New name, new location, same mission!

Comfort for Swaziland is now "Comfort for Africa"

Check out the new blog at http://comfortforafrica.com

Use the links to the right to access the Comfort for Swaziland archives.

The Homecoming Meal

I have to confess, I haven't had a cheesesteak yet.

Usually toward the end of a mission trip, talk turns to what meal a team member is looking forward to when he or she gets back to the states.  Since we are mostly from the Philly area, the cheesesteak usually ranks high on the list.

I have already confessed my craving for Heinz Ketchup, and I have had quite a lot of it since returning to the US.  I don't remember everything I've eaten but I have it several of the foods I have craved while abroad.  But I distinctly remember my first five meals.

My first meal was an omelet and hash browns at the diner at JFK airport while I waited for the van to take me home.  My second meal was a pepperoni and anchovy pizza from my favorite local pizzeria.  My third was sushi with my wife, breaking the three-week drought of our "sushi night" tradition.  My fourth was a bacon-egg-and-cheese bagel from Dunkin' Donuts.  

My fifth was communion.

Taking communion this Sunday was especially significant for me.  For the past three weeks I have been in various churches that were essentially foreign to me, yet I felt a connection to the congregants there that surpasses culture and language.  I couldn't understand the words of most of the songs, but I could hear the joy, the sincerity, and the love.  I was able to worship alongside my Swazi, Zulu, and Shonga brothers and sisters with my heart, if not my tongue.  

But it was refreshing to be in my own home church.  To be able to sing along with the worship leader, who is also my good friend.  To be able to follow the sermon by my pastor without any translation.  And to participate in communion with my own congregation.

We did communion by intinction, which involves tearing a piece of bread off from the loaf and then dipping it into the grape juice, receiving both at the same time.  To facilitate this, two of our church elders and their wives stood at the front of the church and the congregants formed lines to come forward and partake.

I waited for one of the lines to shorten and made my way to that elder and his wife.  When it was my turn to partake, the connection between Africa and my home church was brought full circle.

"Mduduzi, the body of Christ, broken for you," said the elder's wife as she held out the bread for me.  She had used my African name.  Then, as I turned to her husband to dip into the cup, he said "Welcome home, the blood of Christ, shed for you."

That was the best homecoming meal I could have received.

Yearning for home

So I'm sitting here at a restaurant in the O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg and feeling a little bit -- off.  Af first I thought it was loneliness.  But then I recognize the feeling or what it is.

I am homesick.

"Really?" I ask myself.  "NOW you get homesick?  Now, when you are only hours from leaving and one flight (a long one, but only one) from home?"

Yes, now.

Ok, so why now?

I love Africa.  I love being here.  People who hear me talk about my trips here have told me how obvious it is.  Not a day has gone by that I have not been surrounded by people who love me and who feel like family to me.

So why am I homesick?

Well, for starters, I think it's just that last hurdle to get over before getting home.  There is now nothing left for me do do except wait.  Business keeps me from being homesick.  Idleness gets me thinking of home.

I think the other factor is just the unfamiliarity of my surroundings.  America isn't necessarily better than Africa, but to me it is much more familiar.  As an example, take ketchup.

I love ketchup on my fries (uh, make that chips here).  And Pennsylvania's own Heinz Ketchup is by far the best.  But that's not what they have here.  When I ask for ketchup, they bring me "tomato sauce."  It looks like ketchup, but it is not ketchup.  Some of it is too sweet, some of it is strangely spiced, some of it is runny.  I think I have had 5 different varieties and not one of them was, well, KETCHUP. 

Another example is the currency.  Keeping track of the exchange rates, and  having four different currencies(and never, it seems, the coin I need).

Little things like that. 

I think that, fundamentally, I yearn for that familiar place that is home.  It is a shadow of the yearning for heaven.

The apostle Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling" (ESV)

We long to leave our temporary tent and be in our permanent home. 

Much Fruit

On Tuesday I met the pastor of a local church in Macia, and he invited me to speak at his church on Wednesday evening.  My interpreter Milton was pressing on me the need for a fiery evangelistic message, but when we entered the church I immediately discerned that this congregation was full of devout believers. They needed a message of encouragement.  So I switched gears and preached on one of my favorite passages: John 15.

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches.  Some branches bear no fruit, and are cut off and burned.  Some branches bear some fruit, but could be more fruitful if properly pruned.  I spent most of my time encouraging the congregation to delight in the pruning of God the Gardener, who removes the dead weight from our lives so we can bear more fruit.

I also stressed that Jesus said "as the Father loved me, so I have loved you."  I encouraged them, and I encourage you, to find peace and strength in the knowledge of God's inexhaustible love.

At the end of the message, I gave an altar call.  As I expected, no one came forward to receive Christ as savior. But when I invited them to come forward to pray for God's pruning, that their lives would be more fruitful, over half the church responded.

"This is to my Father's glory: that you bear much fruit."

Photos:
1) me with the pastor and first lady of the church, also my interpreter Milton and my son Mancoba

2) praying for the congregants

And now ... the long layover

So here are some pictures of the King Mswati III international airport that I described in a previous post.  As you can see, the plane that I flew in from Sikhuphe, Swaziland to Johannesburg, South Africa is a small one.  It seats about 30 people.  The cabin has three people in each row, two window seats, one aisle seat, and an aisle running between.  I sat on the side that has only one seat. 

When I chose my flight, I took into consideration the possibility of delay and my anticipated need to pick up my baggage in Joburg and clear customs before continuing on my flight.  It turns out I didn't need to take that into consideration.  My baggage was checked clear through to New York City.  All I need to do is walk myself through the terminal. 

