A "Little" Gift

As long as I can remember I’ve been an avid reader. Reading has shaped some of my fondest educational experiences—from participating in countless summer reading programs at the Fortuna Library to reading The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles in Mrs. Giffith’s sixth grade class (I can vividly remember drawing a picture of what I thought a wangdoodle looked like)—a good book has always easily engulfed me.

After reading Charlotte’s Web to my third and fourth graders, I knew reading and studying literature would have to be part of our regular classroom curriculum. The children LOVED that book. A few of the little girls even cried (spoiler alert!) when Charlotte died. It reminded me how literature has the power to take us to a different world.

I started to think about how my students would benefit from participating more fully in our literature units. What if they could have their own copy in their hands? Seeing the words in front of them would certainly increase their comprehension as well as provide opportunities to practice reading on their own. I mentioned my idea to my mother-in-law, a former teacher, and she said she would see what she could do. Approximately a month later I received a class set of Stuart Little in the mail! 

My students are delighted to have their own copy to read! I still read aloud, but now they also read on their own, with partners, and to the whole class. It has greatly enhanced our literature program. I love looking around the room and seeing my students engrossed in their books! 

If you are a fellow book lover, perhaps you would be interested in donating a class set of children’s literature to New Life Primary School? Please contact me if this is something you get excited about. Eventually, we’d like to strengthen our library to include at least three different class sets.

Special thanks to the Whited family for the awesome bulletin board goodies!

Gods Promises

Today was one of THOSE days. The day started well—I had a well-prepared teaching plan and I was even caught up on my grading. The kids seemed eager to return to school after the weekend. The day started out normal, but it didn’t take long for things to start going wrong.

The subject today in English was using apostrophes to show ownership. Despite my preparedness, things didn’t go as planned. The kids seemed completely confused. The word “apostrophe” was lost on them. The pneumonic I created (“if there’s many don’t use any”) to dissuade them from using apostrophes in plurals, had a major fault—what about plural possession? Like boys’ or children’s? As the student’s began their worksheet, hands started waving insistently in the air, calling out for help. My patience was wearing thin. I uttered the words that no teacher should say, something along the lines of “Please. No more questions. Just work on your own. Please.” Our mid-morning recess could not have come soon enough.

At recess I was pondering the future impact of my terrible lesson. Donald, one of my fourth grade students, came up and handed me a note. Here’s what it said:

Dear Tom and Mandi, we like your teaching. Sis Mandi is a good teacher. I have not seen one like her. And Tom is a very nice man. We are thankful for the kindly people that God sends to Swaziland to help the farm. We are happy to be with you in the farm. Tom and Sis Mandi we are thankful for the fun things you have done for New Life Homes’ children. I pray that God will make you strong. May God bless you.

What a perfect prayer for me at that moment. Donald, with his simple note, encouraged me and also reminded me that apostrophes are temporary. Helpful, yes—but still temporary. Apostrophes are nothing compared to the eternal promises of God. Gods promises. See, did you even notice?

So today’s lesson comes from a fourth grader. “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promises. Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.” Hebrews 11:23-24

Youth Ministry Swazi Style

Tommy and I recently returned from a youth retreat (where do they get off calling an event like this a retreat, anyway?) with 14 New Life Homes teens. We enjoyed spending time with the kids in a more social setting, and in an environment where we could watch them interact with other teens. Many of the other kids attending the retreat are “city” kids that go to some of the most prestigious schools in the country. We were so proud of how our kids immediately got involved, participated in spiritual discussions, led prayers, exceled on the soccer field, and even indulged in unrecognizable dishes during an eating contest unlike any we have ever seen! 

The theme of the camp was “unstoppable” based on the Philippians 4:13 verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Tommy and I both served as team leaders, which meant shepherding a group of approximately 15 young people in everything from an intense water balloon fight to small group discussions. We also taught two devotional sessions. In one session, highlighting the providence of God, we shared our dating experiences that led up to finding “the one.” The kids REALLY seemed to get a kick out of this. Isn’t it funny how kids think it is totally weird/funny/gross when older folks talk about loving each other? Kids in Africa are no exception to this rule. The second devotion focused on God’s strength in the face of temptation, and how “when you are tempted He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it” (I Corinthians 10:13). We enjoyed sharing some of our life experiences with teens going through the complicated years of adolescence. 

