(un)finished

Recently we have been considering what God has planned for our “next step” in life. Although some days we desire to board a plane (or helicopter, or boat, or just about anything!) and go home, we also face a deeper knowledge that our time here is not finished. We feel especially compelled to stay and invest more in the youth ministry. Strategically speaking, the school and farm development projects are not at a place where they are ready to run independently. There are still many ideas to share and relationships to development. There is much training to be done!

 We will continue to serve in Swaziland through 2015. We will return home for several weeks towards the end of 2014, and look forward to visiting with family and friends. We can’t wait to reconnect with you in person! I (Mandi) will be travelling back to California in just over a week to be with my sister as she gives birth to a baby girl, and am looking forward to meeting my newest nephew (her firstborn) for the first time as well. I will head back to Swaziland after spending two short weeks with family.

We can’t say it enough—we are SO grateful for your support and care. In some of our lowest moments we have received encouragement and prayer that has reassured us of our calling here.

Keeping Young Minds Busy

Our greatest goal is to see the children at New Life Children’s Homes come to know and love Jesus Christ personally.

Secondly, we desire to prepare the children here for a brighter future. We place a huge emphasis on education, which extends from New Life Primary School to individual tutoring sessions, a robust library, and learning practical skills on the farm. We are in the middle of a countrywide 3-week long school break. We know from experience that kids tend to get into more trouble when they are less busy, so we try to provide ample opportunities for the kids to stay busy. This week, we hosted a daily science camp.

The goal of the camp was to enrich their school-based science experiences with hands-on experimental learning. All the New Life Homes missionaries pitched in to teach students about simple machines and weather. Mandi organized the daily activities and curriculum, while Tommy taught sessions on agricultural machinery and the water cycle (one of his favorite topics). We had 22 children attend each day, including a few from the community. 

 

The kids provided some feedback at the end of the workshops.

“Was it too long?”

“NO!”

“Was it fun?”

“YES!”

Several students made specific comments, but I think 12-year old Mnelisi said it perfectly:

“We kept our minds busy all week!”