My flight from Swaziland will arrive around 12:30 and my flight to New York will not leave until about 8:30 pm tonight so I will be re-creating a day in the life of Tom Hanks in the movie "The Terminal."  But I have books to read, I will have internet access, and the international terminal in Joburg boasts some really nice places to eat, so please pray that I use the time well.

Also, if you are my facebook friend, feel free to call me via messenger.  I won't mind hearing from home. 

-Michael

Addendum:  after we had boarded at the gate, some very well dressed VIP's boarded.  Two of them were arrayed in traditional Swazi dress.  One of them strongly resembled the King's daughter who was featured in the documentary "Without the King."  I couldn't be certain because she's older now but I'm pretty sure.  When caught her eye, she seemed to acknowledge my recogniition, after the fashion of someone who is used to being recognized. I probably won't ever know for sure.

-M

A parenting milestone

If you're a parent, your kids hit you up for money. Whether it's for candy, a prom dress, or cheese fries and a corn dog, at some point your children will ask you to open up your waller to meet some real or perceived need.

So I wasn't surprised when Mancoba, my Swazi son, asked me for 100 rand. But it's too good a story not to tell:

You see, yesterday we got caught in a speed trap. We were caught dead to rights. The traffic slowed down entering a town and the police were there waiting for us. They indicated for Mancoba pull over and we waited to hear what the damage would be. They asked to see his license and told him to step out of the car. I don't know what they said after that but the next thing I knew he came over to me and said "dad can I have a hundred Rand, I need to bribe the cop."

About 30 seconds and one Nelson Mandela note later we were on our way. It's sad that police corruption here is like paying a toll to cross a bridge in the USA, not a scandal but just a routine expense.

A visit to the preschool

It is about a 45 minute drive from Macia, where I am staying, to the village of Licilo, where One Heart Africa has a preschool.  Mancoba and I have picked up two passengers, Milton, who works at the preschool, and Julia, who is a teacher at a school near the preschool. While we drive Milton gives Julia some lessons in English.  Her pronunciation is excellent but her vocabulary is limited. I encourage her that she is on her way to fluency.

When we arrive at the school, before we even enter the gate, the children are clamoring near the fence in anticipation.  I hear them saying "Mancoba, Mancoba" and as we get out of the pickup we are greeted like rock stars.  He is the celebrity, I am more of a curiosity.  As typically happens, the children gather around me and are fascinated with my light skin, the hair on my arms, and my beard.  Dozens of kids stand around me smiling and rubbing their hands up and down my arms.  I would have taken a photo but it would have ruined the moment. 

I was introduced to the three teachers at the preschool: Judith, Genesia, and Sadalia.  Each one is responsible for a different age level: three, four, or five years old. They show me their classrooms and their attendance records. I tell them I'm on an errand from one heart Africa to photograph some of the students for the website, so they can receive sponsorship from American donors. As we go over the list of names I learned of a tragedy. One of the students only 3 years old has died. The news is heartbreaking, especially for Mancoba. We have no time to grieve properly, because there are still over 60 students at the school that need our attention. It's not until suppertime that we actually express our mutual grief.

After the children are dismissed the staff Gather in one of the classrooms and I realize that there will be a short program before lunch, and I'm the guest speaker. I must quickly decide what I'm going to say. The choice is not hard.

Matthew 19 verses 13 through 15. "Then were brought unto him little children: that he should put his hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me. For of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence."

Some people scorn children as less important, and by extension scorn those who work with children. But I encouraged the teachers and the staff that children have a special place in the heart of Christ, and that their work was a blessing to him.

While I was talking  and trying to encourage  the staff  another verse came to my head.  I didn't know the exact reference at the time  but I looked it up later.  It's Matthew 25:21 "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." It wasn't until I had finished and sat down that I noticed behind me while i was speaking was display on the front wall: a cross with some bulletin board cutouts that said "well done."

There are no coincidences.

To Market, to Market

This morning I made a new friend. His name is Milton and he was trained as a photojournalist and has worked in New York City, Washington DC, and other cities around the world. He was a translator for President Obama at Nelson Mandela's funeral. Not that fake sign language interpreter, either.

Now Milton teaches English at the preschool in Licilo. Today Mancoba gave him a lift, and before we left he took us in to a local market.  It was the sort of market that you'd see in a James Bond  chase scene, really narrow with stalls and tarps overhead.  There was a hardware shop, a computer repair shop, several food stalls, and many clothing merchants. I patronized a cloth shop and bought some fabric that will make a beautiful table runner for our dining room or maybe a skirt for my wife.

Don't tell Cathy, it's a surprise.

I get a sim card, eventually

Prepaid cellular service  in Africa is a much better deal then it is in the United States. However, in Mozambique the scrutiny one must go through to obtain a SIM card almost cancels out the benefit.

The entire process took about an hour, required me to fill out a form, show my passport, and possibly, I'm not sure about this, enlist for two years in the Mozambiqan army.  I'm not worried about deserting the military because considering how reluctant they were to let me into this country, I expect they'll be quite relieved see me leave.

Seriously though I was astounded by how much scrutiny they gave me just to get a SIM card.  It's no hyperbole to say that it's easier to get a gun in Pennsylvania than it is to get a Vodacom Sim card in Mozambique

The process was made somewhat more tedious by the fact that the Vodacom agent attempted to fill out my form himself. To me it made more sense to have me fill out the form, since English is my native language and I knew the answers to all of the questions on the form.

But I have the SIM card now, and I have purchased the data I need comma so now these updates will continue unfettered. And that's a good thing because today was truly an amazing day. More to come...

Good morning, Mozambique!

Sun, palm trees, and Kenny G's "Forever in Love" greeted me this morning, my first in Mozambique.

