scottborg Jan 22, 2013 7:00 PM

Confessions and Conversations

First - a confession.  I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  Every day in order to keep up with what is happening in Swaziland I...

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First - a confession.  I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.  Every day in order to keep up with what is happening in Swaziland I "page down" looking for relevant posts.  On that journey I see posts from close friends and family that help me feel closer to them even though we are far away.  Then there are other posts of inane irrelevancy - "The traffic light turned red on me today - my life is hard." 
 
But what I love about Facebook is the way it allows me to have ongoing conversations with my African friends, emerging leaders who often reach out for a word of encouragement. 
 
In 2012 we started the Swaziland Leadership Academy.  11 young leaders led by Bheki and Zodwa - two trained and seasoned Swazi's.  What an amazing and strategic opportunity to influence a generation.  We're recruiting 12 more to participate this year.
                                                                                                                                                                 

One of these leaders is Mbuso Shoba.  He's 19 years old and from the Mkhumbokati Care Point community in Swaziland.  I was Facebook chatting with him toward the end of his 1st year of training, a portion of which is in South Africa.  When I asked him if he was ready to return to Swaziland, here is what he said, "yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im ready for anything sir!!!!!!!!! i cant wait to
apply what the lord will tell me to do and my spirit is pregnant with
the word of God i wanna deliver it anytime i reach swaziland." 

 
Wow.  His energy made my day.  Even now the realization of the impact of this investment in the lives of young people like Mbuso brings tears to my eyes.  I love this picture of Mbuso with his arms spread - ready to fly!  On the day of the picture, Marcia and I had just finished 2 weeks of training on spiritual formation, purity of the heart, and purity of the Word of God.
 
In another conversation this week a key emerging leader on our staff had a question about the future of the ministry.  I wrote:

"When the time is right the goal is there won't be any more
missionaries in Swaziland. In fact, Swaziland needs to become a
missionary sending nation - not a receiving one. That is my goal. I
want to see you and others leading the ministry in Swaziland and beyond,
raising up the orphans who will be missionaries to the nations. We need to
break through spiritual strongholds of sexual immorality and a poverty
mentality toward lives of purity and success.

Europe and America
are on paths to spiritual destruction. It will be missionaries sent
from places like Swaziland who re-evangelize these dead spiritual
places. Swaziland is the Pulpit of Africa and needs to walk in that
prophecy! The power of Christianity has shifted from the global West and North to the South and the East. People like you who know how to
persevere through incredible challenges and live by faith alone even
while your stomach is hungry and you are standing alone from the loss of
your parents - people like you will be the carriers of the Gospel to
those nations who have forgotten what the Gospel is.

You are full
of incredible gifts. As you mature and as those gifts are honed, you
will increasingly be used in God's master plan to redeem the AIDS
pandemic - to send an army of orphans throughout the world to preach the
Good News.

Now you must know the Enemy is prowling around like a
lion looking for who he can devour - he has many traps laid for you to
take you out of the game - to discredit you and ruin the gifts God has
put in you for a reason. Some around you are falling into those traps
like a child falling into a hole. You need to be aware of this and
constantly on guard against these plans to ruin you and ruin His plans
in you."
 
I am just crazy enough to believe this stuff.  And in between reading what people made for dinner, the picture of the tree in their back yard, and incessant invitations to farm, spy, and know my birthday - I will keep using Facebook to feel closer to my real family and friends, and to keep up the conversations with my friends in Africa.
 
 
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