Pastor Gift - The Nsoko Project

New Dawn

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Let me take this opportunity to wish you a blessed New Year. Every year starts with a lot of hope, people making resolutions and commitments on certain things. A new year is a new dawn. What does that mean for Nsoko?

Personally, I started the new year very tired spiritually and physically. I felt emotionally drained. Praise the Lord for his mercy and grace. He allowed me to be sick so that I spent quality time with Him in a hospital bed. This is when I got the chance to read, pray, and above all, think. I can assure you, there's a lot you think about when you can do nothing but sleep. It was during this time that I thought about my life and how can I make it count. Most of what I thought about is private and personal, but I can tell you one thing- God is in control. There's nothing anyone can do to alter his purpose for my life and for yours.

For Nsoko there are a lot of prospects. Initially, there were supposed to be no teams coming to Nsoko because of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that has made things very expensive for us. When South Africa catches a cold, Swaziland sneezes. God being God, we're having a lot of interest from people saying expensive or not, we are coming to Nsoko. This is God, because we are fully dependent on what the teams do when they get to Nsoko for now. I would like to say thank you to all those individuals who are making decisions every day to say "we want to be part of what God is doing in the community of Nsoko".

There are those of you who are interested in helping meet my medical needs. You may contact Scott Borg at Adventures in Missions, scottborg@adventures.org. I know some of you would like to know what was wrong with Pastor Gift. The doctors have said it is a stress related sickness. I am currently seeing a clinical psychologist. I humbly request your prayers as I go through this difficult patch in my life. The things that are happening in Nsoko will never be ignored. Today I met one of the gogos waiting for me in my house. She cried and said, "Pastor, I don't have anything to eat. I used to depend on farming, but the sun destroyed all my crops. Help me, Pastor." In my pocket I had fuel money and needed it, but the need for the gogo was more urgent than me being mobile and secure with gas. So, I drove to Nsoko, bought her Mealy Meal and some vegetables. She will eat and when it is finished what is she going to do? Things like this can depress you. They can cause you a lot of stress. They can mess up your mind. So please pray that I learn not to take these things to heart, but to trust the Lord that he will make a way for the people.

MY HOPE IS THAT THIS YEAR COMES WITH A NEW DAWN. GOD GRANT US WISDOM IN HOW WE SHOULD APROACH THE CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US.

The Year That Was

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As we come towards the end of the year, we are grateful to God Almighty for graciously leading us thus far. When we look back we realize that it is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the Lord. I would like to look back and say God is good for He did send the right people at the right time. Nsoko is never the same again because of their efforts and sacrifice.

I may not have the teams in order, but we're thankful to Scott Borg for leading a team we called an "Adult Team". Mahangeni CarePoint has a store house and potential regular support because of their work. We can't forget Matt Slawson and Amanda Roberts for leading the first Real Life team to live right on the premises with us. You guys were the turning point of Nsoko. You will be forever remembered. Guys like you all are forever embedded in our hearts. I would also like to mention Coach Hannah and the World Race team. Oh girls, you made the sport ministry exciting. Your work at the CarePoints will live on. We are grateful also to Morgan who led a young adults team from her church. Oh the children games were a bomb. This has paved the way to a working relationship with Pastor Mkhwanazi through Kristy and her church. Morgan, the G42 Football Club owes you a lot. You linked us with Jeremiah whom we love so much and we are yearning to meet him this side of the grave. The soccer team that you support is turning boys into men. It has become an integral part of the ministry here in Nsoko. Thank you for your support. How can we forget Pamela, Ericka, and Sydney? You girls led an all girls Real Life team. But I'll say, you are my best men. Thank you for all the hard work, sacrifice, and prayers. I can never forget the prayer support you afforded to me and my family. You would stop me on the path and say "Pastor Gift, can we pray with you?" And I would say "Sure, do." Crazy, God answered all your prayers. I now bless you in all your future endeavors, may the God I serve reward you a thousand times more than what you are now. Thank you to the World Race team that is still on the race. We remember all of you guys- William, Matt, Tiffany, Coli, and Scotty. Thank you for coming to Nsoko. Though it was short, it was worth it. We say thank you to the combined Vision Trip 2009. Thank you Mr. Mudd and Borg for leading this team. The prospects are great. We also want to thank the NFL wives. You blessed our women and my boy MuchMoney. You left an impact in Nsoko. Thank you so much. We currently have a team of five- Jon, Bryan, Jessica, Katie, and Lila. I would like to call them our temporal staff. Thank you guys for being here ministering together. That's the Novas team. I would like to mention Patty and Bob. You guys are amazing.

Yes, the year that was.

We have seen a lot of things happening. Praise be to God. The Luke Commission came down to Nsoko and people were helped. Thank you to Echo, Jumbo, Dennis, and the whole AIM staff for your commitment during this time. We have been able to transform what was a community center into dormitories. This year has seen the clinic operating fully. How can we forget the soccer team that has been instrumental in uniting the community? God has blessed the church, the womens ministry, and community outreaches.

The storm tried to spoil a lot of things, but God is still good. We do have some minor damages, we trust though that all will be fixed soon.

In the new year, we would like to concentrate on leadership development and infrastructure. We're expecting a team that will be instrumental in the achievement of this goal. However, the main thrust is to have Nsoko become what God would like it to be. Nsoko will be a community that brings glory to God. Our hope is to give hope to the people of Nsoko. Recently we've witnessed rains and that gives us hope.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORTED US IN THE YEAR THAT WAS. WE ARE INDEBTED TO YOU. JAMES 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Long Silence

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

People say a lot of things about being silent. They say 'Silence is Golden', 'Since is more vocal than words', and 'Silence is a virtue'.

In this case being silent, that is not posting blogs, was a matter of not getting time to do it and a lack of close by facilities. Somehow, I feel the happenings of the last two months or so were a challenge to express in words. We had several people from our HIV/AIDS group die, children being abandoned by mothers because they can no longer support them financially and emotionally. There were a lot of other challenges we faced but through it all the Lord has been with us.

Praise be to God our heavenly Father because he knows how to encourage us. We had in the month of October a Real Life team that ministered in Nsoko. These young people have been indeed Jesus to the people of Nsoko. I want right now to say thank you to the leaders; Erica Z, Pamela, and Sydney. Yes thank you to the team; Mollie, Bailey, Beth, Faith, Abbie, Jenny,Julie, Linldly, Brooke, Ashely,Amy, Rachel, Erica B, and Laura. Thank you all girls team for such a wonderful work while with us in Nsoko. You came at a time that we were implementing changes but never gave us a problem, but stuck in with us in serving the community.