Once we made it past the border, the real adventure began.  The physical border between Swaziland and Mozambique is a very large, long plateau called Lobombo.  The border post was situated in a pass in the plateau for obvious reasons, and once we passed through the plateau and mountains quickly gave way to flat country leading down toward the capital city of Maputo and the Indian Ocean.

I did not get to see Maputo, it was too dark by the time I passed by.  I did see a large concentration of lights that said "city" but nothing else.  I will see it Thursday on my return.

We hit the rush hour traffic and it was absolutely awful.  Bumper to bumper most of the way, frequent pedestrian crossings, and tight intersections.  No New York City cabbie could negotiate it any better than Mancoba did. 

After passing the city traffic the way got easier but in the dark considerably less interesting. The roads were narrow but straight and there was very little light as we passed through the rural areas between towns.

We stopped in town I don't go the name of and decided to have dinner. Mancoba ask the proprietor for a menu and we perused it, but when we asked her a specific meal the proprietor said he didn't have that. He asked for something else and they didn't have that either. Finally he asked what they did have and the answer was fish or chicken. Then Mancoba  asked why he had us a menu in the first place.  "Because you are my customers" the proprietor replied.

Anyway, the fish was delicious. I was surprised that it was served with the head still on it although in retrospect that shouldn't have been. Some people are squeamish when their food is looking at them. Not me. I was proud of myself for not skipping a beat and diving right in. I carefully ate all the way up to the head and cleaned the bones.Then Mancoba showed me up by taking head off my plate and showing me how to eat it, eyeballs and all!

After dinner we still had 2 hours to drive before we reached our destination. I dozed off and on most of the way. We finally reached the town of Macia.  It was late so we set up our beds - that consisted mainly in hanging mosquito net - and said good night.  I slept more comfortably and snugly than I have any night so far on this trip, including the three nights I spent in hotels.

Now as the morning sun greets us, I am getting prepared for my first full day in Mozambique.  We will be heading up to the town of Licilo where One Heart Africa has a pre-school.  More to come ...

Making a crawl for the border

I was told it would take a while.

The border into Mozambique is not crowded.  There was no one in front of me and there is no line behind me.  Nevertheless it is a 15 minute wait for someone to come to even begin considering issuing me a visa.

A few friendly border guards greet me in English.  They ask me where I am going.  I know that getting in as a "missionary" or as an emissary for an organization is difficult, but that's OK because my mission trip is over. Now I am just a "tourist."

I get called into the office of the chief of the post.   I put on my best "aw shucks I'm just here for the beaches" expression. It makes no difference.  He questions me about why I have come to Mozambique, where I am going, what I plan to do.  I am starting to be suspicious of myself.

Dissatisfied with my answers,  he calls Mancoba in. Mancoba answers the questions the same as I did.  Then he sends us out of his office and places a call.  Mancoba this maybe he's calling the embassy.  Perhaps they'll acknowledge my secret work for the CIA but I doubt it.

Finally he seems satisfied.  The tone becomes more friendly.  He give me a form to fill out, and I asked for a pen. He told me someone had taken his pen, but borrowed one from a subordinate.  I breathed a sigh of relief that there was not additional scrutiny regarding my worthiness to borrow a pen.  I was prepared to give him my shoe for collateral.

Finally, form filled out and checked, photo taken, fingerprints of both index fingers acquired, fee paid, and pen returned, I was permitted into Mozambique.  I expect a bouncer with a velvet rope line, but all I got was a soldier with rusty pike gate.

Time elapsed 55 minutes.

Welcome to Mozambique.

The flight back to Swaziland

On Saturday I returned to Swaziland, and for the first time I flew.

It was beautiful to see the majestic mountains that form the South Africa-Swaziland border from the air. 

It was saddening to see the dry riverbeds with only a small glint of water in them; it reminded me that Swaziland still suffers a catastrpohic drought.

It was fascinating to see the network of roads - mostly unpaved - that connect the homesteads and villages across the country.

As the mountains yielded to the flat highveld, I looked out my window and snapped a photo showing the pristine bush (with the shadow of my plane visible in the lower right corner).

And as I landed at the King Mswati III airport, I tried to see it for its potential.  There were no other planes aside from the small 50 passenger puddle-jumper that I rode in.  The airport felt like a ghost town from American's old wes, but one that has yet to even experience a "boom" of economic activity.  This new airport may be just a gigantic boondoggle, a waste of already scarce resources that could have been better allocated. Or it may be an investment - an expensive and perhaps even risky one - in the future, part of Swaziland's ambitious Vision 2022 national development strategy, the goal of which is to transform the kingdom into a first world country by the next 6 years.

A new aspect of puppet ministry

I have been a puppeteer for abour 12 years.

I began on a mission trip to London, continued on a couple of subsequent mission trips, and then enlarged the ministry when I joined Bridge Community Church as a new church plant.  Starting out, Bridge didn't have the personnel or the facility to hold children's Sunday school, so we had a kids' son and a puppet show during the service.  Many of the biggest fans of the puppet ministry in those years were the adults.

In Swaziland, we bring puppets and use them to tell Bible stories.  We've told the salvation story based on the children's book "Adam Raccoon at Forever Falls."  We've done the story of Zachaeus with African animals.  This year we did the story of the prodigal son.  I purchased two sets of "people" puppets so we could split into two teams and visit classrooms.

When the team went home, one set of puppets went back with them, the other I am taking with me to Mozambique.

Well, most of the other set, anyway.

You see, this morning, I pulled out the puppets to show them to the people here at the One Heart Africa farm, including a little Swazi girl named Piti.  She was fascinated with the puppets (children usually are), particularly with the little girl puppet and the grandma.  Watching her play with them, I considered making one of them a gift to her.

