Musings from Graceland

MESSAGES FROM THE SWAZILAND TEAM

This past Saturday, A's team had their first opportunity to contact their family and friends back home. I've been able to contact with several of the parents (and one grandparent) thru facebook. They were generous enough to share their kids' messages so we could all piece together the individual perspectives to get a better picture of what they are going through and how God is using them. Thought some of you might be interested in what they had to say. I've already posted my daughter's short but to the point message but I'll repeat it again followed by the other messages.

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From "A":

I have literally 5 minutes so I just wanted to say "hi" to everyone. This trip is more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. I love my team (which is a big thank you God) & I wanted to warn y'all that I've changed SO much! Hope that's ok with y'all! Well even if it isn't, it's all been thru God so yeah *shrugs* Gotta go! Bye!

[She also posted on fb that they had a Michael Jackson dance party while they were still staying in the big, white house in honor of his passing.]

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ok well today is the 4th of july and were stoked to party today lol were taking groups of 8 to the internet cafe' and im in the first group (so is anna) we go to Spar after this. ok as for my trip now:

we lived in Manzini for a week and just moved yesterday so now were in timbutini (however its spelled) i completely love it out here and dont miss america or the things in it at all....i think i found my spiritual home ...its doing me so good to be here....im praying about moving out here within the next ten years (would love to be as soon as i grad from highschool but i need an education *sigh*) it is absolutely beautiful out here and the people are amazing. Bheki and Titi are our Swazi partners and i absolutely ADORE Bheki!!! Titi is awesome too but i dont know her as well. the place were at right now has some sorta tin thingy outhouse for a bathroom and you gotta watch out for spiders when you sit lol oh and the doors are half off so someone needs to hold them its funny lol we dont have showers anymore so we have some form of a tin thingy that were gonna take buckets into for a bucket bath. cant wait for that experience lol fun fun fun :) we DO have beds so yay! :) theres lots of goats ad chickens and such on our homestead. ugh the time is going by too fast its depressing to think that we gotta leave in little over a week and a half i dont wanna at all! be praying that God helps me when it comes time to leave cause i know its gonna leave a void in my spirit until i can come back. i havent been this spiritually emotionally and mentally happy in many years.....well i love all of you and i guess will see you in a couple weeks....tell everyone i said hi and love them and dont forget to forward this to anyone that will want it ks? loves yas!!!

Megan [one of Anna's best friends from here in our area]

To see what a SPAR store is like, visit their website: http://www.spar.co.za:80/HomePage1.aspx

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And another message from Megan:

i am in love with this place!!!! i dont wanna leave at all and i dont miss america.....i feel bad saying that but its so true! im gonna cry so bad when i gotta leave here...id stay forever if i could....im praying bout moving here in the next 10 yrs please pray for that a well as cont in praying for us here in swazi! i love you all byes!

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Hi, I got up this morning to check the update and Chandler was still on the computer so I got to chat with her on IM. I am so illiterate on these I couldn't figure out how to send it. Almost had a heart attack, truly!!! I had to facebook her for instructions :) She said they are in a homestead in Timbutini. ( You may already know this, I just wanted to share incase) Last night was their first night there and that food was scarce. PBJ the last three meals. But she said it was going well and everyone was doing great. She said they were a little spoiled the first week, with food and security guards, but this is a little more organic -my description. They fixed the stove last night (kids :)) and said she thought the food situaiton would get better. She said God was moving in unbelievable ways and that He was strengthening them. Said she was really homesick today but doing great otherwise. This is the first day they have slowed down so its probably the first chance thjey have had to think about it :) I asked how I could pray for them and she said for their ministry and physical and emotional safety. She said it was al little creepy at night there and they had had some spiritual warfare, but that they were overcoming! Feel free to pass this on to the other mom's, I am not quite sure how to send it to multiple people :(
Standing with you!!!

Tanya [Chandler's mom and another Mississippian]

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From Ani's mom:

“We got a great email from Ani. She is being stretched on every level and just can't believe all she is seeing and doing. She loves the team, has bonded with them all and has seen God work in incredible ways. Ani was glad to move to a hut after seeing the poverty. She said the AIM house was really nice and she felt guilty staying there. The hut seems to suit their new understanding of life in Swaziland. AIM is so smart to wean them off their luxuries and let them experience real life in SA. Oh to be a fly on the wall and see what our kids are seeing. Ani wrote of holding a malnourished baby boy and looking into his eyes to see the beauty of God.....and of sitting with a woman near death at Hope House and seeing the most amazing woman she had ever met (in parathesis she put besides mom....cute). She has broken down crying and is really letting herself FEEL what she sees. She wants to go back....said that SA has really gotten into her heart. How could it NOT? I am preparing for a changed girl, one ready to be God's woman and do God's work. WOW.....so amazing. God is working in their hearts and minds, using their hands and words as they reach out and touch those who are hurting. WOW I am blown away by all this!!!!!!!!!! Our kids are going to come back messed up in a very good way through all this. God is working and our kids are growing -- and loving so many.”

