We’ve been back a week from Swaziland and I wanted to give an update on some recent blogs I’ve posted.
I asked you to pray. We had a family who needed help caring for Mukelo, a Swazi child they brought into their home. I was blessed to receive multiple offers to help! One family in Swaziland stepped up to care for Mumu for a month. Then another couple is taking a month off work, funding their own travel, and coming over to Swaziland to care for her the second month. I am so grateful for the Body of Christ who prayed, said yes, and stepped out in obedience. Mukelo is in loving hands and the family who keeps her is back in the US for 2 months raising funds and visiting family.
I wrote a while back about Lindiwe, a widow with 10 kids, and her need for additional housing. With the help of a few visiting teams and helpful donors, we finally finished the additions – paint and all. Now the family has two new rooms and a little more space. It’s still very humble, but a huge improvement. The day we painted I think all 10 kids helped. I think we painted the house in record time. Paint was everywhere. There were smiles everywhere too! We gathered in a circle and prayed together as a sort of dedication of the home. Thanks to all who contributed!
Another recent post requested help with funding a food container. Thanks to many of you we came very close to the goal. We went ahead and put up the rest of the money and the container is almost in Africa, still somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean. The organization we work with on the food containers donated the shipping and food in a second container so we’ll be importing two containers here in a couple weeks!
I wrote a brief update after our last trip and those who made it to the end of that blog read some honest thoughts about where I was and the state of funding for our ministry. Amazingly but so much like our God, several people responded and helped us get out of the funding hole we were in. A few have joined our support team and we are in a better place financially. We still need about $200 a month to keep up with expenses, but we’re doing much better. On the spiritual dryness/numbness note I know He is healing my heart. Life is certainly a journey and I need a lot more prayer in this regard.
As we head into this Thanksgiving week, I can look back on the year past and see many many things to be thankful for. I am sure you can do the same. Reviewing these posts above helps me see God’s hand at work. Thanks for joining us in this journey.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Scott and Marcia
I thank God for His continued provision for you & Marcia & the Swazi people! I also thank Him that Vern & I had the opportunity to be involved in your lives in Swaziland & to be touched by the people there, like Lindiwe! The trip grows on me the longer I am home. I have gone from responding, “It was a good trip”, to “It was an awesome trip!” I am already talking about when I go back & bring my daughters with me! 🙂 We miss you guys & the Swazi people. And, of course, we are praying for you & all the people we met there. Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving & Christmas with your children & grandchildren. – Donna
This is all such great news and I know God will continue to provide for the Swazi people through people like this and through you and Marcia. My prayers are with all of you each and every day. I pray that God show you and me and many others how we can continue to make a difference in their lives. We all share a unique and lasting bond.
I look forward with excitement and anticipation for what God has in store for all of us and the Swazi people for 2013. I also know that the closer we all come to God in our journey with this struggling nation, that the more Satan will try to derail our initiatives. Through our unity and our bond with our Lord, we will not be defeated. Let us all be sure to thank Him during this season of Thanksgiving.
God bless!