A Quote

May the peace of Christ bless you and keep you. And today, may you hold those in your house close to your body and feel them breath and take in their remarkable scent and give them your love.

- Jim Chaffee

On the Road Again

Well

this week finds us traveling again!!

Since we arrived we have been able to visit with Michaele's family in Ohio. Monday we traveled to Philadelphia to spend the week with my parents. And today we traveled to Syracuse New York to visit with my Dad's parents. This picture shows Michaele doing a crossword puzzle and yawning..but not because she is bored...

We are so blessed to visit with our families these weeks.

We thank you all for the prayers as we have been traveling and continue to travel.

May God's blessing be on you this season as you realize the most important gift of his Son!!

Back in the USA

Don't know how it happened but in just a few hours of travel (16) we arrived back in America. It is great to begin spending time with family. We feel extremely blessed to be given the opportunity to make this mid year trip home.

As we sat in church today it was hard to imagine that last week we were at a preaching point of the Bhalekane church and worshiping with them.

We will be writing more from the last few weeks and about our plans in the next few weeks later but wanted to praise God for his protection as we traveled and let everyone know that has been praying for us.

(Just so that no one gets confused the picture attached was not taken in America..it is really cold here and does not have the 12 apostles)

A Beautiful Vote of Thanks

This story could not be told without an understanding of Sisatsaweni, so please see the previous post for important details!

Last week we received a call from David Tembe who is the water manager for Sitsatsaweni. He asked if we could visit the primary and high school as they wanted to say thank you to us for the Solar Water Pump that was donated by BFC November 2008. In accepting the invitation we did not know what to expect but were excited for Monday morning to come.

We all sat in chairs lining the small office, which was actually a portion of a large classroom sectioned off with shelves. The rest of the room was used as storage and the secretary’s office. The head teacher, Mr. Mahlalela addressed the group first and announced his community’s intentions of being like the one leper in ten who returned to thank Jesus for his healing. His short speech was followed by several others in the group, until nearly all had said their thank you’s. Each person highlighted a different aspect that had been helped by the presence of the water, and it was amazing to hear it all!

The primary school (1st – 7th grade) has begun agricultural classes this past school year (2009) so that students can learn to plow, plant, and grown crops. Next year they will also be adding chicken to the agricultural program so that students will learn how to care for, breed and sell chickens. The primary school is also working on a home economics class which is now possible with the presence of water.

The high school has also added an agricultural component to their students’ curriculum, and we were able to see some of the fruits of this labor. Two small fields have been planted with maize (corn) and other vegetables. Two taps have been added to the system in the high school premises to accommodate these gardens as well as hand-washing near the toilets.

The head teachers and school committee representatives commented on how the presence of water has helped retain teachers as well. Previously, they said teachers would not want to come, or would not stay very long at Sisatsaweni because there was no water available at their homes. Now teachers are content, and as Mr. Mahlalela said, “happy teachers make for better students”! He also commented that this pump has put their small community “on the map” as he has been asked about it many times from other head teachers during seminars and conferences.

Sisatsaweni is not yet without challenges, however. Although the primary school had 750 students in 2009 and will likely have 850 in 2010, they only have 300 suitable chairs for students. The high school is also in need of much-needed expansion because they can only accommodate 170 students in their school. This means many students cannot continue to high school or have to take years off before moving on after grade 7. Usually in Swaziland these issues would be resolved by raising school fees marginally for the year in order to raise funds for necessary improvements. In Sisatsaweni, however, there is a high number of orphans and vulnerable children who cannot pay the full amount of school fees, let alone a temporary increase. Mr. Mahlalela told us separately that 80% of his students are orphans.

In spite of its challenges, this community has taken it upon itself to make continuous improvements capitalizing on the presence of water. David Tembe has increased the number of taps in the system so that water is available many places throughout the school and clinic grounds. They also requested that this same gift be given to other places in Swaziland, and said they had been praying about that.
After their thanks had been said, it was our turn to say a few words. We told them about the Coca-Cola project and the fact the Sisatsaweni pump had been the first of its kind that sparked interest for a much larger project to go all throughout Swaziland, just as they had prayed. We also reminded them that just as Bethany First had been the ones to offer them a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name, now they had the ability to offer that same gift to others in their community.

Our time ended together with light refreshments, a stroll of the grounds to see the gardens and new taps, and then a group picture under the solar pump. There were too many thank you’s to count, but apparently there were not enough said to satisfy one community member present. He said, “We wish we had a million mouths to say thank you a million times!” We felt that we truly experienced that it is somehow, miraculously more blessed to give than to receive – and that in the family of Christ, you often get the privilege of reaping what had been sowed before you.

Faith for Water

Hebrews 11:1
“Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”
James 2:17
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

For many people across Africa life revolves around the daily challenge of finding enough clean water for basic needs. This is the case in many places in Swaziland as well, especially in the rural areas where large water sources have not been developed and brought close to homes.

In July of 2008 a Global Outreach team from Bethany First Church of the Nazarene traveled to Swaziland to work in a small village called Sisatsaweni, Swaziland. As most of the team worked, one team member looked up the hill at the primary school and saw a tall windmill that was not turning. He wandered up the hill to check it out and asked the teachers and other community members about this windmill water pump. He was told that it had been broken for quite a while yet the water source beneath it was still strong.

The idea of water being just below the surface and yet not accessible to the community above who was in desperate need created a holy discontent in this team member. It was a discontent that caused him to begin to research water systems in the country and to find professionals that could assess and possibly remedy this issue in this community.

Before the team went home this man had met a contractor who gave information and a quote for installation of a solar-based water pump system. This came with a price, however, and when the team got home this team member felt led by the Lord to share this need with others. Together with other members of the church he raised the necessary moneys to hire the contractor and install a new system into this bore hole. It was a solar system that would bring water at no cost to this school and the clinic.

