JacciZuniga's Xanga

Dates for MN/IA gatherings and speaking schedule

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:59:15 GMT

Here's where I'll be when:

Sun. Sept 27 - at River Valley Church in Apple Valley (all 3 a.m. services)

Sun. Oct 4 - at Meriden EV Free in Meriden, Iowa (a.m. adult Sunday school)

Sun. Oct 11 - at Hayden Heights Baptist Church in St. Paul (a.m. adult Sun. school class & 6 p.m. prayer service)

"Get Togethers"- Come join me for coffee at Caribou on Snelling Ave, across from Har Mar:

Tues. Oct 6, anytime from 7-9 p.m. or Thurs. Oct 8, anytime 7-9 p.m.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:43:09 GMT

Hi MN friends...

Still trying to nail down dates & locations for get togethers... so please check back in later this week!
I do know for sure that I'll be at NWC homecoming this Saturday, the 26th for most of the football game... I'll be hanging out by the food or alumni tent :)

Zuniga Update, Sept 09

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:57:55 GMT

Hello dear friends and family!

"And He will be the stability of your times, a wealth of wisdom and knowledge..." Is. 33:6
The Lord has been speaking to me a lot through the book of Isaiah. It's been a comfort to know that He indeed
is the stability of my times, especially with the heaviness of the shepherding ministry I do in Swaziland & the
many transitions in missionary life.

LET ME CATCH YOU UP WITH SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST FEW MONTHS...
At the end of April, the Lord blessed us with an amazing Bomake (women’s) camp - He far
surpassed any of our expectations & made all of the work & faith-stretching worth it! See blog below!

MAY
* I was in Johannesburg, South Africa for a few days. The day my friends & I were
heading back to Swaziland, the vehicle we drove was STOLEN,
along with our laptops & personal belongings (Bible, keys to my house, suitcase, clothing, purchases, etc).
The vehicle belonged to my friend's organization & it was taken from a busy mall parking lot in broad daylight!

* Later that month, all of Children’s Cup staff served at a SWAZI PASTOR'S CONFERENCE
hosted by Cup. It was a good turn out and the
pastor’s were encouraged to press on & try new things in their ministry.

JUNE
* I spent PREPARING myself & fellow staff (Nelly & Karabo) for my visit to the U.S. and
saying good-bye to the cooks at our Care Points - we minister at 17 different ones.

* I also concentrated on preparing a group of 5 Swazi women ("D2 Bomake") who began going around with
us to minister to their fellow cooks. We started meeting earlier this year & discipling them
has been one of my GREATEST JOYS!

* I arrived in the U.S. at the end of June to craziness - 4 states in 10 days! A visit to
meet one of my best friend's new BABY in MN, a cousin's WEDDING in CA
& Ripe For Harvest STAFF CONFERENCE in AZ before heading to TX to be in another cousin's
WEDDING!

JULY
* TEXAS this month with Mom & family there. After the wedding excitement I was able to
get some down time & much needed rest.

AUGUST
* CALIFORNIA to visit Dad, family & friends there. We made a trip to AZ, then I made my
way up to Bakersfield, CA to visit my 17 yr. old sister, Danielle, who just had a KIDNEY
TRANSPLANT in June. Praise God, she's doing well! I was able to hear her speak at
church, giving God the glory for how He had worked in her life through her illness these
past 2 years.

SEPTEMBER
* I just arrived in MINNESOTA to visit my home church, friends & ministry partners. I'll
also be going to IOWA in early October to visit a partnering church there.

** For those in MN, please CHECK BACK TO SEE DATES for when I'm planning get togethers!

While I'm glad to be in the U.S., I miss Swaziland & my loved ones there!
* Please PRAY that the Lord's purposes would be accomplished in me & through me while I'm
here.
* PRAY for my co-laborers in Swazi, that they would be strengthened & encouraged to press on.

I'll end with a verse the Holy Spirit gave me to meditate on, from ISAIAH 25:1. I pray
it's a blessing to you:
"O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You
have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness."

With love, Jacci / Sibongile (- my siSwati name!)

Bomake Camp Update: Truly in Awe of the Lord!

