God has given my team so many opportunities this past week to bring His Kingdom to Swaziland! We are staying in a region called Ezindwendweni. We are living at a local church, and are the first team ever to stay in the area for more than a day. Talk about roughing it! We have no running water or electricity here in the valley, which has taken some getting used to. There are also a plethora of interesting bugs, spiders, and other critters living around us. We are getting really good at squashing bugs! So far we have had encounters with 4-inch scorpions and spiders, which definitely keeps us on our toes.
In spite of the rough living conditions, God has been extremely good to us. We have been given much freedom in our ministry to go where God leads us. Over the past week, we have visited both the primary school and high school in Ezindwendweni, made home visits to pray for people with disabilities and illnesses, and led a women’s Bible study, kid’s club, and youth gathering at the church. Additionally, we have taught at Sunday school and the Sunday service at the church. Talk about keeping busy! We usually begin our ministry around 7 am and don’t stop until it gets dark around 7 pm. God has been so faithful to give us the strength we need each day to show people His love.
God has moved in so many ways over the span of just one week. We have made much progress with the children and teenagers of the community. At first, they would not even talk to us because they were not used to foreigners. But now they come and talk and play with us. They come to the church during the day just to hang out with us. At our kid’s club on Friday, we had about 60 kids come to the church to sing songs, hear Bible stories, and play games. We have also been able to hang out with some of the teenagers and encourage them in their faith. We were able to convince two of the young men to come to church on Sunday, which I get the impression they do not do very often. It is so encouraging to see God soften their hearts towards Him.
In addition to ministering to the children of the area, we have also had opportunities to minister to many adults. God opened up the door for AJ and I to share the Gospel with a man working at the primary school. After speaking with him, he made the decision to put his faith in Christ. That was the first time ever that I have been able to share the Gospel with someone one-on-one and then lead them to Christ! God is so good!
My team has also been able to visit homes in the area in order to develop relationships as well as to pray for those who are sick. Right now, we are believing God for the healing of a 10-year-old boy with cerebral palsy, a woman with breast cancer, and a women recovering from tuberculosis. Would you join with me in prayer for these precious people? We serve a God who works miracles, Amen! Please keep my team in your prayers this next week as well. We will be in Ezindwendweni for three more days, and we hope to see God continue to work in big ways in the lives of the people here. I can’t wait to share more of what God is doing here in Swaziland with you!