Thank you for working at the care-points, visiting with the people, helping in sports ministry, helping build the camp house showers, giving of your money to worthy causes. You did a lot and I cannot because of time constraints count it all. Above everything else thank you for being Jesus to the poor. You became part of the community like a real 'incarnation' (identifying with) to the world of the needy. People will never forget how you helped Dudu's (God bless her soul) family during their time of great need. From transporting the body, buying the coffin, picking up the stones to make the grave, and those genuine tears as grieved her death. Thank you.

There is heroin I want to thank.

Traci Vensumeren!You are THEE MAN. How I wish you lived in Swazi with your soon to be husband. You can do almost anything, the ideal missionary. Your accomplishments while here in Swazi are inumerable. Your heart is amazing. Your dertemination wonderful. Your focus on a task and professionalism astounding. Hey girl I am running out of words to discribe how thankful we are for your hands on efforts while you were here. Thank you for the way you care for the Gama family.

Vision Trip

Vision Trip 2009. Thank you guys for coming over to Nsoko even for those short momennts. You renewed our hope. We can dream again. You made us regain the vitality for ministry. We will always treasure those personal conversations. Scott and Bob, thank you for doing such a good job leading this vision trip and I know for sure that the objectives were met as planned.

I hope by now you understand about the silence. A lot has been going on and God has been faithful as always.

There are a lot of people in the background here and in the USA. They are praying for us, daily encouraging us, and giving financial support. To all of you we say thank you and your giving is not in vain. We need your support more then ever. There are a lot of simple projects that are making a huge difference in Nsoko. We are now in the process of fully establishing a "Foster Parenting" program. If you happen to want to know more about this you can email me at giftmistries@yahoo.com or scottborg@adventures.org

Thank you again; hope to be a regular poster again. I love you all.

Giving Up Your Children

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When I walked into the room, Pastor Gift was talking with a woman named Busisiwe. I had seen her down at the Nsoko Center an hour or so earlier, but she didn't speak enough English to explain why she was there. I noticed the growths on her neck, and assumed she was here to ask for money for the doctor; for which I later felt foolish for judging so hastily.

Pastor Gift had asked me to come up to meet her, and took a few minutes to fill me in on what her story was. Busisiwe is at the of her rope, and has run out of ideas and even hope. She has been unable to provide for her children for some time now, and at this point doesn't feel like she can even care for them if food was supplied. She mentioned that she is supposed to have surgery for her tumors, and the doctors said there is a good chance she may not survive. She is dying, and is at the point that she is ready to leave her children somewhere...anywhere.

Busisiwe tried to hold back the tears as she continued to communicate the desperation she has reached. Her three children range from six to eleven. Busisiwe and her kids have been squatting with another family, but resources have run out, and they no longer have anywhere to stay.

While Busisiwe was fixed some food in the kitchen, Pastor Gift and I tried to brainstorm how to handle this immediate need. After a while, we came up with an idea that we thought would work well, at least temporarily. We made a couple of phone calls, and with a little walking through the community, we had a home for them. One of the gogos (grandmothers) in the area has her own homestead and lives alone. She has no source of income, and relies on her children to support her. I know one of her daughters, another gogo, and she is struggling to make ends meet as it is with her own family, and the son of her deceased sister.

We agreed to buy one-months' worth of food for the go-go, Busisiwe, her three kids, and Abigail in exchange for the go-go keeping them with her as her own family. This is true community, and family--taking in one another and working together to make sure everyone has food and other basic needs. This has the potential to benefit all of the individuals involved, if it is a good fit.

Busisiwe was beside herself with gratitude, and even was able to smile for a few photos before she left. I gave her some money for transport, and sent her off with a small meal for the road. She will be returning in a day or two with her kids and their meager belongings, to begin to settle in.

Please, be praying for her health, her hope, and her heart--they all need a good boost. Pray that we are able to be Christ's hands and feet to her and her children, and that it will be a good fit for them, Abigail, and the go-go. Pray, also, that we will come up with a more permanent solution to this frequent and ongoing problem here. This is not the first, and certainly won't be the last time someone shows up wanting to leave their children.

I had to forgive her...but she still have to fix it

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It is a Friday morning and as usual I have to go through my rounds. This Friday I have to take Amy Joe, Kim Martins, and Christine to Joyela Care Point. The main errand for the day is to take Winile and Bhek'musa to Mbabane so we could pay their exam fees.

I wake up with no funny feelings and prepare myself for the day. Christine indicates that they are ready to go and we all drive to Joyela. At Joyela the ladies are able to talk to the 'gogo's' and play with the children while I try to write something in my car. When they are done we say our goodbyes and that means I am free to go to Mbabane. However, I had to go to Matata first, withdraw money and then head to Mbabane with the two young people.

As we drive into Matata we hear a loud car bell but ignore it because there several cars driving past us. All of a sudden we see this Hundai SUV heading for our side of the road. Behind us there is a big lorry and behind her there is a mini-truck. She is like 10 metres away and there is no way out. I applied breaks and the inevitable happened, she bumped into my car head on. In her car there are three small children and they are all astounished. She comes out of her car as someone who is waking up from a deep sleep. She apologizes and tells us that she is from a two week long workshop so she is tired. It is then clear that she slept on the stirring wheel and when her elder child tried to wake her up, she pressed on the gas pedal and the rest is history.

When the police came she admitted that she is on the wrong and she would like to be allowed to negotiate with me. I asked that we write down police statements before we could talk. She asked for three quotes because she wants to fix my car. She also apologized for any inconvience caused by the accident. We exchanged contact details, toured both cars to safety and I was without transport.

I began to think about what could have happened. If I decided to swerve on the right she could have come right into my passenger side door and killed Bhek'musa. Swerving to the left I could have hit the trees and she hit my side door and I would be dead. Let assume I was not there and no other car was there, her car could have overturned and in the process killing her and her three small children. The left was just full of trees and rocks. Why did I have to be the one there at that particular time? Why was I the sacrifice as it seems I had to be the one?

This has brought a lot of incovinience. We missed the deadline and I am back to the time when transport was a problem. Yes the damage is minor but it will take a week or two to fix. There are delays that I can now do nothing about, appointments to be cancelled and a lot of other things. But may be, just may be, I was there to save a life.

Please pray that this lady, who is a dirvocee, may be able to fix my car. Pray that she may be able to realize like I do that worse could have happened. Even though she is paying for her mistake, may she realize that I have truly forgiven her. This is like you were walking on the road and a car knocks you down. The driver may forgive you but your bones won't heal just because you were forgiven. This has come to me as a lesson that God indeed does forgive us but somehow the consequences of our sin linger longer then we would like.

Please pray for God's protection on our lives. We need this car before the 11th of September.

Thank you.

