Monday, July 27, 2009

Myers Weekly Prayer Letter - July 27, 2009

A little faith will bring your soul to Heaven; great faith will bring Heaven to your soul.
--Spurgeon


The Shiselweni Region youth leader meeting that was scheduled for Saturday 25th of July had to be postponed because of problems with our mission truck’s alternator. Pray this meeting can be rescheduled.

-The Swazi Team quarterly meeting scheduled for Monday has been rescheduled for Tuesday 28th of July. Wayne has an appointment to have our alternator fixed on the mission truck on Monday. The venue of the quarterly meeting is Nhlangano. Pray for a wonderful time of fellowship and business. Praise the Lord Wayne was able to get the mission truck fixed!


--The executive committee of the Baptist Convention of Swaziland meets Saturday 1st of August. Pray this meeting will reflect the desire to glorify the Lord in all that is said and done. Pray for good attendance of those on the executive committee.


August 1st, is Sarah Warren’s birthday!! Pray she will have a wonderful time on her special day!!


--In April Lisa Warren’s father suffered a stroke and has been in rehabilitation care centers. Due to insurance limitations he will return to his home on August 3rd. After much prayer the Warrens feel God leading them to return to the States to care for Lisa’s father (Lisa is the only child). They will leave Swaziland on the 5th of August. Please pray for direction and discernment in all aspects of life from preparing their home to handle Lisa’s dad’s special needs to placing Jessie, Matthew and Sarah back in school as well as Bert and Lisa finding employment.

Testimony From a Swazi
I accepted the Lord in October 1994. Before I was a Christian I didn’t know I was a sinner. I thought I was perfect. I didn’t fight with others or drink. I saw other people going to church but I didn’t know why they were going. The Baptist missionaries who came to Swaziland helped me change. Through their teaching I came to know I needed Jesus in my life. I learned I was a sinner and I needed Jesus to change me. I asked Him for forgiveness of my sins. I enjoy the weekly Bible study because I can ask questions and hear others talk about Jesus. Before the Baptist, I never had a person talk to me about Jesus or ask me if I was a Christian.
Pray all Swazis will have a chance to hear and know about Jesus. Pray the Christians in Swaziland will seek to win their lost family members and neighbors.

Please pray I will receive the help needed to get the prayer booklet “That Christ Might Dwell In Their Hearts” printed. Pray the booklet will be a wonderful tool for prayer support for the Swazi people.


MEDICAL PRAYER CONCERNS:
-Continue to pray for Terry Myers whose cancer is in remission. Pray for his full recovery from cancer.
--Pray for my niece’s husband’s mother who has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. A feeding tube has been placed. Pray for the Lord’s strength and courage during this difficult time.
--Pray also for Kerry Harp who continues to recover from a motorcycle accident last year. Pray the Lord will wrap his loving arms around him and Kerry will feel His presence.


AIDS UPDATE:
According to the “Swazi Weekend Observer” several cultural practices and beliefs contribute greatly to the spread of HIV and AIDS in Swaziland. Besides cultural practices such as forced marriages and widow inheriting, other factors include poverty, high mobility of the population, alcohol and drug abuse and male dominance. Pray these problems that plague the Swazi population will be controlled and no longer help spread HIV and AIDS. Pray for a strong sense of Christian living verses cultural practices in Swaziland.


IMB OFFICE OF GLOBAL PRAYER STRATEGY:
Please pray for the July 27 through August 24 field personnel orientation that will bring together more than 260 adults and 115 children for training at the International Learning Center. May the Lord bless them with excellent health, keen minds to learn, and open hearts to experience fully all that He has planned for them during these days of orientation.


UPCOMING EVENTS:
-We are taking a week holiday at the Kruger National Game Reserve 2nd of August-8th of August.

-In April Kelly Woody, True Love Waits International consultant visited the Swazi Team members in their areas of work. Kelly returns to Swaziland around the 16th of August to assist the Swazi Team with True Love Waits and to teach about TLW at the National Youth Camp (Aug. 27-30). Pray for Kelly as she prepares to work with Swazis and missionaries to establish a strong True Love Waits program in Swaziland.