Then I heard one of the missionaries comment on how Piti didn't have any black dolls, only white dolls.  Apparently, even in Africa, it's hard to get a black baby doll.

That settled it for me.  I made a gift of the little girl puppet to Piti.  She smiled ear to ear.  She played with that puppet on the floor of the living room, she gave it a nap on the sofa, then she wrapped a length of cloth around her and carried the puppet on her back, just like she had seen the grown women do.

Usually, puppet ministry involves actually keeping the puppets to use for, well, puppet shows.  But this morning the ministry was just an unexcpected gift to a sweet little girl from a visiting puppet minister. 

Back to Swaziland

Even as the team is as arriving in New York, I am departing from Jo-Burg to return to Swaziland. 

Please pray as I prepare to preach at CMC in Matsapha tomorrow and for safe and uncomplicated travel today.

I'm looking forward to sharing this next leg of my trip with you.

How beautiful are the feet ...

In Romans 10:15, Paul writes:
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

Given the attached photos of my damaged but healing right foot, this passage holds some irony for me. I wouldn't call them beautiful under the best of circumstances. But I do endeavor to continue spreading the good news in Africa for a bit longer.

Tonight, as the rest of the team gets on a plane for their return trip to the states, I am remaining behind.  Tomorrow I will return to Swaziland in preparation for a 4 day, 3 night excursion into Mozambique.

My Swazi son Mancoba has been working in Moz for the last several years with an organization called One Heart Africa.  This will be my first opportunity to see the work he is doing there.

My tentative schedule is as follows:

Saturday -
Fly to Swaziland
Drive to the One Heart Africa farm near Siteki
Spend the evening with One Heart Africa's missionaries Ryan and Anna Carmichael.

Sunday -
Drive to Matsapha to attend service at CMC
Visit Mancoba's family at their home in Logoba
Return to the Carmichael's farm

Monday -
Drive to the border and cross into Mozambique
Travel to the town of Macea  (about 6 hours driving time)

Tuesday -
Visit school in Licilo
Seminar with teachers of pre-school
Teach children using puppets

Wednesday -
Prayer meeting in Licilo
Visit Mancoba's property near the ocean , where he is building a house

Thursday -
Head back to Swaziland
Stay one last night on the farm in Siteki

Friday -
Fly to Johannesburg, then catch connecting flight to NYC

Saturday -
Land at JFK
Catch a van home!

There will, no doubt, be details for me to fill in (or change) later, but that will do for a start.  I am very excited for this leg of my journey and greatly appreciate your prayers.

Michael

Comfort for Me

In the summer of 1989 I went on my first mission trip.  I flew to San Diego California and from there journeyed into Tijuana Mexico with an organization called Mexican Christian Mission.  Each morning we crossed the border worked alongside La Iglesia del Buen Pastor, building a fellowship hall for their congregation.  Each evening we returned to San Diego.

My friend Rick -- who is now the pastor of Praise! Fellowship in Warren, Pennsylvania -- and I stayed in the home of a couple from the local Christian & Missionary Alliance church, the McDills.  We stayed in the room that had previously housed their two grown daughters.  I remember the pink.  I remember the frilly pillows.  But what I remember the most vividly was the soft, comfortable beds.

The second night there, as we lay on our beds contemplating our day, Rick commented to me "I feel unworthy of this bed."  I quickly agreed.  After spending the day in the poor suburb of Tijuana where the church was located, the soft accommodations of the McDills' home stood in stark contrast.

"I'm on a mission trip," Rick continued, "I feel like I should be suffering."  Again, I whole-heartedly agreed.

Then, two days later, the Lord taught me a lesson about seeking out suffering.

After a long hot day framing a floor in the hot Mexican summer sun, we were informed that we were staying with the pastor and his wife for dinnner.  Also, that we would be staying over in Mexico that night.

We had no blankets, no sleeping bag, no pillow, no toothbrush, nothing but the clothes on our backs and the Bibles we had brought with us.

That night we slept on a thin rug over a hard concrete floor.  I learned that night in Tijuana can be a cold as the day is hot.  I learned that a Members Only windbreaker makes a cool fashion statement but not a warm blanket.  I learned that while an NIV Study Bible is thick, it is not thick enough to make an effective pillow. 

I learned what Jesus meant when He told a prospective disciple that "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Matthew 8:20 NIV)

It means that being His disciple may mean giving up comfort.

But it doesn't mean seeking discomfort.

I woke up the next morning stiffer, but a bit wiser.

In the McDills home, I had wanted to suffer for Jesus on my own terms.  In Tijuana, I suffered on His terms.  And the Lord spoke to me as clearly as any human speech: "accept suffering when it comes your way, my child, but do not seek it out."

The rest of the week, I stopped taking that bed for granted, and delighted that the McDills loved Jesus enough to open their home to two strangers and to be our gracious hosts.

What got me thinking about this?  Last night here in Pretoria I slept in a comfortable bed, this morning I took a long hot shower with excellent pressure, with new soap, and a fresh towel waiting for me at the end.  I shaved my face (and my head) and then went down and lingered over a delicious breakfast (the kiwi was exceptional!!) while talking with friends who feel like family.  Today was a day of comfort for me.

Tomorrow, I will fly back to Swaziland.  I don't know what accommodations will be waiting for me when I cross into Mozambique.  But I will accept what is offered to me gladly, whether it is privation or comfort.

Please pray for me as I say goodbye to the Swaziland Relief team and our hosts here in South Africa. 