P/S I apologize for not posting updates for such a long time, internet was down in Matat.

Caught Between Generations

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This winter has made me to think of a phenomenon of being in a minister of the gospel. We have had a Real Life team made mainly of twenty somethings come over to Nsoko. While they were here we had an Adult team work with us. Last week we were hosting a Young Adult team led by Morgan and for the next three weeks we have a group of young people on the World Race. Hosting and working with these teams made me think about the responsility to touch generations with the gracious truth.

Here in Nsoko we are about children. However, these children have parents and the parents have grown up sons and daughters becoming parents in 'light speed'. It is quite interesting that Seth Barnes, the founder of AIM is revisiting the AIM mission statement www.sethbarnes.org . These days I am asking God what does he really want to do in Nsoko. I guess I am kind of looking to find His mission too. Because we could very easily find ourselves doing our own thing or what other people think we must be doing. What does God want us to be in the community of Nsoko? We have an up coming generation faced with the despair brought about by hiv/aids. In a recent outreach by the Luke Commission 9 out 10 people tested hiv positive. This is the generation we are told would be wiped out by 2050.

Yesterday, I found myself going through the updates that Isabel Maldonaldo was working on while living with us in Nsoko. I was looking at the records of the Mbuthu care-point where I stumbled upon a handwritten note: Siphesihle Mavimbela died last month. I was shocked that the children are dying and some of them I do not get to be told. I knew Siphesihle and would have loved to be at her funeral. I began to think about the many hiv positive children at our care-points and wondered how long they have to live? What can I do to make their short lives as worthwhile as possible. We are soon to launch a ministry that would cause the children to actively tell their story so they could be remembered.

The sports ministry is proving to be effective in reaching out to the youngmen and women. This is the sexual active generation. A majority of them already hiv positive but not yet sick. I could count them as part of the dying generation and they need to be saved. Swazis are to save Swazis, but the naked truth is, we need all the help we can have. We are grateful to Bloom clothing for helping us with the soccer kit for the youngmen and we are hoping to reap a big harvest of souls through it. This last Saturday we were selecting the best 25 to be on the travelling team and 42 youngmen were there for the try outs. Pastor Themba and Walter Dlamini of IMAG were there. Pastor Walter made several powerful remarks but I would like to quote him on this one: You may lose a game but does not mean you have lost the league. In life you will have setbacks just like in sports, but you do not have to give up on life. Your best is yet to come.

We also have the generation that is almost dead. It is represented by the almost 60 nin our hiv/aids support group. They are the ones the current World Race teams currently in Nsoko is reaching out to. These two teams, Spectacle and Indelible, are divided into twos and are providing home based care to the terminally ill. They are feeding, washing and doing general nursing on the dying. One girl commented to me and said she is now 25 years but she had only seen one hiv positive person in her whole life, so it kind of freaky, to use her words, to experience these things here in Nsoko.

We are to reach the up coming generations and give them hope, we are to guide the present generation, and we are to help the dying generation forgive themselves as well as make a difference. We are called to the generations.

I was just thinking aloud.

Captain My Captain

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Recently we were driving to care-points with the Young Adult Team and my wife calls me and say you have to see a boy from Ngunya care-point. I inquire what is important about this boy and she tells me his penis is infected somehow and no knows why. We tried our best but could not get to the boy that day.

I was taken aback by this piece of information because I am currently working on a very gross case involving young boys and a 20 something old woman. According to the boys, this girl known to me but cannot be disclosed because of obvious reasons pays them to have sex with her. Gross!These boys are between 12 and 14 years of age. Looking at the alleged girl I doubt she could do something like that. However, several of the boys have been treated for sexual transmitted infections and they all allege to have been of service to her. I believe I am about to solve this mistry the best way it could be solved.

We eventually go to see the young boy at his school. I sat with him down and we talked man to man. He was very open and confident. It was not surprising to me that at his age he understood what I wanted to know concerning his infection and laughed at my attempt at talking to him as if he was a clueless child (in fact he is a child but what can I say!). He blankly told me that it is not what I think it is, yes he has done that before but it has been a very long time. What is a very long time to a boy his age? Morgan and I went back to the school on Thursday to take the boy to Matata clinic. He looked confident even though he was in his torn uniform. He seems to be a well nurtured boy by the looks of the clean uniform and clean combed short hair.

When we got to Matata, the nurse confirmed that it was just an infection from possibly an insect bite. Wheeeh! Relief! Morgan bought him a full new uniform: shirt, pants, socks, and shoes. While at it, we bought Maswane 2 new blankets and a mattress. The boy was treated to a great lunch at the 1896 Cafe' and we went back to join the team that was already busy with kidzgames. I have to take him back to the clinic this coming Thursday and hopefully the infection has been overcome by the antibiotics he has been taking. This boy is one of three orphans living with their gogo at Ngunya. It was a privilige to watch him smile in his new uniform. Thank you Morgan and the young adults team. We are touching one life at a time.I just love such moments of total grace given to a child. Its' like heaven.

My Kingdom is not of this World

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Events of this past month have reminded me of Jesus and his ministry. Jesus was most often misunderstood by the people of his time and many are times he had to remind his followers that he had different opinions when it comes to life then what they expected him to live.

Ever since this summer started, which is our winter in Swazi, God has truly blessed and grown the ministry in Nsoko. Teams have been flowing our direction and praise God they have been effective in accomplishing the targets set. Scott and Marcia came over to Swazi and have been instrumental in making sure that we still following God's lead in all what we do in his name. We cannot stop praising God for the Real Life Team that came and stayed with us for two months. These young people are a crazy bunch. They are daring and ready to show at all times that they not living for Jesus but Jesus is alive through them. The Real Livers ministered to the core of Nsoko needs hence resurrecting and reviving our hope in the future.

While the RLs were still here, Scott and Marcia led an Adult Team that included a couple of ypung people. For the first time in Nsoko we had a team focusing on one care-point. Mahangeni Care-point will never nbe the same because of what these wonderful people did while they were here. Another milestone with this team is when we did home visitations and left the homes we visited with food. This ministry had an impact that I cannot be able to articulate in words. Praise God for people who come here and spend not only themselves but also what they have to the glory of God. Mangangeni now has a blue classroom and storehouse because of the last team.

Wow! Wow! Wow! A Young Adults Team led by none other then Morgan Makhosazane Macknown came. We still trying to recover from the high productivity displayed by these wonderful people. Kristy the passionate one, Tegan the experimental teacher, Lacey the gentlelady, Jaclyn the calm and thoughtful one, Paloma the most talented photographer with a great smile, Morgan the go getter, Nubie the best cook to come to Nsoko, Branden the energetic one, Kevin the polite one, and Brian the motivated one. I have never seen men who love children like the guys that were just here. These guys are an example to the male spieces. We were doing kidzgames with children and Legacy Books for the hiv/aids support group. We also painted Mahangeni Care-point in two hours.