“Learning About the Bible” is the theme for the Shiselweni Region’s 2009 Children’s Camp. The first camp is scheduled for August 17-19 and the second camp August 31-September 2. As preparation continues, please pray the Lord will guide and direct each decision made. Pray the children will begin to look forward to this time of learning and having fun!


Each year the Swazi Baptist churches have the opportunity to send their youth to the National Youth Camp. This year’s camp is August 27-30, 2009. Pray for a venue to be confirmed this week. Pray the annual National Youth Camp will reach many Swazi youth for the Lord. Pray those who attend will daily seek the Lord’s face and will constantly strive to understand the Lord’s will for their life.


--Because of the concern for charismatic tendencies and practices displayed at the National Easter Services, teaching was scheduled by the Baptist Convention of Swaziland May 22nd-23rd. September 11-12 a follow-up teaching is scheduled. Please pray for Wayne Myers and Steven Allen as they prepare for a time of additional information sharing
and question and answer time. Pray for a better understanding of those attending concerning Baptist beliefs. Pray members from our Baptist churches will commit to making their churches stronger in Baptist beliefs as well as Christian believers


Continue to pray for us as we continue to prepare for our departure on the 24th of September to begin our stateside assignment.
--Pray we will also be able to secure a vehicle for our time in the states. (September 24th-December 30th).

Hunter and Brinkley Johnson's visit

Our mission family/team was truly blessed by Hunter and Brinkley visit from June 9 - July 8, 2009. They were able to spend time in each one of our team's members home and they are really family to each one of us. They led in Bible studies, the National Youth Leader's Retreat, helped with logistical stuff with the Swazi team, spent time with Swazi friends, visited new work areas, rode in several different mission vehicles with lots of people crammed in small spaces, helped watch our children and shared the love of Jesus with the Swazi people. We hope you enjoy reading their updates they sent back to the USA when they were with us in Swaziland. Thank you, Hunter and Brinkley, for giving of your time, resources and yourselves to Swaziland in more ways than we can express. Know you are more than welcome to come anytime!!!

If anyone else wants to come serve with us, come on! :)

Volunteer Reflections #10

Hey everyone! We just wanted to let you know that we are back in Washington, NC. Our flight landed at about 5:40 this morning in Washington, DC. We actually arrived at the airport before Customs had opened. Dad, Mom, and Archer picked us up, and we got home at about 1:15. Our flight was nearly full, but we were able to sit with part of a youth group from a Baptist church in Texas. They had been working in Cape Town, so we enjoyed exchanging stories during our 18 hour flight.
Just to catch you up completely, we wanted to include a few pictures from our last 24 hours in Swaziland. We went to a small game park in Swaziland on Tuesday. We ate lunch there and went on a game drive in the afternoon. It was just the four of us with two guides. We saw a lot of deer-like animals: impala, kudu, nyala, waterbuck, etc. We also saw several zebra, giraffe, and a crocodile. This game park is known for its snake exhibit, but it was being renovated for the upcoming World Cup. However, this did not hinder our snake experiences. On our drive, we came across a 6-7 foot python stretched out on the road. The two guides jumped out of the jeep and caught the thing. Of course, they wanted to take it back for the exhibit, so it joined us in the jeep. The two of us sat one seat in front of this snake and the guide who was holding it across his shoulders. It was quite an African experience. We have included several pictures from the day, including some of the snake.
Wednesday, one of the Nhlangano youth rode to South Africa with us. We really enjoyed visiting with him during our long drive. There is a picture of us with Mpumelelo attached.
We are already missing Swaziland but are glad to be home with family. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. We had an amazing trip and have so many stories to share. We look forward to sharing some of these stories with you in person.


