would love to make it to the US this year but need wisdom and God's timing to figure that one out

- For extra GRACE to go about our lives in a way that honors Christ, it's easy to feel that there's too much to do and too many needs to help with, and too tired to want to sometimes. 

Praises

- We praise God for HIS continued provision in our lives. We have a 3 bedroom home that is such a blessing!

- We praise God for the health and safety He has given our family during this season

- We praise God for the work He is doing in and through Mapile's mentorship & ministry with young men

Hebrews 4: 14-16

 "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."