Posted in General Articles by Swaziland Missions Base on 12/4/2009
A quick Swazi update from Toya Mac and her team...
Spending time with the children has been priceless. We have gone to a few care points here where we feed the children daily and did a program for women called beauty for Ashes. It's based on Isaiah 61. These women have been raped, abused mentaly and physically, beaten, kicked out of their homes and forsaken by their families. We spent time with them sharing our testimonies and and allowing them to share theirs. Afterward we read some scripture worshipped together and then our team washed their feet. It was so powerful. The Holy Spirit came into the place where we were in a way that I had never experienced. God is so awesome.
While I was trying to run the program kind of behind the scenes, God told me to get up and speak. (you know how I love speaking in public) Anyway - I read some scripture and God just took contol. I can't even tell you all that I said. What He said to me is that I have to become a better student of the word. I read my Bible but I have to study it like I study other things. I was created for this. I am a connector of people. I was walking around the room laying hands on people and praying for them. I could literally feel the pain coming from the women. At the same time I could feel the strength of the Lord infusing them.
We had a time of worship and then we took the ladies outside for our team to wash their feet and pray over them. I asked the Swazi ladies to sing as we washed their feet and prayed. Once again the Spirit of the Lord swept through all of us. As we moved from woman to woman, the Swazi ladies sang and danced and praised the Lord. Most of my team was in tears. God is so good.
It was wonderful to me to see black and white women ministering together. We couldn't even speak the language but as we allowed God to move, He said what we couldn't. All differences were put aside so that we could honor God. It was so moving. What great glimpse of future ministry.
I am so honored that He chose me to serve Him in this way. It is such a blessing to be able to reach people all over the world. God has been doing a work in the women who came as well. I don't have time to tell everything now. Even if I did have the time, i don't have words to express all that God is doing.
I praise Him for what He has done and look forward to the next thing.
The women on the team have been broken. Each day it's a litte different. On Wednesday, they realized that this wasn't a vacation. All of the touristy stuff went out the window as we delved into ministry. Visiting people's homes that are made of mud and sticks pushed some women over the edge. Most of the day I kept being told this is too much. How much more of this will we see? How do you call this a home? Why doesn't someone do something? We had to be reminded that we are the people who are supposed to be doing something. God chose us to come and see it first hand. We need to bring it back to others so that more can come and others can give. We all have our roles and God is beginning to make it clear what some of our indvidual roles are.
I have watched these women as God has taken them to various states of brokenness and listened to their conversations change. We have declared that this is the beginning of changing a generation. We are not sure how God will use all of us but we have been given a lot of responsibility and we will be catalysts for change in Africa, the U.S. and wherever God takes us.
Keep our team covered in prayer. We need it. Each day I give all that I have in me and let God fill me up again. I am physically exhausted but ready and willing to keep going. As long as God can fill me up I'm willing give it all out again.
Posted in Nsoko Updates by Swaziland Missions Base on 11/16/2009
Nsoko Ministry Overview
·Clinic – the clinic is open and functioning. 50 children were chosen from among the surrounding care points to receive the free medical treatment.
·Church – When I attended church there were around 20 Swazi's attending. It is meeting in the community building (which we are using as a dorm see below) since the roof structure does not provide shelter in bad weather.
·Community Building – We've converted the community building to a multi-purpose building which includes a dorm for the visiting teams. Since the RLMT in June there have been teams staying there almost constantly from RLMT, STM, WR and soon Novas.
·Womens Meeting – Philile is leading the women's ministry every Tuesday afternoon. This seems to be going well as several women attend. Philile is very busy with school.
·HIV/AIDS Support Group – There are around 50 people in the meeting. Since the group is growing but also people within the group are dying there is a need for trained counselors. I suggest this be part of the leadership development piece we do in Nsoko.
S
Soccer Team - I wish you could have been there the Sunday I was there. Here is a report I have from the donor of the soccer uniforms: I wish I had a video of one of the most moving scenes yet in Africa for me. We were having lunch and the soccer team pulled up in the back of two pickups (picture 30 people in the back of two Toyota trucks) singing and chanting in the rain. They had just won a match with a goal in the last 5 seconds and were returnig to the Nsoko center in victory! They danced and sang outside the community building/center for some time - church just ended and we joined the celebration. Wow - it was awesome and Gift was in tears.
