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

Gorgeous Land, Beautiful People: We are here.

Sawubona!

We made it!  It is great to finally be here.  We arrived around 6pm Swazi time last night- and it was already dark!  It is kind of different to get used to that as we are used to the sun setting at 9 or so.   Let me update you on some of our travels.

Our flights were Chicago to Amsterdam then Amsterdam to Paris then Paris to Johannesburg, then a bus ride to Manzini Swaziland.  We did not have much of a lay over in Amsterdam but we did in Paris!! Flying from Chicago to Amsterdam we lost a night of sleep in a way due to the time change, but “when in Pairs” you explore!

Adventures of Paris first took us to the Eiffel Tower!  Now I am not much of a tourism or city person but being in Paris was very cool.  We had French fries in France, and ate our lunch by the base of the Eiffel Tower- even  a little nap too!  Later Chris, Katie, Peg and I went for a little adventure around the city.  We got gelato, went to the Arch of Triumph, this is a military memorial they were actually having a processional of veterans of some sort.  It was very cool to witness.  We also walked through the Notre Dame Cathedral.   Then we headed back to the airport and off to Johannesburg, South Africa.  Landing in Joburg is similar to landing in another city and South Africa reminded me of what it looks like out west in a way.  Then it was to SWAZI!

The landscape, gorgeous, the people, beautiful!  Ah- it is so great to be here!  There are 4 beautiful girls living in the Hope for Life girls home right now and they are so full of Joy!  Sindi an adorable little 9 year old already has me wrapped around her finger!  In signing some praise and worship last night she led us in two songs too- “He’s got the whole world in His hands” and “Jesus loves me”.  So cute!  God is good.  I haven’t heard a lot of their stories, but hearing bit from Sindi, these girls are in a much safer place now.    We are sleeping at the girls home in bunk rooms- I have 3 wonderful roomies- Lauren, Laura, and Sandy.  Sindi came in  to wake us up this morning- what a great way to wake up !  (And for most of you that know me waking up , I’m usually not the most pleasant!)  Today we also went to the Squatter camp, which is a very poor area and the most run down area in the city of Manzini, the children there are not necessarily living with their parents, and many are sick or without shoes.  Adventures in  Missions runs the kitchen where two meals are served every weekday.  We did not go all the way in today, but went to meet Ayanda’s family- (she lives at Hope for Life).  The kids were all over us being there!  Baka stole my heart- she is just as ticklish and giggly as I am- no wonder we were drawn to each other! 

Now- enough about travel and the things I’ve seen let me share a little how God is working and how he just continues to amaze me! Our first team Devotion was about words- words have the power to bless and the power to curse.  It says in the Bible we will “Eat the fruit of our words”.   This month (and always)  our words have power- that is exciting that we have the power to use our words to Love and share our faith.  We are trying to take every opportunity to use words to speak life and love into people and each other.  Along with words, our prayers have power.  Prayers have power to heal because God has the power to heal!  In saying this I ask that you continue to pray for physical health of our team- form joints and bones, to muscles and our bodies to adjust to travel, foods and a new place.  More than us though- I ask that you lift up Manzini in prayer for physical and emotional healing, but more so spiritually.   Romans 1: says: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes….”.  This is something I will continue to pray over myself, can you pray it over our team to please?  We were chosen to be His hands and feet in Swaziland, how amazing is that?  It is exciting, and also a large responsibility- to love His people, with His love! 

 

Prayer Requests:

-Physical Health of all
-Confidence when the Spirit is speaking to us
-Team Unity- by name: Garret, Sandy, Rachael, Andy, Lauren, Katie, Mary-Kate, Chris, Laura, Peg
-Prayers for Mary-Kate- she is leading our team and Swazi is her other home- lift her up in Praise to Christ. 
-Pray for the girls in the home- especially Tenele, she will be coming back today, and she is the girl that led Mary-Kate into creating the home, pray for her little ones too!  The baby boy is sick.
-That God continues to teach us and guide us- renew hearts and callings- this is prayer of my heart, along with this question  "Are you willing to lay all your own pursuits upon the altar and allow Him to make your body a living sacrifice?"- Sacred Singleness, Leslie Ludy.  

A Story and a Half

In 11 short days I will be on a plane to Swaziland Africa for an experience of a life time. Here is a little of the story of my heart for the trip, and a small bit on the country of Swaziland.

 One of the reasons I want to go on this trip is to have an experience that is different than anything I have ever experienced.  I am ready for God to completely break my heart for him, to show me Himself and His love in a light I have never seen it before, and  also to see how even though we are sinners, and deny Christ in our daily lives, he still finds us worth it, and lovable as His Children.   The last few years I have developed a heart for service and youth, especially young girls.  Our world constantly tells youth, they are not worth it, pretty enough, good enough, smart enough, strong enough, skinny enough..ect.  Knowing what that feels like, it breaks my heart, and is part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip.  I know that what some of the Swazi youth have gone through is nothing in comparison, and I hope that God will show me more of His love through that.   

I. Can't. Wait. But as I wait, I have been praying for God to prepare our hearts, and for Him to be the center of this trip.  Here is a little bit about Swaziland:

Size:  Smaller than New Jersey, landlocked between South Africa and Mozambique

Population: 1,403,362

Life Expectancy: 50 years

Health:  Swazi is the number one country with HIV/AIDS prevalence with over 25% of the population effected.  Those that are treated are a small portion, and to give you an idea of hospitals- there is approximately 2.1 hospital beds per 1000 people.  

Agriculture Facts: 70% population works in agriculture labor, limited supplies of portable water, wildlife is being depleted and overgrazing and soil are issues as well.  

Government/Economy:  Monarchy, 40% unemployment, exports: soft drink concentrate, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn, citrus and canned fruit. 

These are only a few quick facts, I will share more about the country and culture as I experience it.  We fly out June 26, from Chicago to Amsterdam, to Paris the Johannesburg South Africa, then bus ride to Manzini Swaziland!  

Prayer Requests:

-A sense of team community

-Health and Safety of all

-Prayer against spiritual attacks

-Prepared hearts and minds

-His Will to be done!

With Servants Heart, 

Kayla