Mon, 11 May 2009 14:16:42 GMT

At the end of our camp we got a group photo. Out of our 108 cooks, 103 were able to come! - This was a HUGE answer to prayer! We praise God for the spiritual fruit that we believe was stirred in their lives while at the retreat & that the Lord will continue to work out in them! All we can say is, "THANK YOU LORD!", "SIYABONGA NKULUNKULU!"

The theme for our camp, "Created for Life, Designed to Heal" written in Siswati on the banner

After all the time of prayer & planning, the day finally arrived to welcome our dear cooks for some spiritual, emotional & physical renewal! I was SO EXCITED... and thoroughly ENJOYED every minute of it!

Nelly & I welcoming the women to the camp

Praising & worshipping - it was awesome to be a part of this!

This may have been my favorite part - the women worshipping in dance! Before each session we'd spend at least half an hour singing & dancing before the Lord - Swazi style!

The women in small groups praying over each other.

We had a "store" for the women - donated clothes that each small group had 20 minutes to choose 20 items, free of charge!

A special gift we had for the women were brand new Nike tennis shoes that had been donated! These weren't just any shoes... they were like Air Jordan's & others in that price range! They were very blessed. NOTE: If you read my last blog... Siphiwe came!! A HUGE ANSWER TO PRAYER! She's 3rd from the right in the white hat. PRAISE GOD!

The Cook Discipleship Team... Karabo, Nelly & myself. We were so in AWE OF GOD & how we saw Him work from the moment he dropped this idea of the camp into our hearts all the way through. SO MANY ANSWERED PRAYERS! It was amazing... and JESUS IS AWESOME!!

We did games with the bomake (sorry you have to twist your head to see it!) Here's a picture taken while they were doing the limbo! The Swazi women are so fun - many of them participated - and we all laughed SO HARD & SO MUCH!

Me & 'Mama' Elizabeth, our speaker who came from Johannesburg. When I used to live in Pretoria, South Africa, I would go out and minister with her in the squatter camps. She's such a blessing & a dear woman of God. I'm challenged by her faith... and so were the women!

The women once again dancing! The Lord impressed on my heart after the camp that many of them were "dancing over their graves"... places in their hearts & lives where there has been brokenness & death BUT where the Lord instead wants to bring healing & LIFE!

Ezekial 37:12-14
"...Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people;... Then you will know that I am the Lord... I will put My spirit within you and you will come to life..."

This is what the Lord had put on our hearts for these women - and we believe in faith that this is exactly what He's doing! It is He who started the work in the women's lives, it is He who stirred it in their hearts during the retreat... and it is He who will continue what He has begun!

In a word, the camp was AMAZING! When it ended, the best way I could describe how Nelly, KB & I felt was IN AWE OF GOD. Words can not express... it truly was "exceedingly, abundantly more than all we could ask or think..." (Eph. 3:20) It's been a journey of faith, and many, many answered prayers! (** See the answer to prayer about Siphiwe from my last blog in the pictures above... one of many!)

The 3 days were jam packed with all sorts of great things...
- sessions that directed the women toward the Lord, healing &spiritual growth
- praise, worship & dancing Swazi style
- small group times to share & pray together
- games (musical chairs, limbo)
- a movie: Passion of Christ
- a special meal where the men who help out at the CP's joined us
- a "store" with donated clothes
- a special donation that we got - brand new Nike's!
- a precious time of testimonies at the end... I wish y'all could've heard what they said - encouraging one another & sharing things they'd learned and been challenged by.

At the end of the retreat the women were saying, "Our spirit's are full, and so are our stomach's!" - The latter is an especially big compliment coming from a Swazi! Different people who would stop in and help observed that there was a genuine joy coming from the women! Thank You, Jesus!

A COUPLE FUNNY THINGS...
- You know it's a great women's camp when even the guys who came to help said they didn't want to leave! :)
- We had to explain that the silicon packets in the boxes with the new Nike shoes WERE NOT SALT PACKETS and that they shouldn't be eaten! :)

We are believing that seeds have been planted in our women's hearts, that they would be transformed and that what has been poured into their lives will in turn be poured out into the children's lives they care for everyday. And we're believing the Lord for the promise in JOHN 15:16:
"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain..."

Today's the day!

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:45:41 GMT

After all the prayers and planning and hard work, the Bomake Camp starts today!! it's truly been a journey of faith & we're excited about all that's yet to be seen in the Swazi women's lives!!

