A review of the previous week… Sunday highlights: Kayla brought some frisbees, so Sebe and Sindi joined our team in a game of frisbee football up and down the dirtroad… It was a lot of fun, but we had to call it a tie because it was getting dark. That night, I spent time with
Read MoreSimple celebrations We added some structure to the routine in the house for the girls so that Mondays and Wednesdays are bible study days, Tuesdays/Thursdays are skill building days, and Fridays are activity days. The purpose of these activities are to create better unity and community among the girls themselves along with Titi and Gogo,
Read MoreBecause I have been busily occupied with our incredible team, I haven’t had much time to dig into the relationships with my girls. My teammates, being as supportive and empowering as they are, encouraged me to get some time alone with them, so I took full advantage. For a morning I took Tenele and Ayanda
Read MoreAfter a plane ride from Chicago to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Paris (a full day layover which included a picnic and nap at the base of the Eiffel Tower!), and Paris to Johannesburg, we packed the shuttle bus with all eleven of us and embarked on a five hour bus ride home to Swaziland. We arrived
Read More“The place that God calls us is the place where the world’s deep hunger and our deep desire meet.” -Frederick Buechner Ever since I set foot in Swaziland in 2008, I knew it would hold my heart forever. I know the Lord has called me there for a specific purpose, and ever since I came
Read More(1-16-13) I live in brokenness every day, for my job exists in a broken world. I am a teacher but I am more. I can’t leave work at work, because when they are broken, so am I. No, I can’t take all their burdens, I can’t make it all go away, I can’t be their
Read MoreWith the opening of Hope for Life home came the miracle I’ve been waiting and praying for since 2008 when I first met the girl I now call, umtfwana wami. Since most of you reading have been following my Tenele story for the past few years, you all know how incredible it is that we
Read MoreThree 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
Read More“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
Read MoreTwo 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
Read MoreTo 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
Read MoreSome 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
Read MoreThis 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
Read More“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
Read MoreHappy 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.
Read MoreMonday 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
Read MoreBefore leaving for my very short trip to Swaziland, I prayed that God would make this the longest week of my life. It has been three full days and it already feels like a week has passed with everything that has been packed in so far! Yebo Jesu! I left for Swazi on a Thursday
Read MoreWholly Broken People often wonder if I left my heart in Swazi, why don’t I go get it? Why don’t I move there? Why don’t I live there if I miss it that much? Sometimes I don’t know the answer to that; many times I wish I did live in Swazi; sometimes I think about
Read MorePatience is more than a virtue…it’s like money in a bank. After leaving “home” (Swazi) to come “home” (Wisconsin), I couldn’t bare the thought of not seeing my children for an entire year, especially when my baby girl is going to grow up way too fast in a simple twelve months! So, I fervently tried
Read More“Esther, just as she was, won the admiration of everyone who saw her.” -Esther 2:15 One of the best birthday gifts I recently received was a letter from my dear friend Rachael. In her letter she shared some insight she recently gained while reading through the book of Esther. She writes, “It’s a simple
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