Gift tells me two of the guys on the team have offers to play at the next level in South Africa. God is bringing meaning to the lives of the men on this team - they are undefeated and tied for first place in their league.
Foster Home – Basically there are 4 young boys and a 14 year old pregnant girl with no place to live. Pastor Gift has put them up with a nearby gogo. We are providing food for the homestead.
·Building Projects – All funds for this have come from team funds.
1.We are almost finished adding showers to the back of the community building for team use.
2.We will be adding another water tower and tank and upgrading the system there to save the wear and tear on the well pump.
3.The septic system for the community building was not installed correctly. We will have to do it over. Sewage back-up is a problem.
4.We hope to soon build walls under the metal roof structure to make it the new community center/church. We will also build two rooms behind it one being an office and another a storage room.
5.This coming summer there is a returning RLMT member with his construction company father and brothers who want to fund and build another house or two like Gifts. I am working on a good floor plan that will allow maximum flexibility for use there. These will be temporary staff house and intern housing making it easier for people to some serve for several months at a time. It will also be an income generator for the center as people will pay rent.
Posted in AIDS by Swaziland Missions Base on 10/3/2009
When I walked into the room, Pastor Gift was talking with a woman named Busisiwe. I had seen her down at the Nsoko Center an hour or so earlier, but she didn't speak enough English to explain why she was there. I noticed the growths on her neck, and assumed she was here to ask for money for the doctor; for which I later felt foolish for judging so hastily.
Pastor Gift had asked me to come up to meet her, and took a few minutes to fill me in on what her story was. Busisiwe is at the of her rope, and has run out of ideas and even hope. She has been unable to provide for her children for some time now, and at this point doesn't feel like she can even care for them if food was supplied. She mentioned that she is supposed to have surgery for her tumors, and the doctors said there is a good chance she may not survive. She is dying, and is at the point that she is ready to leave her children somewhere...anywhere.
Busisiwe tried to hold back the tears as she continued to communicate the desperation she has reached. Her three children range from six to eleven. Busisiwe and her kids have been squatting with another family, but resources have run out, and they no longer have anywhere to stay.
While Busisiwe was fixed some food in the kitchen, Pastor Gift and I tried to brainstorm how to handle this immediate need. After a while, we came up with an idea that we thought would work well, at least temporarily. We made a couple of phone calls, and with a little walking through the community, we had a home for them. One of the gogos (grandmothers) in the area has her own homestead and lives alone. She has no source of income, and relies on her children to support her. I know one of her daughters, another gogo, and she is struggling to make ends meet as it is with her own family, and the son of her deceased sister.
We agreed to buy one-months' worth of food for the go-go, Busisiwe, her three kids, and Abigail in exchange for the go-go keeping them with her as her own family. This is true community, and family--taking in one another and working together to make sure everyone has food and other basic needs. This has the potential to benefit all of the individuals involved, if it is a good fit.
Busisiwe was beside herself with gratitude, and even was able to smile for a few photos before she left. I gave her some money for transport, and sent her off with a small meal for the road. She will be returning in a day or two with her kids and their meager belongings, to begin to settle in.
Please, be praying for her health, her hope, and her heart--they all need a good boost. Pray that we are able to be Christ's hands and feet to her and her children, and that it will be a good fit for them, Abigail, and the go-go. Pray, also, that we will come up with a more permanent solution to this frequent and ongoing problem here. This is not the first, and certainly won't be the last time someone shows up wanting to leave their children.
Posted in AIDS by Swaziland Missions Base on 10/3/2009
What is your fourteen-year-old doing? No, I'm not on an anti-drug campaign, but I ask that question in light of how our fourteen-year-old friend, Abigail, spent her afternoon. The uncle that raped her is currently in jail for the offense, which alleviates only some of the stress of the situation.
Abigail has not gone to the clinic since she first found out she was pregnant, and she is more than seven months along. Given the stage of her pregnancy, her age, and the circumstances surrounding the conception, she would not be able to go to the clinic without receiving the third degree. So, Pastor Gift suggested we take her to the police station, and partner her with a social worker in order to get a waiver explaining there were special circumstances, and the police are already involved.