I thought I'd quickly tell you one last story of how God is working in one of our women's lives... so you know how to keep praying...

** On Friday I found out that when one of our cooks, Siphiwe, asked her husband if she could go to the retreat, he beat her. I, along with 2 other Swazi friends spent Friday afternoon at the police station. We reported the incident (it's not the 1st time this has happened) but all they can do is go & warn the man that the community knows this is going on - without Siphiwe's consent, they can't press charges - and she's unwilling to do so.

As you can imagine, I was broken-hearted -- it is for precisely for women like Siphiwe I believe the Lord is leading us to have this retreat - so He can bring healing to the broken-hearted & bind up their wounds. So we started praying and asking the Lord that she would be able to come - I was determined that she come! I, along with another member of the community were planning on going on Sunday to personally invite her, and even her husband, to come to the camp - so he could see that she was not lying to him. BUT when we arrived on Sunday, the LORD HAD ALREADY GONE BEFORE US and changed the husband's mind... we never even had to go to the house!! Siphiwe told one of the women that he was allowing her to go to the retreat!! THANK YOU, JESUS! So, we are believing in faith, that she will be there later on today! When I saw her on Sunday, she smiled and pointed to her eye & told me in SiSwati that it was healing!

And we are praying that he same will be true for her soul!

We're heading down now to the retreat venue now to set up & decorate & prepare for the 107 coming! When Nelly called all of the Care Points yesterday to see how many women were planning on coming, ALL but one were coming! YAY GOD!!

Bomake Camp Update & A Story about someone who inspires me!

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:19:24 GMT

Nelly & I, and the two of us with Karabo at one of the Care Points to meet with the cooks

PRAYER FOR THE BOMAKE CAMP:

I, along with my Cook’s Discipleship Team (Karabo & Nelly) are gearing up for Children’s Cup first ever Bomake (Women’s) Camp, next week April 28-30^th! And it’s been quite a faith ride! (- see last 2 blog entries below) Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 21^st, we’re having a day of prayer & fasting for this camp. At the beginning of this year, we sensed the Lord placing on our hearts the deeper work He wants to do in these almost 110 women’s lives that we disciple – healing of deep wounds in their hearts & freedom from strongholds that keep them from living the fullness of life that Christ intends for them. We’re not saying that it’s all going to happen in just 3 days, but we are believing & asking for the Lord to do a powerful work in their lives that He will continue to build on. – And that ground that the enemy has stolen in their lives would be taken back! Please join us in prayer for this! We believe that things happen in the spiritual before we see them in the physical (2 Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 6:12)

ANSWERS TO PRAYERS FOR THE CAMP IN THE LAST WEEK:
* Just last week (only 2 weeks out) our speaker was confirmed - WHEW! Our speaker, is my "African mama", Elizabeth, who I've known since I lived in Pretoria, South Africa. She is originally from Botswana but has spent much of her life in S. Africa - and more importantly, she is a mighty women of God! For weeks I had been trying to get a hold of her & when I finally did, she told me she'd pray about it. Then last week she said yes, that the Lord had released her to come! I'm so looking forward to her coming. I learned much from her when I would go and minister with her in the squatter camps in Pretoria... about how the Lord works here in southern Africa & about what the Africans believe about spiritual things.
* In just the past couple weeks, the exchange rate has gone from 10 to 8.5 thus making the donations we’re receiving from the U.S. less than what we’ve budgeted. BUT, the Lord in HIS faithfulness had already seen to this detail and laid it on my home church’s heart to take an offering for the camp - thus placing us above our budget, in spite of the loss due to the exchange rate!!
These are just TWO of the many answers to prayer we’ve seen the Lord come through on... at just the right time!

A STORY ABOUT SOMEONE WHO I'M ON THE "FRONT LINES" WITH:
I’m learning what it is like for people who have HIV/AIDS from people who are close to me – one in particular, my dear friend and co-worker, Nelly. She is definitely a woman of faith, who challenges me to take hold of Jesus more and more everyday! She shared this with me, and with her permission, I’m sharing it with you:

The other day I received a text from her that read: “Just thinking JZ, I’m grateful for the people God has sent in my life. You guys are great (meaning also our co-worker, KB.) I love you and appreciate you.”