Love, Hunter and Brinkley





Volunteer Reflections #9

This is probably going to be the last update from this side. We have just arrived back at the mission house after our last day of ministry. Yesterday, we began the morning at Nhlangano Baptist for Sunday School and church. We did not have any responsibilities, and it was nice to sit back and enjoy the service. We have included a picture of Hunter with a little girl who slept in her arms the whole service. After church, we said bye to Mavayi and Chris and headed to the next church service at Zikhoteni. We had to drop some people off on the way, and we also picked up Mpilo and Mzwandile (Simanga’s brother) at Thunzini. The church service had already started, and Mpilo literally began preaching as soon as we arrived at the homestead. There is a picture of Brinkley and Mzwandile along with a picture of the homestead where the church meets. We got home at about 4:30, so it was a long day. We definitely enjoyed going to bed early last night.
This morning, our friend, Bongani, came by and joined us for lunch. Right after lunch, we picked up Mpilo and Mfan’fikile and headed to Ntuthwakazi. Brinkley taught the children, and Hunter taught the youth and adults. We have included a picture of us at the homestead, as well as one of each of us with the group we taught. Neither of us had ever been to Ntuthwakazi, and we really enjoyed it. This place is pretty close to the end of the earth, so we had a lot of time with some of our Swazi friends on the way there and back. It was hard to say good-bye to these guys since we have been with them nearly every day since we got here.
Tomorrow, we are going to a game park in Swaziland, and then we will leave early Wednesday morning to start our journey back home. Please continue to keep us in your prayers these last few days. We will let you know when we arrive back in the states.
Thanks again for all of your prayers and support these last four weeks. We have been truly been blessed by the Swazi people and our time here.


Love, Hunter and Brinkley







Volunteer Reflections #8

We have had great few days and cannot believe our time in Swaziland is winding down. Ministry has kept us busy, but we have also enjoyed some time with our friends. Thursday, we spent the morning on a prayer drive in an area where there is no evangelical presence. That afternoon, we stopped by Thunzini and enjoyed spending some time with the Mkhontas. Mavayi’s baby, Amanda, went with us, also. It was the first time Brinkley had ever seen Amanda, and we have included a picture of the two of them. There is also a picture of both of us with Babe and Make Mkhonta and Amanda. The third picture from Thunzini is of Hunter and Simanga’s youngest brother, Bandile at the homestead. Thursday evening, we led a Bible Study at Nhlangano Baptist Church. We did not have a large number, but had great discussion time together. Hunter taught about the promises of God, using the examples of Isaac and Jacob. We have also included a photo from the Bible Study. It was a long day, but we enjoyed the variety of things we did.
Friday, we spent the morning at the mission house before heading to Maloma in the early afternoon. We picked up a few youth from Velebantfu and had a few from Nhlangano and Thunzini go with us, also. When we arrived at Maloma, we played “rugby” with the youth while we were waiting for more to arrive. After about an hour of attempting to throw a soccer ball under the church benches (while only being allowed three steps each time you touched the ball), we began our Bible Study. Brinkley taught about God’s love using Psalm 103. We had this study under the stars using the moon and a flashlight. We had a little added excitement when a mouse ran under the benches that we were sitting on. It’s all part of the African experience that we love. We have included a picture of Hunter with Bongani (from Nhlangano) and two youth from Maloma.
Today has been a full day, mostly filled with stories, laughter, and friends. This morning, Chris stopped by the house. He is in town for the weekend and was able to bring Mavayi home from school. (We have included a picture of Chris and Brinkley in front of the house.) We saw Mavayi briefly last night when we were coming back from Maloma. Simanga was also able to get the weekend off from the Police Academy in Matsapha. We saw him briefly last night when we dropped the Thunzini youth off. He had completely surprised his grandparents, who were not expecting him at all since he was home last weekend. He came into town this morning, and we met up with him, Mavayi and Amanda. We all walked to town together to see a few friends and then had lunch at the Myers. There is a picture of the four of us after lunch attached to the email. Both Simanga and Mavayi went to the Bible Study at Mgamudze with us along with Mpilo, from Thunzini, and Mfan’fikile, who has been translating for us each night. We also stopped by Matsanjeni and picked up about 6 or 8 youth from there. When we arrived at the church, we played rugby while we were waiting for more people to come. There is a picture of this lovely rugby game, with Mr. Wayne right in the middle of it all. For the Bible Study, we sat outside again, and Hunter taught the same lesson from Thursday night. We had about 20-25 youth and about 10 children in attendance. Unfortunately, we had to say good-bye to Simanga at the end of the night. He has to leave right after church in the morning.
In the morning, we will be going to Nhlangano Baptist so we will see Mavayi again before she goes back to school. After church, we will head to Thunzini, pick up Mpilo, and then go to another service at Zikhoteni. We have another Bible Study on Monday afternoon, and then we will be going to a game park in South Africa on Tuesday. We hope you enjoy all of the pictures. We had a little trouble picking which ones to send, so there are a little more than usual.


