Three years ago, Bongiwe begged me in a letter, “Please, make me something.”  She wasn’t asking for material things, for money, for food, etc.  She was crying out for hope.   Now three years later, this plea that started the dream behind Hosea’s Heart has now turned into a praise.  For the past year, donors […]

“I feel depressed about hatred, poverty, and prostitution.”  -Celane, male, age 14 I Am Poem from Thulile, age 15: “I was a young girl looking for purpose in life. I am a young girl who knows what life is…it’s too difficult, but people don’t know what is life, they keep doing wrong things. I feel […]

Two things I don’t know what I’d do without: Skype and Christina Hostetter. I finally got to hear directly from Swaziland today from Ayanda and Tenele!  I told them the day I’d be getting to Swazi this summer and their giggles and squeals lit up my heart!  “Ah, Mama…I hear your voice, now I want […]

To My Precious Daughter, You are called to be a lily among thorns.  You are called to excellence amidst a world of mediocrity.  You are called to live a life worthy of true love.  You are called to wait—to wait for this true love.  Enduring patience is the key to this excellence.  Too many people […]

Some people come into our lives for but a moment, only to leave fingerprints on our hearts forever. Sister Mary Jane is a woman I knew for only a few months of my life while I lived Swaziland.  Although we didn’t interact much, the moments when we did were always impactful.  Sr. Mary Jane was […]

This may be just a story to you, but this is a precious life to me.  She doesn’t want to share her name, but she said I could share her story (words in brackets are mine): One day I was coming from school with one of my friend. A man came and ask us a […]

“The world is not meant for you.” Her own mother told her she shouldn’t even be alive. The seemingly joyful reunion between Tenele and her real mother turned bitter while I was in Swazi over Thanksgiving break.  It was Lucia’s first birthday, so we were going to celebrate together at Tenele’s homestead with her mother […]

Happy Thanksgiving from Swazi! Obviously they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Swaziland, or any other country for that matter.  So the whole rule of thumb that you can’t celebrate Christmas before Thanksgiving is non-existent.  Santa Claus has been planted in the local grocery store for weeks and you can hear Christmas music every once in awhile.  […]

Monday morning started with a lovely reunion at Enjabulweni!  I went to deliver letters that my students back the in States had written to their pen pals.  Unfortunately, it was actually the worst week for me to try to deliver letters because the students are writing exams this week, which means they don’t actually have […]