Healing of the Heart

“He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.  He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name”.  Psalm 147:3-4.

Healing of the heart was something that showed through the last few days here- physical healing is the first thing we think of when it comes to healing but sometimes emotional and spiritual healing is just as important. 

Healing in Hope
This week at the Hope House the Holy Spirit was working through the entire place- as if Jesus himself was walking the sidewalks in and out of the houses and paths.  Healing is something we don’t always see in the moment; the fruit is not always something visible.  We prayed healing over many patience- but also over their care givers.  Restoration, Peace, Strength and Joy were what God needed to heal in the care givers hearts and bodies that day.  As we sat and worshiped and read scripture with them it was evident that their spirits were lacking, tired, burned out.   As we sat and prayed and worshiped more, a quiet time arose, but not for long.  As joy was poured from top to bottom in the pavilion we were in as the care givers and nurses got up and dance and sang and truly showed the glory of God. 

Healing in Sadness

Over the past month there were two girls at Enjabewani Bridging School that I was drawn to, Nompilo and Zenzi- both in grade 3.  They stole my heart.  As we sat on Friday, knowing it was my last day we were all very sad.  But there was one thing I can leave them with, that is God’s love.  HE is the one that “knows their names”.  He will heal their broken hearts and mine of leaving.  It is constant desires these children feel- to feel wanted, loved and have the attention of someone.  God can be that- and I have confidence in that.

Healing in Washing

Our last Bible Study with the girls was a foot washing and a reading of the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.  We were able to wash the girls and Gogo’s feet (the house mother) and pray over them.  The one thing that was continually laid on my heart was healing of wounds, not the physical ones though- but the wounds of being beat, the wounds of being forgotten, wounds of being raped, sold, and left alone… the wounds that go deeper than any physical cut.  That God’s redeeming love can heal every spiritual wound they have.  

Healing in a Heart

Through this entire God has healed parts of me.  Healed my heart and mind and enabled me to relax and bask in His Glory.  Helped me transition, healed my view of beauty, commitment and relationships.  Healed a heart of stone when I was frustrated, and replaced patience with a peace that surpasses all understanding.  Jehovah Rapha is the God that heals- heals more than just the physical needs of His people.

See you in a few days- blessings!

His Eyes

A journal entry written through a time of sacrifice and trust in a God that Sees. 

Eyes: They are piercing.  Sometimes so radiant and full- full of life, full of joy, pain, sorrow, tears and smiles.

These eyes melt my heart.  The rich chocolatey brown eyes that stare up into mine asking to be held.  THey are beautiful, they are a glimpse into a childliek faith  and a sout, a soul GOd is concerned with. 

Their eyes have seen things I cannot imagine- things no little eyes should =see.  But what they don;t see is worse- they don't see they're worth, they don't see their beauty, they don't see the love they so desperately desire, they don't see the food they need to fill their swollen stomachs...

I see the hurt and struggle in their eyes, but I see much more... I see a smile with bright white teeth that shines on a dark and dirt covered face.  I see joy in a hug and a held out hand and a mischievous peek around the corner. I see a hope an beauty that Christ has created.  I see a love that overwhelms me.  I see a hope and yearning deep inside.  I see dreams that I pray come true, I see God and HIS love, Heart and JOY in each of these eyes.  Not with my eyes but with HIS.  El Roi- the God who sees, has shown me to see with spiritual eyes- things no pair of glasses, or contact lenses could ever see.

Feeling at Home and Heartbroken

I am going to keep this blog short and sweet- (Just like me- okay the sweet is sometimes off :) )hope you are all okay with that.  Yes, at home and heartbroken are two ways to describe some of my feelings this week. 

Feeling at Home:

This week I was able to participate and teach more at Enjabawani Bridging School in the 1^st grade classroom.  It was wonderful and again I fell in love with it.  Sitting in that classroom I felt right at home.  I knew I had a heart for teaching, and for possibly teaching overseas, and this week, it grew even more.  I can’t wait to call a place like that home someday.  

Feeling Heartbroken:

This week we led Bible Study with the girls in the home and told the story about the woman at the well with Jesus and how when she knew He was Christ, she left her water and went and told everyone.  We asked the girls- what do you want to leave at the well to run to Jesus, and who will you share Jesus with.  Tenele responded, “Tinny”…..So let me explain a little the story of Tinny and why “Feeling heartbroken” is what I felt this week.  Tenele is the beautiful young lady that stole Mary-Kate’s heart for this place, for girls in prostitution or at risk for it and for the people of Swaziland. When Tenele ran into the streets, Tinny helped Mary-Kate find her, when Tenele had her baby- Tinny took care of her.  Tinny has also been hurt, and bought by men here, and dropped out of school too.  Dropped out of Grade 5. 

Tenele instantly when we sat down told Tinny the story about the woman at the well.  She told Tinny how she herself had changed her life (Tenele).  How she is no longer in prostitution, doesn’t smoke, is learning again and wants to go back to school- how she is safe, and mostly how she has hope.  When hearing Tenele translate what Tinny said, my heart broke.  She wants to be in a safe place and go back to school and learn.  A simple request for us in the states- but here not something as easy.  There is something about Tinny that makes my heart hurt… and leaving in a week I have to have confidence that Our God will reign over her life and truly be the one to set her free. 

We depart in a little over a week, and part of me does not want to leave.  My heart it here- but also at home.

Prayers this week:

-Tenele and Tinny

-Unity

-Peace about coming home.

Opportunity

Hello from Swazi!  God has been providing opportunities to be His hands and feet, to be Love and to be Joy this week.  It is a blessing. 