Also, please continue to pray for my right ankle.  It has healed up remarkably, I daresay miraculously.  I should not be surprised given the outpouring of prayer (and the excellent, personalized nursing care) I have received, but God has shown me recently that He can still surprise me and even delights in doing so.

-Michael

Pretoria: Last Stop for the Team

Greetings all!

Yesterday the team departed from Swaziland.  Some of our Swazi friends came to see us off.  We said our goodbyes (and I said "see you next week") and boarded our bus.

I am off crutches and walking with a removable boot. It is much easier to get around on although steps take some time to negotiate. I had no problems crossing the border as you will see in the picture below.

The trip to Pretoria was a typical bus ride. Nothing really to report there. We arrived in Pretoria at approximately 5 p.m. and checked into our hotel. I have the same roommate which is a blessing. We really get along well.

After checking in we left the hotel and went to a revival service at the light reformed community church, which is pastored by Hulisani Ramantswana, used to attend my church when he was in the USA in Seminary. It was a very energetic service with singing dancing prayer and preaching.

After the service we returned to our hotel and I opted to go to bed early. I got a very restful night sleep and got up refreshed in the morning. I got a hot shower and went down to where the hotel served a buffet breakfast. I was able to let go over my coffee and enjoy talking with my team mates for over an hour.

This afternoon we are headed down to Johannesburg, or more specifically to Ivory Park. There we will do some Street evangelism.

I had the opportunity to utilise my computer skills making a flyer to hand out on the street today. I will also do a puppet show that we are there. Pictures to follow.

This evening we will return to Pretoria for dinner and a second Revival service.

Please pray for the street Outreach today. Pray for those that will hear the word and praying for the security of the team. I would also ask you to pray for the teams help. It seems several people are coming down with what could be congestion or possibly the beginning of an upper respiratory infection. Definitely not something they want to have on the flight home.

Photos: me crossing the border with my new boot, a view from the window outside my hotel room in Pretoria, the flyer I made for the street outreach.

#rotd - God Loves Me Through People

One of the running jokes on this trip is the answer to the question: "what are we doing today?"

My response in the past has been to explain that mission trips are very fluid in terms of the schedule.  But this year, in an attempt to do better, I gave promised the team an exact, minute by minute schedule of each day.  Providing they are willing to wait until evening to receive it.  It is much easier to be a historian than a prophet.

Since I am left behind today, I decided to take the opportunity to share with you my daily schedule:

6 am - wake up and be surprised and delighted that I actually got about 4 hours continuous sleep.

6-7:15 - pray and meditate, snooze a bit, listen as teammates rise and get ready for their day

7:15 - wake my roommate and tell him.he is missing breakfast, which began at 7.

7:30 - receive my own breakfast from my roommate, who would sooner go hungry himself than see me miss breakfast.

7:31 - reflect on how God loves me through people like my roommate.

7:32-9:00 - eat breakfast, greet teammates who stop by my room to see how I am, receive enough provisions for several days from loving teammates, reflect some more on how God loves me through people.

9:00 - listen as the team leaves and settle in for a day alone.

9:00-9:53 - update my blog, read Facebook comments and emails, and once again reflect on how God loves me through people (realizing the pattern, I will now refer to this as the "reflection of the day" and abbreviate it #rotd)

9:53 - receive a call from my Swazi son and learn that he will be coming by to visit me at lunch time #rotd

9:54-10:03 - write and send a second blog post

10:03 - read today's Times Of Swaziland newspaper that a teammate brought me.  #rotd

10:25 - receive a call from my Swazi friend Sifiso, asking how I am #rotd

10:30 - miss a call from an unknown number

Approx 10:35 - get a bad cramp in my right calf that I cannot stretch out because of the half cast.  Massage it as well as I can and it eventually subsides

10:48 - miss another call from the same unknown number

10:55 - decide to call one of the nurses and realize I have missed two calls

10:55 - call unknown number and learn that it was my Swazi friend Themba calling to ask how I am #rotd

10:58 - speak to a nurse and decide, with her blessing, to remove my splint and Re-wrap my ankle.  Be told i will receive an ankle boot and crutches tonight, enabling some mobility. Also receive cheerful words of care and concern #rotd

11:00-11:20 - carefully remove splint and Re-wrap ankle

11:20-11:46 - decide to make a blog post about days events for people back home who are concerned and praying #rotd

11:51 - try to connect to WiFi at convent, realize I am too far from the router to connect, consider moving closer to get good signal, decide to not be an idiot and go moving about while alone and injured, instead stay in bed

11:51-12:23 - take a nap

12:23 - pray for my teammates who are out ministering in a town I have never been to

12:50-2:35 - lunch with my Swazi son (he brought me a King Pie! That's steak and cheese inside a flakey crust.  Mmm.)  Enjoy a lengthy conversation. #rotd

2:37 - nap time again

5:00 - wake up from nap, wonder whether team will return soon

5:15 - hear teammates coming in

5:16-5:45 - receive visits from many teammates inquiring after my day #rotd

5:45-6:00 - receive boot and crutches from nurse #rotd

6:00-6:10 - go downstairs.  Yes it takes that long.  Receive help from teammate #rotd

6:10-6:45 - greet guests as they come for farewell dinner #rotd

6:45-9:00 - farewell dinner, singing,  dancing (others, not me), laughing,  worshipping,  praying #rotd

9:00-9:20 - say farewell to my dear Swazi friends until next year #rotd

All day, in many ways, God has loved me through people.  Thank you Lord for this reflection of the day.

Two days off in a row, part 2

So, thanks to spraining my ankle last night, I am getting a second day off in a row. Today I am staying back at the convent resting and elevating my leg.