With this project finished, the church members continued to dream and pray about the water needs in Swaziland. In March of 2009 they came back to Swaziland to do an assessment of the other 16 clinics and surrounding communities in the country. When they had finished they found that putting a solar pump at the remaining 16 Nazarene clinics came with a large price tag. The cost did not deter them, but they knew it would take a long time to complete all of the Nazarene clinics. They felt led by God to continue on this path, but unbeknownst to them God was leading others down the same path as well.

Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola Foundation was looking for a group that had a vision and a plan to bring water to Swaziland. Jim and Colleen Copple, BFC members and grant-writers for NCMI, made the connections between Coca-Cola, NCM Swaziland, NCMI, Swaziland’s Nazarene hospital, RFM, and Bethany First Church. The plan that had already been developed by BFC’s assessment in March became the basis for the proposal to Coca-Cola.

By July 2009, Coca-Cola had awarded a grant to NCMI to bring solar powered water systems to Nazarene clinics in need, as well as several community gardens. The gardens are operated by HIV support groups initiated by Swaziland’s Nazarene HIV and AIDS Task Force, and are a life source for people with HIV/AIDS. The first phase of the project began in mid-August, and there are already several solar water systems up and running, providing free and clean water to their surrounding communities.

It is the plan for the twelve Nazarene clinics and communities in need of a better water supply to receive a solar water system with associated water harvesting and sanitation systems in the remainder of 2009 and the first half of 2010. As the water supply dictates, the system is intended to serve the clinic first, then the school and church on the mission station, and finally the community. Yet this is only the first of three phases in the grant.

This story would not be what it is if it were not for the strong faith exhibited by many. It was the faith of one team member who felt a holy discontent and urgency about water. It was the faith of a team who prayed around a broken windmill in July 2008, and whose continued prayers multiplied the supply of water throughout the country! It was also the faith of those who were able to see God’s hand in the small plans of one church as well as the large plans of an outside donor. Stepping out in faith is one of the ways that God uses us to bring glory to himself and to his Church. Sometimes the glory of God comes in the tangible form of clean water in the name of Jesus – the living water!

(This article recently appeared in the regional Nazarene publication, Out of Africa.)

Five Things We're Thankful For

Every year at Thanksgiving Brent’s father challenges everyone around the table to say five things they’re thankful for. This Thanksgiving, we have a list of the things we’re thankful for here in Swaziland.

1.Michaele is thankful for celebrating Thanksgiving in Swaziland, because here it’s not a national holiday. This means that the post office is open and therefore, even on Thanksgiving, she can go and pick up the long-awaited package sent by Liz!!

2.Michaele is also thankful that this is first time she has to roast a turkey by herself. With the oven in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, no true roasting pans available, and the only turkey available comes with “butter flavor added,” there are so many things to blame (other than a bad cook) if it doesn’t come out well. (The turkey turned good quite well, actually, but still she was glad to have something to blame just in case.)

3.Brent is thankful for the 90 degree (Fahrenheit) weather. Instead of being cold and worrying about paying for the heat, he gets to wear shorts and just worry about not sweating.

4.We are both thankful to have Colleen Copple here with us, so that we can celebrate with a fellow American (and a great friend!!).

5.And we are both very thankful for family at home and all the new “family” we’ve developed here in Swaziland. We are truly blessed!!

The Children of Nkilji

Brent and I visited Nkiliji a few days ago to visit the orphans and vulnerable children supported by the Task Force, and also to see the progress of the BFC-sponsored garden there. We traveled with Mary Magagula and Evelyn Shongwe, over rain-washed, pot-holed roads and through what seemed to be small lakes! The most recent GO Team in August left behind many children’s clothes and toys to be distributed, so we were bearing many gifts. Mary and Evelyn also brought school supplies which had been donated to the Task Force, so the children would be getting clothing, a toy, a bar of soap, and school supplies. We were all excited for this day.

The Task Force has recently joined the ranks of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries as one of their Child Development Programs. This is the vehicle through which children are sponsored and provided school fees and other support. As a part of this program, the children are gathered once a month for a meal, a Bible story, and life skills training. Since they are more orphans and vulnerable children in the area than are sponsored through NCM, these monthly gatherings include many more than just the sponsored children. Most of them are orphans, or at least have lost one parent. Most of their parents have died from AIDs, or AIDs related illnesses. Evelyn told me that many of the children are themselves HIV+ and are undergoing treatment.

Usually the Nkiliji group meets under a tree since the Nazarene church is far away; but this day they had requested the use of a nearby Methodist church building to use. When we arrived, the children were well into their Bible lesson and I was surprised by how many children I saw! There were at least 60 children from 2 months through 15 years, sitting on wooden benches and listening to the story of Abraham. We were also able to hear them sing and recite their Bible verses.

“Gogo” (Grandma) Magagula introduced us and we spoke for a few minutes to the children. We explained who are and how we are working in partnership with the Task Force. We also explained that the gifts we brought were not only from people in the US and Canada, but from Jesus, who loves them and provides for them. We moved outside for the gift-giving, where the kids lined up oldest to youngest to receive the goodies. With each child we tried hard to find at least one piece of clothing that they liked and fit them, then they received a bar of soap, a small beanie baby or ball, and school supplies.

When it was all said and done, there were many happy faces and somehow we hadn’t run out of clothing, soap, or toys! The care supporters were just as pleased as the kids were, and thanked us and the people who donated the supplies. Once again we were privileged to be in the "middle man" position, where we can pass along the generous gifts of others and see the joy that it produces!