The Two Day Travel

 In any other situation, a nine hour layover in Chicago would have been absolutely agonizing; however, thanks to Lindsay's dad, we were blessed with time to hang out in the Admirals Club until we boarded our plane for London at 9:00 p.m. that night.  An eight hour plane ride put us safely on European grounds in London, England.  Some of the girls were able to sleep quite well; Rachael, we soon found out, can literally sleep anywhere, from the floor at the airport to the less than comfortable plane ride.  I was blessed with Rosa's company as my seat partner; unfortunately, neither of us could catch harldy a wink of sleep.  So we decided to watch a movie "together" (as much as you can on a plane).  Arriving in London was exciting!  We had a 13 hour layover, so we were able to take the train into Central London for some sightseeing. We were so thankful to get some fresh air.  We watched the change of guard at the Buckingham palace and had a little picnic and worship in the park.  Poor Linsday was very motion sick from the long day and threw up, but she was such a trooper!  I got sick out the other end.  No details needed.  After we finally got on the plane to Johannesburg I was almost too exhausted to sleep.  For the past two days I had only gotten a total of four hours sleep! AFter watching another mvoie, hoping that it would put me to sleep, I frustratingly looked at the travel clock and saw that we still had six hours of our 12 hour flight still left, and I STILL couldn't sleep!  The last thing I remember after that is praying my way to sleep and Christina waking me up for breakfast.  Finally, I got another five hours of sleep!

After arriving into Joburg, we took a shuttle bus to Swaziland and finally arrived at sunset (we got to watch it set over the mountains on our way in!) around 5:00 p.m.  As it always goes in Swazi, plans are never really watch you think. We arrived to find out that our house was not prepared as we were told it would be, but a German volunteer kindly took care of us.  After a LONG two day travel, we finally rested in a lovely little house as we share three bedrooms.

The first full day in Swazi was quite incredible!  The girls are settling in and SO excited for this month.  Rachel and Kirsten shared their testimonies and we had some great prayer and worship together.  I am AMAZED at the hearts of my teammates. Truly, truly amazed.  After a solid morning devotion together, we set out to Mangwaneni.  Upon arriving, one child immediately asked me if I wanted to see Tenele.  I said of course!  And he told me to go down to see her. But I asked him if he'd just let her know I was here instead.  He insisted that she wouldn't come up to the kitchen but he did as I had asked anyway.

While I watched my teammates melt as they held these dirty, starving, bright-eyed, and LOVING children, my heart was so full!  I lost thoughts of Tenele until I heard the boy call my name and divert my attention from the beautiful kids at my feet to a young woman down the path.  TENELE!

I LITERALLY took off running!  Filled with the much anticipated excitement and joy, I charged down the path to a laughing and smiling Tenele who started running towards me as well!  As we embraced, I was beyond happy tears.

She looks amazing. She looks so joyful! She looks so...CHANGED!  She held her baby and I could just TELL she loves her!  I can also tell her baby loves her mommy, too!

The best part is yet to come... as I am running out of time here at the internet cafe, I'll have to update you later...but I can just tell you this: God has been working miracles in Tenele's life, and I cannot WAIT to learn more while I'm here.

Thanks for all of your prayers, support, and love.
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory!"

The Swazi Adventures Continue with Hosea's Heart

The day I have been waiting for all year is now here, and it's so hard to believe it's real!  I can't fathom how much work the Lord has done in just the last year of my life!  After my prayers and frustrations of wanting people to team with me to help these young women in Swaziland, God has answered loud and clear.  He has hand-picked a group of five amazing women to accompany me on this increcible journey.  After just one day of meeting one another, I can already tell these women will impact my life forever as we seek out God's will for our lives in community and unity.

Pictured below is the Hosea's Heart Mission Team 2012:

Kirsten, Rachael, Christina, Rosa, and Lindsay

We picked up Christina at the airport last night to complete our team!

