an awesome God, trust, and a cheese boy

DISCLAIMER: This blog is quite different than the previous ones. It’s completely random and has many different topics. You English buffs will have a hard time reading it.  Enjoy!

I want to open this blog entry with a thought I’ve been thinking:

It’s absolutely amazing to travel to a foreign place and see so many new things, people, and cultures. And to know that God knows all about all of it. He knows each person by name. He knows their story. He knows their situation. He knows their needs.  He knows all about those mountains ranges that I never seen before and I’m seeing now for the first time. He shaped them with His very hand. He knows about each animal on the savannah everyone from the tiny ant to the large elephant. He knows them all.

After reflecting on that thought I’m left feeling pretty insignificant and left in complete awe of the incredible God we serve. It’s pretty amazing isn’t it? That we serve an incredible God that knows all everything. He knows about the things we never thought about considering.  He knows about those who live rural areas. Most of us don’t even know they exist, but God knows.

God is teaching me so much here! But one thing specifically He is teaching me is trust. To trust Him no matter what the circumstance looks like. In a previous entry “broken” I spoke about the little girls being raped. That was a situation God was teaching trust. At first I was so angry. Honestly I was angry at God. How could He allow that in all of His sovereignty? The Holy Spirit quickly convicted me, “For who are you to judge the Lord?”  Although I don’t understand that situation but I know God’s ways are so much higher than my own and I have to fully trust Him weather I understand or not.

The locals call Dustin and I “Cheese Boy” which means you’re spoiled, you don’t have to work, or everything is handed to you. They call us that not out of being derogatory or anything it’s kind of a joke. We don’t mind it. The kids in the care points call us “mlungu” which means “the white guy”. I think it’s hilarious. I was told in other parts of Africa you don’t want to be referred to as that but here it’s ok.  

I’m trying to learn as much siSwati as I can while I’m here. I have many great teachers that won’t allow me to pass them unless a great them with something in siSwati. I love it!!! Who knows how much I’ll learn in the next couple of months. I might become fluent in siSwati that would be awesome!

Until next time Salanikahle! (you all stay well)

gogo at the gate called beautiful

Acts 3 speaks about a beggar at the gate called beautiful. Let us all refresh ourselves with the story.
Acts 3:1-11

Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.


I’ve had a similar experience here in Swaziland. Every day I walk to the market and see this crippled “gogo” (grandma) sitting right outside the entrance to the market. She will sit on the hard stone floor for hours in the cold with on her light jacket. I’m not quite sure what’s wrong with her legs but I know she can barely walk.
Like I said I see her EVERY DAY but sadly I never acknowledged her. I never greeted her with a “Sawabonai” (Hello) or anything. The Lord quickly started to convict me on this. I told Dustin Anderson to hold me accountable because next time I see her I have to acknowledge her and speak with her. Sure enough about a few hours later we needed to go to the market and there she was in her same spot. Dustin looked at me and said, “There you go! Here is your opportunity!”

So while Dustin went into the market to get our needed items I sat on the ground in the freezing cold next to the gogo and spoke to her. As soon as I sat down she smiled with the biggest smile you could imagine. As if someone finally sees me and acknowledges me. With her huge smile I noticed she had no teeth. She greeted me with a big Sawaboni!!! At this point everyone that is walking by is staring at us. Before this no one seemed to know this gogo existed. She continued to speak in siSwati and she couldn’t understand my English. She quickly found a nearby person to translate. Our translator was this very elegant Swazi woman that seemed to be annoyed at this whole idea of me trying to commutate with cripple gogo. I soon discovered the gogo sits there every day in the freezing weather and knits items to sell. All she had was two sets of turquoise socks which she was trying to sell for 15Rand ($1.50). I bought the socks to support the gogo. It made her day she was so happy. Afterwards I went into the market. When we exited the market she saw me and waved and smiled with her HUGE smile. I had to give her a little something else. I introduced Dustin to my new gogo friend with no translator. She communicated with us that she would buy new yarn with the money I donated to her. We blessed her physically and also spiritually as we left.

I don’t know what it is about this gogo but she has a special place in my heart. I can’t stop thinking about her. Her smile is burned into my head. Ever since I left that market that day I’ve been praying for her constantly.
I met her for the first time yesterday. Today we went to the market and there she was in her spot. Again she me and before I could greet her she waved across the market at me with her huge smile. I went and tried to talk to her but I couldn’t understand a thing.