I have been overwhelmed by the love and support that has surrounded me both in Africa and online through Facebook and emails.

My prognosis seems pretty good. I was able to get some sleep last night and I am not in a lot of pain. I had to be carried inside the convent last night. I went up the stairs on my backside. And then was half carried and half hopped to my room.

This morning my roommate brought me breakfast. And everyone from the team stopped by to see how I was. They left me behind with fruit, a sandwich, some meal bars, plenty of water, today's newspaper, and I have my Kindle and my Bible. So I'm pretty much going to stay in my room today with my foot elevated.

When the team gets back today they're going to bring a pair of crutches that we brought over on the container. When I loaded them on I didn't imagine they would be for me. The nurses also think they'll be able to get me a removable boots so I'll be able to walk back and forth to the bathroom and maybe even get a shower.

I am going to miss being with the team today, and I know they're going to miss me. But like Paul wrote in first Corinthians 12, the church is a body with many parts. With my right leg injured, my left leg has had to take up the job of carrying me around. And with me injured and out of the picture for today others on the team will pick up my responsibilities. This team has been fabulous at working together, and loving and supporting one another. I look forward to hearing about their day when they return.

Please pray for my recovery. I'm still hopeful that I recover well enough and soon enough to continue with my planned trip to Mozambique next week. And please pray for my wife. What is worse than having to go to the hospital 10000 miles from home is to hear that your spouse has gone to the hospital 10000 miles from home and to not be able to be there.

I was just interrupted from typing this with a phone call from my Swazi son. He's going to be running errands and town today and will stop by and bring me lunch. So I won't be alone all day.

God is good all the time. Please pray that I recognize this as I recover. I appreciate your love and support.

Michael

PS the attached photo is my view for the day. Hopefully I'll have better photos to share tomorrow. -M

Two days off in a row part 1

Yesterday was the official day off for the team.  We visited our friends at One Heart Africa and went on a sunset safari in the Hlane Royal National Park.  After the safari we had a relaxing dinner in an open air lodge, and walked back to our vans under a stunning starlit sky that showed off the Southern Cross, the Milky  Way, and (I'm pretty certain) the planet Mars.

Then when I got home I sprained my ankle and had to be taken to the hospital.

Today I am "benched."  I am remaining behind at the convent and keeping my foot elevated.  So I'm having a second day off.

I took some photos of the safari that I'll share in this post. And in my next post I will describe the ankle sprain and it's aftermath.

Breaking news

Well, maybe at this point I should say "spraining" news.

It seems I have sprained my ankle.

When the team got back from our safari this evening I went outside to help carry in our lunch leftovers.  I stepped off the bottom stair to the outside and turned my ankle in a hole.

At first I was afraid I had broken it because I'd heard a crack as I landed on it, but the x-ray at the hospital showed no fracture.

I have no idea yet how this will affect my plans for the rest of the trip but I'll have plenty of time to update you tomorrow. I'm on the disabled list for certain.

Please pray for a woman and baby who were brought into the hospital while I was waiting.  It looked like a birth complication and it looked very bad.  We will never know what happened, but God will, so please join me in lifting her and the baby up before Him in prayer.

The lion sleeps tonight?

Actually, I hope he's awake!

Today is our scheduled "day off" and our plans break down into three parts:

Morning:
Shopping at the Manzini open air market.

Afternoon:
A visit to our friends at One Heart Africa, Ryan and Anna Carmichael.  They manage a farm near Siteki, Swaziland where they practice d teach sustainable agriculture.  One Heart Africa also runs the school in Mozambique that I will be visiting next week after the Swaziland Relief team leaves.

Evening:
On the recommendation of Ryan and Anna we are going to a different game park this year, the Hlane Royal National Park not far from the Carmichael's farm.  We are scheduled for a sunset safari when the lions are expected to be active.  I'm very excited as I have yet to see a lion on safari.  I'm going to try to shoot one.  (Relax, I mean with my camera!)

More interesting pictures to come this evening ...

#swaziselfiesunday

One of the nurses here, Heidy, is the team selfie champion.  She even brought one of those special "selfie sticks" with here and had taken a selfie with the clinic team every day.

She declared tha today should be #swaziselfiesunday and that team members should get a selfie with a Swazi friend at church.

Enjoy!

Me withat the first man I met in Madudula, Nhlanhla Ngwenya. 

Me with Elvis, who I met in Madudula when he was 12.  He has grown into a man.

Me with team member Maria and CMC church member Busisiwe. 

A big group selfie.

Back at the convent with my African son Mancoba and team member Mike.

Breaking the four-day silence

Hello.  It's me. 

Today is July 10 and I rose early this morning to put together an update for you.  To say that the last four days have been busy would be an understatement.  Let me jump right in with the update:

Thursday July 7
We visited two new locations.  First we went to a place called Nkwene where we visited the local government office.  It was the headquarters of the regional "inkhundla" which translates as "constituency" but seems to perform functions similar to counties in the United State.  There are 55 tinkhundla (that's the plural) covering the entire nation of Swaziland.

At the inkhundla office we distributed clothing and personal hygiene items (mainly toothbrushes and toothpaste) to about 100 people, and we also held a clinic and prayer chapel for those that wished to see the nurses or to be prayed over by the ministers.

Organizing is always something we have to do on the fly.  When visiting a place one has never seen, it is difficult to prepare in advance.  The clinic we held inside the inkhundla office building but the chapel was under a tree outside.  The distribution we did inside a perimeter of the vans and truck that we brought.  It was as if we were in the old west and had circled the wagons, although less for protection than for the sake of order.

