Meet Mukelo

Teachers aren't supposed to have favorites. However, most teachers can identify a few students that have really left an imprint on their heart. That's Mukelo.

I don't know all the details of Mukelo's story, but I do know he came to the farm as an infant--sick and malnourished. When I met Mukelo in 2007, he was possibly the brightest five year-old I had ever met. Having been raised on the farm since birth, his mastery of English and Siswati (the traditional Swazi language) was remarkable. Mukelo would often serve as a tiny translator, communicating with visiting missionary teams and quickly relaying information to the other children.

Mukelo, in salmon-colored shorts, is proud of his scarecrow!

 Last time I was there, Mukelo declared himself the personal caretaker of my water bottle. It was really an obsession. He would clean it, refill it (only once with diarrhea-inducing rain water), and would always ask "where'd the water go?"  He would also ask me to set it on his head--somehow the dimensions of the bottle wouldn't allow him to do this himself--so he could carry it for me as we worked in the garden.

Mukelo was sometimes too smart for his own good. I can't wait to see this mischievous, delightful, and hope-filled little guy again! 

We just settled into our new (temporary) home. Please be praying for the many preparations, logistics, and loose-ends that need to be tied up in the next 90-days. It is sometimes overwhelming.

The Preachin' Man

In one of the videos we often share, the children living at New Life Homes share what they want to be when they grow up.

Siboniso wants to be a judge or maybe a scientist.

Zweli wants to be a DJ.

Mkhuleko wants to be "the pastor... the preachin' man."

This video, shot by Aaron Kopp (son of Peter and Mary Jean, who we'll be serving alongside), features Mkhuleko in his element.

In a country that claims the lowest life expectancy in the world, with an average of only 31.88 years, planning for the future does not always come easily for young people. However, the children at New Life Homes are encouraged to dream and hope for a future that employs their many passions, gifts, and talents.

Northern California Exposure

Nobody makes you feel more at home than the people who live in Humboldt County. Those folks are passionate about a whole host of causes--even if some might make you scratch your head. One cause that gets them fired up is supporting their own. As many of you know, Mandi was born and raised in Humboldt and has maintained many friendships over the years. With the help of Mandi’s awesome parents, Elvis and Linda, and some very generous volunteers, we held a benefit barbeque last weekend at Christ Lutheran Church in Fortuna. We even had a country gospel band, lead by Pastor Paul Demant!

Elvis and Linda served a wonderful meal that received rave reviews--especially Elvis’ chicken! We enjoyed reconnecting with old friends, and meeting some new friends as well. George and Elna Demant (pictured below) have been strong supporters of New Life Homes since we served there in 2007. Elna was so moved by New Life Homes' ministry, she has been sponsoring a child living "on the farm" for the past five years! She also regularly sends care packages to the children there. We are so encouraged by George and Elna's commitment to caring for Swazi orphans!

On Sunday we attended services both at Christ Lutheran Church as well as Hydesville Community Church--where Mandi attended youth group as a high school student. After each service we were able to visit with people who wanted to learn more about how God is moving in Swaziland. We hung out in Hydesville for their second tailgate party of this year (we were also at the first!) and ate some delicious food including tri-tip wrapped in a pancake with bbq and chili sauce.

Yeah, it was pretty delicious. Humboldt Countians, thank you all for your hospitality and most of all for your prayers and support!

A Lesson on Treasure

The Bottoms' hit a major milestone this weekend--our first yard sale! And boy, was it entertaining. Not only did we love mixing and mingling with our bargain-hunting visitors, but we unloaded some serious stuff. We also unloaded our neighbors unwanted belongings (with their consent) which they cheerfully donated to support
New Life Homes.

The funny thing is, we haven't missed a thing. Okay, maybe one thing--our wall clock. Yes, we're realizing the clock was worth much more than the $5 we received from it.
At least we have a new excuse for being late!

On the second day, we did some serious mark downs. A young man could not resist an ornate wine stopper that had been $9 on Saturday, but was marked down to $0.50 on Sunday. That's 95% off. Talk about a deal! Here is a picture of us among our serious shoppers:

This was another necessary step in preparing to leave for Swaziland at the end of the year. We have decided not to rent a storage unit, and will be relying on the generosity of friends and family who have agreed to store, borrow, or buy all of our earthly possessions. We're finding this to be a healthy, yet somewhat uncomfortable lesson on how much we value our stuff. Isn't amazing how much we accumulate and how tightly we hold on to it?

As Jesus so aptly put it, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

We celebrated the completion of a successful yard sale with dinner at our favorite (and only) bike-themed pizza place.
We had a lot to celebrate. 

Housing update: Thank you for your prayers! We officially confirmed our housing arrangement though the fall today, with only a couple weeks to spare.

Meet Gift

The New Life Homes school is the primary education for all 32 children living at New Life Homes. An additional 30 students come from the local community. While teaching preschool in Swaziland I had one student from the local community--Gift.

And a gift he certainly was! Gift proved to be a tenacious learner. With no previous English language exposure, Gift grew by leaps and bounds. I also developed a warm relationship with his Mom, as she walked him a mile to and from school each day. She even made me a traditional Swazi dress!

I was delighted to receive an update on Gift today. Gift continues to attend New Life Homes school. He will be entering grade five next year. His mother has become a teacher's aid at the school, and is really thriving in her new role. I can't wait to reconnect with Gift and his mother again. 

From James 1:17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

A Midcourt Celebration

As some of you may realize, we are nearing the beginning of football season. I am a big sports fan, particularly of college football. It just so happens that college football provides an excellent metaphor for our support raising efforts. Last year, the national title football game pitted Alabama vs. LSU. Alabama dominated nearly every aspect of the game, to the point where LSU could not even move the ball past the 50-yard line. Needless to say, Alabama won. A few weeks later, Alabama and LSU met again, this time on the basketball court. When the team dribbled the ball past midcourt, all of the Alabama fans went crazy with sarcastic cheering. 

Well friends, we too are at the halfway point in raising our financial support. We are grateful for all of you who have decided to prayfully and financially support what God is doing in Swaziland. These next few (hectic) months are going to be awesome as we are confident that God will provide and move us beyond the goal line. That celebration will even louder than those Alabama fans.

P.S. If you would like to be part of moving us beyond the goal line, just click the "GIVE" button to the right of this post.

The Unexpected

Even unexpected change should, of course, be expected.

Knowing that we'll be departing to a developing country in just a few months, we have prepared for change. We are well aware how flexible we need to be. We know things won't necessarily go as planned. Yet even in the midst of all this mental preparedness, change is not easy to handle.

In the span of two days, we became aware of changes in our housing plans both here in Davis and abroad. We learned of an unexpected 3-week training we need to attend. Mandi learned of a change in her teaching assignment. We are not certain how all these changes will impact preparing to leave or finishing our job and school responsibilities well. 

One thing that we can expect and rely on is God's unchanging nature. We find a lot of peace in knowing that the big things of life, the things that matter, are unwavering.

As James writes, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17 

Please pray that we find a place to live in Davis before the end of September. We are specifically looking for a private or semi-private arrangement for the months of October and November. Pray for the packing, selling, and redistributing process that has begun as well. At times it is overwhelming.