Finding a Special Friend

I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine...this is Calsile

Calsile and I met in Swaziland, and she wrapped my heart around her finger. At Capital, we are the official sponsors of the Mkhombokati Care Point in Swaziland. The kids who come to this Carepoint do so every day and receive community, fellowship, and food from the mages and gogos. Calsile is one of the younger kids who come to the carepoint.

She doesn't speak any English, but is plenty vocal in siSwati, the local language. Many times she'd say something to me in siSwati, and then just keep on talking. She talked to the other children a lot too, though from what I understand, she is pretty new at the carepoint.

She and I spent a lot of time together while at the carepoint. She would usually come and find me when I arrived or when she did. Then she'd grab on to my hands and not let go until it was time for her to leave with her sister. She absolutely captured my heart.

Calsile is one of the kids at Mkhombokati carepoint without a sponsor. I do not know if she is on the updated sponsorship list that we'll be receiving from Children's HopeChest soon, but regardless of her sponsorship status, Calsile will be my special friend, and one of my most treasured memories of Swaziland.


UPDATE:
Two weeks ago, our church received the new "batch" of kids to sponsor from the Carepoint...and guess who was one of the new kids?!?! My little girl! Calsile is OFFICIALLY my special friend! I was so happy that I was telling anyone who would listen about her and our connection in Swaziland!

Bubbles and Nail Polish

Yesterday (Thursday) at the carepoint was an absolute blast. The day can really be summed up by the words "bubbles" and "nail polish". To see the joy on the kids faces when they experience bubbles in their faces, and run around screaming to catch and pop them was so wonderful. Bubbles are universal for children. They always bring a smile to kids, no matter what age, or country they are from. One little girl, I think it was her first time experiencing bubbles, and she stood with a very confused face while I blew bubbles around her and the other children. After a few minutes, she understood what was happening, and took part in the crazy running and popping extravaganza.

We brought out bags of nail polish and painted the nails of the children during both the morning (just toddlers) and the afternoon (school-age children/teens). The kids loved it so much that they would take the nails you just painted, wipe off the polish, and come back for more. Many times I'd be painting someone's nails bright blue who already had rings of green and orange around their nails. It made me smile to see how something we deem so simple can be so exciting to these children.

On Wednesday, one of the boys said to me "I wish you could speak our language." and I totally agreed with him. It would be a wonderful, wonderful thing to be able to communicate with these kids in siSwati, even though they love English, they like to help us learn words in their first language.

I love talking and spending time with these kids. The more time I spend with them, the more I want to come back and be with them here.

Lessons in Humility

Our second day at the carepoint was probably one of the hottest days I think I've ever experienced. But that was not the biggest thing to take away from the day.

Today we had the opportunity to give new shoes & socks to the kids. For the younger kids, we had a pair of shoes that will keep thorns out and dirt off. For the older kids there were shoes for school. Before we gave the kids their shoes and socks...we washed their feet.

What an amazing experience to serve these kids in that way. Several moments during that time I found tears in my eyes. It was incredible to find that the washing of feet, no matter where they are, still have the power to show love to others.

I don't really have the words to say tonight to let you know exactly what is happening here. After some time to journal tonight and tomorrow there should be more to say. Just know that we are all so honored and completely moved by these children.

Please pray for members of our team who are feeling under the weather. Pray that there is time to do all the things we want to do for the children and the mages at the carepoint. Pray that we would be able to show love to all the kids - the ones who are shy and outcast too.

Johannesburg!!!

We finally made it! All the way to Africa!!! It's about 11:30pm here, and we have breakfast tomorrow morning between 6:30-8am. Our bus leaves a little after 8am to drive to Swaziland.

Tomorrow is all about orientation and getting ready to be with the kids at the carepoint. We leave at 8am, drive 5 hours, and then get orientated to what we're about to do for the next week and a half.

It's raining here in Johannesburg, and there is some lightning and thunder going on. We're so ready to be with the kids. It's so exciting knowing that it's almost time for us to meet them and be with them at the carepoint.

Love you all!!!

SLC - DTW - AMS - JHB

We're out of the USA! As I write this, our team is sitting outside our gate in the Amsterdam airport. We've got two more hours before we board and take off to Johannesburg - where we will stay overnight before traveling to Swaziland tomorrow morning.

