Swaziland Log Book #8

*DJ Hagebusch took this picture at the community soccer tournament.

Days 10 & 11 (Saturday & Sunday)
“Goooooal!”

The big community soccer tournament on Saturday was a lot of fun. The Motjane Hope House Church sponsored the event and fed hundreds of people just before the championship match was to be played. I had the opportunity to share the gospel with the crowd that had gathered to watch the soccer tournament. I was a little bit distracted because as I was sharing the kids were playing a match and parents were watching and cheering their future soccer stars on. The whole scene was somewhat chaotic.

At the conclusion of a relatively exciting championship match (if there is such in soccer) Pastor Louis of Hope House Church asked Shawn Seeley to share his testimony. Unlike before when I had shared, all who gathered gave their full attention to Shawn. His story is powerful and has a tendency to draw people in. Shawn shared his story several times on this trip and each time he got better and better with the translator. This time was no different, he absolutely nailed it and the people clapped at the conclusion. He encouraged the people to put there hope in the God who saved him from a terrible situation and I believe many did.

Again, I am struck with the power of the story. Jesus used stories virtually every time He spoke with people. He didn’t give complicated theological truths; rather He found common ground with the people and told them stories. We heard feedback from the missionaries here that the Swazi people are surprised when Americans tell stories of heartache and trouble. Our team was able to do this many different times while we were here and the people really seemed to connect with us.

Sunday was a fun day. We attended service at International Church located on campus with the Swaziland College of Theology, the home base for A/G missionaries here. Pastor Brian shared a message familiar to most Fairwood people, “No to Status Quo.” The message was adapted to the people here in Swaziland and was very well received. I love watching communicators work a room; Pastor Brian did a great job of that today. He started slowly and as the audience was connecting more he continued to call the people to, “Say no to status quo!”

After church, we had lunch at the nicest restaurant in Swaziland. The steak I had was great and it reminded me of home.

We’re getting to the point where it’s time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished on our trip. We have indeed been used to do great things for God and the people here. I love that God brings intercontinental people together to accomplish His purposes. I am honored He chose to include me in this trip. Tomorrow we’re off to the safari, should be a great day!

Swaziland Log Book #7

Friday July 24, 2009
Day 9 “No Bounds”

Today we were again able to minister at a school here in Swaziland. St. John’s Primary School (grades 1-7) opened their doors to us. It was so fun to see Shawn and Christa share today. The translator that we used, a teacher from the school, was unbelievably good. If you have heard Shawn’s testimony, you know that it is a miracle that he is alive today. As he told his story the translator would look at him in shock and say things like, “Praise the Lord!” or “What a Miracle.”

The students like yesterday were glued to the two stories that were shared. I was impressed with Christa who shared today as well. Public speaking is not something she has done a lot of, but today she shared and made a difference in the process. I wrapped up the two testimonies as I did yesterday and thanks to some good suggestions from P. Brian the students seemed to connect better with what we were trying to communicate.

After our school visit we broke into teams and went door to door with translators. We were inviting a neighborhood village (Nkoyoyo – take your best guess) to Sunday service at the Hope House in Motjane. People were extremely open to our visits and we were able to pray with nearly everyone we came in contact with. In addition, we took names and numbers of people who needed a bus to get to church on Sunday. At one house we stopped at we had privilege of leading a man to Christ. It’s pretty amazing to think that God has had this mans salvation day circled on His calendar since the forming of the earth. What's more is that I got to be a part of it. I am humbled and amazed that God includes me in His plans.

In the afternoon we drove to the Manzinni to visit a ministry called, “The Faithful Church of Jesus Saviour in Swaziland.” Catchy name huh? It is situated between a feeding point (food bank) and a dump. The pastor who founded the church here moved his wife and seven children from neighboring Mozambique to start this children’s ministry. He purposely chose the poorest neighborhood in Manzinni to do so.

This neighborhood could be compared to the government housing or projects we see in the states. The king of Swaziland dedicates certain portions of land in cities to people with no money and no place to go. The missionaries told us that the teachers must deal with big distractions during the Bible lessons. During church a garbage truck will drive by and the kids from their seats to chase it down. They are looking for food and any items in good enough condition to sell to help their families buy food. Wow.

The kids were great. They wanted to play and be held, we obliged of course; even if we didn’t want to it’s impossible to say no. We gave them candy and we sat in a short service with them as well. P. Shari gave an impromptu encouraging word to the children and soon we were back outside playing. Visiting places here in Swaziland confirms again and again that the love of Christ knows no bounds. It is an honor to extend love and mercy to His little ones.