An opportunity to share.  As I have mentioned before- one of our mission sites is Enjabewani Bridging School.  It is a free school for students that attend.  Last week when we went we were able to simply experience it and spend time with the kids.  This week we were able to go into classrooms and teach a little- it was wonderful!  These students are so filled with joy that it overflows!! It makes everything else disappear.  I was able to go to grade 3 and grade 1.  I love it!  In grade 1 we were able to work with the class quite a bit- I was in my comfort zone and fell in love with it.  Letting God lead the way we did some math, patterns, and clapping and simon says games.  They laughed and smiled and it was amazing to witness Christ in these little ones. 
We also started a Bible Study there.  We split up boys and girls and even with a language barrier we serve and praise the same God.  I am starting to really build relationships that will be hard to leave…

An Opportunity to learn and support. 

We had the opportunity to share some skills with the girls in the home this week.  Which is an opportunity for them to learn and also to support themselves.  Tenele’s Treasures is part of Hosea’s Heart and the girls are making items to sell fairly in the US to support them and the Hope For Life Home.  We have been doing some sowing…. Yes an experience for me as well :)

 

An Opportunity to Praise:

We have been able to do a Bible Study in home as well.  It is great to encourage them to be Women of God.  Our group told the story of blind Bartemaous where he asks Jesus to see.  But it was an opportunity to share with the girls about seeing what God sees, and His heart, not just physically.  A truth that is hard for many of us to grasp- opening our eyes to God’s heart, having Spiritual Eyes.  It is great if we really ask Him to open the eyes of our heart= He starts to reveal beauty in a new way, listening in a new way and joy and smiles in a new way. 

Lastly an Opportunity to Laugh and Love..yes Laugh!

Mongonenni care point is one of my favorite places to go and be the hands and feet of Christ and His love.  To hold children that are craving to be held and loved.  And to laugh!  Of course me, laugh.  Friday at the care point I was holding  3 little ones on my lap when suddenly I found myself in a tickle attack by about 4 others!  I couldn’t help but laugh and giggle and experience pure joy and love through those little hands and little beautiful smiles!  Praise God!

Prayers for this week:

-Unity

-Health for Team

=Prayers against Spiritual Attacks

-Spiritual Eyes

Eyes That Melt My Heart

Well it has been a week, and it might sound crazy, but it has felt like a month.  We have grown together in unity as a team and with the relationship building and culture adjustment in Swaziland.  

“That is That you and I may be Mutually encouraged by each others faith…” Romans 1:12.

I came to Swazi knowing that we would build relationships with the people of Swazi and share Christ’s love, but I completely forgot about the fact that I would grow increasingly close to the 10 other people I am here with.  Our team has taken this last week to share our testimonies with each other, ups and downs with family, friends and our walk with Christ.   These people encourage me to dive deeper and fall more in love with Christ.  They have truly set an example for me!  Having them to talk and pray with is a blessing, especially in this place when we are experiencing new tasks daily, some which are harder then others. 

Where my strength ends, HIS truly begins.

This week we dove into various ministries.  Mongonenni Care Point, Enjabewani Bridging School, Hope House, Tenele’s Treasures, and ministering to the girls in the home.  The Care point is where I see the “eyes that melt my heart”.  He has truly started to break my heart for what breaks his.  The Swazi culture is very open with touch and hugging and shaking hands and loving on people, which I love, but there is one thing… in Mongonenni, the care point which is the poorest part of Manzini, the children have a lack of that, they simply want to be loved and be held.  If that is all I do while I am here, I am okay with that- because HE is love and we are to share that love.  Petela a little 3 year old boy I held for hours who soon fell asleep and Culeale who was about 2 absolutely melted my heart. 

Hope House is the other ministry I wanted to touch on.  Hope House is a Hospice Care Centre- “A place of peace for all people living with a terminal illness including HIV and AIDS.”  Many of the people are older people, and very sick and week, usually a family member is their care giver and stays there with them.  For me, this is something that makes me nervous, uncomfortable and shy… something I am not very often… the cool thing about it all is that where my strength ends is where HIS begins.  At Hope House the Holy Spirit has continued to guide me and provide words in my mouth and a song of praise from my heart.  It has brought a whole new meaning to service- when a wife spends her days for 9 months serving and caring for her husband, who can barely move or speak, who may be taken from this earth any day.  I pray that I some day am a wife who can take that example of serving my husband in such a Godly way.  It reminded me of how my dad cared for my mom while she went through her cancer- we are to care- in sickness and in health for all of our neighbors.

El Rio, El Elyon, Elohim, El Shaddai, Adonai, Jehovah. 

The names of the Lord- what we are studying and dwelling on in our Devotions.  As we dwell on them God is showing me more and more of Him and the desires He has for me.  This past week alone He has truly filled me with His Joy, showing me He is worthy to be praised, as He is El Shaddai, All Sufficient One.  He has given me a desire to know Him more and understand His word- to dive deeper in Him.  He has shown me that I can commit to Him alone and He is all that I need.  He has shown me that He listens and sees us in our prayers and worship. 

In one of our songs this week the words said “Some how my weakness has overwhelmed you, somehow my weak love has stolen away your heart.”  We serve and amazing God- a Master that is all Sufficent, how can we not submit to Him, His ways and His love.

Email me hackkayla@gmail.com  I would love to hear from you- we check in on Saturdays! 

Prayer Requests:

-Hunger for the Word
-Physical healing over our team- some are feeling kind of sick
-Opportunities to share Christ- in purposeful ways
-The girls- and how we can minister to them
-Unity so the enemy cannot have a foothold