Welcome Home Extended Stay Travelers!

Within the last couple of weeks, we have welcomed home two individuals who traveled to Swaziland for an extended stay with our ICBC project.

On Wednesday, July 9th, Paul Conover returned to Dayton from a 50 day stay. Paul originally traveled to Swaziland on May 21st with our 2nd construction team. He assisted the team in working on Pastor Augustin's home. When the 2nd team left, Paul stayed on to manage the work at the jobsite and oversee the day to day work of the local laborers who were hired to complete the work on the house.

Paul was greeted at the airport by members of the 1st and 2nd construction team, as well as his brother. We are grateful for his safe return and all the work he completed on the project during his stay.

Heidi Miller returned home safe and sound earlier this morning. She spent 90 days in Swaziland, departing April 23rd and returning July 21st. During her time in Swaziland, Heidi dedicated a great deal of her work on organizing the details of our ICBC project; creating a project time line, managing the project budget, orienting our construction teams, documenting the progress of the project, and much more. Her presence on site has been invaluable to our work and we are thankful for responding to God's call to serve in this manner.

Heidi was met at the airport by her mom, sister and members of the Swaziland travel team. Her return today was extra special because it is her mother's birthday!

Independence vs. Dependence

As Independence Day approaches and we all plan our barbeques and anticipate which fireworks display will be the most fabulous this year, God has really been speaking to me about independence verses dependence. And although we as a nation reserve the right to celebrate our freedom and independence, should we not be even more excited about celebrating our dependence?

As Christians, our dependence on God is everything. Our Heavenly Father smiles each time we bring even the simplest of issues to Him. Imagine when you were a child and maybe you couldn’t get that new jar of jam open, so you carried in to your father and asked him to open it. He probably smiled, and in his heart hoped you would always be willing to ask for his help. This is how our Heavenly Father feels when we bring our questions, concerns and needs before him.

Spending time in a place like Swaziland, surrounded by the violence, sickness, hunger and death, you quickly notice an entirely different level of dependence on God. There is no place else to turn for comfort, for reassurance, for strength, for guidance. The Swazi people have a true understanding that everything they have is a blessing from God.

So as we gather with friends and family this year to celebrate our nation’s freedom, let’s take time to praise the Lord for His faithfulness, love, strength and provision as we also celebrate our dependence.

Enjoy your holiday weekend and may you all be blessed!
Heidi