The whole team is pretty tired, and some members were already battling illness before we left...so please pray that we will all stay (or get) healthy. After we board the plane in Amsterdam, our flight to Johannesburg will be about 11 hours [insert enthusiastic "woo-hoo" here].

There are 25 of us, and each team member has two bags weighing 50 lbs. each. Except for one woman, who has an extra - we packed 51 bags total to bring with us. Praise the Lord that we had wonderful Delta concierges who passed bags through if they were over weight or more than the two we should have per person.

The internet here in Amsterdam is on a 30 minute free session, of which I have 10 minutes left, and it's running kind of slowly, so I should not go on much more for fear of this post not publishing once finished.

Know that we are all safe and sound, and that our journey into the continent of Africa is about to begin. We will arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa at about 10pm.

Looking forward to keeping you all up to date with what is happening with our team in Swaziland.

--Jackie

On your mark...

Get set...
Go!

That's right! Tomorrow I leave for Swaziland! I can't believe the time has actually come! It seems like this last year we've been planning and planning and we'd never actually be getting on a plane, but here we are getting ready to leave on a plane at 8:30 in the morning on Saturday!

As we're on our journey, I don't know what internet access will be like, so I don't know for sure if I'll be able to communicate with everyone about what's happening. However, each day, our team will be doing a devotional together, and I have scheduled a post with that devotional to come up each day we're traveling or in-country. Please do read them and pray along with us.

While our team is in Africa, please pray for:
safe travel - we'll be going by plane and bus, through Malaria zones, and in a country with high rates of HIV
the kids we'll be ministering to - that their hearts would be open, and their needs met
the team members - that we would mesh well and be blessed by the kids and carepoint staff
our families and friends at home - that they would provide the necessary support so the team can come back knowing there is not chaos at home.

Specifically for me:
pray that my professors would be patient with me as I work to catch up after returning from Swaziland
pray that I would be receptive to everything God wants to speak to me while we're there
pray that I'll wake up on time! :-)
that I would be able to minister to these kids in a way that they will understand and receive - and that they will do the same for me.

Thank you all for your incredible support as I've prepared to leave with our team. The time is finally here, and I can't wait to share everything we do with you - either as it happens, or upon returning to the U.S.

Africa is Happening.

Yesterday, at our first team meeting of 2012, I was informed by the team leader that we officially have 40 days and 40 nights before we depart for Swaziland. WHAT?!?! 40 days and nights. Oh. My. Goodness.

Sometimes, I think about it and wonder, "is this REALLY happening? Am I REALLY going to Africa?" And then I remember: "Oh yeah...God IS Faithful...and he likes to prove it."

That's really what Swaziland is about for me. It's about God showing me just how faithful he is to bring me through anything in order to fulfill his promises. Now, there are a few things that I know without a shadow of a doubt that God has promised he would do for me. But going to Africa was never one of them. Sure, it has been on my heart for years and years, but it was never something that I KNEW God was saying "Jackie, you're going to do this".  Until May.

Each and every moment I've spent getting ready for Swaziland has been another moment for me to realize how incredibly loving and faithful God is. It's another moment for me to recognize His hand of blessing on my life and how amazing it is when I decide to give everything and be led, rather than trying to lead blindly. Each obstacle to going has been just another obstacle that He's held me tightly and bounded over to arrive at this place where I am truly in awe of the wonderful, wonderful love of Jesus.

At first, I thought "oh, they're going in the middle of the school year". But then I checked the dates: It's during my spring break. The next issue was "how could I ever raise $3,000? I don't know that many people who are financially able to help." And I won't lie, this one was hard. I called a good friend after the initial interest meeting in May, and she told me that she would find a way to commit to supporting me each month from June through February. I was floored. The amount she had pledged was enough to lower the total significantly, but I still worried about being able to find friends and family willing to give the rest. In fact, I had received a call from my team leader wondering if I would get the money necessary in by the deadlines set for us (read about that here). Within three days of that phone call, God came through and more than made up the difference between where we were asked to be and where I was.

I was fully funded approximately a month before our final due date for funds...which is completely amazing...everyone I talk to about the experience is totally in awe at how quickly and faithfully the funds to go arrived. All I can do is smile and remember God's faithfulness.