We are now expecting two World Race teams and looking forward to changing one life at a time. In all the above things I have mentioned, it is impossible to highlight the moments where individual lives were touched. These teams encounter the people of Nsoko on a one on one basis and indeed the Kingdom of God is manifested here on earth. These two teams have come to manifest the Kingdom of God and to me it is a blessing that they are coming.

No wonder the people ended up crucifying Jesus on the cross. He made all these claims that somehow gave hope to be delivered from Roman oppression. But the he would say; "My kingdom is not of this world." All the abuse cases and what have you sometimes make me wish I can organise a big march to protest to the authorities. However, that is how the world operate. What we have to do is come along these people and reaveal kingdom. Sometimes in suffering God is magnified. "When I am weak then I am strong." As a leader here, I do get misunderstood and I wish I can prove my innocence. That is exactly how the world does things, proving to others. Success is interpreted differently by different people. All I would like to say, we do not think or do things as the world think or does things.

"OUR KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD" Thank you for coming along and supporting our ministry here in Nsoko. Your words of encouragement are a motivation to us. Your financial support the oil that keeps the fire burning. Teams, you are the hands and mouths that we forever would need. Thank you for coming even during the economic crisis. This is like sowing in times of famine and may God make you reap a hundredfold like Isaac did.

BTW.

September 11, is my wife and I 's wedding anniversary. You are our family and I would like to take my wife somewhere special in honor of her allowing me to be where God wants me to be. I prayed about this and I feel I could mention it here. If there is anyone interested in helping me surprise my wife you welcome. She does not read my blogs, so it will be a surprise indeed. Email me to find out my idea of a surprise because I cannot mention it here.

Thank you,

She Knows Not A Man!

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Real Life Team has left for Manzini and I am sitted in my house with Mxolisi playing a game of cards. I'm trying to tone down in preparation for the Young Adult coming with Morgan. Phumzile, a shop keeper from the small grocery shop across the street comes running into the house as if something is after her. "Pastor, they have sent me to call you. Maswane is very sick and they need your help", she announces.

We immidiately stop playing and the much needed toning down and rush for the Matsenjwa homestead which is not more than 4 kilometres from the Community Center. We find this 19 year old girl writhing in pain and her grandmother begins to tell us what is wrong with her. I began to observe her from a distance and realized what was wrong with her. I then drove back home to get my first aid kit and a book loaned to me by Isabel 'When the Doctor is Away'. Maswane has a terrible skin problem. Her skin looks like a rough snake or lizard skin and has sores that are full of abscess all over the body. Her breasts are covered in scales that are hard to look at. Putting gloves in my hands I began to imagine the pain she was going through and wanted to know all about where it began. After having washed her sores, applied sore cream to them, I then gave her antibiotics and pain tablets. We used a vitamin c drink to wash them down her throat and waited. When she looked calm and settled I ordered everyone out so I could talk to her. Here is what transpired:

"Tell me Maswane what happened to you when you were young?", I asked.

"Pastor, I have been meaning to talk to someone about this before I die. When I was almost six years old, in the year 2000, I was raped by my martenal cousin. It happened right here in this house. Every one was away and I was not schooling then. He came to the house early in the morning and he raped me. The issue was reported to the police and I was taken to Saint Philips clinic for examination. But to this day nothing has happened to my cousin Zakhele. I hear he has done a similar thing to another five year old. They say he has completely damaged the young girl womanhood. No wonder, he damaged me too. They even say he is now on the most wanted police list because he raped an older woman.

Pastor, there is something else I must tell you. Not only Zakhele raped me but also my uncle. He is my father 's brother because they share the same mother but they have different fathers. He died in December but after a long illness. The scales you see on my body started soon after Zakhele raped me, but I think I got HIV from my uncle. I have only one wish now, to see Zakhele, my cousin paying for his sins. My uncle is dead and I cannot do anything about it now. However, can you help me pastor make sure the police find Zakhele and put him in jail."

"Where is he"?

"I hear he is up the mountain with relatives in South Africa. It is possible to get to him. You know what pastor. One thing that is painful in this whole thing is that I have never had a man have me because I consented. All the men that have been with me they had done so by force. My privates parts were damaged from young and now I DO NOT KNOW A MAN."

When she said this, I was already weeping and could not imagine the amount of emotional pain she is going through even as I write. Maswane is a real person and this is a true story. It is not fiction at all as it might seem. The Real Life Team while in Nsoko visited with Maswane on several occassions. In fact there is one girl who struck some kind of a relationship with her. We praise God for these teams because they help by spending time with the dying in Nsoko. I believe for Maswane to open up to me is because of the ground work that has been done by the team members.

Her mother came to me in the afternoon to say thank you for helping her daughter while she was at the farms working. She narrated how painful it is to leave her daughter alone in the morning for work. There is nothing she could do since she is the bread winner. She confirmed Maswane's rape by the cousin and how that created animosity in the family. She was surprised to learn that she was also raped by the late uncle and we began to cry together. We cried with no one to comfort us. I'm not sure why I was crying. May be because crying was the only thing I could do. She cried right by the training ground where she found me and it hurt so deep to see a mother weeping for a daughter that knows not a man.

Maswane gave me permission to use her story and her real name so people could realize the level of child abuse have come to in Swaziland. I do not know how to react. I do not know what to do. I do not know what to think. How can we stop this? How can one fulfill Maswane's wish?

Pray!

Hope Against Hope

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Nsoko community once again is facing a challenge within a challenge. Most people in this area depend on Government food grants to survive. What I do not understand is why it takes so long for Goverment to replenish the food supply to these people?

Yesterday I was sitting in my house doing administrative work when I heard a timid knock at the door. At first I thought it was my puppy now becoming big dog Max. I heard the gentle but desperate knock on the accompanied by murmuring sounds. I reluctantly stood up and went to check this unusual knock out. Guess what I found out there? God. Yes, I saw God. But this time it is not as I expected to see God. He was represented by this old lady. This lady was so frail and skiny you could have thought she was dead. I enquired, "how can I help you gogo". She shyly gave a response, "I am hungry my son, help I am dying." I immediately thought of what we had at the kitchen. I wish Isabel was writing this blog as a third person because it is difficult to say this. We had no food too except some bread that I was serving for my daughter when she comes from school.

