Thanksgiving season is a time of reflection. To think about this past year blows our mind. Over and over again, God has reminded us that He is in control of our lives.
In the past year, we have lived with my brother, Kenneth, Greg’s mom, an apartment and a rental house…on two different continents! That is a lot of moving around! We were amazed at God’s timing as he orchestrated our move into a wonderful rental house in a safe neighborhood and close to our missionary friends. We moved into the rental house one week before our three-month lease expired on the apartment. Perfect timing!
We sold or gave away most of our belongings to prepare to start over in Swaziland. Again, God blessed us with household items and furniture when two missionary families in the area moved back to the states (one of these families were dear friends). This helped our start up fund stretch further due to not having to buy items “new”.
Lots of memories have been made this year and we wanted to share our top 10:
- The look on Landon and Lane’s face when my brother cooked Cornish hens for dinner. (He likes to cook fancy dishes.) They looked so funny as they sat down to an entire baby chicken on their plate!
- My brother bought a HUGE picture of an elephant that he placed over his fireplace while we were living there. The boys named him Nelson.
- Landon’s bedroom while living at Nana’s house consisted of three walls and one “mattress” wall. The other side of the mattress was the living room!
- Sweets for Swazi fundraiser in February was a lot of fun. The boys were able to bake goodies and host a table with their friends. They enjoyed the competition of the best dessert.
- Farewell party at Oak Mountain with friends. Sarah Avery tipping over in the canoe with her phone in her pocket was quite a memory!
- On Friday and Saturday evenings while living in the apartment in Manzini, the local bar’s music was blaring until the wee hours of the morning. Our pillows were nearly “thumping” to the bass as we tried to go to sleep!
- Nana was our first visitor in Swaziland. She arrived on October 22nd and will be leaving next week. It has been really neat to show her what life looks like for us here in Swaziland.
- About a month ago, we awoke to the kitchen floor full of water. The “geyser” (what we normally call a water heater in the states) had burst! It is located in the ceiling of the kitchen. We were able to call the landlord and they replaced the geyser within a week. Luckily, it only heated the water for the kitchen and washing machine. However, our ceiling still shows the water stains.
- Last week, Greg was pulled over in South Africa by the police. They informed him they were going to arrest him due to attempting to pass a vehicle in a construction zone (an intimidation tactic). He did not see the sign before we entered this area. As he “negotiated” his fine, he was able to talk his way down from $200 to $30 and he avoided jail time!
- During a medical clinic at a care point, the volunteer nurse diagnosed a young boy with an abscessed tooth. As Greg and the nurse began to question this boy, they discovered his mom had been in the hospital for the past three months and he was living alone with his older brother. The only food he was receiving was the meal at the care point. Greg was able to arrange a home visit with our staff and they took him food and clothing.
Over Christmas break, we will have the opportunity to minister to numerous child-headed homesteads. Since the care points close for a while, we will partner with our local staff to provide additional supplies and food. Thanks to our supporters for allowing us to assist in this endeavor.
We are humbled to be in Swaziland. Thank you for allowing us to be part of God’s work in this beautiful country. We want to say, “thank you” to each of our prayer and financial supporters. You make it possible for us to be here!
We are truly thankful for God’s faithfulness and the memories He has given us this past year.
Greg and Michelle