I’m going to bring this nurse with me in the near future over to the market. She speaks siSwati and she can translate for me. When she comes I plan to pray for her there in the market. I can’t wait to update you when that happens!

broken

I want to first and for most apologize on this delayed blog. I didn't realize how slow the internet was here. And how limited my time would be to use it. I’m sorry guys I really do love and appreciate you. I will post blogs and email as much as I can.

As I reflect on the past two weeks I'm left speechless. God has taught me so much these past couple of days. But anyway let me tell you what has been happening. . .

This journey up to this point has been far different than past "mission trips". Living in a country you face a totally new set of challenges than you would by just visiting. I've been learning how to drive, shop, and how to live when there is a difference in two cultures. It has been fun but quite difficult at times. Right now there are eight guys living under one roof. There is myself, Dustin (from HPC in the states), Laybo, Karl, Philani , Sapewo, Musa, and NalaNala . The guys are awesome I really enjoy hanging out with them. They are many different ages I believe the youngest is about 14 and the oldest is around thirty. They all have a story and a testimony that would humble you. I’m looking forward to learning from them and sharing the next 11 months of my life with them.

I’ve spent the last 2 weeks with the Swazi interns. The internship is quite similar to the intern programs in the states. Just as my house mates have a story you should hear the 7 interns also have some crazy stories. The internship students are from three different countries The Congo, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland. The interns are hungry for more of God and they serve in any way Children’s Cup or HPC needs them to. Such as the other day all the interns, Dustin, and myself helped a team unload a huge ocean cargo container full of food for the kids in the care points. The cargo container was delayed many weeks due to a strike in Durban, South Africa. The care points were approaching the end of their supplies so it was good to unload and quickly get the supplies to those in need.

Today I broke. I witnessed something that I will forever remember and it brings a statistic to reality. Today I was asked to travel with the medical team to the care points to assist in medical exams. What I witnessed broke me. . . While at the first care point the nurses treated many typical cases such as ringworm, worms, diarrhea, coughing ect. Then this one child came in I honestly thought it was a little boy. After hearing what the teacher said I knew that it couldn’t be true. The teacher said, “She has sores in her vagina.” (the child was about 5) The nurse brought her to a side room and examined the sores. The nurse came back and said, “It’s hard to tell but there is a possibility she could be getting abused I’ll need to refer her to a hospital for further examinations.” I started asking many questions of course. Little did I know what I would witness at the following care point about 20 min down the road.

We made it to the next care point. There were kids everywhere absolutely everywhere at this care point. They were playing on the playground equipment, watering the plants in the garden, and some were just waiting for food. Then there was a line waiting to come to clinic. The clinic started just as the last one did same ol same ol. Then it was time to examine the last child. The last child was another suspected abuse victim. (this child was about 7 and there was evidence to believe she was) you could see it all over the child I truly believe that she was getting abused. I wasn’t the only one. The child looked like an abuse and scared to death puppy lost, scared, and jumpy. (I’m just trying to show you how she was acting) The staff had already tried to report it and obviously things haven’t changed. So they are going to try again. Before the child left the nurse prayed over her and then the nurse asked me to pray. For the first time in my life I didn’t know how to pray. I didn’t know what to say. God obliviously saw everything this child was going through. So I prayed a quick prayer over her in tears “God what do I say what can I say. This is your child. And I’m speechless. Be her protector and go home with her since we can not.”

I was broken, confused, and speechless. What do you say? What do you pray? On the bus ride home the nurse could tell I wasn’t ok. So we talked about all we just witnessed. I told her what I was thinking. I told her, “That was my first time I didn’t know how to pray. And I don’t know how to express what I feeling at this moment.” She said, “Brandon you’re feeling the way you’re supposed to feel. And the moment you don’t feel there is a problem. When I first got here and witness these very things I broke down. I broke down in the middle of a care point weeping. I wanted to know, “where was God in the middle of this injustice.” And God spoke to me and taught me to trust Him. Brandon you have to trust that God is the Father to the fatherless and He is the Hope to the hopeless weather we see it or not. He is all that He is weather we see it or not.” I believe all she said but I’m still broken and speechless.

Please pray for the people in Swaziland. And please pray that God will help me and strengthen me to do what He planned for me here.