The Spirit within me said I you going to spare food for your daughter and not give God right at your door. Joy came upon my spirit right then and I went to the kitchen and began to make juice and took all the slices of bread put it on a tray and went to give the old lady outside. Her eyes immediatetly brightened at the sight of food. I watched her eat as if she had not eaten in days. When she was done I cannot remember how many times she said "God bless you my son", "Thank you so much" with that shaking timid voice. I watched her as she stoop up to leave her body telling a story of shame as she moved. As she disappeared she left me with a picture of a miserable face that does not remember any joy. Here is someone that has lived a life of shame most of her life.

She is just one out of so many. Scott Borg has been to Nsoko this month with an Adult Team that happened to have teenagers too. On Tuesday and Thursday we visited homes for ministry. This team had bought basic food parcels to give out to the homes we visited. I went with a team to a home that I know is a youth headed family. Father and mother are dead only the children survive them. The World Racers would remember Mfan'thini. This is his family. They have absolutely no means. This young girl, hard as it is to admit, has to sometimes prostitute herself to feed the to young sisters, younger brother and her own small child. On the secong visit we went to this gogo's home.She is trying her best to raise her grandchildren that were left behind by her dead children. The only surviving daughter destroyed her house and left never to come back.

I must say, the people of Nsoko are still full of hope. They hope in life, they hope in hope, and above all they have hope in God.How people survive hear sometimes I do not know. But the fact is they do survive. They hope against hope. As I write in my car there is an envelope full if HIV results. The Luke Commission worker tells me that almost all of the people who got tested, they tested positive. She mentioned a special case of a fifteen year old who is in a critical position because her CD4 count is very low. HIV and poverty somehow do assist one another. They are cousins. These people are poor and they are also the most infected. In Swaziland the infection rate is at 42%. Nsoko has a 49% infection rate. People are dying and in numbers. Businesses are being affected.

The other day I was called upon to rescue a young man of about 22 years. He was from hospital to collect his ARV's. He had just enough money for transport and nothing for food. He fell next to the gate because he could not walk any longer. We have hope though. We hope against hope. The Real Life team is rounding up its ministry in Nsoko. Having these vibrant young people minister to their counterparts does give a ray of hope. It makes me think: God does care about Nsoko.

Do you?

My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me.

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I have been trying very hard to get to do this, but as you know from my previous post that we have teams in Nsoko as I write. This translates to work, work and work. It becomes difficult to update a blog in these circumstances but knowing you, you have already granted me grace.

Suffering! That dreaded word. Sometimes living with a lot of it may make one go numb. By law I cannot show you pictures of the following story but here it goes:

A 'gogo' (the name given to older ladies in Swazi) at a care point comes to me and tells me, "we are terrified". I ask, "Why? Why are you terrified and about what?" She then begins to relate the story of her now hardly sixteen year old daughter.

She and her children live in a not so well built home mainly because of poverty. As she is widowed and unemployed there is no hope of that ever improving. Their main house that is practically just a one roomed stick and mud hut does not have a strong enough door. Allow me to call her Martha. Martha shares this hut with her children. She sometimes has to leave the children alone overnight to attend night vigils and other cultural activities. In Swaziland when a person dies in the community, older women go and sleep at the bereaved family.

A few years ago Martha had to go to a night vigil leaving behind her then thirteen year old daughter and her siblings. A man who was about forty years old at that time came to Martha 's home and raped her eldest daughter, the thirteen year old. While at it, the man gave to this girl I would call Grace the HIV virus. Yes, the man was arrested and spent sometime in jail. The reason Martha was terrified is simply because the man has just finished his time in jail. Grace is living through the whole ordeal all over again. Nightmares and sleepless nights. Having to see the same man who has subjected her to so much suffering brings shameful memories to the girl. The man has done his time. But will Grace ever be free from her emotional prison?

Grace has become a sickly person because of her HIV status. Doctors recommend that she gets a balanced diet. Martha wonders where to get a balanced diet since they struggle to get food just to fill their stomachs. She has to watch her daughter lose weight everyday and there is nothing she can do about it. As she relates this story to me all kinds of emotions go through my mind. Anger, rage, pain, and hatred. I hate this guy with all the hatred there is. I know I am supposed to love but honestly I feel hate.

In Nsoko things are happening. The team we have here under the leadership of Matthew and Amanda are into it. They do care point work with notable ecxellence, home visits, and some manual work at the main centre, at a care point that we are building a storehouse and at Nomsa's house digging an out-house. We have visited a hospital and hopefully soon we will visit the Big Bend Prison. This team is a blessing to the children and young people around Nsoko. In the afternoons I have noticed that the team is spending quality time with the children and the youth. Solid relationships are being established here and all is praise to God. Austin does speak the gospel to the soccer team once a week after training. The boys appreciate someone their age communicating the gospel so effectively to them.

Let me tell you about Zindwendweni. Zindwendweni is past Nsoko and deep into the bushes. There is a pastor there that went to the same seminary that I attended. He is doing all he can to help the people of Zindwendweni. Isabel and I visited his church one Sunday morning and the needs we saw overwhelmed us. We challenged the Nsoko church to donate clothes to the Zindwendweni church and any other things that they might be willing to give. The response we got from the our church is very encouraging. A lot of clothes were donated. Thanks to the presence of the Real Life team, they also gave a lot of clothes and other amenities. We drove to Zindwendweni last Sunday and after the service we watched as the people did 'shopping' from the clothes we had brought with us and the children were being given the most needed food in Pap and Beans. Chelsea helped me prepare this relish in the morning of that very Sunday.

For those who are interested in Eliza and Kiwi's case. There is progress. Matthew and I went to see the senior Invesigations Officer who promised us he would be personally attending to this case. Eliza and Kiwi are the kids that we are trying to get out of 'negligent' homes. I know the right words to use would be 'abusive', but the police say they sense its more negligence than abuse. Wow! A lot has happened since my last blog post and it is practically impossible to update you in all of it. This week we welcome Scott Borg and Marcia as they lead an adult team to Nsoko. They will be building a care point storehouse and meeting with strategic ministry groups. We looking forward to another fruitful week.

SHALOM! SHALOM! SHALOM! SHALOM!

But Why?

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Many of my college friends, as well as ministry friends are doing well for themselves. I have the pleasure of bumping into them more and more these days either in the physical sphere or the virtual world also known as cyberspace. There is are common questions they pose towards me as if they have come together to rehearse what they would say when they happen to meet me:

"Where are you now? What are you doing?

I then religiously tell them that I and my family live in Nsoko and work with the community people there. More questions would then follow: What on earth can one do in that godforsaken area? What are you doing exactly in the community? What do you benefit in staying and working there? And usually the last words words would be something like good for you, and may God bless you.

This has caused me to ask myself; why do I do what I do really? This is kind of a self evaluation exercise for which I am pleased to have able to do.

