A Sunday to Remember

It's been some time now since our return home from Swaziland, but I can still remember and feel it all as if it were yesterday. One day in particular I would like to share with you is the Sunday we got to attend Church at Lesibovu. For those of you who have seen the pictures of the building "Lesibovu" you will see it's not very big in size. 

(Lesibovu)

The children must have told their families that "the Americans" or maybe even the 'umlungu' (white person) were going to be there because it was packed out. It was so beautiful to get to see them all there to worship. They were so welcoming. They reserved chairs up front for us, the 'visitors' and we jumped right in. Some of the older girls and the children's choir got up and sang. I'm telling you when we were all singing together, I do not know how those little wooden walls did not just fall apart right then and there from the power and praise bursting forth from that place. I have no doubt the chorus echoed for miles in the surrounding mountains and hills. I remember looking around seeing so many beautiful faces and smiles and hearts sold out in worship and thinking this was truly a glimpse of Heaven. 

Pastor Welcome asked us all to come up and introduce ourselves and say hello. They seemed riveted by our names and speech. They particularly got a great giggle out of my name (I think it must sound super crazy to them;) which of course made me laugh and go bright red. Jennifer then presented the Church with 40 full Bibles in SiSwati. Y'all, I'm telling you, you would have thought we had just told these people that they had won the lottery and I am not joking. They all started cheering and laughing and praising the Lord. It was the most beautiful and humbling thing to witness. It took everything for most of us, I think, to keep it together. What a moment! 

(James with Pastor Welcome)

Pastor Welcome then got up and taught a powerful sermon on 'The Blameless Man' from Genesis 17. I remember him moving to the subject of hope. I cannot forget this. He kept emphasizing how much hope we had brought to them at Lesibovu. How us being there with them had brought them such hope. I was speechless and felt almost dumbfounded. Us coming there and just playing games, being seriously goofy, singing songs and dancing, holding sweet babies and precious hands and WE had brought THEM hope? Just getting to be with them and live a little bit of life with them had shown me insurmountable hope. It was so eye opening. I hear people question and sincerely wonder what good it does to spend the funds to go to these people and places and not just send the money instead. 

HOPE

That is why we go. Because a whole chest full of money would not say hope to these people whom Jesus loves like going and sitting next to them and praying with them and loving on them, saying with words and actions "We love you. And even more, Jesus loves you and He sent me to be here with you right now in this moment to tell you that."