That's Praise the Lord in Siwati!

Hello! Life in Swaziland is life in Swaziland as usual. It's getting colder, which means we've stopped sweating and might start wearing long pants! The team is good, life is good and Swaziland is just as beautiful as ever.

 This past weekend we went into South Africa for a prayer retreat and just to be rejuvenated and refreshed. It was great, God showed up and it really helped us refocus and just reconnect. Plus!!!!! And this is a BIG plus, we were able to visit past ministry sites, which means that I was able to go to Eskom and see Alan and my other friends there. (Eskom is the squatter camp I worked in for the majority of last semester.) When I saw Alan, he ran up to me and gave me a big hug and we were able to hang out the rest of the day. I was also able to see his mother, Nelly and although I didn't get to talk to her a whole lot, it was just encouraging to see her. I also saw Chazile and Sedzani, two other kids I was close to and then some of the cresh (preschool) kids. It was awesome. When we were leaving Chazile organized all the kids to set up a blockade on the street in front of our car. It was hilarious and made me cry. I just praise God that He let me see them.

Library:  We went in this past Saturday and set up the library! We cleaned out a room that used to be a tuck shop and built some shelves. Our shelf building was very T.I.A. (This is Africa) and very "Well, it's close enough to level…" They hold and I'm very proud of our carpenter skills. : ) I'm still on the search for books, as they do not come as easily as in the States.  If you're interested in sponsoring some books, shoot me an e-mail! The other nice thing about Swaziland is the exchange rate and the lower cost of things. I'm really excited about this and a lot of kids are as well, which makes me even more excited. Please pray that the Lord just puts a drive in the teachers and the students, also that He sends me some organizational skills for this. There are pictures up if you click on "See my beautiful pics."

 God: God has been showing me a lot about fully stepping into the calling He has given me. I know He has us in Swaziland for a reason. He has just put that on my heart and seeking that out with everything I have, seeking Him with everything I have. Not just in Swaziland, but even when I'm home or wherever I find myself. Everything happens for a reason. God calls us to things and places we never imagined. The funny thing is I never felt called to Swaziland. The first time I came here, I had a feeling I would come back, but not now, not to Ezulwini for sure. I felt called to Kenya and still do, God had other plans. It's just crazy and I don't want to leave here thinking, "what if." There are two other things He's been shoving onto my heart. That it's not just me that's called to something more here, it's my team. As a Body we're called to step in and pursue Him. The other thing is that it's nothing I do, which is a relief and a pain. It means that it's not up to my incompetent self, but also that I have to completely trust that God knows what He's doing and that I can't do it on my own. This seems like such basic stuff, but I'm learning that it's one thing to have the Sunday school answer, and a whole other thing to live it out and step into your calling. "Be still and know that I am God," right?

Thank you for all of your continued prayers and support! There are more pictures up, i will post some pics of the library soon. The internet is on Africa time-slow. Peace!