Get a map and take a look.  Possible Itinerary for this trip:

1st day arrive in Jburg – sleep over in Jburg,
2nd day drive to Swazi, Hwane Farm, book into Emafini
3rd day Thembeni, Balekane and Mpholi
4th day Sam and Mpaka
5th dayChristmas Party at Themba’s and maybe one of the mountain carepoints
6th day Church at Walter’s and drive to Nsoko
7th day Nsoko Care Points
8th day Nsoko Carepoints and drive back to Nsoko
9th day Ngwenya glass and drive back to airport.

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/CIA_Maps/Swaziland_19885.gif

The above is a link to a map of Swaziland. There may be a better one out there.  Send us a link here if you find one.  Several of the carepoint locations are on this one.  Looks like they will be trekking all the way across Swaziland.

Wow!  It makes a person want to be along, but aware of the comforts of home. 

Jenny

Thanks Barb.  I will be fasting and in prayer on Tuesday.  I needed to start somewhere in the process and I felt this is where the Lord commanded me to start.  I am a take charge person, but I became somewhat overwhelmed in my reading of the “Red Letters”  I want to go out and fix it all, right now.  So I need patience and I need to listen to my Lord for direction.

Hi Jayne,

I can identify with the feeling of being overwhelmed by increased awareness.  I really had to surrender it to the Lord in the sense of not carrying more of the burden of it than He intends.  In fact, while He clearly gives us instruction in His word as to our responsibility as his body to care for those in need, He also clearly states that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  I have to say, that your courage in facing the knowledge of the work to be done down with such boldness is encouraging to me.  It is so easy to turn away, and carry on as usual.  I appreciate your pursuit of awareness and your prayerful consideration of the action the Lord has for you to take.  You have already changed the life of your Compassion girl in Ethiopia, and the Lord knows the rest of the good plans that He has for you in all of this.  Thanks for joining with us.  Hashing out “Red Letters” through the book club forum and chat’s is going to be really good.

Jenny

So, he left today, right?  Will be praying!!!!!

The carepoint that Don visited yesterday 10/21 was a project of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 
Here is a link to the website that talks about their work there.
http://web.me.com/rickclapp/Beyond_Survival/Welcome.html

The video on this website also shows another carepoint run by a lady called Gu-Gu.  They will be visiting there today I believe.  GU-Gu’s carepoint is newly sponsored by a group of individuals rather than a church sort of like we have envisioned the KnownToMe carepoint to be. 

Barbra

Here is a blog post with a video answering the question ” What is a carepoint?”.
Warning: This video is for adults.  It states some facts near the beginning of the video about what is happening in Swaziland that are harsh and are not likely appropriate for younger viewers:
http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/2009/10/ethiopia-kitchen-update-one-down.html
Also in that same blog post you can check out the kitchen project for Ethiopia.  $20.00 is such a small amount compared to the difference it can make!!!

Tomorrow the group in Swaziland attends church with Pastor Walter.
http://vimeo.com/3285879

Today and tomorrow Don is visiting Nsoko. There is a huge carepoint in Nsoko serving hundreds(maybe 600-800) children. 
There is a story behind how this carepoint came to be. 
This video explains the story and provides some amazing pictures of Swaziland.

http://vimeo.com/1752355

Worth 15 minutes of your time, I believe!

Wow wow wow wow wow.  I am speechless.  I cried as I watched this video, no tissues either.  I mean it I am speechless.  Will get back later

YES! YES! count us in!  I could jump out of my skin watching that for wanting to do something!  Lord, show us YOUR perfect plan!!!!

Jenny

I’ve had a night to sleep and collect my thoughts.  I guess one point that Don put out there in his pictures that really impacted me was “no shoes”.  I mean shoes are an abundance in this country.  In our country, if you don’t like a pair of shoes, just get a new pair.  If you don’t like the way they make your feet look, get another pair.  I mean I know people who have so many shoes, they could not begin to wear every pair 10 times a year, because they have so many.  Where here you have children who don’t even have 1 pair.  These children are not worried if the shoes match their clothes or they are comfortable to wear or even if they have a pair to wear.  They are only concerned if they can make the journey to get food for their siblings and themselves.  Most will make the journey daily, sometimes twice a day regardless if they have shoes on their feet.

My point here is, a recognition of my own selfishness about my everyday life.  I am not sure where I am going with this.  But part of this journey for me has been to open my eyes.  I know I am truly blessed in my life, which I am so thankful for.  These is truly more than just recognizing a difference.  It is about doing.

oh by the way, how do I get a pretty picture to download.  I tried several but they were too big to download.  I wanted a beautiful sunset.

Here is a Nsoko video you might like! (I had to turn down the sound as I could not adjust it, but the visual was enough for me).
The day shoes came to the Nsoko carepoint: 
http://vimeo.com/3174674 
(a few minutes long)

Again, here is the miracle of Nsoko video link for those who have not yet seen it.
http://vimeo.com/1752355
(15 minutes long and beautiful)

All these are coming from:
http://pmaier500.typepad.com/help_continue_the_miracle/
There is another video on the current blog entry 9/30/2009 called Project Nsoko that explains a scrapbooking project for the dying and their children.

Jayne-
Here is a link for avatar pictures which are very small.
http://gdpit.com/avatars_pictures/
Don put our pretty picture on our AVATAR’s for us.  He would be happy to help when he returns.