This World Is Not My Home

This World Is Not My Home

Well, us interns have moved yet again. This past week a team from Colorado was here living in the Team House on the Anchor Center so us interns moved to live at Erica’s (if female) and Neville’s (if male) while they were here. It was a good week filled with lots of time at one of the care points, Mahlabaneni. As the team left today, it got me thinking about how soon we will all be leaving to go back to the states ourselves. The time has flown by and I am so grateful to have this opportunity to return to this wonderful place.

As I have been contemplating leaving and moving (us interns have moved around a lot), the song, This World Is Not My Home, has come to mind. As I think about my time here and the relationships I have made, I have no idea if I will see them again on this earth. I have no idea if I will make another trip to Swaziland. Although I wish I will be able to return someday. But regardless, I know that I will see these people again in Heaven and that makes me filled with so much joy.

With all of the moving around, I have felt unsettled in many ways. Unsettled in not having a routine, in not knowing where things are, in not knowing what the evenings would look like.

But I have great peace with these song lyrics. This world is not my home. Wherever I end up moving throughout my life, it is not permanent and I shall always feel unsettled until the day comes when I die and am in Heaven or when Jesus comes back (whichever comes first).

Here are the lyrics:

This world is not my home I’m just passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

O Lord you know I have no friend like you

If Heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do?

The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

They’re all expecting me and that’s one thing I know

My savior pardoned me and now I onward go

I know He’ll take me through though I am weak and poor

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

O Lord you know I have no friend like you

If Heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do?

The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

Just up in Glory Land we’ll live eternally

The Saints on every hand are shouting victory

Their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven’s shore

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

O Lord you know I have no friend like you

If Heaven’s not my home then Lord what will I do?

The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore

Continue to pray for us. Andy will be heading back to the states at the end of this week. Pray for safe travels for him and for peace as he processes all that he has experienced. Pray that he will be able to leave well. Pray for the rest of us as we see him leave. Pray for us as we continue to pour into the ministries here, into the kids and people of the communities, and into the land as we continue to work on the gardens and such. Pray that God would continue to guide us and mold us to be better servants for Him. Pray for safety and health. I was sick yesterday and am still feeling some of the residual effects. Pray for strength and energy as days are long and tiresome and there is just so much to do day in and day out. Pray for Erica. Pray that she will be renewed to continue to serve. Pray that she will continue to get guidance and direction from the Lord that she may serve to the best of her abilities. Pray for the ministry partners. Pray that they will continue to seek God and serve Him. Pray that they will continue to get guidance and direction. Pray that they will be given strength and energy as doing ministry day in and day out can be exhausting. Pray that they will not feel bogged down with all the needs that arise amongst the community but that they will be able to trust in the Lord and allow Him to work through them. Pray that their faith will continue to grow. Pray for their families. Pray for the kids here. Pray for safety and health for them. Pray that amongst all the playing with them that they will see Christ and choose to follow Him. Pray for protection for them, that they will not be steered astray from things not of the Lord. Pray for the people of the community. Pray for the gogos, the makes (ma gays), and the babes (ba bays) (aka grandmas, moms, and dads). Pray that they will continue to take care of the young and that they will be able to do so well. Pray that they will be able to provide the necessities but also that they will be able to lead the kids to be a generation that will change the world, that will be filled with the Spirit and desire to serve the Lord with all of their heart, soul, and mind. Pray for those that are already in power. Pray for the government. Pray for the king. Pray for the chiefs. Pray that they will be filled with the Spirit and that they will be guided by God to really take care of the people here. That they will truly serve not selfishly, but for the good of the people in the eyes of the Lord. Pray for the teams that come and go from this place. Pray that the time spent here that they will be able to serve well and fully and when they leave and go home that they will continue to serve well and fully. Pray that they will be open to God’s guidance and lessons and that no matter where they go that they will remember what they learned and experienced so that they will be forever changed to be more of God’s servants.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. Thank you for the encouraging emails. I hope you are well.

4 Hours of Greatness

4 hours of greatness. 4 hours of God’s presence. 4 hours of worship. 4 hours of pure joy.

Sunday (June 30) was mostly spent at Mahlabaneni Care Point for church and it may have been my most favorite Sunday yet.

From my journal and with a few extra thoughts thrown in:

