Psalm 146:1-7 Praise the Lord my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; sing praise to my God while I live. Put no trust in princes, in mere mortals POWERLESS to save. When their spirit departs, they return to the earth and their planning comes to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is
Read MoreOther GREAT news is that God is giving me a TEAM!!!!!!!!!! I had been very frustrated with plans for the girls home and dreams of what I wanted to help do in Swazi, but didn’t have the help I needed. Throwing my hands up in disappointment, I said, “What do you want me to do,
Read MoreLitsemba Lemphilo — Hope for Life Plans for the girls home are up and running! Though adjusting to life back home has been a longer process than I had hoped, working on the girls home has been exciting and healing for me, knowing there are still things we can be doing here to help. Litsemba
Read MoreThe hardest thing about being back is not necessarily how much I miss my kids (which is hard enough) but the worst part is not being able to BE there for them. I totally understand how you mothers feel (and now I totally get how hard it was for my own mother to see me
Read MoreFor those of you who have followed the blog, I will update occasionally about what I hear from the kids and life back in Swazi, adjusting to life here, and plans for the future. For example, a few things already… I’m praying about adopting Tenele’s baby…moreso praying for a couple to adopt the baby. I’m
Read MoreUnfortunately, all good things come to an end. I had been preparing myself for departing Swazi, but it still was the most difficult thing I’ve done. It was such a terrible feeling to be the source of so much pain for others. Many of my students asked me to stay. They asked me to postpone
Read MoreFor Easter, my mom sent me a package and one of the little gifts was a jewelry box with the figure of a mother and her child. My mom didn’t write anything to explain the gift but she didn’t need to, I knew it was to represent my mother’s heart for Tenele. I immediately loved
Read More4-19-11 Tuesday I am in such agony. My heart hurts because I don’t have much time left here. Jesus, I need your hope and grace and strength so desperately. Jehovah-Rapha, heal my breaking heart. Hear my desperate cries–the words that are so heavy with sorrow that they cannot make it to my lips. I need
Read MoreAs always, with Tenele, it’s one big step forward, two steps back…but those bigs steps are always amazing when it happens. After not hearing from Tenele for awhile, I went with Johannes to Mangwaneni one morning after church to talk to Cedric. I was nervous, a bit scared, but I knew it was what I
Read More4-14-11 Thursday Wow, God! I am speechless! I cannot thank and praise you enough for your goodness and how you are working in Tenele’s life. Your surprises take my breath away! Thank you for your power and goodness and victory. Continue to send your Spirit upon Tenele! Set her free. Today was incredible. After school
Read MoreA series of journal entries that say more than what I could tell you now about how my adventure in Swaziland was coming to an end: 4-3-11I need to turn up the heat, pump harder, run faster. For those who hope in the Lord will soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary,
Read MoreTenele didn’t come on Tuesday like she said. On Wednesday, Temu and Londi came by because their house in Mangwaneni had burned down and all their school clothes and uniforms were gone, so I had told them to come by and I’d take them to get school shoes. Temu told me that Tenele told her
Read MoreI have read the story of the prodigal son many times before, but I have never really thought about how the father felt the moment he saw his son coming…until now. After waiting and waiting and waiting, the day finally came when his son returned! Well…the next day after Tenele’s visit, I was sitting at
Read More“Please, Mary-Kate, can you take me home with you?” After a delightful day with Tenele about a month ago, her question still rolls around on my heart. I remember the moment almost perfectly. And it broke me, because though I want more than anything to take her home with me, I know I can’t. It
Read More“March on and weather the storm, for a rainbow is just around the corner.” My dad wrote that in a card to me the first time I came to Africa. It’s a comment I have never forgotten. The past few months have been extremely difficult, with the intense heat, demanding hours spent trying to figure
Read MoreOn Sunday, Fr. Martin sang “How Deep the Father’s Love” and it reminded me of how powerful this Fatherly love really is. We hear it talked about all the time “the Father’s love for us,” but do we really understand it? My experience of this definition of a Father’s love is my relationship with my
Read MoreAfter the adventure of going to Matsapha to find the prostitutes, I was full of passion and vision and also absolute disgust for the culture’s view of women. I found out that one of the boys in my class had been to this prostitution place in Matsapha before. And that broke me even more, that
Read MoreHow far would you go or what would you do in order to get five dollars? I’m assuming, some of us would take silly bets or do simple silly things to earn a few bucks here or there. Take, for instance, my friend Michael who will eat any spicy/odd concoction of food for a few
Read More“Please, make me something.” Not just the cry of an 18 year old girl, but the cry of a multitude of young women yearning to be “something” in a society that says they’re not. It didn’t long for me to hear that Bongiwe started skipping some days at school. She didn’t hide the fact from
Read More“God does not ask us to be successful, he only asks us to be faithful.” -Mother Teresa This was one of my favorite Mother Teresa quotes. But I didn’t really experience it’s meaning until now. And it’s still hard for me to actually believe. I feel like a failure. I am a teacher, and I
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