July 26
Wednesday

Today’s Tentative Plan: Fun day at Thulwane

Please Read Psalm 145:
This Psalm is a hymn of praise to the Lord. As you read use it as a prayer of thanksgiving for you as well.

1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless
your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you and praise
your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 To make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.)
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling and
raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give
them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand; you satisfy
the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

You know you can’t read that Psalm and not spend time praising the Lord. So write 15 things that you praise the Lord for.

Now its time to recall His goodness. List things you want to thank Him for.

Now take a few minutes to think about something you could share with a Gogo or one of the children today of a way God has shown His goodness and faithfulness to you. Don’t be shy! Share with one or more. Tonight during debrief we will ask you to report how it went. We are passing it down to the next generation.

Focal Passage for Today
1 Peter 4:9: “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

Theme: Show Hospitality to One Another Without Grumbling
Since it is Big Fun Day and things may get a little chaotic this is a perfect verse! Pray that God will bring order to what can be a very crazy day. Pray that the weather will be good and that the kids will come. Pray that the games will be fun for the children and easily played. Pray for the meal to be a special time for the children and that they will know the goodness of the Father. Pray we will have eyes to see and ears to hear those who need an extra touch of grace. Pray that we will make much of God and that they will know that He provides great things and He loves them dearly. Most of all pray for your own heart today that you will have a positive spirit as things may not be as organized as you wish. Pray you will have a smile and a kind word at every turn. Enjoy the Big Fun!!!

We were so excited to see the faces of children we have invested in for many years. Westwood has been sponsoring Thulwane care point for about 8 years. The care point has grown from an empty plot of land into a cooking facility that serves over 300 children daily. It has a garden that feeds the children spinach, cabbage, tomatoes and other vegetables that provide much needed nutrition. There is a preschool building where 30 preschoolers learn their ABCs as well as Bible stories. This time we were shocked to see that there is a new awning prepared for a multipurpose building to be built. Thank you Paul Anderton for the gift from your Iron Man Race. You all would be so proud of who they have used the money we have invested.

Not only have the grounds grown, but the children have sprouted up! They are now healthy and growing tall! It is so amazing seeing children who were small children when we first came dressed in their school uniforms. They are in testing this week, so please be praying for them.

For those who have made this journey with us to Swaziland before even if through the internet you may remember our stories about Love. The first year our group came Love was pushed to the care point in a wheel barrow. She was about 18 months old and could not walk because her legs had been pulled out of joint due to abuse. Love was one of a handful of children who lived in a house without an adult. The house was made of sticks and had no locks on the door. The second trip to Swaziland our team built a house for Love and those who lived with her. We have followed Love through the years, and this year Love has been accepted into a school for special needs children. We are thrilled!!! Not only that, but her mother has started to volunteer at the care point cooking. I was not aware she was in the picture, but the missionaries here are so excited she is volunteering.

There are many children here who experience abuse. Our hearts have broken for many. One child came to the care point today who has seen the nurse a few days earlier. She has been abused by two family members in two different homes she has lived in. She is now living with a friend’s family. She came today saying that she will not be able to go to school because the borrowed uniform she has must be returned. The nurse let our team members know. We were so thrilled that we had been led to bring money for uniforms for the children who needed it. Not only was the young girl going to be receive the uniform, but she is also going to receive many other pieces of clothing that will meet her needs. Please join us in praying for her and for the many children who are abused not just in this country but in countries around the world.

Tomorrow is Big Fun Day at Thulwane. We need extra prayers! We will have games, jump castle, and the children will get to decorate a cupcake for their birthday! The children will get to eat a special meal with meat. This will be the only meet some will get all year. Please pray for our physical strength. After several days of ministry, we all get tired! Pray that the children will listen and follow instructions. Pray that will see the love of Jesus in us. We will let you know tomorrow how awesome the day is. Thank you for joining us.

July 25
Tuesday

Today’s Tentative Plan:
Bhalekane Carepoint by 10:15,
Westwood to Thulwane around 12:00
Medical clinic at Thulwane,
Home visits at the end of the day.