We finished the day at the Meyer's house tonight. Friday is their “family night” so we watched the Disney movie “Bolt” with them. After the movie we were spoiled with banana splits (and I thought I was going to lose weight on this trip). Tomorrow is the soccer tournament, should be a big, fun community event. Even though it’s soccer, I’m really looking forward to it.

Swaziland Log Book #6

Thursday July 23, 2009
Day 8 “Sweets”

“The sound of the student’s voices was amazing; it penetrated my soul and lifted my spirit.”

We had an incredible day today. We visited the Ngwenya Central Primary School and two of our team members got to share their testimonies. Every school day the 600+ students of the Ngwenya Central School gather for an outdoor assembly. Today they had some very special guests, some pale skinned Americans from Washington State.

Shawn and Aimee both shared the stories of how they came to Faith with the children. Stories have a way of connecting people regardless of their backgrounds. The Swazi children that heard Shawn’s story today likely know little about the conflict that injured Shawn and ultimately led to him putting his complete trust in Christ. None the less, the children hung on his every word.

Aimee shared her testimony as well with the same result. Students and teachers alike listened carefully and were attentive as she shared. Watching Shawn and Aimee was so cool; they shared their Faith with confidence and without fear.

I had the privilege of tying the two testimonies together and giving a brief Gospel presentation. I felt a little out of sorts as it was difficult for me to communicate through the translator. I chalk it up to a lesson learned; one that will prepare me for sharing more effectively at the soccer tournament on Saturday. Despite not feeling great about how I communicated with the students, I know sharing God’s word never returns void.

After we ministered to the students the students turned the tables and ministered to us. They broke into song right there while standing outside. It was like their way of thanking us for coming. The sound of the student’s voices was amazing; it penetrated my soul and lifted my spirit. I absolutely loved it and felt as if they had done for me in that brief moment more than I could do in an entire week of service here. The song symbolized hope, faith, and strength; given the situation most of them live in, those things can only be found when depending solely in Jesus.

Following the assembly we had a chance to walk through each classroom and offer “sweets” to every student. The students were great, if not a little sneaky. They would place the sucker they were given in their pocket and then hold out their hands with puppy dog eyes hoping to get another. It worked on me a few times, but truthfully I don’t mind a bit.

Our day closed with our team huddled around a campfire (yes, in Africa) making a traditional Swazi dessert… S’mores. They were a perfect cap to a nearly perfect day.

Swaziland Log Book #5

Wednesday July 22, 2009
Day 7 “Blocks”

The blocks that didn’t arrive yesterday we’re here when we got to the church at nine this morning. We made quick work of them moving them from top of the hill down to the location of future showers and bathroom building. Physical work and sweating always makes you feel like you got something accomplished. With that job checked off our list we got ready to paint the interior of the boy’s lounge room. Once again we had to wait while supplies were purchased.

Probably one of the biggest adjustments our team has had to make is that things just flat out take longer in Swaziland. Flexibility is key and patience is right there with it.

While waiting for more supplies to make their way to the Hope House Church we had a little down time today. Did we just sit and twiddle our thumbs? No way! P. Brian happened upon a Flintstone like weight set that we all took turns using. It was so fun to see the ingenuity of the people here.

Once the all the materials showed up it was time for us to get down to business. We all focused on painting the boys lounge room first. We knocked that out rather quickly. During our lunch break we saw four boys trudging up the steep hill the church is located on with two of the coolest race carts I have ever seen. We gave the boys some of our extra sandwichs and told them we would wait to see them come down. After nearly 35 minutes of waiting we decided to see what was taking them so long to come down the treacherous slope. We found the boys riding down a smoother shorter hill that did not have the possibility of confining them to wheelchairs for the rest of their lives.

To finish the day we wheeled some river sand and plaster sand from its current location (you guessed it) on top of the hill to (you guessed it again) the bottom near the construction site. So we did… or should I say DJ did? There was only one wheelbarrow so P. Brian, Shawn, and I filled DJ’s wheelbarrow and cheered him on as he did the runs by himself.

Today was low key, but it was great to get some things done for Pastor Louis and the Hope House Church in Motjane. Tomorrow we will be making our first school visit, I cant wait…

Swaziland Log Book #4

Tuesday July 21, 2009
Day 6 “Go Go”

After a good night’s rest we started day six by setting out to the Motjane Hope House. Our task was to help the builder move blocks (similar to cinder) and construct the new bathroom and shower facility for the orphan boys. I say new, but that would imply that there was an old. The boys staying at the Hope House orphanage haven’t had running water facilities for four years now.