Sunday was great and encouraging and uplifting. We went to Mahlabaneni for church and it was just so great. I even danced in church! The church was so filled with joy and passion. It’s also Saneles’ church (one of the ministry partners). But so we got there and then Erica could not remember if she turned off her stove so I rode back with her while everyone went to church. When we returned (which was probably at least 45 minutes later) they were still just doing worship. Then they welcomed us up as visitors and mentioned that they do something different. And different was right. As we stood up there music began playing and an uproar of singing came toward us and the whole church started dancing and coming toward us to come and shake our hands and then get us to dance. It was great. I definitely felt welcomed. I imagined what it would be like if this was a tradition back home. (How much more would people enjoy coming to church if this was how the service was. Full of joy. Full of welcoming spirits. There was no doubt that we were welcomed and that we were not visitors but all brothers and sisters in Christ. It was just a body of believers, of family.) The sermon was great. It was about what it means to love God with all your heart, soul and might as it says in Deuteronomy. I took notes on it so if you want to know more I can fill you in but just trust me when I say that it was a great encouragement as well as convicting. And then because it was the end of the month they did an extra contribution. This donation was going to go to getting doors for the church. Last year the church building wasn’t even at the are point so essentially they have been doing these extra contributions to get it build. So Richard (the preacher for the day) posed the goal of over R6000. It was closer to R7000 actually. But so by the end of that very long section of the service, they were only short R50 which is just incredible that the church could bring together that kind of money especially here in Swaziland. Aside from the sermon that might have been the most encouraging site. Being here in Swaziland I have seen so much brokenness, hunger, despair, longing and last year that congregation was amongst all of that. But there is hope! Good will come for those that wait and trust in the Lord!! So good! God is good and God is at work! There is no doubt. Last year this church was in survival mode. But now it is thriving! 4 hours of greatness. 4 hours of God’s presence. 4 hours of worship. 4 hours of pure joy.

“Here, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” ~Deuteronomy 6:4,5

4 Hours of Greatness

4 hours of greatness. 4 hours of God’s presence. 4 hours of worship. 4 hours of pure joy.

Sunday (June 30) was mostly spent at Mahlabaneni Care Point for church and it may have been my most favorite Sunday yet.

From my journal and with a few extra thoughts thrown in:

Sunday was great and encouraging and uplifting. We went to Mahlabaneni for church and it was just so great. I even danced in church! The church was so filled with joy and passion. It’s also Saneles’ church (one of the ministry partners). But so we got there and then Erica could not remember if she turned off her stove so I rode back with her while everyone went to church. When we returned (which was probably at least 45 minutes later) they were still just doing worship. Then they welcomed us up as visitors and mentioned that they do something different. And different was right. As we stood up there music began playing and an uproar of singing came toward us and the whole church started dancing and coming toward us to come and shake our hands and then get us to dance. It was great. I definitely felt welcomed. I imagined what it would be like if this was a tradition back home. (How much more would people enjoy coming to church if this was how the service was. Full of joy. Full of welcoming spirits. There was no doubt that we were welcomed and that we were not visitors but all brothers and sisters in Christ. It was just a body of believers, of family.) The sermon was great. It was about what it means to love God with all your heart, soul and might as it says in Deuteronomy. I took notes on it so if you want to know more I can fill you in but just trust me when I say that it was a great encouragement as well as convicting. And then because it was the end of the month they did an extra contribution. This donation was going to go to getting doors for the church. Last year the church building wasn’t even at the are point so essentially they have been doing these extra contributions to get it build. So Richard (the preacher for the day) posed the goal of over R6000. It was closer to R7000 actually. But so by the end of that very long section of the service, they were only short R50 which is just incredible that the church could bring together that kind of money especially here in Swaziland. Aside from the sermon that might have been the most encouraging site. Being here in Swaziland I have seen so much brokenness, hunger, despair, longing and last year that congregation was amongst all of that. But there is hope! Good will come for those that wait and trust in the Lord!! So good! God is good and God is at work! There is no doubt. Last year this church was in survival mode. But now it is thriving! 4 hours of greatness. 4 hours of God’s presence. 4 hours of worship. 4 hours of pure joy.

“Here, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” ~Deuteronomy 6:4,5

Police, a Gogo, and Public Transport

Well yesterday started out nice and sweet. The Encounters Team, Matt and Laura, and us interns packed up and had breakfast together. We also were able to spend a little bit more time on the internet before we sent the Encounters Team off on their way to Joburg and then to their respected homes. Some pictures, laughs and goodbyes were exchanged and they loaded up on the sprinter.