Look for more posts in the coming weeks about the Faithfulness of God and how it relates to Africa. I won't make any promises, but I'm going to try to post more often between now and when the team leaves.

umusa nekuthula

 

As the time to go to Swaziland gets closer, and the months move more quickly, I am continually reminded of the purpose for this journey. Ten years I've been ready to go, and ten years I've waited for an open door to go to the continent of Africa to minister to the children who have been abandoned by a disease that was not their fault. 

I am saddened by the circumstances of these children, but at the same time, I cannot wait to go and show them hope and love. I received a note from a friend today that said "As you will soon learn, Swaziland is a beautiful country full of beautiful people who are in desperate need of God's love and His mercy." Her note truly encouraged me and reminded me of the reason I desire so strongly to go.

 One way I keep feeling the blessing of God on this endeavor is through the support He continues to bring in. I received an update today, and there were donations sent on my behalf that I was not aware of - combining these new donations with another just received today, I am $135 from the total support that I need to go to Swaziland in February!!!!!  There are not sufficient words to express the joy in my heart knowing that I really do get to go and touch the lives of the kids at the Mkhombokati carepoint.

Now as I write, a song is running through my head, the first part seems especially pertinent:

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give his only son

To make a wretch his treasure

Wretched. This is what I am. Without Him, I cannot love, I cannot live. Yet, he places desires deep within my heart, and asks me to wait on his timing. He asks me to trust that when his plan comes through, that it will be better than I ever could have imagined. And it is. He takes me in my mess, my wretchedness, and blesses me beyond words. He places joy and passion in my heart to do what He has called me to do, and walks with me through open doors. I am still struggling to comprehend his love for me, and that He would choose to use me to bless the children in Swaziland. I'm humbled and honored by this opportunity.

If you'd like to keep up to date with what's happening with our team, check out the website for our mission at www.swazilandmission.com/. Your continued prayers and support are highly valued.

Umusa Nekuthula (Grace and Peace)

 

Pull Me Through

I write to you tonight completely humbled and in awe.

Please check out This verse, which was posted today by one of the blogs I follow. It perfectly describes what I have experienced in the last two days.

On Wednesday, I received a phone call from my team leader of our trip to Swaziland. She was checking in to see how I was doing with fundraising. If you'd noticed, the status bar to the left had been under 50% for a while, and looked pretty likely to stay there for a while. She left me with a goal to reach the next fundraising deadline at the end of October, which meant I needed $905 in a month.

I'll admit, I was a little bit concerned about how I'd reach that goal. I'd sent out letters to friends and family, though most people who were able had given, I still was behind. It was discouraging to see that I was behind by two deadlines and didn't know where the funds would come from...but I also knew that the funds would come...somehow.

THEN...

I met with a friend to catch up and chat about how things were going since she'd graduated and I started my final year, and she explained that she partly wanted to meet up so she could support me. Hallelujah!

Then, yesterday, I came home from class feeling a little rough around the edges. Decided I'd check the mail just to see if anything fun had arrived. An envelope from my friend who attends college in another state had arrived. I was excited to open it, since we maintain a fairly regular correspondence...and it was more support for Africa! I was surprised since she'd told me that she did not have any funds (which I totally understand, being a college student myself). The note attached said "For Swaziland - God is Good! - I Love You!"

And Today - God continued to blow my mind with his provision. I seem to be the resident mail-checker in our house, so when I got the mail today, I saw a letter for two of my roommates and one for me. Looking at the address, I realized it was someone who'd already given me support, and I thought maybe they were sending an update or something to me. When I opened the envelope, a check was enclosed with a note that said "To warm up your Swaziland themometer" - the amount was staggering. At first, I felt as if I would cry, then all I could do was laugh. None of my roommates were home, so I walked around the house laughing and speechless.

God came through and provided exactly the amount that I needed to be caught up to the deadlines from August and September.

Still...I am speechless and in complete awe at this amazing, amazing God who provides in perfect timing.

So, Swaziland

In February, I have an amazing opportunity to travel to Swaziland, Africa for 12 days to bless the lives of children in that country. The trip is sponsored by the church that I attend here in Salt Lake City (for more info on them check it out here), but it's not a trip where our goal is to convert the people and children to Christianity. No, our purpose is to bless the kids, to show them love, and to let them know that there are people who care about them.

