All in a year

It was one year ago today I was diagnosed with appendicitis and spent an overnight at the Mbabane Swaziland Clinic...followed by;

5 months in hospital
13 surgeries
1 international move
1000 new kids fed and told about Jesus in South Africa
14 flights
50 lbs - then +
4 months traveling the USA fundraising and connecting and finalizing surgeries
9 states
15 churches
100's of friends
1000's of prayers

Yet the most amazing number through it all.

1

1 amazing God that shows His love in the most creative and exciting ways. That never leaves us. That fights on our behalf. That supports, comforts, and guides us. That changes lives for all eternity right before our eyes. That still works miracles. That will always have His way-and that way is always better than our way.

Now we are back at it in South Africa. Have settled in to a rental property that is also the offices and a flat that we will sublease to another missionary. We have been visiting each of the 15 sites that we have been feeding children at, and determining the best way forward to ensure discipleship and equipping helps each community. Praying for Church partners in the USA interested in sponsoring children and planting churches or partnering with existing churches - both being run by African pastors and leaders.

Awed, humbled, amazed, blessed, graced, loved.

Feeling mighty blessed

It is good to do what you love, and we are so grateful that you have sent
us! Thank you- truly from the bottom of our hearts- THANK YOU. This week
is a bitter sweet week for us-as we reflect back on past chapters, and move
forward towards the goal. We leave for(move) to South Africa in the
morning-and goodbyes are never easy. We have tears of joy for the
relationships the Lord has allowed us to be part of, and for all He has
accomplished in our 2.5 years here in Swaziland. Believing that He has
prepared us to "launch" a new country from what has been
shown/taught/observed in these past years. Filled with excitement to be
physically healthy again(was even able to load a few ton of Feed My Starving
Children fortified rice and get it over to South African projects. The joy
of the new chapter-we are still working with the Swazi people-same culture,
names and families-just living in a different country. We can relate to
that! The photos you see here are:
-kids eager to help unload nutrient filled food in BadPlaas South Africa
-the view from the NEW kitchen and playground at Motjane Swaziland(one of
the first projects I was blessed to give the green light to-now becoming a
full discipleship CarePoint)
-the hundreds of kids at Motjane-eager to hear more about ABBA who loves
them
-offcut wood pieces-a contact in South Africa at a wood mill is donating to
us all of the uneven cuts of wood from his mill for our cooks to use to
prepare meals for the kids in Mahushu, BadPlaas and Tjakastad South Africa
-the creativity of the youth boys to start a small business building benches
with the best pieces of the wood-and sell to neighbors and community
-the same "energetic" little girl modeling one of the desks those teenagers
created as a small sustaining business

I am thrilled and overcome with Joy to see the Lord working around us, and
to have the opportunity to make new connections and friends. Thrilled that
the Lord allowed for physical healing in my body. Thrilled to sit for 2
hours today reading with 2 nine year old girls about Jesus in English(as
they taught me each word in Siswatti). Thrilled to see 1000 new kids(wow my
college fund is going to have to start growing for these kids) being fed in
South Africa, and thrilled for the USA partners that the Lord is going to
bring this year to equip us to reach those kids with the true Gospel of
Christ.

What a week! What a chapter! What an awesome God!