The plan was then for us interns, the Brennflecks, and Matt and Laura to come back to Nsoko together. But for various reasons, the Brennflecks and the interns were taken to public transport to get to Nsoko, while Matt and Laura drove back with all of the luggage. So Matt dropped us off and I am sure he was laughing as we got out and he drove off because he did not prepare us for this adventure at all. So let me set the stage for you, Matt dropped us at an intersection without even parking the car so we all frantically get out and on the sidewalk so we don’t impede traffic. There are people everywhere since we are at an area where all the buses come and go. No words can really describe how overwhelming it was. So we are at the corner and we go to cross the street. We all get across only then to be stopped by a police officer because apparently we jaywalked. Apparently we need to go across the other way but we were unaware. But this police officer wanted us to go to the police station and she was very insistent about it. We all kind of exchanged looks with one another and took a deep breathe knowing that today was definitely going to be an adventure, its ok though because we all peed before ;P (Shout out to the Encounters Team). So she lead us across the street toward the station and then she stopped and kind of chuckled and walked off after another warning. No ticket, no fine, no jail time. Thank you Jesus for answered prayers. Now it was then time to find the right bus to take us to Matata. There are people everywhere and buses everywhere and it was just chaos. So many people yelling trying to get us to get on their bus. We all huddled up to try to make a game plan of how we were going to find the right bus. But as we were doing so, one bus started backing up right near us without much awareness because a gogo was definitely hit. She walked away unharmed but her parting words were, “That bus drive is so rude!” We all may have had minor heart attacks as we saw all of this unfold. Burger then found our bus as we all stayed put. We then all headed in that direction to find more screaming people who were very aggressive about us getting on the bus. There happened to be two buses headed to Matata but only one was ready to go and it was definitely full. We tried to get on the other one but with everything being so chaotic and all the screaming we got on the one that was ready to go. We all climbed in to find out that there was just enough room for us to be smashed together in the aisle. Holding on for dear life we started going. There was a slight sigh of relief knowing that we were on the right bus and on our way. But the stress returned as people kept having to push their way through the aisle to collect the bus fare money from everyone or to get off at the various bus stops. I don’t think any of us have ever experienced so much awkward touching from so many people. Eventually, the bus emptied out some so that we all were sitting. Unfortunately though it was too late for me to avoid motion sickness. (The Dramamine I had was in my luggage that was in the car with Matt). We eventually got to Matata and had lunch at a café and then got to our house in Nsoko. It was quite an adventure and Matt is lucky that he is still alive. Only in Africa would stories like this occur frequently. We are fortunate that their were no livestock on our ride though.

Needless to say, we are safe and glad to be back in Nsoko. We got to go to church at Eskhaleni which was such a blessing.

Sarah, Amy, and I on the bus

Nothando and the Gogos

Being given the name Nothando and being involved in the ministries here in Swaziland, I cannot help but think about the concept of love. It is a small word but it means the world. Without love, there is not much. The God that we serve is the very definition of love as 1 John explains. The two most important commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor according to Jesus in the gospels. Love is an emotion, but it is so much more. Love is an action. Love does things and it may not make sense to people or this world. Many didn’t understand why Christ would die on a cross, many still don’t. Peter did not understand why Christ washed the disciples feet. Love, it is a powerful thing, one that changes the world.

Home visits have grown to be one of my favorite ministries here in Swaziland. For those that don’t know, a home visit consists of going to a homestead in the community and just building relationships with those on the homestead. Sometimes that means sharing scripture and praying. Sometimes that means listening to the stories of those that live on the homestead. Sometimes that means singing songs. Sometimes that means fetching water. Sometimes that means sitting silently as there are no words. But no matter what happens at these home visits there is something that seems to be conveyed and showed every single time. And that is love. For those that go to the homestead we are showing the gogo and the family that they are important and worthy of love. For those on the homestead, they show a love of gratitude for the visit and for the encouraging words that are shared. For the scriptures and songs and prayers there is a message of love, as God loves us more than we can ever imagine.

There was a gogo that I visited with some of the Encounters Team in Manzini. Her name was Ethel. Like many other home visits I have been on, this gogo was so grateful to be visited and even more grateful to see that we brought the Word of God and we desired to pray and share together. As we started introducing ourselves, we shared the Siswati names that we were given. As it came to be my turn, the gogo heard my name and she started speaking in Siswati about how I received that name because I have come to show her love and that that is what God desires me to do. I had just met this woman maybe 5 minutes earlier. As we continued to be with her, we shared several scriptures, many about how God is faithful and always present. “Siyabonga” and “Hallelujah” and “Amen” were the words resounding from her mouth repeatedly. This gogo is incredible though and it is hard to even explain how much love this woman has. To start out with, she was so hungry for us to share with her and be with her. As we talked with her we could hear many children laughing outside. And these were the children that she took care of day in and day out. She said that she takes care of many and we believe it to be at least 10, including 2 orphans. We asked her how she provided for them, as we knew she didn’t work. Her response (through translation), “From the crops, but mostly from God who provides all.” From looking at the homestead and the garden, there really wasn’t much food to provide for the homestead. But her faith was something spectacular as I am sure the food would not last much longer especially since there has not been much rain lately, even though it is their winter. Alongside her faith, she had this incredible love for the kids that she took care of. I can’t imagine taking care of that many children all the time at my age, let alone her age. But yet, she does and she loves them. At the end of our visit we asked if we could take a picture of her and the kids so that we could remember them and pray for them. And she was just so overwhelmingly grateful that we would even want to take a picture and remember to pray for them.

Love, it’s a powerful thing. The next day, my team was able to return to the homestead and was able to give them some food. Unfortunately I was not able to be there but I can only imagine how she smiled and how she would say “Siyabonga” repeatedly.

As I reflect on this experience, I am just reminded at how much God truly loves us. How on a daily basis He comes to our homestead and wants to just be, to share words of encouragement, to listen, to bring provisions, to remember. And yet I am also reminded at how many times I am not very grateful or I don’t repeatedly say thank you to Him.

Love is not just an emotion; it is an action and an action that can change the world. How are you changing the world?