Please Read Psalm 144
1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands
for war, and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
3 O Lord, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them!
7 Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters, from the hand of foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand
is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings, who rescues
David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is
a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;
13 May our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce, may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14 May our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Please go back to the beginning of the Psalm and record how the Psalmist describes God.

It is so easy to get our eyes focused on the struggles and challenges around us. It is very easy to forget or just not acknowledge the greatness of our God. He is the one who gives, protects, defends, and teaches us. His favor changes everything. The last few verses are a prayer for the children. He asks that their sons be like plants full grown and their daughters like corner stones for the palace. The Psalmist is praying that their children will be strong, healthy, and able to withstand what life brings. As you close your time with the Father today take time to praise Him for who He is. Pray for the children you will serve today.

Focal Passage for Today
1 Peter 4:10: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:”

Theme: Serve One Another
As you go through out the day look for those serving others well. Affirm them in the gifts they have. Let them know that they are living God’s word as they serve others. Watch the Gogos. See how they serve the children with little thanks. Encourage them and speak words of affirmation. In our team debrief tonight we will be asking each of us to identify our spiritual gift and how we used it today to serve others. Serve one another in the group as well as the children. Know that as you do you are finding favor with God.

Our first day at the care point was filled with hugs, smiles, and lots of love. We have about 350 children at the care point we were at today who learned about Noah and what sin is. They created popsicle stick arks and tissue paper rainbows to learn about God’s promise to never destroy the world again with a flood. You would have loved hearing all of the children singing “Victory is mine, victory is victory in Christ is mine.” They raised the roof as they sang “Best friend, Jesus is my best friend, Jesus is my best friend. I am not alone, no I am not alone.” Both of these songs they learned 3 years ago when this team came to their care point the first time. You could tell the songs have become favorites, and the truths sung are so profound they will never forget.

Though we have structured Bible story times and singing there is also lots of time just to walk around with children, hold hands, or listen to children as they try to pronounce your name and you theirs. Many of these children have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS, so time spent really listening and interacting with them is rare. One team member said, “I expected them to hold my hand, but I did not realize they would pull you away from the other children just to have your attention.” Oh that there were more of us to sit and hold them or just listen to them sing or tell their story.

We also spent time with the adults who serve the children daily. One of our team asked one of the ladies who cook, “what is something good God has done in the last year.” Her answer shocked our team mate. She said, “I lost a baby this year. I was seven month pregnant and the baby was still born.” Our team mate was struck, how could this be good? The lady continued to tell how God is sovereign and they had been praying for a son. The child was a son. She had been praying to get pregnant and God answered that prayer. Though they experienced much grief, God had been there with them and for her that was a good thing.

Oh that we could see good in the times of hurt. Oh that we could find contentment in the simple things like the children here do. Oh that we would be contented with pap and beans like they are daily. It is a humbling to thing to think of how much we have and we still struggle with contentment.

Tomorrow will be a full day with our team dividing to go to a second care point. We are very excited to see children and friends there that we have had relationship with for many years. Pray that as we teach lessons, share songs and bible verses that the love of Jesus will be so evident that the kids are drawn to the Father. Pray that our provisions of craft supplies will be sufficient for the ever growing numbers. Pray for first year team members who will be taking key leadership roles tomorrow. Most of all pray that every child knows the love of their Heavenly Father because of our actions and words. Thank you for joining us through prayer. You are a super valuable part of this mission!

July 24
Monday

 Today’s Tentative Plan:
Breakfast 7:30,
Attend Hope Chest Staff meeting,
Arrive at Bhalekane care point around 11:00,
home visits 3:30,
Dinner at 6

Please Read Psalm 143.
So much of this Psalm is a prayer. As you read it pray. Please underline or highlight any part of the Psalm that could be an ongoing prayer for you.
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!
11 For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your servant.

As I read this Psalm I could hear the desperation in David’s voice as he called out to the One who was and is His strength. We will be going to do ministry today with Staff and Disciplers who daily face disease, death of community members, children without parents, financial scarcity, and all of this while trying to balance their own lives. You will see much joy and lots of smiles even in the face of such challenges. Pray for those we will be serving with. Pray for their families. Pray we will have words of life for them this week. Pray we will be sensitive to their needs and speak words of encouragement and strength to them. Pray that God shows you how to stir the up to love and good works.