Love, Hunter and Brinkley








Volunteer Reflections #7

Hey from the other side of the world! We hope you are doing well and hear that you are all much warmer than us. This has been an extremely cold week, and most of our ministry opportunities have been in the evening after the youth and children are out of school. We have definitely enjoyed the fire each night as well as the small heaters around the house. Monday, Mr. Wayne picked us up from the Allens, and we headed to Nhlangano. That night, we went to Thunzini for a weekly Bible Study that Mr. Wayne and Mrs. Barbara lead. We took a few people from Nhlangano with us and joined up with several adults and older youth at Thunzini. We loved meeting up with friends we have not seen in years. It was so exciting to see the Mkhontas as well as some of the youth we have not seen since the Youth Camp in 2005. We sang together, and then had a snack of chips and juice. The men stayed in the church, and the women walked to the Mkhonta’s homestead beside the church. Mrs. Barbara led the women with a study on 1 Corinthians, and afterwards, we enjoyed visiting with them and showing pictures. The Bible Studies were done by candlelight; so unfortunately, there are no pictures to share from Monday.
Tuesday evening, we went to Thunzini to lead a youth study for the Nhlangano youth and the Thunzini youth. We began by singing together, and then we played a few games which they loved. Hunter led a study on Romans 12:1-2 about commitment and transformation. After the lesson, they had a discussion time and prayed together. The youth responded very well to each other during the discussion, and it was really encouraging. Of course, lots of pictures were taken and we have included a couple for you. The first is a picture of us with the entire group and then one of us with 3 brothers that we have spent a lot of time with- Mphumelelo, Melusi, and Mpilo.
Yesterday, we ran a few errands with Mr. Wayne in the morning. He also drove us around the rural areas to see some new places. For lunch, one of the youth from Nhlangano stopped by. We enjoyed visiting with her, and she helped us with the names of several siSwati songs we had recorded at different churches or meetings. Last night, we went to Zikhoteni for a Bible Study. There were about 25 youth and children there. After opening the night with singing, we took everyone outside and taught them how to Limbo. They absolutely loved it. We have included a picture of Mr. Wayne teaching one of the youth “the proper techniques.” Brinkley taught a lesson titled “Nothing Is Impossible with God.” We enjoyed getting to know some of the youth afterwards. This is a newer church that Mphilo is pastoring now. Some of you may remember that Simanga used to be at this church before he left for his police training. They meet in the homestead that we were in last night. We have included a picture of Brinkley with a few of her new friends, as well as one of Hunter with most of the guys who were there.
This morning, we are going on a prayer drive and will spend the rest of the day preparing a few lessons. Tonight, we will be at Nhlangano Baptist Church for a Bible Study. We look forward to sharing more stories of the Lord’s faithfulness. I am sure it will be a good break from all of the Michael Jackson news.


