Happy Valentine's Day! :)
We’re in Africa. It’s amazing. It’s surreal. It’s completely foreign. It’s good. :)
We arrived in Mbabane, Swaziland yesterday afternoon, and are staying at the Rodgers’ (Ben, Susan, Kayla, Levi and Trinity’s... and don’t forget Molly, their sweet boerbull!) until we find a house. We have a beautiful guesthouse for our family, and we slept really well last night... and also slept off a lot of jet lag, too. I actually awoke to the Rodgers’ gardener singing in SiSwati... just a faint melody outside our window. That was amazing. It was almost as if God was telling me, “I’m going to ease you into this whole thing slowly, but I want you to remember that you’re waking up in Swaziland today.”
It’s a beautiful morning in Mbabane. The kiddies have already been swimming and jumping on the huge trampoline, and Avery’s out hunting for lizards, snakes and frogs. As I’m writing this, I’m watching Ave stand at the base of a palm tree, staring up at the huge leaves in search of something crawling that he can shake down and bottle in a little glass jar. He just found a huge millipede (they call them shu-gah-low-lows) -- probably the same one that we found in our bathroom and set free last night. The thing was about five inches long, with tons of little legs, crawling along the floor by the sink.
Stephen, Adam (a visiting pastor from HPC), and the Rodgers’ are off hiking Execution Rock, as I type, while we stayed back to get organized. I feel a lot more peaceful now that I had a chance to nest a bit and figure out which of our 23 suitcases hold our things that we need to get by. My brush was MIA for three days... I’m glad to be reunited with it.
I’m feeling a million emotions. Nothing is familiar. We’re having to learn everything all over again. I can’t believe we LIVE here now.... among palm trees and mountains! The kiddies actually just turned down watching a movie -- they can’t get enough of the outdoors. They just continue to wander, climb, and gather “discovery wounds.” Ellie just stubbed her toe on tile, and Avery fell off the monkey bars and scraped his chin. I’ve never seen these three in such wonder... in such awe. Their hearts lub dub Africa already... it bring tears to my eyes.
The fresh air is amazing -- can you imagine no screens on the windows and doors? It’s incredible. Everything is so open -- so free. So much different than what we left in Minnesota.
Later today, we’re planning to go grocery shopping, get familiar with the roads a bit (we have our new car to try out!), and we’ll be house hunting a little later, too.
I could babble forever, but my hope is that, as time allows here in Swaziland, I can blog little by little, and share our huge ups and our huge downs. We’ll do our very best to be completely transparent for you and and for us -- so that we will have something to look back upon.
Before I close, this is what I read from “Jesus Calling” this morning (thank you, Nancy Holte, for this beautiful book -- I love it... and I love YOU!)
GIVE YOURSELF FULLY to the adventure of the day. Walk boldly along the path of Life, relying on our ever-present Companion. You have every reason to be confident, because My Presence accompanies you all the days of your life -- and onward onto eternity. Do not give in to fear or worry, those robbers of abundant living. Trust Me enough to face problems as they come, rather than trying to anticipate them. Fix your eyes on Me, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, and many difficulties on the road ahead will vanish before your reach them. Whenever you starts to feel afraid, remember that I am holding you by your right hand. Nothing can separate you from My Presence. (HEBREWS 12:2; ISAIAH 41:13)
God is sooo good. We know that this Journey in Swaziland won’t be easy, but we know that He has amazing plans for us here. We’re ready for them. Our eyes are fixed on Him.
Signing off from Swaziland, Africa. Miss and love you all. :)
35 36 37 38