Please be in prayer for the kids at Lesibovu and all throughout Swaziland as they are starting a new school year! Education is extremely important for their future and very important to them. Thank you for how you love and care for this wonderful community! Here some children are from our last trip, playing with alphabet puzzles we brought. They loved them!

Lesibovu Preschool Graduation

Pastor Welcome and these proud graduates













Aren't they precious!?

Choir Festival

Check out this glimpse of some of our awesome kids participating in a choir festival yesterday!

2014 Trip Photos

A photo recap of our trip is available here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SupportForSwaziland/photos/?tab=album&album_id=956465187746818

Simple Joys

James Vines and helpers are seen here putting together a swing set with the guys. They laughed and laughed enjoying the battery powered drill. It is one of my most favorite memories of seeing them each get a turn using it. Too much joy from such a simple thing.

Return

Thank you to so many who have prayed and followed this journey from nearly a year ago when we started planning this recent trip. We have all returned to our homes and lives, albeit not the same at all. We are still adjusting, and trying to settle back into regular life, while our hearts are full of tons of thoughts and emotions. Work has resumed for many, and school has started for a few. Responsibilities have not gone anywhere while we were out of the country, but coming home is not like just resuming life as it was.

"Return," or going back, to our homes sounds like it should be simple. However, we cannot just go back to our former lives the same as we were two weeks ago.

Something happens when we spend a week or so with a people distantly removed from our world. We end up finding more and more in common, and less and less differences between us. The common ground of love for family, our Savior, passion for future goals, and hope that our lives will somehow make a difference grow this beautiful garden of dreams and friendship that make it so hard to live separately afterward.

I saw members of our team willingly sacrifice time and resources in preparation for the trip. Humility was abundant as they asked others to support them, give them work to do, and gave of their own earnings to pay their part of expenses to travel.
I was greatly touched seeing the deep breaths, and huge steps of faith, as parents released children to travel across the world without them.
It warmed my heart when courage took over and formerly reserved folks stood up to share a lesson, or knelt to pray with, or sing a song to encourage our brothers and sisters at Lesibovu.

God was present, and actively working in so many aspects of this trip. We never doubted for long because as soon as we wondered how He would provide and if we would make it, then He answered with a resounding "Go!" and moved others to give, or to pray and tell us so, or to send a Scripture to encourage, or solved a problem we felt was impossible.

I think I speak for us all when I saw that the stretching of our faith has been the greatest gift from this experience.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

There were a lot of things we couldn't see before they happened. That is where my faith was greatly tested, as the leader of the team, I felt such a responsibility to make things fall into place smoothly and decrease stress that anyone felt. I quickly learned that is not really the right way to help others. Removing stress or controlling the environment is not only impossible, it doesn't help long-term. Faith is stretching. It requires hope. Stretching muscles is painful, but necessary for increased strength and growth! So it is with growing spiritually.

We have observed as all of our team members have been through some painful and at times, frustrating, stretching seasons but we can see how they really are blessings, because with them came an increased dependence on the Lord, and greater spiritual strength. I know that we will continue to learn from our experiences in Swaziland, and cannot wait as we share stories with you all. For now, we want to thank the literal hundreds of you who have supported us, given us strength by demonstrating YOUR faith, and who have prayed for our ministry. That has been a priceless gift, and we do not take it for granted. 

With immense gratitude,

the 2014 Lesibovu team

Update on Supplies Needed

Dear sponsors and friends of Lesibovu,

It is that awesome time of year where our team is preparing to return to love on the precious kids in Swaziland! We are thrilled that we can go for a visit, and are looking forward to passing along hugs and gifts from those who are unable to travel to see them.

We are collecting school and hygiene supplies to prepare "bags of love" for around 275 children. You can either drop supplies off at one of several locations listed below, or let us know if you need us to pick them up. You all have given so much to help! Thank you!!

Personal photos, coloring pages, and notes will be valued more than any other gift, so if you can include a few of those for sharing with sponsored and unsponsored children, it would mean a great deal. These children want a connection with someone who cares, and your words and time invested in a personal note or photo will be treasured for a long time.

We spent about 5 hours today working on sorting and organizing donations. We would love to have the rest of these needed items by this Tuesday to finish organizing and pack our 30 bins for the trip, so please take advantage of back-to-school sales going on now and be part of blessing Lesibovu! We can't do this without you, and are glad God has given us great partners in this ministry!

Call if you need us to pick up OR deliver items to these drop-off locations:

The Church at Shelby Crossings, 532 George Roy Pkwy, Calera AL 35040

147 Big Oak Dr, Maylene AL 35114

1429 Timber Circle, Helena AL 35080

Items Needed:

pencils (10 packs)  
toothpastes (50)

toothbrushes (120)

markers (102 packs)

colored pencils (90 packs)

soccer balls (4)

clear stick deodorant (115)

4x6" photo album (50)

notes, drawings, photos

color coding bags to ease in distribution

sorting hygiene items