Why do we help feed the hundreds of hungry children on a daily basis. What benefit are there for identifying with the dying and hopeless. What good is there for giving hope to the poor and sometimes helpless. Why sometimes endure loneliness and emotional pain for the sake of seemingly ungrateful people. There are many challenges faced by a missionary in any given situation. Unfortunately for the missionary, the people you purport to help are the very people who are willing to nail you to the cross. The mere fact that you are having somebody's interest at heart does not guarantee that they would too have your interest at heart. It is in most cases the other way around. Poor people are the most unappreciative people I have ever met.

Poor people are competing for the scarce resources which leads to a lot of jealousy, strife, and to coveting. They then tend to be lonely and dejected. "A poor man is shunned by all his relatives_ how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found." Proverbs 19:7 NIV

Why minister to people that even their own friends and relatives have rejected? Many of the children here have been abandoned by their egocentric fathers. They are seen by many as the 'bastards', the scum of the village. To many they are the unlucky lot that deserve only pity nothing else. Why on earth would one take his or her family to live with these?

The answer is simple: THEY BELONG TO GOD, GOD LOVES THE POOR.

"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Proverbs 19:17 NIV

It is on this note that I would like to welcome the teams coming to Nsoko this summer. May I welcome the Real Life Team of about 22 people arriving in Africa on June 04, 2009. With this team we hope for seven weeks to touch the poor and leave them with a song of hope: "Let the weak say I am strong....let the poor say I am rich....because of what the LORD has done for me."

We will teach Jesus to children, feed them and play with them. We will visit hospitals and prisons. We will reach out to the community through home visitations, praying for the sick as Jesus did. We mingle with the youth through sport programs and bible studies. We will be Jesus in the flesh in all that we do. With this team we hope to create a presence that would never leave Nsoko the same.

May I also welcome the June 27, 2009 Adult Team. Wow! God will manifest Himself also with this team to the people of Nsoko. This team has several people with special talents and giftings. We have about three children ministers, one HIV/AIDS Fundi (Scholar) with a Master's Degree. We hope to have mini-workshops for children ministry workesrs, HIV/AIDS Counselors, a ministry to the HIV/AIDS support group and a community health motivation day thrown in there. We also hope to build our most malnourished care-point a store-house for the food that we donate to this care-point. The carepoint is known as Mahangeni. My favourite, with this team we also hope to build a chicken coup and populate it with a hundred chickens in support of the HIV/AIDS Support Group.

And last but not least, we are looking forward to the July 27 Team. This team is coming mainly for the children and they have a special program known as kidzgames. We will be, with the help nof our soccer and netball players, investing a lot of confidence through sport to the children of Nsoko. This will be a time of loving on the kids and my my my am I looking forward to it!

May God grant travelling mercies to all the individuals in these teams and His perfect peace be upon you all.

In His Own Time and His Own Way

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Shalom!

God is good and all the time. It has been a while that we have had a need for a car in Nsoko. We had done all we could to meet this need and God in his own way has met. This week I have been hunting for a car and found a perfect one. I am not yet driving it because of logistics but praise God Almighty he has provided.

How I wish I could know how to download pictures onto this blog. Jumbo gave me a camera, I took the pictures, but now I have spent a lot of time trying to upload. The computer says it needs a jpg not my MG file. Not to worry, here is a story to show how great God is.

I would like to tell you where this money came from...it is SUCH a Jesus story! The donor's family escaped from Romania in the 1980's when it came under communist control. They lost all their land and possessions. Through the grace of God, their family is now being given restitution for what was lost. This was an unexpected blessing and they chose to pass along that blessing to our ministry. The donor wrote to tell us their story and says, "Thanks for all you do, and for giving me an opportunity to give. It is my absolute delight:)!"
We are so thankful for their generosity.

Our God reigns! Coming back to Nsoko. We have seen the hand of God at work. However, there are some very disturbing scenarios.

Many of you will remember Dudu Mngometulu from the WorldRace Blogs: www.theworldrace.org. Dudu is sick with TB. At first they diagnosed her with the wrong TB strain and gave her a wrong medication. With the help of the Worldracers we were able to take

her to a reputable hospital. That is when they discovered that she is on a wrong medication and therapy. Actually, she has MDR which is a very serious strain of TB.

The bad news are we have only one hospital that can treat this type of TB and it is full with no hope of space opening up soon. The only option is to take Dudu to South Africa. We tried getting the medication (in the form of injections), but we need a proffessional nurse to administer it. We asked a local nurse who is senior to help her but when she is not around no one help. In order to try and not complicate things she has since stopped.

There is hope though. In my next post I might share about another child, just a few months old . She had been bitten by a spitting cobra and her flesh rotting away. God is usung Dorrie, the former manager of Nisela Safaris to help this soul. I will also introduce you to Nomsa and her new house. Till next time. All in His timing!

Grieving with My Daughter

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Death is the most spoken about topic in Nsoko. People die and for me this has become part of life. Every weekend I watch people go to more then one funeral.

An Exception

There is a death however, that became an exception. It changed from observing community routine on a weekend to something that hit hard home to me. A teacher died at the school adjacent to the community center. Pupils in uniform as well as community people came in large numbers to wait for big lorry to transport them to the parental home of this teacher for the funeral.

Miss Mbingo was darling to all the children in the community.My firstborn daughter, Nothando was also very close to her. Nothando used to visit with the teacher often. When Miss Mbingo fell sick, Nothando and her three close friends would go help her sweep and clean the house, fetch her water and other basic things she needed help with. When she died on Easter weekend everyone knew about her death and the children talked about it a lot.

A Confession

Nevertheless, to me this was just another AIDS victim that had succumbed to death. I will also confess that I felt no remorse or even a tinge of saddness over her death (I'm a horrible person sometimes). In my mind I was reasoning that I had done my part in trying to help her becuase if, only if she was not so obstinate she would be alive. Miss Mbingo refused HIV/AIDS treatment believing that the LORD will heal her. I counselled with her to no success and now she was dead. Oh! Lord forgive me.

The Moment of Reality

My daughter came home that evining of the before the funeral with a lot of questions about death. At first I took them as general questions from an infant curious about the ritual of death. I began to give casual answers about how people die so that they can go to their maker in heaven if they accepted the atonement of sins through Jesus.

She then says, "I'm suffering a lot of pain deep in my heart."

Wow! That hit home. There and there I remembered that she was referring to the death of Miss Mbingo. I also recollected that when she was in Grade 1 she lost her class teacher. Prior to that she had lost her maternal Great-Grandmother. Now her friends had lost their Grade 1 teacher who happens to be her friend too. She wanted to know if Miss Mbingo was safe and well where she was.