The country of Swaziland has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world, with 26% of the adult population infected. The country does not have a lot of orphanages for children affected by the disease, so when their parents die or become too weak to get around, these children are essentially left to care for themselves. What the carepoint does in Swaziland is provides food and a place to learn for the children who have no other way of receiving a meal or love. Food is made twice a day by what are referred to as the "Mages" (mothers) and "Gogos" (grandmothers). Those children who go to school are only at the carepoint for one meal, while the younger kids (who walk themselves) will be there for both each day.

the one building on the carepoint facility in Mhkombokati, Swaziland

Above, you see a photo of the one building at the Carepoint. This is the only location where the children gather in the morning and are taught a simple lesson by a Mage who is not a teacher, but does her best to show the kids love and kindness while helping them learn a basic alphabet, numbers, etc. The rest of the carepoint is open space.

Just recently, water was discovered on the carepoint grounds, and our team is hoping to be able to do something to get the water pumping above ground  - giving the kids water and a way to be clean before/after they eat and play. We are also thinking about constructing benches for the mages, gogos, and children to sit on when they are tired. Right now, the only seating is around a tree, on the ground, and in some smaller chairs in the carepoint facility.

This trip matters. It matters because these kids don't know that there are people who love them and want to help them experience a better life, one free from hunger and disease. That is our mission and our reason for going to Swaziland. I first learned about the affects and issues surrounding HIV/AIDS when I was in 7th grade, 10 years ago. For the last decade, I've wanted to go to Africa, to go touch the lives of the people and the children affected by this ravaging disease and show that there is something beyond AIDS. These kids matter. It matters that they're going hungry and living without parents. It matters that there are a few wonderful women who've devoted their lives to helping these kids stay alive. But they can't do it alone, and that's why we send regular support to them. Not only in the form of monetary aid, but with physical teams to do projects and play with the kids, and supplies to help the kids with what they need to go to school.

I can't do it alone. the team can't do it on our own. We need your help. Our first deposit is due in two weeks, and there are three more deadlines after that. Would you consider partnering with me to bless the children in Mhkombokati, Swaziland by sending me a donation of $100 or a different amount that works better for you? By helping to send our team to Africa, you will be making a difference in the lives of these children and those helping them.

I would love to talk more about how you can help or give you an address to send a donation. Please send me an email at jnwilson@email.com, or send me a message on Facebook (link provided).

Thank you for your support. I look forward to partnering with you to bless the children of Mhkombokati, Swaziland.

New Adventures

Today I submitted my application and deposit for a missions trip to Swaziland, Africa with my church here in Salt Lake in February 2012. I am so excited about this opportunity, and really glad to know that I have the support of my family and friends to go.

Africa is a continent that has always been on my heart, specifically the Sub-Saharan part that's been deeply affected by HIV/AIDS. I first learned about AIDS when I was in 7th grade in health class, and that's really what sparked my desire to help the children affected by this disease. Many of these kids don't have a family or any relatives because they've been lost to HIV. Prevention techniques are lacking, and misconceptions about how the disease is spread have caused people to do things entirely the wrong way if they're looking to stop the spread of this highly contagious infection. The effects on a person's health can be minimal or drastic, and without proper medical care and treatment, those whose HIV transitions into full-blown AIDS will die more rapidly than those who have been cared for by doctors or other medical professionals.

But most deeply affected are the children. The ones who didn't ask to have their parents taken away by a disease, the ones who didn't deserve to have an infection passed on from their mother. Not to say that anyone who contracts HIV deserves it, because I don't believe that for one second...but the kids were born into this, they had no say in the matter because the disease took everything they had.

Some of the kids who will be at the Care Point in Swaziland are AIDS orphans who need someone to show them love. Swaziland is a country with the highest infection rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. Approximately 26% of the adult population is infected. In a country where there is little else to set them apart (they're small, surrounded by South Africa, and politically stable with no major safety issues), AIDS is the thing that makes them stand out to a health community. A country should not have to stand out because it is infected with something so deadly.

I am so encouraged knowing that the church I attend supports the care of children in this country, and I'm so excited to have the opportunity to go down with a team and bless the kids at the CarePoint, as well as the "Mages" who staff the Care Point and the discipleship team members who are already working with the children. How amazing it will be to finally get to see how God is working in a place where He's had my heart for a long time.

I love watching God open doors, and then being able to walk through them with the confidence that He has a plan and has been preparing me for these opportunities and adventures as I continue on my journey with Him. I never cease to be amazed by the wonderful love of our amazing God, and how he will work out the plan he's laid out for me in the ways that I least expect him to.