As the day wore on we thought it less and less likely that we would make it to our second destination, furhter away from our base of operations in the town of Hlatikhulu.  To be honest, I was somewhat relieved when I was told we would be skipping the final stop and just be heading home,

I am so glad we didn't!

The our second scheduled stop was described to me as "a homestead."  What is really was was an orphanage.  About 20 young girls were being cared for on one property.  When we arrived they all came out to greet us and talk to us.  They were absolutely delightful.  We offloaded a large supply of food that we had brought, and then we were ushered into their dining room where we were serenaded with a worship song from them and we shared some words of comfort and encouragement with them, and said a prayer of blessing over each of them.  When it was time to go, I think every girl hugged me and the others on our way to our vans.  It was truly a lift to my soul to visit with those dear children.

Friday July 8
We visited the town of Mankayane, where our Swazi church partners are constructing their own building.  Since we have known them, they have been meeting in a nearby school.  Now their structure is complete with walls and roof.  It still needs some finishing work: plaster, flooring, windows, and doors.  But it was sufficient for our needs and we used the building as our clinic for the day. 

About half of the team (including me) went up to the school and delivered a puppet show (on the prodigal son) a brief teaching (on the Lord's prayer) and screened all of the children for ringworm, giving those who were affected a treatment.

Things got a little chaotic (ok, a lot chaotic) when the teachers had gone for the day and our team was left with about 400 students still  hanging about.  When we started to give them small packs of crayons to color their Lord's prayer handouts, the press of the crowd was great.

We enlisted the aid of some of the older children and with their help we lined up the entire school by grade, first through seventh.  At the brilliant suggestion of my good friend Abednego, we set up at the school yard gate and gave each child a toothbrush and either crayons (for the younger ones) or toothpaste (for the older ones) as the passed through the gate.  Then we shut the gate and bid them farewell.  It might seem cruel, as though we "kicked them out" of their school, but it was important that we communicated to them with great certainty that we were finished for the day so that they would not continue to hang about waiting for something else (or something more).  Many of the children life a significant distance from the school and they needed to walk home while it was still light.

On Friday night Bishop Vilakati hosts a radio program called "Strong Tower" through the ministry of Trans World Radio.  I went with my pastor and another pastor (the two "American bishops" as they are known) to the studio.  For an hour we took turns giving short sermons and praying for listeners who called in.

Saturday July 9
We went up to Madudula, the "tent site" from 2007.  My how it has changed!  When we first arrived, there was nothing but an empty field where cattle grazed and wild plants grew.  I was speaking to an old friend that I met that year, Sicelo Similane, and we recounted all that God has wrought in the area over the past 10 years.  Today there is a school with six grades, soon to be seven and hopefully a high school as well.  There is teacher housing.  There is a well.  There is a playground.  There is a garden/farm.  There is a community center.  There is a thriving church.  It is encouraging to see how much progress has been made.  There is still much to do, but we know that God has brought us this far, and He will take us even further by His grace.

Our main activity for the day was visiting nearby homesteads and bringing food.  Madudula has been hard hit by the drought in Swaziland.  One of the women we visited showed us her field; it hasn't even been plowed this year.  Even the weeds are dead from lack of water.  When we brought out our gift of corn meal, beans, sugar, cooking oil, and bullion, she wept for joy.

Each homestead was like that.  The women wept, danced, prayed, and praised, delighted to see a practical expression of the love of Christ for them.  To know they are loved and not forgotten brought them great joy, matched only by our joy as we saw their response.

At the last homestead we visited, the gogo (grandmother) brought a gift for us.  It was a haunch of meat from a freshly killed goat.  Now I didn't want to take good food from a family to whom we had just delivered food.  But to refuse the gift would have been a great offense.  I asked our interpreter whether I could accept the gift and then return it, but no, that too would give offense.  (Later in the van, one of my Swazi friends told me "if you don't accept it, it means you think she is a witch")  So I accepted the meat on behalf of our team, and placed it in a ziploc bag that we - thankfully - had in the van.  When we got back to the school, I presented it to Bishop Vilakati, who was delighted to receive it.

In the van on the way back, as I held that  haunch of meat in my lap, I discussed the situation with a teammate.  He said it was like the widow's offering in Luke 21.  She gave more than we did, because we gave to her out of our wealth, and she gave to us out of her poverty.  God will surely bless her gift.

I remarked, although I felt bad taking any food from a family in the midst of a drought and famine,  that Jesus had multiplied fish and bread to feed 5000, and I prayed that He would likewise multiplty the remainder of that goat to feed the dozen people that I saw on that homestead (and the others I didn't see). 

Sunday July 10
I sit here alone in a quiet conference room at the convent typing this update.  In a few minutes we will have our morning prayer (I admit I have not been a regular attendee of this pre-breakfast prayer, but it won't be my first and I'm up early today). 

Unlike last week when the team split up, this morning we will all travel together to the main Christian Ministries Church in Matsapha for a join worship service.  The service will probably last four hours (that includes Sunday School), and afterward there will be a luncheon.  It should be a fairly relaxing day for us.  I'll post an update later and let you know.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Michael

Food distribution

Just a quick update to show the food distribution.  Each family that was identified and needy received 25kg of corn meal, 5kg of beans, 5kg or sugar, 1kg of salt, 2 liters of oil, and a box of bullion cubes. 

In the photo you see Pastor Angelo Juliani, Ed Welch, and Minister Harry Washington.

On the mountain top

Today we traveled high up in the western mountains to distribute food and clothing and hold a medical clinic.

I am sending this out now because we expect a very busy day with perhaps a thousand people and also a visit from the deputy prime minister.