Then a few days later, after a meeting together, she told me: “You know, Jacci, when I sent you all that text I had been thinking how hard it is to be HIV positive. Having HIV…it’s a war everyday, a war day by day but when I’m with you and KB, I’m alive! I feel like I belong somewhere. Everyday for people with HIV is a struggle. You don’t wake up feeling like, “Í’m so glad to have this disease!”, because I could wake up with a lump [or who knows what as an effect of this chronic disease.] When I’m with you two, I feel a sense of warmth…like I have life! [I feel] like I don’t have AIDS! I feel like I’m well, like I’m not sick.”

Praise the Lord! Nelly is a woman who loves the Lord, a woman with purpose! I told her that I believe the Lord is raising her up to become a beacon to the women in Swaziland of what it means to come thru adversity, strong in the Lord! Her life, by her own testimony is a story of redemption. She has walked through some extremely difficult situations, and has chosen to place her faith in the Lord. And she continues to grow stronger in Christ each day.

As I’ve walked along side Nelly, as I’ve listened to her and witnessed her faith, I’m reminded of the verse in Jeremiah 17:7-8: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For He will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” – This is the kind of woman that Jesus is making Nelly into!

Please pray for her, as well as KB and myself as we press on in this discipleship ministry to the cooks. Pray for wisdom, love, strength, protection and unity as we work together on the “front lines” of the spiritual battle here in Swaziland, and as we serve the women at the upcoming Bomake Camp!

For His glory, JZ

Let me tell you what the Lord has done!

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:30:00 GMT

2 Corinthians 5:17 "We walk by faith and not by sight"
Proverbs 23:18b "... your hope will not be cut off."

The Lord has been reminding me that as a follower of Christ, walking by faith, with the unseen before us & believing Him for where He is guiding & what He tells us to do, is the norm.

Well, as of yesterday, the venue is confirmed!! And it's St. Michael's - the very school we wanted to have the Bomake Camp at, the one we believed the Lord had for us to use! (see story from last post)
AMEN!! THANK YOU JESUS!!

I went to meet with the head teacher and he said that we had been given the wrong number of how much it cost per person... the correct number brought the cost down by 1/3!! AND he said he would keep the price of the meeting hall the same as last years price. So when I sat down to do the figures, it all fits into our budget!!

AND I also got a hold of the woman we want to have come speak (my African mama!) and she's praying with us about coming! Yay God!

The Lord has been teaching & reminding me so much about faith:
How I need to keep praying, how faith & prayer work together - Luke 18 (selected vss from 1-8) says:
"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up... then he tells the story of the unjust judge & the persistant widow. It goes on to say, "And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" - I want to be found faithful, Lord!

How I need to be specific with my requests before the Lord - At the beg of the week I asked the Lord that we know & have a venue by week's end. And it's not yet Friday... Thank You, Lord!

He's been teaching me about faith is that it's NOT about a FORMULA, BUT about a RELATIONSHIP! I don't use faith to manipulate to get what I want. Instead faith propels me to hope in Christ, to rely on Him & depend on Him. And its not necessarily that I get the answer I desire, but trusting Him that He will give me the answer that is best for me... and at just the right time.

He's reminding me that His timing for giving answers is best - because as I wait, He BUILDS MY CHARACTER, making me more like Christ. When the answer doesn't come when I want it's not that He's withholding answers... instead He will release them at just the right time. It's like fruit growing on a tree - if you pick it too soon, it's still bitter, unripe. But when it's picked at JUST THE RIGHT TIME, it's ripe and mature. And so it is with faith & character.

Just today as I was telling my friend the answer to prayer about our venue (and about me selling & buying a vehicle... I'll blog about this next time), this is what she replied...
" I love how the Lord honored your faith... or that He asked you to believe in something He was already going to do... to not only PROVIDE but BUILD YOUR FAITH... you've inspired me and spurred me on!"

Oh and one more cool thing from a proud big sister... last Saturday I was talking to Peter, my 16 yr old brother and when I asked him to pray with us about the venue for the Bomake Camp he said, "You have it... by faith you already have it, Jesus has already done it!" I was so encouraged as he spoke those words, and above all so blessed because his whole life I've prayed that he (& my sisters) would have a real & passionate relationship with Christ - so those words were a beautiful confirmation of an answer to my prayers!