Highlights from the weekend include: 

· A swimming competition where one of our boys forgot he couldn’t swim until he reached the deep end (as further evidence of their impressive confidence despite being orphans!). 

· A talent show that included some of our “farm” boys showing off their dancing skills. 

· Observing how respectful, kind, and helpful the New Life Homes teens are. 

· A “Swazi-style” Fear Factor activity which caused about half the participating kids to vomit. This would not fly in the US! 

· Watching approximately 40 students recommit themselves to living for Jesus. 

Thank you for praying for our time at camp. We still have some follow-up conversations to pursue, and we are still considering strategies for a more structured teen ministry.

Something to Squeal About

The drive out to “the farm” is not for the weak or the weary. After turning off the tar (paved) road, there is a 45-minute jaunt up and down hills and around blind corners that shakes your innards and tests your fortitude. Once you pass through the farm gate, you will be met by a smell that brings you to attention and also provides extraordinary comfort for all those who call the farm their home. It is the smell of pigs. Why are the pigs located at the entrance? According to Peter Kopp, “so people know they have stepped onto a farm.” As if they did not know already. That beautiful stench from the pigs has increased a bit lately and I wanted to give you a sneak peek as to why. 

When we arrived, the farm needed to increase their revenue stream. A natural for me to focus on what I am comfortable with—vegetables. But as you may know, agriculture is about finding and seizing opportunities to fill or create markets. There is a huge market for pork in this country. The supply (quantity and quality) is generally poor and we can easily sell any high quality pork we produce. So we have expanded. A lot. When we arrived there were about 40 pigs on the farm. Today, there are about 120. Though we rear and raise our own, most of these new pigs were purchased from nearby pig farmers at weaner stage (approximately 5 weeks old) and will be grown out until about 20 weeks. We’ve been busy converting some existing chicken houses into pig growing rooms, and have made progress in maintaining pig health and resolving feed issues. For the farm this is a big investment. As you can imagine, as we have been expanding we have also been waiting for the cash flow to begin. It has been a balance of patience and aggressiveness as we work to ensure a more consistent cash flow for the months ahead. While we are not totally in the clear, we are beginning to see the light. The first group of pigs that we purchased after we undertook the expansion will be ready for market next week. Praise God! This has been a team effort—from the local homesteads supplying the weaners, to Mpush, who leads our pig operation, to the kids who work and clean the pig unit—everyone has chipped in. 

We are confident in the direction we are heading but can still use an immense amount of prayer as we continue to move slowly through the development stage. Everyone on the farm is excited at the potential to produce our own value-added meat such as bacon and sausage. Please pray for wisdom in making decisions for this project and for everyone involved—even the pigs! If you were to ask the kids and the moms about the smell on the farm, few would turn away in disgust. A more popular response would be “THAT is the smell of money!”

Making feeders using plastic drums (barrels).

Home Away From Home

In December, Chico’s Bidwell Presbyterian Church invited us to be part of their special Christmas Eve offering. As long-time supporters of New Life Children’s Homes, they wanted to financially invest in a project that would strengthen the capacity of the mission to care for orphaned children in Swaziland. Since the farm is in a very remote location, housing for missionaries has been an ongoing challenge. Bidwell Presbyterian Church decided to meet this need by funding the construction of two adjoining one-bedroom flats. The first flat is complete, and Tommy and I moved in last month. 

We are extremely thankful for the generosity of Bidwell Presbyterian Church. Living “on the farm” allows us to have a constant presence in the lives of the children here. In the evenings we’re able to give homework help, play soccer, and lead evening devotionals. On the weekends we can take the kids to the swimming hole, show movies, and host game nights. We really feel like we’re part of the farm family. 

Additionally, it is so nice to have the comfort of “our own” place here. The construction team—led by local construction guru, Bomber Sibandze—did a fantastic job, and thanks to the craftsmanship of our colleague Rob Taylor, we have beautiful tile in our bathroom and kitchen. It’s much more than we expected, and we feel very blessed! Each morning we are treated to an incredible African sunrise as we sip our coffee (Mandi) and tea (Tommy). 

