a year in the life - a profound dependence on the Lord

How amazing to be able to look back and see just HOW God was and is moving.  It is to no one’s surprise that our initial months living in the field were challenging.  Through many of those challenges-we were blinded and could not see through them.  The incredible thing is that GOD knew and was navigating it all for us.  It has been the longest, shortest, hardest, easiest, craziest year of our lives… and OH what a way that HE has grown us! 

 

A quick review:

 

-Arrived in country to the news that ½ of the Children’s Cup funding was going away-impacting thousands of kids and multiple CarePoints and ½ of the local staff

-Child issues with location and moving creating concern for another major funder of the ministry

-The founder of Cup passed away, and we are slid into a leadership role for the ministry and operations as the Africa Director needs to go back to the USA(creating a small gap for us with building relationships)

-A major car accident

-Kids located and systems in place to keep even better tabs

-New partner found to take over operations of CarePoints impacted by loss of funding

-Car repaired

-Christmas holiday(in the heat)

-New missionary family arrives (and bonds are formed with the rest of our missionary family here)

-New ministries are birthed (I Am Not Forgotten home for Orphans and Vulnerable children expand, School Fee Assistance programs, Discipleship programs, Global Leadership Academy has 23 full time students becoming passionate for serving others with character…)

-children abused / killed

-A trip to the USA to share our heart with 25,000 people-more importantly, got to connect with so many individuals that we love and miss! 

-In sharing about abused / killed children-a community decides to impact Swaziland with a new CarePoint building (thank you Beach ND)

-Growth in the ministry beyond our dreams in depth of teaching and expansion of number of CarePoints(places where kids come to be safe, eat, learn about Jesus, are taught character, serving, homework, receive medical care and more)

 

The best things have truly been watching and being a small part of sharing God’s love with the children and staff here in Swaziland.  We have hundreds of individual stories about the children, the teachers and the staff; powerful testimonies of a God that is the father to the fatherless. 

 

Our focus remains on training up leaders to one day replace us and target the programs for sustainability without our assistance.  This may take a generation, but we believe we are working with and molding the future leaders of the ministry and the country.  We see a great reason to CELEBRATE, as HOPE is found to many.  We are BLESSED to get to be a very small part of that. 

 

We have truly seen that what the enemy intends to use to kill, steal and destroy with… GOD will use for good and for His Glory.

 

Has it been a struggle?  You betcha…but we see God moving, we trust His leading, we hear Him more clearly, trust Him more completely and have gained a profound dependence on the Lord that we thought we had a year ago-but really did not.

 

Our observation:  Life was easier for us in the USA, it was comfortable, it was convenient…we LOVE America!  Without the USA, we could not be here to serve Christ in this way.  But God needed to mold and work on us as well.  A stretching and growing year for us and we look forward to what HE has for us in the year ahead. 

 

We could NOT have been here, or been a part of what GOD is doing in Swaziland without your prayers and financial support.  THANK YOU so very much.  You have and continue to equip a GREAT ministry. 

 

Char and I did not understand why we could not have kids, but thanks to you- we have 4,811 of these precious African children.  THANK YOU!

 

Pop’s(the founder) would say “Hope’s Name is Jesus”… we see today that that is true in any and all circumstances!