MAY THE LORD BE PRAISED ABOVE ALL!!
Blessings to you as you celebrate Christ's death & resurrection this Easter... HE IS RISEN, HE HAS CONQUERED DEATH SO THAT WE COULD HAVE REAL, LASTING, VICTORIOUS LIFE!! THANK YOU JESUS!

Please Join Us in Prayer for Upcoming Bomake Camp

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:42:32 GMT

(this pic is from last year, but it's a good one of some of the cooks & kids from Mangwaneni Mbabane Care Point)

Ok, this is a long one, but it's been a while... and I want you to know how to be praying with us!

It's been a while cause honestly, internet has been a thorn in my flesh, one of my biggest challenges. Either it's too slow or out (when I'm at the office) or my computer has been broken & one's not available for use... but enough about my communication woes for now!

While I do need prayer for that, I want to ask you to specifically pray with me for a Bomake (siSwatti for women's) Camp/Retreat for the women that I, Karabo & Nelly minister to here in Swaziland. These women are the volunteer cooks at our Care Points that cook for hundreds, if not thousands of orphan & vulnerable children each day.

I along with Nelly & Karabo have such a burden for these women! We desire to see them blessed, refreshed, renewed, healed & set free from pain & strongholds.

Since last year, the Lord has laid on my heart that one way this could happen is thru a women's retreat, a special time apart where they can be ministered to.

At the beginning of this year, we as a ministry team believed the Lord wanted us to move forward with this in faith. We didn't have the money, but knew that was a small matter in God's sight. Since the beginning of this journey, the Lord has indicated in my spirit that it was going to be one of faith, and that there would be opposition (in the spiritual realm) that would manifest in the physical (as it often does).

Well, in Feb, a little over half of the money was pledged! We began moving forward, believing that the Lord would provide everything else that we needed. We set the date, picked the venue, made plans and continued praying.

As of last week - 5 weeks out from our target retreat/camp date (April 28-30th), the money was still not in & the venue still not confirmed, but we felt in our spirits that we must press on.
The venue, a high school that is centrally located & has all the facilities we need doubled their prices from last year, so we've been in negotiations with them to see if they'd take what we were offering to pay them (we're wiling to pay a 45% increase from last year & still be within our budget).
Well, just last Wed, they denied it.

I'm not surprised by this obstacle. While I feel the threat of being discouraged, I do not want to despair. The Holy Spirit has been reminding me that faith pleases God (Heb 11:6) and I know He is asking me/us to press on & stay the course of faith.

This morning in my Bible study, the author of the guide I'm using wrote this: " In order to run well, we must listen to God. He has great plans for us and knows the best way to succeed."

Now, you may be thinking, why not a back up plan, why not just get another venue? Well, the plan all along was to listen, obey, take one step at a time as the Lord directed. And while we are checking for other venues, its a small country and there aren't many places available with the space we need (110 + staff) & that's in a good location to keep transport costs down. - And it's during school break here, so that limits us even more.

So, dear friends, I'm asking you to PLEASE PRAY WITH ME/US! I believe strongly that this is the Lord's retreat, that it is His heart for the women, and that all will come to fruition exactly as He has planned!
* Please pray with me that we would listen, obey and that He would show me/us (our Cooks Discipleship team) how to proceed.

* Pray that I/we wouldn't get discouraged or despair, but that we would remain strong & steadfast in faith, in what we believe the Lord has called us to do.

* Pray that His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven, as it pertains specifically for this retreat

* Pray that soon we would see in the physical what He has already ordained in the spiritual... that the rest of the money would come in & that the venue would be secured (specifically this high school, St. Michael's!)

UPDATE on this FAITH JOURNEY towards the camp/retreat:

* On Friday, my director told me that we have the rest of the money for the camp budget approved from Cup!

* We still need to pray, however, because the money that was 1^st pledged to us (from another source than Cup) has not all come yet.

* We’re still looking around for other venues, but nothing has worked out as a possible 2^nd option.
* I have still not been able to get a hold of the speaker we are hoping for - my African mama (I used to minister with her when I lived in Pretoria.)
* I went to St. Michael’s (the venue that we had originally planned to have it at that’s way over budget for us) on Monday to again meet with the head teacher. I was reminded of the story of the persistent widow who kept going to the judge to plead her case (Luke 18:1-8 - a parable on prayer & faith!). It really does seem that the reason they’re charging so much is because they’re water bills are exorbitant, not just because they’re trying to make extra money. BUT, he did say that he would meet again with the committee on Tuesday (today) to resubmit our request for the amount we offered to pay.