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Today's the only day I get any internet access and I wanted to say hi to u all and give u a quick update on how I'm doing. Swaziland has been GREAT! I’m havin a great time in Africa. I'm closer with Christ that I've ever been and I've seen God work in ways I could never imagine! The children have really just touched my heart and God has showed me his compassion for the sick, poor, and needy. My team is great and life's been good. I miss u all a whole lot though. I love u! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Love,
Christopher

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Hey my friends and family,

I miss you all so much but I am having a great time here in Africa! For the first week we (my team and I were staying in the city of Manzini. We went to a care point there every day last week and played with joyful raggamuffin beautiful street kids that changed my life! The conditions they live in is heart breaking but I know now that i have nothing to complain about. I also visited a hospitable were there were the worst conditions I had ever seen of sickness. The nicest place in the hospital was the malnourished baby ward. I got to hold and pray for them! I also helped pack pills and stuff bibles that were in [siSwati].

Yesterday me and my team moved to the rural area of Timbutini. We are staying at a homestead were chickens and goats run wild. Hehe, I have to sleep in a hut and pee in a hole now. I feel like a real Swazi. I have learned to live with a lot of discomforts like not getting to wash my clothes for a long time, taking cold shows and only getting to bath every three days. Also having to have the same thing to eat everyday... It's stretched me a lot and at times I get a little weary but I have to remember Jesus and what he did for us by being beaten and dying on the cross was much greater.

Today is our day off and we are actually going to get to go see fire works tonight! The people of Swaziland are very warm and friendly and it is not weird to see two men walking down the street holding hands because they are good friends. :)

I love you all so much and thikng about you often. I even dream about some of you back home!

Love and see you in two weeks,
Noelle

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Hey mommy and daddy! I miss you guys so much! I only have 15 minutes to write this email so I've got to hurry. I've got so much to say. I can't wait to tell you all about it!!

So the last week we've lived in Manzini. It was so nice where we were staying. The house was awesome and a lot nicer than we expected. There was even hot showers and decent food! We worked at the local care point everyday, which was awesome and really eye opening. The kids there have so little... some don't even have pants or underwear on, and they all are so dirty. It was amazing just to spend time with them and give them love... that's really all they wanted! They just want to be held, sang to, just someone to make them feel loved. My arms are sore from carrying around kids everyday. (sometimes 2-3 at a time!)

The city in Manzini is so pretty, there are vendors and woman carrying buckets and bags of rice on their heads... just like I imagined! I have even learned some siswati, and a few songs in it to!

Oh and you'll be happy to know that there are clicks in the language... which is a little difficult... hahaha

One of the days we visited the hospital, which was reallly hard and something I'll never forget. The people's conditions there are so bad, people are jammed together, like 3 heaving and coughing kids with teburculosis jammed in with their mothers and relatives in a room half the size of my bedroom back home. We only had time to visit the kids ward and the womans ward, and just prayed for as many people as we could. Everyone wanted prayers and was so thankful.

One woman that really touched me was this very old woman. I don't know what sickness she had, but she couldn't move, she could only blink her eyes, and she couldn't speak. When she breathed you could hear the mucous in her chest soo clearly. She was in so much pain an so lonely... she had noone there for her. I just sat there and held her hand and tried to hold back from bawling. I will never forget the image of her lying there in her bed...

Yesterday we moved to Timbutini, which is a lot more rural than Manzini. We walk everywhere, and there are 3 new carepoints within a mile. The homestead we are staying in is awesome... but definately not as nice as the house we stayed in last week. There are suppper skinny dogs, goats and chickens everywhere! The toliet is a SUPER long scary hole in the ground. I don't think I'm going to shower for the next 2 weeks either, which should be okay though :)

Yesterday we went to a prayer service at the local church at night. They sang songs, and prayed in siswati, and it was one of the most amazing and beautiful things I've ever witnessed! The sunsets here are so gorgeous! Today we are taking the day off to go online, go to the grocery store, and then at 2 we're going to an american fourth of july party! I'm so sad I'm missing everything athome!!!!

I miss you guys so so so so so much I can barely stand it! I have to go but tell everyone I say hi, and you can foward this email to whoever :)

I love you mommy and daddy and will see you July 19th!!!!!!

LOVEEE LOVVVVEE LOVVVEEEE,
Allie :)

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From Lulu's mom:

"Spoke with LuLu this morning at 4am. She said that she is having a wonderful time. They are living in huts with no running water. They are bathing out of buckets. Her prayer request: she said that it is spiritually dark there and it can be scary. Please pray for the teams safety and health. Pray that the Lord will continue to work in and through the team. Pray that He will be with them where ever they go."

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So there you have it! More news than most of you ever care to read but for us parents starving for word from our kids, it was a feast!

Praying for them and all their loved ones,
Elysa