Please pray for:

1) safe travels

2) stamina during a long busy day

3) the preaching of the gospel today by pastor Angelo

4) the nurses, interpreters, and helpers on the clinic and

5) crowd control with so many expected

The picture is me with one of my former students, Maria, who is in Africa for the first time.  She has jumped in and been a great blessing at all stages of the trip.

Report from Sunday July 3

Thank you all so much for your prayers and notes of encouragement.  I woke up this morning and read through all the replies and was very uplifted.  I was going back and forth between two passages to preach on.  I didn't make up my mind until I was actually at the first church.

I was picked up at 11 am by the lead minister (his title is bishop) and taken by car to the first church at which I was scheduled to preach.  The prayers against loneliness were answered beyond all I could ask or imagine.  When I entered the tent (where the church was meeting) I immediately felt at home.  The service included many testimonies including children about the ages of my grandchildren who shared Bible verses they had memorized, songs they knew, and words of thanks to God. 

After delivering my message (Luke 15, focusing on the story of the prodigal son) I gave an altar call and nine people came forward to pray to receive Jesus as their Savior.  [See the picture below]  There was great rejoicing both in the tent and in heaven!

Following the first service I greeted people outside and got to see the children being fed.  Many people in Swaziland do not have enough to eat, so I was glad to see the children being cared for.

We were running a bit late so I was then driven about a half an hour up the highway to the capital of Swaziland, Mbabane.  There I was prepared to deliver the same sermon to another church.  However, when I got there, the bishop from the first church (who drove me and joined us for the service at the second church) was invited to come up and say a few words.  He did. He shared with the church the message he had just heard; the message I was about to deliver!

Soooo, at that point understood why I was divided between the two different passages: I ended up preaching on both.  The second service was a smaller and older crowd, and the second message (Matthew 28:18 and Acts 1:8 - the Great Commission) was well-received.

Afterward, as we left Mbabane to return to Manzini (my "home" in Swaziland) we decided to stop for a drink.  The bishop pulled into a service station and I treated everyone to a Coca-cola.  With sugar.  They don't use high-fructose corn syrup in Swaziland, just sugar (sugar cane accounts for about 25% of GDPin Swaziland).  At that point, I had to take a selfie.

Enjoy the pictures, and thanks for your prayers and support.

Preacher Double Feature

Q: What do you do if you have 7 churches who need a preacher and only 6 preachers?

A: Send someone to 2 churches.

Tomorrow that someone is me.

Our team will split up and pay a visit to most of the churches in the CMC network.  Our largest groups will go to the churches with the most children (100 kids expected in Madudula, 120 in Matsapha ).  I am being sent to two smaller churches.  Alone.

I admit to a certain eagerness.  I  recall the stories of the od Methodist circuit riders that I learned about in Sunday school as a kid.  They would ride around from church to church tending to several distant congregations.  My journey will be easier; they're sending a car.

Still, I don't take the responsibility lightly.  I dearly wish for your prayers for me.  Please pray for me as I prepare, specifically :

1) for good fellowship and against loneliness. 

2) for the Lord's anointing on my mind and my lips, to deliver a message that will bless and encourage His people.

3) for the other teams that go to the other churches.

4) for physical health and safe travels.

Thank you all.  I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes.

The first 4900 miles are the hardest ...

... after that you really hit your stride.

As I compose this our plane is about halfway to South Africa.  Veterans of this trip will recognize the ubiquitous "flight map" that displays on the entertainment screen.  Lots of people watching it.  This is my 15th viewing (the only movie I have seen more is The Princess Bride).

So, since I can't sleep -- I've never been able to sleep on the plane -- I will spend some time praying.  Will you join me?

1) Many members of our team have yet to meet.  There is one man meeting us in Johannesburg, plus we are picking up about half a dozen South Africans who the first-timers have yet to meet.  As we get acquainted, please pray that this diverse group connects and unifies as a team and a family.

2) Even once we land, there are obstacles to overcome.  Please pray against lost luggage, problems crossing the border, mechanical breakdowns, etc.

3) Pray that we recover quickly from the fatigue of travel.

4) The team will split up on Sunday and visit about a half dozen churches.  Everyone will be teaching Sunday School or preaching, so please pray for us all as we prepare.

A circle of prayer

5 am at New Life Church in Glenside.

The team gathers into a circle for prayer prior to departure.

On to New York!

And so it begins ...

Up early this morning.  

4 am.

My is cat in the hallway wondering what is going on.

I have to meet the team at 4:45 am to board a bus for JFK airport.  Our flight leaves later this morning.

I know that some members of our team, those who live further from our rally point at New Life church in Glenside, are already up and on the road.

So begins our day of travel.  Two buses and a plane.  We will arrive in Swaziland late Friday afternoon.  Please pray for our group as we travel.  With a 15 hour flight ahead, I assure you that getting there will be considerably less than half the fun.

This also begins my regular updates.  Thank you for agreeing to come along with me on this trip (electronically, that is).  I appreciate all of the support that has surrounded me as I prepared to go.  I'll be in touch as time and internet connections permit.

Swaziland Trip on Facebook

As you know I am heading to Swaziland, Africa soon.  I leave on Thursday June 30th.  During our trip Swaziland Relief will be posting photos and reports of our relief work on Facebook when internet wifi is available.  If you would like to receive these reports on your Facebook News Feed then please follow these two quick steps below...

1) "Like" the Swaziland Relief Facebook page if you have not already, here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/relief.swaziland

2) Send a friend request to my friend Ken Stracuzzi since he will be making the posts, here is his link:

https://www.facebook.com/ken.stracuzzi

I will also be posting as usual on my own blog (www.comfortforswaziland.com) and Facebook as internet conditions permit, but following Ken will give you a more consistent and broad picture of the trip.

One week to go!!!