When we reached the construction site with our work gloves and clothes we noticed very quickly that something was missing… the blocks. Doug, the missionary we’re working with here, told us at the outset of our work that the key word in missions work is flexibility. Here was our chance to put this concept into action.

With the building project on hold we hopped back into the van and drove through the village of Motjane. We had food for 10 houses on board and through the hilly and bumpy terrain we rode. At each stop we got out and gave the food, offered an encouraging word, and prayed for the families we visited.

As you may imagine, the living conditions were just like you see on those World Vision commercials. Small living quarters crammed with people. Yet, many of the families we visited were honored that we had come to their home. One man posed for a picture, but insisted that we show his chicken coup in the background.

My favorite stop was one where a, “Go Go” the Swazi word for grandmother, saw us from a distance and screamed, “Hallelujah!” As we approached her home she was literally dancing because we had come to visit her and bring food. This was a real life Go-go Go Go! Once we were inside her home she told us that she was the leader of the multiple families that were living on the land with her. She told that our presence made her feel as if Jesus had come to visit her today.

What an incredible thought, our simple visit to the grandmother made her sense and experience the love of Christ in a tangible way. There is no question that this visit blessed her, but it may have blessed us even more.

On the lighter side, we took sack lunches with us today as we would not have enough time to stop for food. My lunch included a tomato, cheese, and margarine sandwich. I’m sorry to report I was not brave enough to try it. Come to think of it, I’m not sure anyone did.

The blocks should be ready tomorrow and that means, I’ve got to bring my A-game. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Swaziland Log Book #3

Monday July 20, 2009
Day 5 “Helpless & Hopeful”

“…I’m not sure anything could have really prepared me for what I saw today in the Government Hospital Children’s Ward…”

The day started with our team helping the missionary, Doug Meyers, unload a trailer of supplies, then reload it for a project we’ll be helping with on Saturday. I enjoyed this short little project at the warehouse to start the day because as we worked Doug was able to point out different items and say, “A team from Texas donated this, a team from Issaquah donated that.”

It’s neat to see that when we give to a cause like missions work, that we are indeed just one small part of a very large process. Today we had a hand in continuing the good work that another team had already started. Chances are that another team will get to complete the work that we furthered. We don’t always get to harvest what we plant, often someone else gets to water and then another gets to harvest. I love that in God’s work we all play a vital role along the way.

After our morning workout we headed out to what’s known as the Government Hospital. Doug tried to prepare us for the visit, however, I’m not sure if anything could have really prepared me for what I saw today in the Government Hospital Children’s Ward. The dilapidated exterior of the building was a preview of what was to follow once we ventured inside. It has been said that people don’t come to the government hospital to get well, they go there to die.

The first room we came to was the infant ICU where two mothers rocked their children. It was quiet and the only time the silence was broken was when one of the two swollen-faced babies began to cry. Through an interpreter our team was able to pray with the mothers and their children. At the Government Hospital in Swaziland nursing is not like in a United States hospital. Mothers, fathers, or relatives of the patient are responsible for nursing duties. The doctor comes once during the day to check on a patient’s status. Do to the large amount of child patients, rooms are filled with beds lining the walls and a common area is in the middle.

I wasn’t sure I could handle staying in the Children’s Ward once we entered the next room. The cries from kids, the hopeless feeling in the room was almost too much for me. I went over to a 5 ½ year old girl who was screaming at the top of her lungs in agony. Her nose was bleeding and her mother tried to sooth her with tissue and a calming voice. I stood there at the foot of her bed not knowing what to do or how to react.

After starring and standing for what seemed like forever I broke the silence and started trying to communicate. The girl’s mother spoke a little English and I was able to understand the basics of why the child was admitted. There had been a surgery done earlier on this little one and a stitch that hadn’t worked correctly that was causing major bleeding. She bled for four straight days before they brought her in and now finally she was receiving treatment. I asked if I could pray, they agreed and I started in. My voice quivered as I prayed, tears were building, I felt helpless.

Here I was praying to the creator of the universe and I felt as if I was powerless in the situation. The truth is, I was. On my own I had no power to take away her pain. God alone could help that little girl, I began praying in the Spirit because I knew they couldn’t understand me anyway and I wasn’t entirely sure what to pray. I gained confidence praying in tongues for her and as I grabbed the sobbing girl’s hand suddenly she stopped crying. I got her a toy from the suitcase (a princess wand w/ a magical chime sound) and continued to talk with the mother until it was time to move to the next room.