SO PLEASE KEEP PRAYING!!

I just keep thinking that God is setting the stage so He can get the MOST GLORY!!
And we will rejoice together when we see what He will do for His women here in Swaziland! AMEN!!

Thank you for being on this journey with me! Blessings to you in our precious Lord!
Much love, Jacci

What's been going on in Jan/Feb...

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:08:32 GMT

Mom came for a visit!

It was a good time... Mom jumped right in to my crazy schedule and got to experience life in Swaziland!

Roger (my Swazi brother)& Mary got married!

... check out my facebook to see photos from the wedding

I celebrated my birthday!

above: Our local grocery store gives out chocolate on bdays!

below: with some friends at my party

I sampled some mopane worms from Botswana!

above: taking a "snack" break at the office - Karabo brought some worms back when he went home for Christmas to Botswana!
Pictured from left: Nondumiso, Lad, and our (Cook Discipleship) team...Karabo, me & Nelly

The mopane worms are eaten around southern African countries. The insides are squeezed out, they're dried in the sun, then they're ready for eating! If you ignore the fact that you're eating a worm, it's actually not so bad and tastes a bit like burnt popcorn & beef jerky!

Can you tell Nelly and I are enjoying them?!

A glimpse of what some of our days entail...

As I arrived at one of our Care Point's (CP) to visit the cooks, I was greeted by children running up saying, “How are you, Sibongile (my siSwati name)?” I reach my arms out to give hugs and before I know it there are 15 to 20 children wrapped around me hugging me back! This made it kind of hard to move towards the simple wooden structure where the women were cooking. But that could wait...I was surrounded by all that love from those sweet little faces!

This is just one of the "perks" of getting to circulate through our numerous CP’s to visit & minister to the cooks. In January we went around catching up with the women to see how their holidays were, and how they’ve entered the New Year. Many of them didn’t get much of a break because it’s plowing season, so they had to be out working hard in the fields. And every January school fees come due for the year, so the beginning of the year is a very difficult time for our women who are volunteer cooks. Please uphold them in prayer with us for provision of their needs!

We never know what we will encounter as we go to disciple the women. In one month alone, three of our cooks lost a loved one – two a husband, and one a grown son. Two out of the three were due to AIDS.

One afternoon, Karabo, Nelly, and I spent time at one of the cook’s homes ministering to her. Her house is a small concrete room that she shares with her husband (who works mostly in Mozambique) and four children. There had been some conflict with another cook and she felt betrayed & hurt. As we sat and listened, and then offered words of comfort & prayed with her, tears streamed down her face. - And then it struck me and I shared with her, “The Lord is mindful of your pain & His love to you is made real by sending us here – we are a tangible expression of His love towards you!”

To this end we labor – to be a tangible expression of Christ’s love, “jars of clay” used to teach His truth, speak words of encouragement, pray and direct them to Christ. Yes, our hearts desire is that the Lord would use our humble offerings to present every women as complete in Christ! (Col. 1: 28-29)

A Recap of 2008

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:35:18 GMT

Hello Friends!
Well, we're well into 2009! I had been asking the Lord to renew me & give me His vision for what He has this year - and day by day, step by step He's been faithful to do just that!

This is a long one, but I figure it's been a while, so you can just combine all the time you would've read any past updates into one sitting

Just 2 things to share before the recap:
1) On Sunday I gave the "massage" at church, and praise God, He came in HIS power! I prayed for this as I prepped for the message. I was merely HIS vessel. Treasure in jars of clay, you know. (2Cor. 4:7) - Oh and the thing with "massage" was that when the asst. pastor texted to confirm that I would do it she wrote, "Yes, you will give the morning massage."
Funny misspelling!
2) MY MOM'S COMING FOR A VISIT ON FEB. 4th for 3 WEEKS!!
Please pray that we'll have a really good time together, that it won't be too crazy busy and that she'll go home blessed!