We are a day away from Swaziland.  Currently, we are in Chicago for a nine hour layover. Sounds disgusting, right? WRONG!  Thanks to Lenny, Lindsay's dad, we are enjoying a layover with people in business suits and high heels!  The looks they give me in my basketball shorts and Hosea's Heart t-shirt are priceless.  We are in the Admirals club, enjoying some complimentary drinks, internet, and comfy seats before we continue to London to Johannesburg to Swaziland!  All the extra layovers give us lots of extra time to bond.

Waiting anxiously in Swaziland are my beautiful kids!  Johannes, Ayanda, and Tenele have been counting down the days of my return and I am so incredibly EXCITED to see them!  I just might melt when I hold baby Mary-Kate (Khetsiwe)!  My Swazi basketball teammates from a year ago are also thrilled to have me come.  They already told me I better be still shooting hoops because they have a game the day after we arrive, and they're expecting me to join of course!

Though I do not know what this month will be like, I could not be more content resting in the Lord's hands, knowing that He is so good.

"Be at rest once again, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."  -Pslam 116:7

To read stories from my teammates, go to: http://www.hoseasheart.org/blog.html

Hosea's Heart, Inc.

I just realized I never actually posted about the biggest excitement of the year: Hosea's Heart, Inc! An official non-profit organization to empower the abused and at-risk women in Swaziland, Africa!  Chris Owen, co-founder or the organization and age old friend, worked hard behind the scenes all year long to help me legalize the non-profit.  Supporters from all over, some I don't even know, are thrilled and excited to walk step by step with us in working to build a girls home in Swaziland.  Please read more about Hosea's Heart at: http://www.hoseasheart.org/index.html

Hush Little Baby

February 25th, 2012... nearly 8 months after leaving Tenele and my children behind, I had the blessing of hearing my childrens' voices over Skype (not video, but I'll take what I can get)! I had been trying to get a hold of my children in Swazi for a long, long time, but I couldn't get through. The line wasn't connecting right or the phone was always off. So I grew quite frustrated and stopped trying to call because it was always a disappointment...well, not this time! This is what I wrote in my journal:

"I finally got to talk to Ayanda today! Oh, her voice and excitement is the music my very sould needed! Thank you so much, Abba! Ayanda excitedly told me that she took Tenele to church last week. SERIOUSLY? TENELE ACTUALLY WENT TO CHURCH?!!! Praise God! Aaaaaand I got to actually TALK TO MY TENELE-BELL! Wow! Seriously, Daddy, thank you for this greatest gift! She sounds so good! She started crying at one point while talking to me and gave the phone to Ayanda. Both Ayanda and I weren't sure why she was crying. [But I think I know why.] I talked with Ayanda for over 40 minutes and talked to Tenele several different times. I even got to hear Baby M-K's crying voice!"

At one point during our conversation, I asked Ayanda if Tenele had the baby with her. She said yes and I jokingly said I wanted to talk to her (although we both knew she couldn't talk). Ayanda laughed and then there was some silence on the line...then some crying, then I heard Tenele's voice yelling at Ayanda, who responds with something alont the lines of, "Mary-Kate told me to!" Apparently, when I told Ayanda I wanted to talk to the baby, she woke her up, which obviously made her cry and made her mama mad, too. So, I told Ayanda to put the phone by the baby's ear so she could hear my voice. I started singing my favorite SiSwati song, "Siya Hamba" ("Walking in the Light of God") and the baby soothed and immediately stopped crying. It was SO AMAZING that it was almost scary! I heard Tenele and Ayanda's surprised voices in the background. Then Ayanda took the phone back and began talking to me again. Moments later the baby started crying once again, so Ayanda put the phone back to her ear and I started singing again. This time it was a different song and baby M-K kept crying. I went back to "Siya Hamba" and sure enough...she stopped crying immediately!!!!!

It was like a miracle! I could sing to that baby girl oceans away and it would still soothe her!

How incredible is the love of the Lord. I could not ask for more. I love only because "He first loved us." -1 John 4:19