Love, Hunter and Brinkley





Volunteer Reflections #6

We have had a great weekend with the youth leaders of Swaziland. Friday, we spent the morning preparing for the retreat by working on lessons and running errands in town. We got to the Baptist Church in Manzini a little before 5:00 and visited with the youth while more people arrived. We had rice and chicken for dinner and then began the meeting. After some worship songs, Brinkley gave her testimony and then Hunter taught on the “High Price of Leadership.” Afterwards, we had tea time and enjoyed visiting with friends.
Saturday was an earlier morning. We arrived in Manzini at 8:30, and Hunter taught her second lesson- “Let Your Light Shine.” The youth leaders also had time set aside to divide up into their 4 regions and have some discussion time. We spent some time praying together, mostly for unity and commitment amongst the youth in Swaziland. The youth leaders ask that you also join us in praying specifically for these things. After the morning lesson and discussion, we presented the youth leaders with t-shirts that had been donated, and they were absolutely thrilled. The National Youth Committee then surprised us and presented us with a traditional Swaziland wrap. After lunch, we cleaned the church, and everyone headed home. The weekend seemed to fly by, but it was obvious that God was present. The youth leaders really encouraged each other and enjoyed the fellowship. We loved seeing friends from all over the country, many of whom we have known since 2002 or 2005 but have not seen them since then.
Saturday night, Jane and Ntombi spent the night with us like last weekend. We only watched two movies this time, but stayed up late talking and sharing. This morning, we went to Sithwethweni with Monica and the kids. This is a church around the Manzini area that we had never visited. Afterwards, we stopped in Ezulwini for lunch. Jane and Ntombi came back to the mission house with us, and we watched the movie that we had not stayed awake for last night. Unfortunately, after the movie, we had to take them home. We are leaving tomorrow for Nhlangano, so we have spent the weekend saying good-bye to the youth and youth leaders in this area.
We are really excited about spending the rest of our time in Swaziland with Wayne and Barbara Myers. We are not exactly sure what our schedule entails, but we will continue to send updates as frequently as possible. Thank you for all of your prayers with this year’s Youth Leaders’ Retreat. We were so blessed to be a part of it again this year. Both of us were here for the retreat last year, and it was actually Hunter’s 3rd year in a row speaking. Everything ran so smoothly and the youth loved every minute of it. God is using the youth of this country to do amazing things. Continue to keep them in your prayers as they face daily struggles and challenges.
We have included several pictures from the YLR. There is one of Hunter with Sandile and Simanga, a few group shots, one of Hunter teaching, and one of Brinkley with Phiwayinkhosi (have fun trying to pronounce that name). The last two pictures are of the Sithwethweni church and of us with Jane and Ntombi outside of it. We hope you enjoy these pictures! Please feel free to email us if you would like more details about any of these events. We just so many stories, it is hard to pick out which ones to share!!


Love, Hunter and Brinkley







Volunteer Reflections #5

Thank you so much for all of the prayers this week. We had a great time with the Warrens and were truly blessed by their family. We met up with Bert on Monday in Manzini and headed straight to Phuzumoya. There, we joined Pastor Sigwane, Sifiso, Lloyd, Makhosi, and a few bomake (women) and drove about an hour and a half to an area called Belungu. We spent the afternoon setting up two revival tents and driving stakes into the ground that a jackhammer probably could not have penetrated. Revival services started that night and will continue until Sunday. We enjoyed spending time with the pastors and other Swazis as we were setting up the tents. It was quite a process, and it still was not completed when we left three to four hours later. When we left Belungu, we had about a two hour drive to Tshaneni, where the Warrens live. We ran by the store first and ran into Simpiwae. It was such a surprise and so good to see her. Her son, Fezo, and her new baby were with her. (As many of you know, Simphiwe and Douglas are now living in this new area and are working with the Warrens.) Monday night, we enjoyed sitting around the dinner table, sharing pictures, and exchanging stories from back home with Bert and Lisa.
Tuesday morning the two of us went with Bert and the Warren’s younger son, 11-year-old Matthew, to Phuzumoya. The original plan was to go up to Belungu with Pastor Sigwane and do homestead visits. However, plans in Swaziland are rarely carried out and this was no different. Instead, Bert and Matthew went with Pastor Sigwane and Lloyd to collect firewood for the church. We stayed at the church and played with the orphans who attend a school there. We also played with the preschoolers who attend the preschool that the Phuzumoya church runs. The orphans absolutely loved the attention and the games. They were constantly grabbing our arms, holding our hands, touching our heads, and rubbing our faces. When Matthew and Bert returned, we helped unload the firewood, and then headed down the road to do a homestead visit close to the church. The woman we visited is an active member of the church, but as a result of her diabetes and high blood pressure, she is suffering from extremely swollen feet and legs. Unfortunately, this problem is preventing her from walking. Her grandchildren are taking care of her throughout the day. We just went to encourage her and to pray for her. We also ask that you pray for this gogo. She is a dedicated member of Phuzumoya Baptist and is still discipling women several days a week, despite her physical pains.
On Wednesday, we spent the morning at the house while Jessie, Matthew, and Sarah did their school work. Afterwards, we headed to Mananga which is basically like a country club with a golf course, restaurant, and a swimming pool. While we were there, we saw zebra, kudu, impala, warthogs, and monkeys. There was also a playground that we enjoyed as much as the kids and a pool where Jessie and Matthew swam. The Swazis thought they were crazy, since it is definitely winter here, but the boys loved it. Wednesday evening, we went with Bert to the revival at Belungu. Our friend, Musa, was there as well as the pastors we had seen throughout the week. The two tents were packed by about 6:30. We loved the service, and at the end, seven young men made the decision to follow Christ. The evening was topped off by all of the animals we saw both on the way to Belungu and on the way home. On the way there, Bert drove us through the sugar cane fields that surround their house. We saw tons of monkeys and impala. Most of the other roads we drove on backed up to different game parks or ran beside land where various African animals are being raised. We actually had a kudu run in front of the bakkie and saw baboons on the side of the road eating sugar cane. On the way home, we had to stop due to about six or eight zebra blocking the road. Since we were with an eastern North Carolinian J, we were often driving too fast to take pictures or it was too dark, but we enjoyed seeing all of the animals.
Today, we packed up and said good-bye to Lisa and Matthew. Bert, Jessie, and Sarah rode with us to meet Monica and Lacie in Manzini. We unloaded Monica’s bakkie at the Manzini church for the Youth Leaders’ Retreat tomorrow. The rest of the Warren family headed back to Tshaneni, and we went back to Mbabane. There have been extremely bad windstorms the past few nights in both places. We have just gotten power back at the mission house in Mbabane and the Warrens were without power when we left. Monica says she was also without water for a majority of the last 24 hours. We are thankful it is back on now, and hope to get this update out before we lose it again. The wind has picked back up, so it is only a matter of time. We will spend the rest of tonight preparing for this weekend’s retreat. We are sooooo excited about seeing everyone and being a part of the Youth Leaders’ Retreat once again. Please continue praying for the youth leaders as they plan and prepare for the National Youth Camp. We will send another update Saturday night or Sunday, before we head to Nhlangano on Monday. We will be with Wayne and Barbara Myers until we leave on July 8th.
Thank you for all you do and for what you mean to us!


