I’m sitting in my new house, alone for the moment, staring at what
seems like hundreds of boxes left to unpack. I always think that I
don’t have very much stuff, but moving exposes my true inner pack
rat. Butterflies keep coursing through my stomach despite the quiet,
sunlit, atmosphere. I leave to go back to Swaziland in less then two
weeks. It still doesn’t feel real. This time it’s not just me, I’m
leading a group of 10 young adults from North Coast Calvary Chapel back to the place that wrecked my heart in 2007.
4th of July two years ago… No fireworks or celebration. My bed was in
a tent in Nsoko, Swaziland and my teammates were dropping right and
left from Tick Bite Fever (an easily treated but not so fun part of
camping in the bush.) Despite one bathroom, a bucket to bathe in,
exhausting days at the Care Point, cold nights around a campfire, and
logistical nightmares, I fell in love with Swaziland.
Two years later and that love has only increased. I love the sweet snot nosed
kids, and strong solid Gogo’s (grandmothers) with huge white smiles. I
love the unrelenting land, rough yet striking, peppered with thorny
acacia trees, dwarfed by tall mountains. There is beauty even in the
death of an AIDS
ravaged country. The glimmers of hope; a child sharing his food, a
dying woman lovingly holding her baby, a pastor selflessly serving his
community, are so starkly contrasted by the dire circumstances that
they shine with a more intense brightness.
This beauty is what draws me back; it gives me the desire play a part,
however small, in the hope. That’s why our team is working 
with men
and women from the AIDS support group to create for legacy books for their children and teaching the kids responsibility, sportsmanship,
and play, through KidsGames. The last few months of preparing for this
trip have been a sacrifice of time, finances, and sleep, but all
worthwhile endeavors are.
I love where my life is at now, but my desire is to eventually lead local (Fill-a-Belly) and global (Expedition of Hope, Swaziland trips)
missions full time. I love using the abilities, skills and education
I’ve been given to design projects that meet the needs of those in
poverty and create avenues for others to serve. I need both prayer and
financial support to do this. To e-mail me and let me know that you
will be praying for the trip, go to the “Contact Me” link on the left, and to financially support me in leading this trip to Nsoko and others like it, go to the “Support Me” link on the left.
I’ll be updating my blog while traveling. As always comments and e-mails are a huge source of encouragement. I would love to know how you are doing!
Thank you for being a part of this adventure!