Simply by being there with gifts, smiles, and prayers our team was changing the atmosphere in each hospital room we visited. I knew that God cared about every patient there and that He knew just how help them. I learned that I could trust in God no matter what situation I faced. I was helpless by myself, I had nothing to offer on my own, but when I came representing God almighty that was a different story entirely. He is the hope of the world and the hope I got to give to children and their families in the hospital was tangible.

We finished the day by spending some time at the Sandra Lee Orphanage. The children used us like monkey bars and it was uplifting to be around them. The highlight of our time with these orphans was when one boy asked Shawn Seeley, “How come your muscles are bigger than DJ’s? Could you kill DJ?”

It was a good day today, I learned that I can’t offer much on my own to people in need. However, a smile, a toy, and a prayer offered in faith will do more than I’ll ever know.

Swaziland Log Book #2

Sunday July 19, 2009
Day 4 “Follow the Leader”

Day four of our trip started with a great breakfast prepared by the Emafini Hotel. I feel like the days spent getting to Swaziland were lost somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. After our feeding time we jumped into our rig to begin the day and our week of ministry. The vehicle we’re using over here is called the Toyota Quantum, it’s a 10 seat van or “combi” as the locals say. We went to the Hope House Church in an area called Motjane where we met Pastor Louis Chomba. He started Hope House eight years ago out of his own home. He also runs an orphanage that houses and feeds abandon boys in the area.

The service was very fun. I didn’t know all the songs, but a few were recognizable and it was fun to sing along. The people at Hope House love to worship, a large portion of their service time was devoted to music, singing, and dancing. Pastor Brian stepped up and shared a message entitled, “Follow the Leader,” through an interpreter. I was impressed that he was alert enough to deliver such a clear and understandable message. The people felt honored that we had come to their church and after the service stayed around to greet all of us. The feeling was mutual however; I was honored to be there and loved meeting some of my long lost relatives in the faith.

After church we did what good Christians do and we headed out to eat. The Missionaries took us to a glass factory that had an adjoining restaurant. The food was good and so was the shopping. After our meal we headed back to our hotel and prepared ourselves for a hike up the hill behind where we are staying.

The hike we went on was about four kilometers and incredibly scenic. The sun was getting ready to set as we reached the summit and we took lots of great pictures. After some nice team photos we headed back to the hotel just as darkness was settling in.

We jetted off to the Myers where we had a traditional Swazi dish… homemade pizza. I have to take a moment and confess something here. I was convinced as I was preparing for this trip that food would be scarce and that maybe just maybe I would be able to shed a few pounds before heading home. Boy was I wrong! We are being fed really well here and feel like I’m going to have to start cutting down on all the stuff I’m eating. My intake is far out weighing what I’m burning so far.

While at the Myers house I was able to use my laptop and chat on Facebook with family and friends. I even had a chance to talk on the phone with Stacey thanks to the help of P. DJ and Skype. Skype is a program that allows users to talk for free computer to computer. It was great to hear Stacey’s voice and hear how things are going back home.

The Myers are incredible hosts and so gracious to allow us to sit on their couches drinking their coffee all while using their bandwidth. Internet services here in Swaziland are roughly $150 per month (and I thought Comcast was bad!) We had a great day today and tomorrow looks to be another one as we’re scheduled to visit the Sandra Lee Orphanage and the Government Hospital Children’s Ward.

Swaziland Mission Trip Log

*I am part of a nine member team from Fairwood Church that is spending two weeks serving the people and missionaries in Swaziland, Africa. The next few posts will be updates on our journey.

Days 1 – 3 (Thursday – Saturday)
“44 hours”

The first three days of our Swaziland adventure take place primarily on planes, three of them to be exact. We took off from Seattle at two o’clock and headed for Paris on an Airbus 330, via Air France. It was a nine and a half hour jaunt that went by fairly quickly. There were lots of great movie, TV, and music options to choose from on our personal video players. I read a little, slept a little, and ate a little. We arrived at Charles De Gaulle Airport in France at around 7 am Friday morning and all I can say is… maybe the French should put a little effort into that horrific place. Seriously, France, please spend some money from your, “Food for Oil” scandal… I mean "campaign" and fix that thing up.

From Paris we got a little taste from home and hopped (walked) aboard a Boeing 777. To my recollection this was the first time I have ridden in a 777. To be honest it felt like every other commercial jetliner that I’ve ever flown in. I think coach has a way of making you feel that way. Everything is small and you feel closed in upon, but all that aside, it sure beat trying to drive from Paris to Nigeria. During this magic carpet ride I met an extremely drunk Scotsman named Dean. It was fun to talk to him, though it was very tough to understand him do to his heavy Scottish accent combined with all red and white wine he had been drinking. It got a little weird toward the end of the flight when he ended up taking my picture so he could post it on his Facebook, but I figured, “All publicity is good publicity.”