Love, Hunter and Brinkley










Volunteer Reflections #4

Hello from Swaziland!
We have had a busy weekend and have lots of stories to share. Saturday morning was Lacie’s 5th birthday party. She had a Dora the Explorer party and invited a few friends from pre-school and a few friends from missionary families. We met the Warren family and saw Wayne and Barbara Myers. Both families send greetings home. After the party, we went with Steve, Maria, and Jane to the weekly Bible Study at Lesibovu (the new work area). You might remember that Brinkley taught about 50 children last week, and Hunter taught about 20 of the youth and adults. Due to Lacie’s party yesterday, we had moved Bible Study back an hour. We were afraid they would have forgotten, but we were so wrong! When we arrived, the building was packed, as well as the back of the truck. We greeted everyone and then split like last week. Both of us went with Jane to teach the children. Hunter taught about Isaac and Jacob and how God always keeps His promises. Brinkley counted the children during the lesson and there were over 95, all under the age of 12. After the lesson, we played games with them and added about 25-30 more children. It was quite overwhelming but really exciting at the same time. We definitely learned not to underestimate the hunger these people have for the Word. There is a picture of the children before we started Bible Study outside. It is just one side of the crowded building. There is also one of Hunter with a few of the children after the study.
On the way home, we picked up another one of our friends, Ntombi. Jane and Ntombi spent the night with us, and we had a blast. We had a movie marathon while drinking our hot tea, eating our biscuits, and sitting by the fire.
Steve left for Israel this morning and will get back the day we leave Swaziland. He is extremely excited to go on this archeological dig. It is definitely his dream trip. (We have included a picture of us with the Allen family, and one of us with Jane and Ntombi.) After saying good-bye, we piled into the truck with Monica, her mom, the kids, Ntombi, and Jane and headed to Peace. Neither one of us had been to a church service at Peace before so it was a new experience. Hunter delivered the message, which was another new experience to add to our list. Jane and Ntombi led the congregation in some of our favorite songs, and we had a great worship time. After church, we walked with Jane to see her homestead. We enjoyed visiting some more and watching some of the children from the church climb a lemon tree at the homestead. After we left Peace, we dropped Jane and Ntombi off in town on our way home. We were so blessed to spend this amount of time with them over the past few days and really enjoyed it.
Tonight, we went to the International Bible Study with Monica and Lacie. Now, we are just trying to get things ready for this week. We leave tomorrow to meet up with the Warrens and will be with them until Thursday. Friday and Saturday we have the Youth Leaders’ Retreat. Hunter will be the main speaker for this retreat. This week, please be in prayer for us as we are working in this new area. Also, pray for the youth leaders that will be at the retreat this weekend. The Allens also ask for prayer as Steve is gone for the next few weeks. Lastly, please pray for rest for both of us. We have had a busy few weeks and are exhausted. This is another busy week coming up, and we definitely want to be alert so we do not miss any details that the Lord shows us.
Please enjoy the pictures that we have included. It might be a while before our next update, but we will send one when we get a chance. We also want to wish all of the dads a HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!

