Myers Weekly Prayer Letter

The National Swazi Baptist Easter Services last Thursday-Sunday (April 21-24) are now history.  The services were conducted at a school in the Manzini area and over 150 attended.  The agenda included convention reports, Bible studies, a full-scale children’s program, worship, testimonies and wonderful music.  Most attendees arrived on Thursday evening with their blankets, bags and Bibles. They found their “sleeping spot” and prepared for three nights and four days of sharing and fellowshipping with members of approximately 25 of the 30 Swazi Baptist churches.  Plenty of laughter and singing could be heard throughout the “camp”! Pray a spirit of unity among the Swazi Baptist churches and Swazi Baptist Convention will continue.  Pray the “Spirit of Easter” will be with us all year long!

I was asked to help provide a children’s program that began on Thursday evening and ended on Saturday evening.  The children presented a play on the last week of Jesus’ life and resurrection during the worship on Sunday morning.  I had wonderful Swazi helpers and was blessed by their commitment to our task.  The children gathered in our room ready to sing, study and have fun.  Laughter could be heard even after the teacher began talking.  There is so much to teach these children and so much to learn about Jesus, the Bible, Christian living and church life.  The task must begin when they are young so they can develop into strong committed Swazi Christian leaders.  Pray the 30 Swazi Baptist churches will take seriously the responsibility of teaching and training their children. Pray each Swazi Baptist church will desire to have a strong children’s program.

WHERE’S THE CHICKEN???
Remember the commercial a couple of decades ago for a hamburger chain with the grandma that yelled “Where’s the Beef?”  The participants or our Easter services found themselves looking not for the beef but for the chicken.  Saturday night 9 bags of chicken portions mysteriously disappeared. Whispers of where was the chicken, who took the chicken, what happened to the chicken were being heard around the camp.  It was a true mystery!!  So mysterious in fact that around midnight the sleeping attendees were roused from their sleep and their bags searched for the missing bags of chicken portions!!  Alias, the missing chicken continued to be missing since it was not found among the searched belongings.  Instead of whispers, complete vocal comments could be heard the next day around the camp.  One brave soul even condemned the search since at Saturday night’s supper there was an enormous amount of chicken.  So much in fact extra pieces were being freely given.  Could this be the missing chicken?  Did the cook’s accidently cook all the chicken instead of Saturday night’s allotment?  Oh well, I guess the mystery of the missing chicken portions will continue to be a mystery since no one is admitting to the crime.    So we can say in unison “Where’s the Chicken?”

As I type this prayer letter the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is taking place.  Many people line the streets to see the participants of the wedding, the Queen, and the wedding couple.  What a spectacular affair.  Tomorrow (April 30), another wedding is taking place.  The couple is not royalty but hard working Swazis who have been together for many years and have several children together.  He is the pastor of the Ntuthwakazi Baptist Church.  The Mkhiliphis desire to be obedient to the Lord and have a Christian wedding.  Plans and preparations are being completed.  Other Swazi Baptist pastors are part of the program and ceremony.   There is excitement everywhere.  Pray for this couple as they invite their friends, family, church members and community to their Christian wedding tomorrow at the Ntuthwakazi Baptist Church.  May their wedding be a wonderful witness to their family and the Ntuthwakazi community.

--Saturday May 7, the executive committee of the Baptist Convention of Swaziland meets.  One item on the agenda is to evaluate the National Easter Services in April.  Pray for this group as they prayerfully reflect on the 2011 Easter Services.  Pray for a time of unity and consensus.

--May 15, Kym Pennington, True Love Waits International consultant returns to Swaziland to lead three three-day TLW trainings; 16-18 in Mbabane, 19-21 in Manzini and 23-25 in the Shiselweni or North Lubumbo region.  Pray for Kym as she leads these three training events.  Pray for the Swazi team as they encourage possible attendees and prepare for these events.

AIDS UPDATE:
Please continue to pray the In-Home Care Kits (BGR buckets) will soon make their way to Swaziland from Durban, South Africa.  Pray for the Swazi team as they seek to train our church members on the use of the buckets with AIDS victims and their families.

COMPUTER UPDATE:
We are still experiencing computer woes.  After 6 months, I still do not have my computer.  Wayne has talked with the “head man” of the group who has given Wayne an update on the situation, but every time they talk it is a different update.  He did tell Wayne he is talking with the technician that is working on the computer but I don’t particularly trust him and still have great concerns.  I don’t know who has the computer. L  Please continue praying that the ending to this situation will be a friendly one. 

--We will take Wayne’s computer to Jo’burg for repairs the end of May.  We are both using his old but trustworthy Dell laptop and adjusting to having to take turns on the computer!!