What struck me the most is my daughter's wish. She wished to be the first to die in the family because she cannot stand losing any of her parents thus becoming an orphan. She plainly said she does not believe she can survive the death of eirther of her parents. She kept on repeating this statememt and by that time my eyes were teary . I tried my best to hold them but my daughter was confused, in pain and hurting. I could not watch her hurt like that but then there was nothing I could do. I ran out of words.

When I cuddled her gentle and began telling her it was alright as I was right there by her side understanding how she feels about this whole thing. She burst out weeping aloud like someone just heard bad news. She let out such a sad mourn it began to hurt me deep inside my soul. I began to cry with her not sure if I was mourning the death of Miss Mbingo or my daughter fractured soul. I kept her in my arms for such a long time that she fell asleep like a very small baby. I did not want to let her go so I too fell asleep with her in my arms. I cannot even remember how my wife took her to bed and commanded me to do the same. But I know she did it somehow.

I believe my daughter is okay now. However, with so many children already sick of AIDS, how am I going to explain their death? I bet I would have to cross that brigde when I get to it. Lord help us. I thought I could share this story in the hope that someone might be healed somehow. I do not know. Lord help us all! May you be gracious to us all.

Its' All About Jesus

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Many would say in christian lingo: He is the reason for the Season. In Swaziland Easters is a big thing. Many churches are organising big events to celebrate that Jesus died and rose again. It is a time where people reflect on the passion and get all spiritual.

Personally, I believe easter should not be an event that we celebrate once a year. It is supopossed to be our lifestyle through out the year. We supposed to testify about the risen Lord in word and deeds. Here in Nsoko we find ourselves in ambiguity. Death is a reality, but it is in this death death that we feel life. I know it does not make sense and it is not supposed to make sense at all.

A father came to me recently to say he does not have food to feed his family. At night he would go to the nearby farms, still sugarcane so his children could have something to it. They do get a meal during the day at the carepoint. The question now is where to get dinner or supper. The father has to stea, I hope Gerrie does not get to read this, to provide dinner for his family.

There is a youngman that had created a bad reputation for himself as a thief. In fact, he is not wanted in many homes and businesses around. When I come with they always say leave that one in the car because we do not trust him. He might see what we have and come to get it in the evening. Recently, he just broke down and cried asking how can I accept him when everyone is rejecting him. I told him is all about Jesus. This guy is having Christ being formed in Him before people's eyes. Some have begun to see a change in him and are congratulating the wrong person; that is me, I do not deserve the glory. It is all about Jesus.

Looking back at the past three months this year, we have achieved a lot in Nsoko. Women have been motivated to live life, children given medical care and clothed, young girls pampered and loved, boys put through soccer clinics, buildings built for the homeless, and health education given to the hiv positive. Feeding hundreds of children on a daily basis a balanced meal. This is all about Jesus.

This Easter I say Glory be to God our Father and Lord, to Jesus the Messiah and to Holy Spirit the enabler. Thank you Holy Spirit.

Thank you also to all of you who pray and financially support the ministry in Nsoko. We need you. That is why we pray everyday for you.

Thank you,

Gift and Philile

The Joy of the Lord

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Joy is a wonderful word. It has always been my prayer to bring joy to as many people as I can. However, one cannot make everyone happy all the time. With a little help this month we have been able to make several people happy.

Nsoko is surrounded by very poor people and some wealthy. The poor have no access to swimming pools and other luxuries. A World Race team, 5 Alive, has been able to host 14 teenage girls at Nisela Guest House for a swim party. The team had an opportunity to speak to those girls about purity and their spiritual life. At the swim partythis past week they were given their own Bibles, while last week they were given clothes. This obviously brought joy to all of them.

Never the less, joy is not about what we have or what we do not have. It is about making somebody's day, making someone great, and giving a person the 'WOW' factor.

We have also been able to take several children from the care points to the clinic in Matata. Asandze stands out from the other children. His left ear looked like it was about to fall off last week, while today it is 60% better. Even his sore infested head is recovering. I hope this brings joy not only to Asandze but to the team as well.

Nomcebo is a young girl with no father. She was able to receive the hamper of food and other goodies from the team. Her mom cried tears off joy when the delivery arrived and I knew somebody's day was made. She said " I do not know how to even say thank you" and I told her to say, "Thank you Jesus!". This is it, that the gospel is brought to the poor, the orphaned, and the widows.

It was great joy when a big truck came to deliver us food at the care center. It took about 15 people over an hour to unload the truck full of canned goods and dry beans. Now we know we can feed our lovely and beautiful children for sometime. We are very grateful to the organization Feed the Hungry for this donation. We hope this will bring joy to the donors and all those who contributed to us receiving this food. Thank you a million!

Nelie is an amazing woman, ever full of joy and energy. She is in her 50's but can still play net ball like a teenager. She is assuming a leadership role where by she might be helping alcoholic women recover. She herself is a reovering alcoholic and has been sober over 21 years. We have a challenge to raise more women up to be as strong as Nelie. She has joy, contentment, and a contagious spirit.

The government has not delivered food rations for sometime around Nsoko. More children and adults are flocking our care points. It is difficult t say no to a hungry person. If Jesus were here, He would say, "Feed them", just as he told the disciples to feed the 5,000. We may not have enough to help feed all these people but, the command is to feed them. Thank you again.

Give Us Our Daily Bread

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Living in Nsoko is an amazing thing. We as a family would not change it for anything any day. Every day we have people to bless. When you live here there are always opportunities to make somebody's day.

This month we are with the World Race team from the 'F Squad'. They are '5 Alive' and boy are they alive. They are ever active, always wanting to do something. They just want to be Jesus to the people I so much love. The people of Nsoko.

With this team in the few days together we have prayed over the dying encouraged the recovering and fed the hungry. Life for many people here is about survival. Zodwa is such person. She is eighteen years old and all alone. Both parents are dead and the only sister she has is no where to be found. Zodwa has to prostitute herself to get food and other basic necessicities.

We try to give her meal meal for pap and some beans. But where do you begin to help a girl that has lost both parents and is alone and lonely? Food is the beginning but how is it possible to restore her self worth after having polluted herself with man? These are the questions I struggle with as I go about this life of adventure. Believe me there are many Zodwas' and they all need someone who can rescue them from this hellish lifestyle.

That is where you come in. We would like to thank you our friends for your support as we minister to the people of Nsoko. We would never have been able to do this if it was not for your prayers and financial support.

My wife has met with some of the women as a follow up to the "Beuaty from the Ashes" campaign. They have resolved to meet once a week every Tuesday. These women's lives are being turned right side up. A transformation, let me call it a regeneration is taking place in Nsoko.