Love, Hunter and Brinkley







Volunteer Reflections #3

Greetings from Swaziland!
Sanibonani! Ninjani bazalwane? We hope you are all doing well. We are loving every minute of being here in Swaziland and wanted to update you on the last few days. Wednesday was Lacie’s 5th birthday. Monica and Gogo Polly took cupcakes to her pre-school, and then after school, the Allen family went to lunch together. Sandile Kunene came to the mission house and spent the whole day with us. We spent most of the morning catching up, showing pictures, and exchanging stories. It was so good to see him. In the afternoon, we went to Sibebe for the weekly Bible Study that Maria Shandu leads. We enjoyed seeing familiar faces and spending time with them. For those of you who know about the infamous Sibebe bridge, it has been replaced. We actually felt “safe enough” to walk across it. Sandile enjoyed going to Sibebe with us, as well. It was his first time visiting this specific Bible Study. Maria has been consistently teaching her each week for about 7 or 8 years now. It is always a blessing to be a part of the different ministries here. Wednesday night, we celebrated Lacie’s birthday with a special dinner at home and brownies with chocolate icing. She also opened presents from her family. From Wednesday, we have included a picture of Hunter with Sandile at Sibebe, Brinkley teaching with Maria, and Lacie with her birthday desert. J
Thursday, we spent the day with Teresa at the Mbabane Government Hospital working with Breast Cancer Network. We saw about 30-35 patients from 9:00 to 2:00. During the morning, Brinkley and I went to the children’s ward and visited some of the children there. We started in the abandoned children’s room and fed some of them. There is a picture of Brinkley holding one of the babies. After about an hour or so, we stopped by some other rooms in the ward and then joined back up with Teresa and Doctor Alcidez (the same doctor from Tuesday). Most of the patients that we saw were between the ages of 20 and 25 because of the low life expectancy here. (It is now down to about the age of 32.) Teresa and one of the Swazi counselors had to tell a woman that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. There is no chemo available in Swaziland, so every patient they diagnose has to have the added expense of going to South Africa. Financially, the Swazi government is helping now more than ever, which is a blessing.
We so have a prayer request. About a week ago, Dr. Alcidez cut his finger while removing stitches from a lumpectomy patient. The stitches had been in for too long, and as usual, all he had was a single razor blade. They immediately tested the patient and discovered that she was HIV positive. He has had to start on ARVs, trying to take every precaution necessary. Because of the medication, he is constantly sick. Please be in prayer for our new, Cuban friend. They will test him in 3 months to see if he has contracted the virus. We have included a picture of Teresa, Dr. Alcidez, and Hunter after a long day at the hospital.
This morning was a pretty typical morning in Swaziland- the truck wouldn’t start so we had to get a new battery for it; the trailer had to be fixed because the indicators decided not to work; in the midst of it all, the Allens’ new truck was ready to be picked up; and every police officer on this side of the country was on the road because the king was making an appearance in Mbabane. After Steve had sorted through everything and the dust had settled, we went to Hawane this afternoon for the weekly Bible Study. Steve taught the adults, and we stayed outside and taught the children. Due to the cool weather and school, we did not have very many children in attendance. However, they did enjoy learning about Abraham and Isaac. We also had extra time while we were waiting for the adults to finish, so we taught them some new games. Their new favorite game is the limbo. They had never played or seen it before, so we had a lot of fun teaching them. We have included a picture of the children during the lesson, as well as one of us with some of the women, or bomake.
Thanks for praying! We will send out another update on Sunday before we leave for the Warrens on Monday. Remember that Steve leaves on Sunday for Israel, so please be in prayer for him, also.
Love, Hunter and Brinkley