July 5 - The team visits the CMC network churches

On Sunday, July 5, our team split up and visited six different locations in Swaziland and one nearby in neighboring South Africa.  The small teams visited Christian Ministries Churches in Mankayane,  Mafutseni, Nhlangano, and Mbabane as well as the main church in Matsapha and Bridge Christian Ministries Church located at the former "tent" site in Madadula. 

 

This map shows the locations, designated by a dark blue marker.

 

As for me, I had the privilege of visiting two locations.  I went with the largest of the teams to the main CMC church for Sunday school and left to visit a small congregation in the capital city of Mbabane.  The congregation is small enough that there is no separate program for children (not enough adults to administer one) so about a dozen or so children sat through church with the adults. 

 

In a particularly beautiful moment, the children came up front and sang two songs for  us and each one recited a Bible verse that he or she had memorized.  I love listening to children memorizing the Bible.  First of all, I enjoy their choice of verse.  Second of all, I delight in the idea of memorizing scripture.  I might lose my Bible, or have it taken from me, but no one can take the scriptures I have committed to memory.  It also reminds me of Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

 

It was also a joy to be teamed up with my daughter for the day.  I could (and will) write a whole separate post on the joy of traveling to Swaziland with my daughter.  For now, suffice it to say it was good to have her with me.

 

After church in Mbabane we returned to the convent and got there in time to take a short walk to the nearby supermarket for a snack, and have a bit of a rest before dinner. 

 

As is our custom, after dinner each team shared stories of their day.  Overall, the people of the various congregations had welcomed our teams and showered them with love.  Most stirring was the report of the team who visited the distant town of Nhlangano, which had not yet ever received a Sunday visit from one of our teams.  They were so excited, and they said to our team "we're so glad that you have remembered us!"

 

That has historically been one of the important themes of our trips to Swaziland:  reminding people who live in remote and often harsh places that God has not forgotten them.