Spring has arrived! As I write this it is just about the end of the third marking period at the school where I teach, and my students are all abuzz with their plans for the summer. Although there’s still a whole quarter of the school year remaining, I can sympathize. I, too, am already thinking about summer, which for me this year means a return to the Kingdom of Swaziland.
We will once again distribute clothing, food, and medical supplies in the various villages where we have done so in the past. This year the distribution work is more urgent than ever, since there has been a severe drought in Swaziland that has badly hurt the local economy.
This year I also plan to extend my stay a week so that I can spend some one-on-one time with my African “son” Mancoba, who works with an organization called One Heart Africa in Swaziland and neighboring Mozambique. I look forward to meeting his family and visiting Mozambique for the first time.
As the trip activities take shape, I’ll let you know more. You can follow my blog or Twitter; the addresses are printed below. If you’d like to be added to my email list, reply in the comments below and I'll add you.
I would deeply appreciate your prayers as I prepare to go. A few specific prayer requests are:
- finishing out the school year
- raising support for the trip
- traveling, including long plane/bus rides and at least seven border crossings
- spiritual and emotional preparations
- for my wife while I am away for three weeks
- the building and maintaining of relationships in Africa
- that I would put God first in all these endeavors!
If you are willing to contribute to my support needs this year, you may make a check out to Bridge Community Church with “M. Sander-Swaziland 2016” in the memo line. You can also donate online at www.swazilandrelief.org
This year I also created the little tcard below. I boldly hope that it will find its way onto some of your refrigerators, bulletin boards, or perhaps into your summer reading books to remind you to pray for me, the Swaziland Relief summer team, and for the kingdom of Swaziland.
Thanks for reading my blog, and thanks in advance for your prayers and support.