Unfortunately, the social worker was in another town tending to some of their cases. We sat there for close to an hour before our efforts were confirmed to be futile. Her case is already being handled by another social worker, so they were not allowed to get involved. The officer suggested we go to the clinic anyway, and just explain that we had just come from the police office.
So off we went to the Lubuli Clinic--the same clinic we took baby Moses to back in February '08. Again, we hit a wall. The nurses said she was beyond the point of receiving any aid from a clinic, and would need to go to a hospital for scans. The problem today was that the nearest hospital with a scan machine is nearly an hour away. It was already too late in the afternoon to be able to go.
Additionally, the nurse said they have her HIV results, but she is not interested in seeing them. For many Swazis, the term "ignorance is bliss" seems the best approach when dealing with HIV testing. With Abigail pregnant as young as she is, there are so many variables regarding her future. Many girls in her situation choose to forfeit an honorable, yet difficult life after the birth, and instead, pursue prostitution as a means of survival. With HIV issues, many young girls are also high suicide risks. The decision to find out her status has to be completely up to her, and it is very dangerous to force her one way or another.
The risks of not knowing clearly out-weigh, in our western thinking, but that is not how many Swazis perceive it. For them, enlightenment with a positive status, is basically a death sentence--they feel like there is no hope. Without knowing, though, they can carry on as if they are fine--again, ignorance is bliss. What many of them don't realize, is that with knowledge can also come a better way of life. They are able to get the proper treatment earlier on, and possibly prolong a healthier way of life.
So now, Abigail is faced with a lot of choices--far too many, and too mature for her tender age.
Posted in AIDS by Swaziland Missions Base on 10/3/2009
Some time late in the night, two of the Real Life leaders were talking in the kitchen. They were a bit startled when out of the dark, a face appeared in the glass window. When they opened it, there was a young Swazi girl. She told them her name--Abigail, and expressed that she was looking for Bailey. Immediately, they realized this was the girl that Bailey had told the team about just a few days earlier. Bailey wore the glow of new friendship, and spoke passionately about this young acquaintance she had met and poured her heart into at one of the Care Points.
Though the hour was late, they welcomed her into the house, and went to find Bailey, knowing there was more going on than just a casual visit. As it turns out, Abigail's step-mother had kicked her out of her house that night. Her dad was gone--at the clinic for some health concerns of his own. She walked several miles, barefoot, and under the black sky--no streets lights to be found--in order to get to the team house. Bailey was comforted to know she thought of her as a safe haven, but had no idea what to do. Abigail is only fourteen and is seven months pregnant--raped by her uncle.
Bailey fixed some food for Abigail and kept her company in the kitchen, while the leaders tried to discern what to do. The Pastor's phone was switched off, so they had no choice but to walk over to his house. They were grateful that they could see some of his lights were still on, but though the walk was brief, the air was cold and the path was dark. There was also the eerie thought of the black mamba lurking nearby--seen as recently as the day before. How did Abigail make that walk barefoot; in the dark without a flashlight; and alone? It must have taken her almost an hour from where she lived.
Abigail speaks English incredibly well, and especially for not having finished school. She spoke with restraint, though, clearly masking the years of hurt and anger just below the surface. A hateful and neglectful step-mother, her real mother deceased years before, an abusive uncle, an ill father, and an entire culture willing to look the other way while her life comes crashing down. Where is God in this? How do you convey to her that He has been there all along? What words will restore her hope? What conversation will bring her spirit back to life?
After Abigail finished eating, she, Bailey, and the Pastor sat down to discuss the situation and come up with a plan of action. A few minutes later, they concluded that Abigail would stay with the Pastor's family for the night, and they would move forward the following day. How frightening it must have been for Abigail to leave her homestead and her community that night, uncertain of what her appearance at the team house would mean; unsure of what would happen to her and her unborn baby as a result. This is unparalleled hopelessness; the desperation of a child coupled with the burden of an adult.
Matthew 5 calls us to be the light of the world. Without even realizing it, Bailey had shone that light for Abigail. The lights of the team house were visible in the dark of the night, but it was the light in Bailey's compassion, love, and joy that drew Abigail here.
Matthew 5:16 "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Posted in AIDS by Swaziland Missions Base on 8/19/2009
Welile is a single mother probably in her mid-twenties. As a believer for less than a year, her faith already far exceeds many others. Her five-year-old son, Siphiwo, was born deaf and mute. After a surgery at eighteen months to loosen his tongue, he still remains unable to speak.
