Sunday is always sweet – the gathering of the saints in this tiny Kingdom is pure joy, my friends.
This morning we got the sweet chance at a slow morning, and then headed out to Mkhaya Baptist again for worship with our Swazi brothers and sisters. As always, it was bright, loud, rousing, dance-filled worship full of joy and praise. In fact, pastor Sifiso brought a vuvuzela….the true horn of South African football! It was so loud and so fun.
After church, one group helped load of the very large tent housed at Mkhaya to head to Lanjani to pitch for week long revivals starting tomorrow. The other group snuck in one more home visit in the community we were unable to complete Saturday due to time with a Gogo in need of some encouragement and prayer. Serving the Swazi people in these ways is always a gift.
After a grocery store stop, we headed back to our guesthouse for a braii – the Siswati word for a barbecue. Our sweet Swazi friends, Mpumelelo and Xolani mastered the grill, with steak, chicken, pork and boerwors (a very good sausage in this region). Our wonderful guest house prepared sides and our pastors and their wives in this region joined us!
I have to offer you a small God story in the middle of all of this – many of you know that Xolani and I (Maggie) have been in Eswatini for almost two months now (the sweetest time!) We came down a couple of weeks ago just to check our Vakasha Lodge, which is built right up against Lubovane Dam, a manmade hydro electric dam in this region. It’s on the water, and it’s stunning.
Now, the first thing I notice is a very cute pontoon at the dock! We looked into it – far more expensive than we can afford as a team. So we move on.
When we arrive at Vakasha with our team, our front office friend, Taphelo, stops me and says, “Look, I know you guys were interested in the boat. Our owner, John, would really like to take you guys out on us. Do you want to go?”
….YES. I want to go on the boat! We want to go on the boat! Let’s go to the boat!
So we packed up our cooked braii right at sunset last night and boarded our barge to sail around the dam as we ate, laughed and danced with our friends. For most of the pastors and their wives, it was their FIRST TIME on a boat! (The life jacket presentation became quite important! 🙂 )
But truly, it was a reminder of how much God loves us – truly, deeply, authentically, show up in a boat kind of way loves us. There was no reason for John to offer that trip. There was no reason we got to share this gift with our pastor friends. But GOD. Sometimes our God like to show up and show out.
Yesterday I wrote about rest and how desperately we need it; today God shows up with boats and grilled meats and a gorgeous setting sun over Lubovane Dam. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13).
Thank you God for this rest; thank you that you love us enough to show up in ways we can’t even ask or imagine. We love you, we praise for these holy moments. Amen.
Maggie (I assume it’s Maggie doing the communicating), thank you so much for taking the time to report what’s happening with your team in Eswatini for this trip. I know you must be busy and tired. I so enjoy the updates, though, as it brings fond memories, gives me joy to see some of the folks I’ve met on my visits, and helps me know how to pray for the team and our precious Swazi brothers and sisters. I AM reading each update and praying for all of you (and the team with Steve and Monica, though I don’t know what’s happening with them or what their schedule and return date is).
Thank you Maggie for blogging daily as much as you can and have been. We are all moved by the beautiful stories that you have shared with us. I know you all are having a beautiful time and being touched by the Swazi people as well as them touching the lives of the team in so many ways.