Prayer Update: We give all PRAISE to Jesus for the healthy arrival of nephews John Joseph Tinsley (March 16) and Cardon Henry Quinn (April 25). We are just so delighted by them! 

Please pray for the teens we are taking on a youth retreat this weekend. We pray that they would be encouraged and challenged in their faith and that some would make a commitment to follow Christ.

An Adoption

It’s hard to believe we were only here a few months when we found the perfect kid to adopt! Tommy and I recognize our potential to be somewhat negligent parents, so we made our choice carefully. This kid needed to be pretty self-sufficient: able to feed itself, already beyond those troublesome first years, and able to play unattended for long hours. Meet Sidwaba (she’s the one in the middle!). 

Her name (sids-dwa-ba) means nothing to you at home, but Swazi’s recognize it as the traditional goat skin apron that women wear. Some of the workers and moms here have gotten a big kick out of it!

Sidwaba has a purpose here on the farm. We have an incredible amount of grass here. The cattle graze in the pasture, but this grass is too close to vegetable fields to allow the cattle to roam freely. Sidwaba is on a long tether, which allows here to graze and browse while keeping the vegetables out of reach. We’ve quickly realized that one goat is not enough to handle the abundant amount of grass here on the farm. And it turns out when we bought her, we got scored with a two (or three?) for one deal. We recently learned Sidwaba is pregnant! So, there are even more kids on the horizon for us.

Additionally, Sidwaba is a meat goat. We plan to eventually sell her, and make a little extra cash. Goats are a relatively small investment, so she makes a great model for the kids and the workers on the farm. We are considering the possibility of helping some of the kids raise their own goats—they would manage them and keep any profits from their project. The children here, especially the girls, seem quite keen on the idea. 

We are so grateful for the love and support we feel from you all. We will hit our three month mark tomorrow. Although we are feeling more and more settled, we realize we are also entering a season where many new missionaries begin to feel discouraged by their new culture and really feel the sorrow of missing family and friends. Please continue to pray for the relational aspect of our ministry here. It is easy to work, but it is much harder to develop and maintain relationships. 

P.S. Check out the spitting cobra we found a few steps from our veranda! 1.2 meters!

Between Prison Walls and Shady Trees

A few days ago I was walking home from a morning of teaching and I noticed a Swaziland government vehicle pulling onto the farm (New Life Homes). The distinctly colored green bakkie van (a four door pickup truck) had big white letters that read “DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.” I watched four baton-wielding men get out of the vehicle while I went inside to change from my “school clothes” into my “farm clothes.” Minutes later, I received a knock on the door and one of our workers proceeded to tell me that I was needed immediately. By this time I was racking my brain trying to figure out what I, or Mandi, did wrong. It turns out that they were less interested in me as a criminal and more interested in learning about how to grow moringa at the prison’s farm (go here to learn more about this awesome crop). We gave them a tour of the moringa fields and drying facilities. They mentioned eventually having us out to the prison the see their resources. Lo and behold, the next week I was headed to prison. After touring the future moringa growing site at the Bhalekane Prison Farm, we went into the prison to talk about the details of growing—water, opportunities for growing other crops, pest control, and fertilizer management. 

The challenges that they face are very similar to the types of challenges that face many growers both in America and other parts of Africa. In fact, two days later I found myself under a tree meeting with seven growers and three extension specialists discussing how to revive a beautiful piece of ground that has sat fallow after the crash of the sugar market. Their desire to start growing vegetables on this land (about 40 acres) was being challenged by theft of electrical equipment on their pump, knowledge of fertilizer and water requirements, and market accessibility. 

Though these two meetings could not be more different in their environment, they both are examples of opportunity that exists for Swazis to capitalize on the gross shortage of vegetables that are grown within the country (more on this later). These types of meetings are encouraging-they lead me to think that Swaziland, at least agriculturally speaking, is headed in a positive direction. 

Quick Hits:

Thanks to your generous giving, we were able to purchase a pickup. This second-hand Toyota Hilux (seen in the picture above with kids and pig heads, yum!) has already proven to be a great asset to us, the farm, and surrounding community. We will be moving into our new one-bedroom flat on the farm next weekend. We have been busy collecting and organizing household items needed to move in and we are beyond thrilled about making it happen! Thanks for praying. We appreciate your support while we do God’s work together.