LOOKING BACK AT 2008...
It’s definitely been a year of growth, as I’ve served with Children’s Cup ministering to the women who are volunteer cooks at our area Care Points (CP’s). The CP’s are centers for providing food, education & medical care for community children, targeting especially the OVC’s (Orphan & Vulnerable Children). Going into 2009, Cup has18 CP’s in Swaziland that are feeding thousands of children daily. Praise God!

My focus is to circulate throughout the CP’s and minister to the 110 volunteer cooks we have. As you can imagine, this is not an easy task and one that I don’t do alone. After my co-worker & Swazi brother, Roger, left in May the Lord has built up a team of 3 more people to share the load with me in this ministry. Karabo, who is from Botwana, Nelly, from Swazi, and for a few months until she goes to nursing school, Cynthia (my Swazi friend that I’ve known since my 1^st trip to Africa in ’05.) They’ve been a blessing to me and to the cooks! It’s an honor to work & minister along side them on the “front lines”. Our goal is to disciple the cooks by planting the Word in their hearts. We aim to faithfully teach the Bible, pray, and encourage them. Our deep desire is that they grow strong in the Lord and walk faithfully with Him. Please pray with us that our lives & theirs would bear much spiritual fruit that lasts & is glorifying to Christ.

One of the highlights for me this year was when we did a Bible distribution to all of our cooks. Many of them, for quite some time, had been asking for Bibles. Thankfully, the Lord provided thru an anonymous donor! It was such an honor to be able to give the Word of God to the cooks and some of the faithful Swazi men who help at the CP’s.

Honestly, I feel like the days I spend with the women are stories I get to be a part of just by being here and being present with them. Hearing their hearts & then joining in fervent prayer together for break throughs in their struggles, pain or longings and praising the Lord for answered prayers reminds me of what Scripture instructs us to do in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”, and Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

It is a privilege to do so and 2008 has been full of opportunities to love the women, comfort them, and speak the Word of truth and life into areas of doubt & despair. Many times their problems are overwhelming - and this is where my faith is stretched – and made stronger. I am challenged to believe & live what I am asking them to: to put our trust & hope in Jesus Christ, the God who never fails & has a purpose for our lives, even if we can’t see the outcome of our pain just yet.

A FEW FAITH BUILDERS
There are so many more things from 2008 that I would love to share, but I’ll keep it to 3 that stand out for now. The Lord has used these for growth in my life to stretch and build my faith – and when you factor in the cross-cultural component to each area, it adds a whole other level of learning and frustration... umm…I mean “fun”!
My house: Finally after 4+ yrs of not having my own home, the Lord provided a little cottage, an earthly place of “steadfast shelter” for this season in my life. I’ve asked the Lord that it be a place of “shalom”, that all who enter would be blessed with peace, for the Prince of Peace Himself reigns there. Of course, with a house come many responsibilities, and this is where I’m learning to rely on Him for even the “small” details that can bring big burdens (i.e. ensuring safety, the water heater exploding, an enormous yard and no reliable gardener, to name a few!)
My vehicle: It’s been in and out of the mechanic’s a number of times throughout the year. And though it’s been my desire to sell it, for various reasons, it hasn’t happened yet. BUT each time it’s broken down is a story of God’s faithfulness, provision and grace in my life. Ironically, each time I’m reminded of just how much God loves me! Amazing how He can use anything to show us this! Writing the Bible studies we use to teach the Swazi women: It’s still hard for me to believe that He uses me to do this. It’s doesn’t come easy and it makes me very dependent on Him. I am humbled to serve the women in this way and each lesson I write is a testi mony to His grace. I pray that the influence it has on the women’s lives will be for their growth & His glory.

SOME GOOD STUFF TO MEDITATE ON
Throughout this past year, I’ve been reminded of Psalm 103:1-6, 8:
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The LORD performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

When circumstances around me seem more than I can handle and the lives of those I love here seem so unjust, these words of truth have helped realign my perspective. And I’ve have been comforted by who He is and what He has promised

PLEASE PRAY:
1) That I may press on, remaining faithful and obedient to what He puts before me to do;
2) That I would trust Him in all things;
3) To have wisdom & discernment to not take on (or bear in my heart) more than is meant for me to; and
4) To passionately pursue Christ with utter abandonment of all fears.

What is it that you are asking and trusting the Lord for in 2009? Seek after Him with your whole heart!