Upon our arrival in Nigeria I was so excited to finally meet the prince to whom I’d been sending my credit card and personal banking information to for all these months leading up to our trip. However, much to my shock and dismay I found out that he was tied up and couldn’t meet me at the airport as we had arranged. A nice man on the street told me for $50 USD he would ensure I'd see him when we return home; these people are the best!

After a lovely baby wipe bath in the Lagos, Nigeria Airport, I happily took the chance to chat with my sister Erica online. It was nearing 8 pm local time in Nigeria and our conversation was cut short; it was time for us to board our final aircraft for the flight portion of our journey. At around 10 pm on Friday night the grand daddy of all aircraft (at least for now) the Boeing 747 rumbled down the runway and took off into the Nigerian night sky on its way to Johannesburg. That’s at least what DJ told me happened; I was asleep before take-off. Sitting in a seat for hours at a time watching TV and movies while being served food and drink is tough work!

Although I slept for a few moments at the beginning of that plane ride I wish I could have slept a few more. The first two flights were on board Air France and the programming and service they offered were truly great. South African Air, was adequate I was just tired of being in the air. Not being able to sleep was frustrating, it’s not usually something that’s a problem for me, but for whatever reason this time it was. I walked up and down the spacious (if you’re an ant) aisles of the vessel, stretching and looking at all the other people who were fast asleep in their seats. I was jealous of them and part of me wanted to run up and down the aisles screaming just to be spiteful, but I didn’t, after all I value my record of never going to prison. I knew that had I acted on crazy thought like that the story of the mission trip would include bail money and many tearful conversations with my wife as we waited for our lawyer to help us out.

Finally just after 5 am local time we touched down in Johannesburg, South Africa host of the 2010 World Cup (yawn). We were all just thrilled to be done flying. We could have been in Slovakia and charged with the task of driving the rest of the way and we would have been game as long as it didn’t include another plane ride.

With 12 of our 14 bags in hand (yes, they lost two) we headed towards customs. Doug Myers, the missionary we’re working with met with us after our passports were stamped helped us get our rental car secured. Shock of all shocks, our rental car was not actually there. With the few hours we had to kill we had a tasty breakfast at one of the airport restaurants. The Johannesburg Airport was looking great and ready to handle all the traffic that will surely accompany the World Cup in 2010.

We put a bow on Saturday and our epic air journey by enjoying some time with the Myers family. We had a buffet style dinner together and collectively attempted to figure out where we were and how we got here. It feels good to be in Swaziland, I'm ready to serve and look forward to a couple weeks without a flight.

About last night...

We had a fantastic night last night at Live. We are calling the month of July our "Music Month." We have four guest worship bands leading all month long and we finish with our first ever battle of the bands on the 29th to close it out. This is all in an effort to expose our students to different music styles and to stir up those musical gifts that may be lying dormant within them.

Our night and series started out with recording artist Jamie Bonife and her band leading worship. Jamie and her band are from Eastridge Christian Assembly up on the plateau (Sammamish, WA). They did a great job of engaging and leading our students in worship.

After some great worship time I had the pleasure of introducing our students to a youth pastor who has become a great friend of mine over the last year and a half. His name is Tyler Sollie, he's the youth pastor at Eastridge Christian Assembly, he is a great leader and incredibly fun to be around. He spoke about what it means to truly worship. He should know something about it too! Not only is he a great youth pastor he's also a tremendous worship leader (some people get all the talent). The students loved Tyler and it was a great start to our, "Music Month," with P. Tyler, Jamie, and the band.

Next week we welcome in The Brandon Bee Band. God is doing great things at Live, I hope you or a student you know can make it out during our Music Month, we'd love to see you.

Ready or Not... Here We Come!

It's July 1st and that means it's time to begin our summer internship. This morning I was joined by a group students who are ready to grow spiritually all summer long. It's been a busy few days leading up to the start of internship, but when the students pulled into the parking lot I knew it was worth all the pressure I was feeling.

This year we have four of our youth staff members helping organize and operate the internship. Interns meet and work at the church on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday each week for the months of July and August. They work together on ministry projects, receive teaching from our church staff, study the Bible, read a few books, and enjoy hanging out together all summer long.

I love the time we get to spend with our students throughout the summer. It's fun to see them grow spiritually, and not just take the summer off from God and the church. Helping students develop a love for God and his house is truly one of the coolest parts about my job. I'm looking forward to a busy and productive summer.