Watch this space ...

Time to start this blog up again.  More coming soon.

Where we were in Swaziland, 2013

I took my GPS with me to Swaziland this year so I could take coordinates of all the places we visited.  Click HERE to see a detailed Google Map showing where we were.

Prologue: How my shrewd souvenir shopping affected this year's trip

I've said it many times: whenever I have traveled on mission trips the thing I miss the most is my wife (ok, she's not a thing, but I miss her more than any other person, place or thing).

You see, my wife works in a small oral surgery office, and they are usually very busy in the summer. I have tried in the past to get her to go with me to Swaziland, to no avail. This year I didn't even ask her if she wanted to go; I didn't want her to feel pressured between what I wanted and what her job demanded. But I really wanted her to come with me.

Fortunately, last time I was there without her, I bought her this bag.  It's a nice bag, isn't it?  I bought it in the Manzini market in 2012.  And indirectly, it was the bag that was responsible for my wife's decision to join the team this year.

You see, earlier this year (Jan-Feb) she took a class to learn Windows (the Microsoft operating system, not the glass panes). She took this bag with her to class to carry her notebook and such, and her teacher asked about it. When she told her that it was from Africa and her husband (that's me!) brought it home from a mission trip, the teacher was intrigued.  She said she had always wanted to go on a mission trip. So my wife invited her to come to this year's exploratory meeting (a meeting for those who are interested but not committed to going).

Well, the teacher didn't end up going, but after the exploratory meeting, my wife got to thinking that maybe she would like to go.  Eventually (and with no undue prodding on my part, although I did pray a lot behind her back) she decided she wanted to go and took up the matter with her boss.  While he wasn't thrilled at losing his favorite assistant (that is not hyperbole) for two weeks, he did support her decision to go.

I can't tell you how great is was having my wife with me on the trip this year, but I'll try in the posts to come!

My Swaziland Webmoir 2013

What a sad little, neglected blog this is. I didn't post anything leading up to this summer's trip, and now it's over. Yes, I returned from Swaziland today. So this year, instead of a daily log of my activities leading up to and through the trip, I will be posting a more of a memoir of my trip. So if a web log is shortened to "blog," then I suppose this is my "bmemoir." Hmm, maybe "webmoir" is better. Well, I don't think that either term is going to catch on.

S a f e l y l a n d e d i n S o u t h A f r i c a .   N o w b o a r d i n g a b u s f o r S w a z i l a n d .

Getting ready to go.

Today I am packing and tying up loose ends at home in preparation for my trip. I leave tomorrow at 5:00 am. We will depart from our church in North Philly and take a bus to JFK. The it's a long plane ride (16-18 hours) to Johannesburg SA an then a 6 hour bus ride to Swaziland. Please pray for traveling mercies.

Return to Swaziland

You can leave Africa, but Africa will never leave you!
I have left Africa three times. But Africa does have a way of staying with me. And I find myself drawn there in my prayers, in my thoughts, in actions I take here, and inevitably, in a desire to return.
I had hoped to return to Africa last summer. Unfortunately, my motorcycle crash prevented my traveling there with the summer team. This summer, I plan to return.
The school that Swaziland Relief has been working on for the past five years is nearly completed. There are about ten locations where the local church that we partner with has planted daughter churches. We will visit them all and bring relief supplies that we gathered and shipped in a cargo container in mid-May. We will hold free clinics. We will visit an orphanage and hopefully lay the groundwork to begin the sponsorship of orphans in Swaziland. And we will pray with and encourage and comfort our African brothers and sisters.
Personally, I will be meeting up with Mancoba, a young Swazi whom I have been sponsoring for college. And, of course, I will probably be bringing my puppets to use to tell stories to the children.
I am looking for partners who will keep me and my team in your thoughts and prayers. We have numerous details to work out, training to complete, and support to raise. Also, I’d appreciate any and all prayers for our health and safety as we travel to and in Swaziland from July 7th through the 22nd.
Finally, if you would like to contribute to this summer's mission, you can do so at the Swaziland Relief website.