Celebrating Swazi Moms

Happy Mother’s Day! Yesterday I was blessed to celebrate Mother’s Day at Hawane Farm. It was such a wonderful day as we honored the moms. The moms had come together last week to plan a celebration after church with a big meal and some games. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned and instead of eating at 1:00pm, we were all cooking until after 3:00pm. Nobody was fussed about the extra work and it was so fun to stand around a table with the moms pulling the cooked chicken off the bone. I also learned more SiSwati - "ngelankile", which means “I am hungry”.

When the food was ready, all of the families from Hawane Farm and Hawane CLC enjoyed the meal on the grass together. The moms were then honored as a child from each house told why they appreciate their mom and then gave them a rose. The best part of the day though was when the children gathered around their moms and prayed for them.



The moms here at Hawane are absolutely amazing and deserve all of the recognition that they got yesterday. They are taking care of precious children who need all of the love and caring they can get. The moms work hard and do not often get thanks Please remember to pray for the mothers of Hawane, that God would bless them with strength, wisdom, peace, and love.

Serving in Swaziland,

Julie

Getting to Know You

Greetings from Swaziland! I have only been in the country for a week, and already I feel like home. The people here at Hawane Farm and Hawane CLC are absolutely beautiful and I have enjoyed starting to meet them all. I attended church at Hawane CLC for the first time this Sunday and the people were blessed for me to bring greetings from Ohio. Please know that they send their greetings and prayers back to you all.



As my first week ends, I think that my greatest accomplishment is that I can put a name to all but about 5 faces here. With so many children and names so different from what I am used to, this has actually been a task. Some of the younger children do not speak much English, so I have also learned some basic Siswati words that I can use while playing such as sit, stand, run, and stop. Hopefully my grasp of the language will increase as I continue to build relationships with the children and mothers, and as I begin to go out into the community to do outreach.



One thing that God has spoken to me while I have been here is through Moses birth in Exodus chapter 2. Moses had a great purpose for his life, and God protected him by bringing him into Pharaoh’s house to grow. God reminded me that the children here at Hawane each have a great purpose for their lives also, and He has brought them here to protect them and let them grow into the men and women of God He has planned. What a blessing it is to be a part of the destiny of each of these children!



Thank you for your continued prayers for me and the people of Swaziland!

Blessings,

Julie

An Official "Hello"

We received word at about 3:30 this afternoon that Julie made it to Swaziland safe and sound. We praise God for providing traveling mercies! Now she can officially say "hello" to the country that will be her home for the next three months.

Julie will be spending a few days with Kevin and Helen Ward before heading out to her room at Hawane Farm on Sunday evening.

The journey has begun........

Hebrews 13:16: And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God (NLT)

Sawubona Swaziland!

After a few months of planning and preparation, CLC is once again sending individuals and teams to Swaziland.

Our first traveler for 2009 is Julie Mitchell. We could not have asked for better travel weather. Today the sky was clear blue and the sun was shining brightly as Julie said good-bye to Dayton and "Sawubona" (hello) to Swaziland. (Okay, she hasn't actually said "hello" yet because she has about 24 hours of travel time to endure - but she's sure to say it when she actually arrives!)

Julie will be staying in Swaziland for a 3 month extended stay assignment. During her time there Julie will:

1. Provide administration support to Pastor Kevin, Pastor Wafuka and
Pastor Augustine related to our Hawane CLC project.

2. Facilitate meetings and Bible studies with the cell groups for
girls.

3. Provide support, encouragement and knowledge to the house mom's at
Hawane.

4. Offer basic computer training with key volunteers at Hawane CLC.

5. Conduct community outreach services to the homesteads surround the ICBC.

And since Julie is an avid soccer player, we also suspect that she will spend some time out on the soccer field with the children of Hawane. It will be interesting to see who is more skilled ?????

Foreign missions work is not new to Julie. She has spent time in northern Mexico, Cairo Egypt, Rome, Italy and Pescara, Italy. However, this is the farthest missions destination she has visited and it will be her longest time of service.

As Julie embarks on this new journey, we covet your prayers for her safe travel, good health, spiritual strength and emotional endurance. We look foward to hearing from Julie through out her stay and seeing how God is using her to change our world, one life at a time.

Isaiah 6:8 "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?' Then I said, "Here I am. Send me!'"

Welcome Home Kylee

Despite the snow, icy roads and frigid temperatures, Kylee successfully returned to Dayton this morning, even arriving a few minutes early! She was greeted at the airport by her mom, Pastor Stan and few friends.








It was great to see her in person after a 5 month stay in Swaziland. Despite the fatigue and emotional toll of traveling, Kylee was beaming with joy (her Swaziland suntan added an additional glow!) As hard as it was to leave the people she has come to love at Hawane CLC, Hawane Farm and the surrounding community, she is able to rejoice in the knowledge that she has been abiding within God's will. He called her to Swaziland, He called her to serve with her whole heart and to use the gifts He blessed her with to touch lives in His name. In return, God revealed more of His will for her life, He blessed her with wonderful relationships and He deeped her faith in Him.

Psalms 16:11 tells us "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand". Kylee has been able to experience the joy of the Lord because she has been abiding in His presence through her obedience.

In the coming days and weeks, please keep Kylee in your prayers as she adjusts to life back here in the states. Also, if you are able, please make contact with her by e-mail, phone or in person. The sharing of stories is a wonderful way to process an experience while simultaneously getting others excited about the work God is doing.

Welcome Home Kylee!

Fun Family Trips

Eight families. Forty-seven children. Twelve mothers, father, and aunts. Six trips. Today was the completion of the family trips to Milwane Game Reserve. All of the families at Hawane Farm received a day trip to a local game reserve as a Christmas present from a generous woman in England. During their fun day each family was able to start at the local grocery store to pick out their favorite foods for a picnic lunch at the game reserve, see wild animals, and swim at the pool located there. I was requested to accompany each family on their trip to take pictures in order to document this event, manage the allocated funds, and closely watch them at the swimming pool as many of the house mothers and children do not know how to swim. It was a blessing to see the kids have so much fun with the families God has divinely placed them with at Hawane Farm.

God is true to His Word. He is the "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation." (Psalm 68:5)

Some pictures to illustrate the experience… Enjoy!

Kylee

AIDS, Africa, Reality

This morning at 5am I attended a funeral for Justice, a 45-year-old man who went to Hawane CLC. He had a heart for God though he was very sick. Pastor Augustine, the nurse Jane, and I had been transporting him to the hospital for treatment and to church at Hawane CLC. Justice always expressed his gratitude to us and he affectionately called me "sister". The church was able to bless Justice with his own Bible written in SiSwati. Throughout the last few months as his illness attacked his body, Justice began losing weight and growing weaker. Justice was living with his younger brother and his mother at their homestead near Hawane Farm. Many of his family members have died from AIDS, including Justice's brother and sister.

As I mentioned in the previous blog, Pastor Stan and his family were able to visit Justice shortly before he died. I believe this was a divine appointment set up by God. Justice shared with us the day of our visit with him that he was a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. Due to this fact, we know we will one day see Justice in Heaven and we will all praise the Lord together in unity (Revelation 7:9). What matters is where we will spend eternity. This life is short and it is over. The Bible tells us that if you "believe confess with your mouth ' Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9).

I share this story of Justice to share with you about a real person and a real situation. He has a face and a story. It was a privilege to know him. May God give us His heart for His people here in Swaziland, Africa and all over the world. AIDS in Africa is a devastating reality. Christ is the answer, the hope of glory, and He lives in us (Colossians 1:27). Are we sharing Him with the world?

Kylee