Today was a big gift day.  Cooking pots were purchased from the trip funds, and given to the Bomake (bo-ma-gay - other mothers) to use at the Carepoint.  The ladies on the team and the ladies at the carepoint were surprised by the gift (because we didn’t tell them .  Thanks again to those who gave and made this possible.  Now we have new pots to go with the new kitchen!  Men came today to work on putting in the panes of glass into the windows.  Once completed, the Bomakes will be able to store their new cooking equipment and supplies there.

We started right away on giving dresses and shorts and bright yellow ball caps to each of the children on the Ludlati Carepoint list.  We started with the little children and worked our way through the teenagers.  It took 3 hours to organize and fit nearly 100 kids!  It was a fun and exciting day for the kids and team.  Some of the kids show big smiles, some try to keep it hidden from shyness, some seemed a little baffled, and the distress written on some faces is still understandably hard to erase.  The process flowed smoothly as the D-Team leaders helped us stay within the cultural bounds.

Around 4:30pm, we split into two teams and did some home visits.  A care package was given to one of our oldest special friends for her and a sister to take home.  Another of our special friends, Zenhle, rode to her homestead with us where we visited with her family.  Both her parents have died, and she is cared for by an Aunt.  Grandparents live on the homestead, but struggle with alcohol and are often not present.  The aunt asked us to pray that the Grandparents would be freed from addiction to alcohol so they would be around the family more.

Please continue to pray for these children and women at the carepoint.  They face tough living conditions.  Challenges come from broken and dying families, and slow economy.  Pray that they have enough to live, pray that they will be safe from human preditors, pray that their parents will return home and love them.  Today’s gifts and blessings are fun and exciting.  More importantly, the ground work is being laid by God to unite our communities in a long term relationship with the Ludlati Bomage and children.

Tuesday was our first day at Ludlati Carepoint.  We were provided over 100 frisbees by our home radio station WBGL.  Thanks to WBGL for providing some fun toys for our Neighbor Kids at Ludlati!

Awesome long day!  Carepoint…bubbles…newly formed smiles and laughter…Carepoint Ladies joyful, hard working and blessed…shared snacks…home visits…tired…back to hotel…get dresses and shorts ready for tomorrow…pray that tomorrow is a blessing…pray that jealousy be removed…NEED REST…Good Night. Enjoy the pictures!  More to come tomorrow.

Our first day meeting the Ludlati Kids was awesome.  So much has happened today that my first attempt at this post was becoming too long and detailed.  I think it is best to hit the highlights (please forgive the Siswati name misspellings until I can get them corrected):

• A lady from our team and the lady D-team member share each others testimonies over breakfast and find much in common.  They end up crying, praying and hugging over breakfast.  Both are blessed and encouraged by each other.
• Arrive at Ludlati this morning and greet all six BOMAGE (bo-ma-gee).  Many of them are not old enough to be Grandmas, so Gogo is not an appropriate term.  BOMAGE means other mother or carepoint mom.
• Take pictures of the new Kitchen that is 95% finished!
• Team Ladies meet with Bogames in the kitchen and share testimonies, hardships, tears and laugh really loud together.
• Over eighty kids come to the carepoint with smiling faces.
• I recognize many of the kids faces from last years trip and the profile pictures.  Coming to know a child by their profile is touching, but it is no comparison to meeting each one in person.  They are all wonderful and beautiful in their own special way.
• The kids are lead by our two amazing D-team leaders in singing songs as we greet each other with songs and introductions.  Their songs and singing are awesome too!
• One of the D-team members, Londiwe, is a wonderful you lady who loves the kids who come to the carepoints, and is eager for them to be safe, happy and teach the kids how to live and walk with God so they can have hope and a future.
• Bhegki is an awesome young man giving his life to closely mentor so many kids.  He desires Swaziland people to grow in the Lord and change their country for good.
• We interact with the kids by showing pictures, playing games, jumping around, sharing hugs, picking up kids, putting them down, taking turns, and singing songs.  Our whole team can not wait to get back to the carepoint tomorrow.  We miss the kids already.
• Halfway through the day, I am invited to go with a team of three other men (Dennis, Bhegke, and Pastor Walter) to visit a home stead of a troubled family.  In Swaziland, this is a good way to bring loving authority and show genuine concern for the kids held back from the carepoint (long story to share sometime - pray for the children and mother at this home).  After some cultural formalities, the meeting ends with us being able to take the kids back with us to join the fun at the carepoint.
• Bogames share a letter of thanks and appreciation to God for all who provide support for children and funds for the well and fence being built.  The letter was accompanied by a gift of a fresh papaya which I really enjoyed! Delicious!
• First VBS lesson and craft went well.  Lesson on Colossians 3:12 was translated by the D-team.  We were able to use the kitchen so the coloring project went well.  Kids did a great job!
• In the afternoon, everyone gathered in the kitchen, sang songs, shared some closing words and prayer.  As the kids left they received a gift package of school supplies and an apple.
• Everyone of our team members met their matched child sponsor, gave small gift packages, letters and took pictures together.  It was a great moment for all involved.
• Much great discussion was shared over dinner, but a statement of purpose from D-team leader Bhegke sums it up well:  “We are ministering to the kids potential, not their needs.”

Enjoy the pictures!  More to come tomorrow.

This morning we drove from Johannesburg to Manzini, Swaziland.  The drive reveals a beautiful landscape as we go from relatively flat ground in Jo-burg to foothills to mountains in Swaziland.  The drive is about 5 hours long, but felt like only 1 hour.  Most likely due to the wonder of the land scape, beauty of the people, and excitement of new sites.

We will work out of our hotel in Manzini, and drive about 40 min to Ludlati Carepoint each day.  This evening we went through cultural training, and finalized details of plans and budgets for the week for which we are abundantly supplied (Again, thanks to God, and everyone who gave!).  We are excited to get started at Ludlati, and meet the Gogo’s, D-Team members and kids.  After unpacking what we need from our bags of supplies, we are really ready for some good rest tonight.  Have a good night until tomorrow.

Swazi Travel Team Picture

Picture of luggage

Taking Luggage to IND Airport

Loading Luggage in Johannesburg

Jenny will be leaving for Ethiopia in the wee hours Saturday morning.  Our Charlie and her sister Barbra will be going with her.  It is unsettling not to be with her.  But those feelings are mild this time, better for having been there before and having grown so much in our faith and confidence in putting ourselves in His hands.  They will be traveling with Greg and Melissa (also active here at KTM), who happen to have been friends of Jenny and Barbra since they were kids.  Greg and Melissa will be bringing home an addition to their family as well.  God is so good in putting all of this together so the timing worked out like this.  We had no control over it, and the odds were essentially zero… or maybe the odds were 100% all along.

Anyway, we appreciate your prayers for all of us.  I know my part isn’t as hard as Jenny’s but we have several traveling and three partial families at home - we all need Him through this, even those of us staying here.  But I suppose that, in and of itself, isn’t different from any other day.