Friday, June 8, 2012

Africa Bound!


Picture found here
I am SO excited to share the news that I have the opportunity to serve alongside brothers and sisters in Christ this July in Swaziland, Africa!

I’ve always hoped to one day have the opportunity to go to Africa, and the day has finally arrived. A group from Dawson (the church where I work) partners with the organization Children’s HopeChest in a “community to community” partnership model where a local congregation from the US joins together with a community in Swaziland for a few years or more to help build up the community, provide for orphans, and share the name and love of Christ.

The statistics surrounding Swaziland are staggering. This small country (roughly the size of New Jersey) is a landlocked country, surrounded on all sides by South Africa and Mozambique.  Over 60% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has spread so rapidly among the people of Swaziland that the United Nations has said that if something is not done soon, the “long term existence of the country will be seriously threatened.” The HIV infection rate is the highest in the world at 26% of adults and over 50% of adults in their 20s. Swaziland has the lowest life expectancy in the world, with an average life expectancy of 32 years. 32 YEARS! That is unfathomable to me. Consequently, the number of children left to fend for themselves is astounding, with close to 150,000 orphans in Swaziland alone. These statistics have earned this country the nickname of “Nation of Orphans.” 
Picture courtesy of DMBC 

The reality is that each one of those statistics—each one of those 150,00 orphans—is a person, a little boy or girl with a name and a story who deserves a hopeful future.  Our particular group partners with Children’s HopeChest to serve the CarePoint (facilities built in Swaziland to care for orphans) in Es’Khaleni, which is in the Nsoko region of the Southeast corner of the country. We will be serving at the CarePoint, loving on children, helping with the women’s ministry, doing door-to-door house visits, and having a festival for the community at large. Our motto will be to stay flexible and available for the Lord to move and use us in whatever way He would like.

My specific roll on the team is to be in charge of the Child Sponsorship portion of the trip. Similar to Compassion International Ministries, Children’s HopeChest has a Child Sponsorship Program where we here in the states can “adopt” a child from around the world who is connected with one of their CarePoints. Sponsorship consists of praying for your child regularly; sending money each month for the child’s food, clothes, health, and spiritual development; and writing letters to your child to shower him or her with love and encouragement. My job will be to take the newest batch of letters from our sponsors here at Dawson, hand the child his or her letter, capture a picture of the child reading the letter, and then bring a photo back to their sponsor. I am overjoyed at this opportunity to love on these kids and see their faces light up when they receive their letter. If you’ve never sponsored a child before and are interested in learning more, PLEASE take some time to go to http://www.hopechest.org/sponsor-a-child/ and read through the details of how you can help. It is such a unique way to show the love of Christ to these children.

If you're reading this, may I ask that you keep my team and me in your prayers as we head to Swaziland on July 21-31. Please pray for the hearts of the children we will be working with, that they may see the love of Christ in us as we play with them. Please pray for unity among my team that we may encourage and support one another in a Christ-honoring way. Please pray for good health, that we may have our full strength to serve these children! And lastly, pray that hearts will be soft and receptive to the gospel, that they may see the truth of who our God is and that He truly is the “Father to the fatherless.”


I can't wait to share all that God does and shows me while I'm in Swaziland! Stay tuned for an update blog with details about the trip when I get back!


Friday, June 1, 2012

Making a House a Home

This past weekend was (drum roll, please) moving weekend! I recently became the proud owner of a little cottage in Homewood, AL. I LOVE it! 


What made it even more special was that my family gave (and gave and gave) of themselves to help make this 1940s house into a home! My Uncle Ken is an incredible craftsman/builder/carpenter and put his signature work all over my new little home. I'm beyond grateful for the time and energy he gave on this project. 

Uncle Ken redoing the kitchen.
I decided to add on a 2nd bathroom to the back of the house. The construction was FAST! 
I was so impressed! 


View from the backyard.