Once again, there is hope for the people in the eastern side of Swaziland. The once forgotten people God has remembered.

Thank You.

Fruitful February with some of the "F Squad" Team Members

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sometimes I wonder what it feels like to be a mother in Swaziland. Many women are facing a crisis that can never be explained in words.

They are watching their children die of HIV/AIDS and other related ailments. Mrs. Mabuyakhulu is one such mother who has a son dying of AIDS. She can afford to smile because of the loving gestures from you our friends.

The January Vision Trip that coincided with the arrival of the F Squad in Swaziland visited her home and prayed over her son. They did not only pray, but one of the vision trip members gave towards the medication of the son. What a blessing it was to be able to take this young man to hospital and see him getting treatment that he would otherwise not have afforded.

We can all smile with Mrs. Mabuyakhulu because there is indeed hope for us. Jesus has not forsaken because there are still people who are willing to be Jesus to the least of these.

Just across the Road of our center there is a young woman dying of AIDS. Her name is Dudu Mngometulu. Dudu was abandoned by her husband while pregnant with the now almost 4 months old baby boy Sinethemba.

When she is not bedridden, she comes to church regulary and she is an active member of our HIV/AIDS Support Group. She has TB and her baby has been discovered to have the sickness also. The World Race Teams that have been with us this month have helped take Dudu to a good hospital, and paid for her hospital fees.

They also made sure that Sinethemba, Dudu 's baby boy, gets medical help also. It is wonderful to see these young people being kingdom in this way. They do not only give money but walk with the person through the pain. Not just one of them, but a majority of them have 'died' with the dying to the point that life began to be observed. It is only in dying that we can value life.

Dudu has enjoyed many hospital visits where she has been able to receive moral support. I can confidently say if it was not for the World Racers, Dudu would have been dead and buried now. What manner of love is this?

It is in this very month that the Swazi Women Story Weekend for Nsoko has been launched. 30 women from Nsoko went to Manzini where they shared their stories with a vision to discard shame and reclaim their dignity as women of Swaziland.

Some of the World Racers have described this weekend as the best in the whole trip. The women were broken down only to be remoulded by the porter. Traveling with one of the women who is also a carepoint teacher for Joyela, Neli Gwebu, we began to talk about the retreat and she said, "As a sober alcoholic anonymous someone, I can tell you that I have never experinced such relief from pain in my life. Watching all the women drowning in a pool of genuine tears just made me to identify with them and in the process receive my own healing." I personally thought, "Wow! The weekend was worth it if someone like Neli, knowing her background and all would describe the weekend like that."

For more about the Women's Weekend, read Krystle Longmire's Blog.

While we had success with the women's retreat, Jen, a nurse with the World Racers got a chance to speak to our HIV/AIDS Support Group members.

She taught on HIV/AIDS, opportunistic infections, hygiene, and many other relevant topics. We had a Swazi lady living with HIV come share her exprience and encourage the group that there is life after HIV.

This was all about giving hope to this hopeless group of men and women. The Red Cross came to provide a testing facility for those who did not know their status. A big number of our local people were able to use this facility.

One of the main things that happened this February is re-training the care point teachers. Lisa, a teacher with World Race has done a good job in this department.

The Team also went to some of the care points to demonstrate what the teachers were being taught. One other highlight is that the teachers are going to receive participation certificates. It has been a fruitful month indeed.

A lot of other things were done and you can follow it on the World Race website: www.theworldrace.org

Reign in Life by the One Part 3

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

For this is a pictureless blog, however, I am getting help from a World Race team. Soon you will visualise what is happening here in Nsoko. God is a gracious God. It is by grace we are saved. The way you attain something demands that you keep doing what you did to get it to maintain. You attain something through falsehood, you 've to keep telling lies to maintain it. Praise be to God because we reign in life through 'receiving the abundance of grace'. It is just like in a natural kingdom, the king does not need to do anything to be king except be born. As we receive 'the abundance of grace' we find ourselves one foot into the reign of life. This coming weekend, 20-22 February 30 women from Nsoko will gather in Manzini. These women have a common bond, suffering and shame. We are hoping that as they share their stories of pain and suffering, somehow they will realize the abundance of grace and begin their reign in life. Nsoko Women Story Weekend is now a reality and may the grace of God be in that hall. I pray that Romans 5:17 become a reality in your life. May you reign in life by the one, Jesus Christ.

Reigning in Life by the One Part 2

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Two Sides of the Same Coin. Today in Nsoko we are hosting a workshop for people who know that they are dying. Almost 50 HIV+ men and women will trained on how take better care of themselves and how they can help in ministry making sure that children are loved and cared for. They will be helped on how they can better minister to bed-ridden individuals through home-based care (home visitation for the sick). Happening at the same time is a carepoints training workshop that started a week ago. It is done on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Life in the Face of Death The scripture referred to in part 1 is found in Romans 5:17. Death came through the first Adam and it has had authority ever since. The second Adam (Jesus) is ushering in a reign of life. It is interesting that Paul says 'death reigned' and 'how much more' those in the new Adam 'shall reign in life by the one Jesus Christ.' How Much More We may see death today as we talk to the men and women being ravaged by HIV/AIDS, but we know there is 'much more' in the Second Adam. It is not the end for Swazi people. Jesus is their hope. Join me in Part 3 as I share on 'they which receive abundance of grace...' Part 4 which will be our last on this topic will be on 'and of the gift of righteousness,...' Reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

Reign in Life by One (Part 1)

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When one lives where death is more of a reality than life, living becomes a choice. The reality in Nsoko is a generation is dying and something has to be done. Not only people are dying, hope is at risk. A people without hope are no different from animals because they have accepted their fate which is death. Our task in this place called NSOKO is to make people realize that they can reign in life by the one. 'For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abudant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!' Yes, it might seem death reigns in NSOKO, however, those who saw this place a year ago will tell you that life is taking over. In the days to come I would like to unpack this scripture on how could one overthrow the reign of death and let life take over.

Ministry in Nsoko

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you for your heart to care for the people of Swaziland. With your partnership we have been able to establish care points, build a community center and a medical clinic and feed orphans and vulnerable children each day.

In a country of less than a million, there are over 120,000 orphans. The country is being ravaged by HIV/AIDS and has the highest infection rate and the highest death rate in the world. The life expectancy is only 28.7 years. According to current statistics, if something drastic doesn't happen soon, by 2050 the entire country will be dead.

Our ministry in Nsoko is bringing hope to these vulnerable children. We are caring for their basic needs and raising them up as disciples. Our vision is to not only rescue these children out of poverty and disease, but to give them a hope and a future!

To support our ministry, please click the"Support Me" link on the left.