I met with Welile and Siphiwo yesterday to hear their story. Tears filled Welile's eyes as she spoke of the struggle of being a single mother, let alone trying to take care of a child with unique needs. Her family has ostracized her because she refused to take him to a witch doctor for various pagan remedies and to dedicate him to the ancestors. She loves Siphiwo dearly, and it's easy to see through their interactions her tender ways with him. God has gifted her with an incredible amount of patience and grace to take care of Siphiwo, and deal with the critics that don't understand the situation. But she is weary; she has no Christian community or encouragement in her area, and she is depleted.
Her heart is simply to find a way to transcend this boundary so that she can bond with her son. She feels as though the communication barrier has hindered their relationship because she is not able to fully convey to him how much she cares for him, and likewise, he struggles to express even his basic needs. It was impossible to listen without my spirit craving that for her as well.
She has done her research, and Siphiwo needs one of two things. Either a "cochlea implant" or hearing aids. The cost for either is too great for Welile, but would open a whole realm of communication for this family of two. In the short time I spent with them, I could easily see her genuineness in believing that God will move. Her faith spoke volumes, and she said that she trusts God, and knows He will bring something to pass in His way, which may not look like either of these answers. Please prayerfully consider how you can be a part of God's plan for Welile and Siphiwo, whether it is prayer, financial support, medical advice, or any other way you can think of.
Posted in Nsoko Updates by Swaziland Missions Base on 3/30/2009
Here is a story from Lisa Page: We picked up Elisa at school and then drove towards Ngunya to get Kiwi. He quickly ran home and changed into his best pants, t-shirt, and his new shoes. He climbed into the van looking more timid and shy than ever. I sat beside him gently rubbing his back, but he would barely even look at me. Right now I really wish I spoke more SiSwati. I wonder if he has any idea why he is coming with us.
The five of us arrived at the police station to file a report and begin an official investigation. I spoke with one of the police officers to tell her what we have seen and heard from these two children and to show her the scars that cover Kiwi's extremities. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to make official statements to the police because I will not be here to defend those statements in court. So, Jess and I sat with the two children while Pastor Gift met with the police to make statements. Elisa and Kiwi were beginning to laugh and play with us, but I still wondered if they had any idea what was happening.
As a teacher in Atlanta Public Schools, I have had more experience working with social workers and the Department of Families & Children than most people. I was curious to see how this process worked in Swaziland. Some parts were remarkably similar. Pastor Gift made statements to the police, a government doctor who examined the children, and a social worker who will be starting a home investigation for each of these children.
Here is a story from Amy McAllister: Our first day here we met Dudu. She is dying of AIDS and literally wasting away. She is skin and bones now and in her final days. She is leaving behind a 7 month old baby and a 7 year old little girl. When we went into her bedroom to pray for her, the Spirit of fear was overwhelming. She is scared of death; she is scared of what will happen to her babies, and she is completely filled with fear. The next day my teammates, Sara and Natalie went with her and Pastor Gift to the hospital. They held her hand for hours and tried to ease the fears that were consuming her. Death is coming and she cannot stop it, she can only change the way she will receive it. I pray Dudu finds peace before she passes.
We agreed to buy one-months' worth of food for the go-go, Busisiwe, her three kids, and Abigail in exchange for the go-go keeping them with her as her own family. This is true community, and family--taking in one another and working together to make sure everyone has food and other basic needs. This has the potential to benefit all of the individuals involved, if it is a good fit.
What is your fourteen-year-old doing? No, I'm not on an anti-drug campaign, but I ask that question in light of how our fourteen-year-old friend, Abigail, spent her afternoon. The uncle that raped her is currently in jail for the offense, which alleviates only some of the stress of the situation.
Bailey fixed some food for Abigail and kept her company in the kitchen, while the leaders tried to discern what to do. The Pastor's phone was switched off, so they had no choice but to walk over to his house. They were grateful that they could see some of his lights were still on, but though the walk was brief, the air was cold and the path was dark. There was also the eerie thought of the black mamba lurking nearby--seen as recently as the day before. How did Abigail make that walk barefoot; in the dark without a flashlight; and alone? It must have taken her almost an hour from where she lived.