Walking down a dirt road in Swaziland. A woman approached us asking for food. We could have said no, (her breath did smell strongly of alcohol). But, “no” is not an answer to give or an option especially when someone is obviously starving. We began a relationship with Nomsa in that moment as we answered yes to her question. In broken English she invited us to visit her where she was staying. We are arrived to a typical poor Swazi home. A one room cinder block shack. No bed, just a mat on the floor of a room. We met her 4 young boys. They wore tattered clothing and no shoes. Nomsa asked for prayer and began to confide in us some of her hardships. We had a decent visit and prayed for her but nothing spectacular or miraculous happened in our eyes. But God was moving in that moment as He always does, and our human eyes didn’t see His plan. We didn’t know it then, but God placed Nomsa literally in our path for His purpose and it was our choice to say yes or no.
inside the door of Nomsa’s current “house”
Our team has begun to tithe some of the money we raised to participate in the World Race this year. During our first week in Swaziland we had a conversation about where we felt led to give our tithe during our stay. None of us felt strongly yet of who the money should go to. So the team decided to wait.
Later that week, Nomsa asked if we would go with her where she used to live. I didn’t know what she meant as we had already seen her current home. But, again we met her question with a yes. We arrived to a grass field with weeds growing past our knees. We then found out that Nomsa and her 4 boys had nowhere to live and we were visiting a place that felt desolate and empty. The place we had first visited was temporary and she was going to be evicted from that property in a s short amount if time. Nomsa led us through the field and we walked for about 5 mintues. We arrived at a fallen in structure. There was a sense of hopelssness and oppression laying heavy in this place. Nomsa told us this is this heap of rubble and rocks is where she used to live. Her husband had died earlier in the year and her house fell in shortly after.
Nomsa on her land looking out at her collapsed house where her husband is buried
This woman was left without a husband and homeless. She is also HIV positive and an alcoholic. We walked to where her husband was buried behind the house. As tears ran down our faces, we met the enemy and fought him. We began blessing the land and speaking hope and victory through Jesus over her property. In that moment God spoke to each of us what we were to do. We replaced the schemes of the devil to kill, steal, and, destroy with a Kingdom plan of faith, hope, and love. A plan to enrich the lives of Nomsa and her boys with the power of God. I made a flag that said KINGDOM and left it there, not knowing yet what God was leading us in.
We are building Nomsa a new house made with good material, on her land. We have found a woman to mentor her through an AA program. We bought her boys school uniforms. We could have said no. After 8 months, on the World Race, we knew better than that. The January squad has built a widow mother Pelile a house in Swaziland, and so we are following their example. We need about 500 more dollars to make it happen. To build a house is only $1,200. They are making the bricks and laying the foundation this week. Please contact me or one of my team mates if your are interested in helping with a small offering to change a life.
Yes or no?
Nomsa’s boys smile at the camera from the home the will soon be evicted from.
They are in for a great surprise and future!