Focal Passage for Today
Hebrews 10:24: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,”

Theme: Stir One Another Up to Love and Good Works
Today’s visit to the care point will be a treasured memory for a long time. Get ready to have children hanging from both hands. They have seen our group a couple of years now and they know that each child is deeply loved. Even those of you who have never come to the care point before you will be immediately loved. Don’t be afraid to show them the love of The Father. Keep your eyes open today as we visit the care point and visit homes. Look for children that show leadership skills and affirm and encourage them.

As I write this I am sitting under twinkling stars in the African night sky while most of you just adjourned from Sunday morning church service in America. You may be coming in from the sweltering heat of summer while we are finding the African winter most pleasant.

Today we journeyed from South Africa to Swaziland. The terrain went from flat city landscape to towering wooded mountains. We stopped long enough to see water buffalo, gazelle and emus at a wildlife preserve adjoined to a gas station. We visited a neighborhood market and learned the fine art of bartering for goods. At the market we saw old friends like Moses, a wood carver who has a wife and three small children. Moses is a believer who uses his carvings as a platform to tell people about Jesus. Cindy is the name of another neighborhood merchant. She was so excited to find out the lady buying a shirt from her was also named Cindy. We shared with her that her name means barer of Light. That is what we are doing here in Swaziland, sharing the Light of Jesus with those we come in contact with.

Tomorrow we start our morning with meeting the staff who carry much of the ministry. They are over 34 care points and about 7000 children. Many of the staff are nationals who grew up attending a care point as a child and now serve as shepherds to the children at their care point. It has been so amazing over the years seeing these children become adult leaders.

After staff meeting we go to the care point to work with the children. We are so excited for this part of the adventure to begin. Please lift us up. Pray that we stay healthy. We have traveled a long way and are somewhat weary. Pray that the rest we get will be sufficient for our needs. Pray for divine appointments and most of all that God would be honored in all we do.

July 23
Sunday

Today’s Tentative Plan:
Breakfast at Aviator,
Drive to Swaziland,
Lunch on road,
Cultural orientation

 Please Read Psalm 142
1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!
In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me!
7 Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.

Is there something on your heart where you would join with the Psalmist today in crying out? How awesome that our God hears and cares for our every thought. This week you will see many who are hurting, lonely and feel helpless. Our message this week is to tell them that there is One who cares. He is not an American or Swazi. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet He cares for us and them. Pray this week that the people we come in contact with will not see us as Americans, but as Children of the Living God who love them and have come to be His hands and feet.

Focal Passage for Today
1 John 4:7: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Theme: Love One Another
As we interact with those around us today may we treat each other with love. Romans 12 tells us to try to outdo one another in showing brotherly affection. Find someone in our group today that you don’t know well and spend some time learning about them. Take time to show them the love of Jesus. Tomorrow we will be meeting our new Swazi friends and we will want to pour the love of Jesus on them as well, but today focus on building relationships with your team members. Look for the good in them. After two days of travel you may be weary, but the love of Jesus and your team will give you new strength.

Pray for:
Safe travels
The mission ahead
Unity and love in the team
Easy passage across the boarder
The missionaries as they prepare for our group
Our families and church families at home as they worship today

We are all here with all of our bags! Praise the Lord. Traveling can be an adventure and our Highview part of the team definitely saw the hand of God at work. They got to the Charlotte Airport only to find that somehow their tickets from Charlotte to DC had never been acquired for 9 of the team members. Somehow the travel agent either accidentally deleted it or they just never processed those tickets, so when they got to Charlotte the went to the terminal they thought they would be flying out of and asked an attendant who said, you don’t have tickets for the flight. In a small minute of panic the team sought Higher help and pursued the next step. Most flights are over booked, so it was a God thing when there were 9 places left on the next flight. It was just the right number for those who did not have a ticket. God had already worked up stream!! With a sigh of relief and a Hallelujah the team made their connections and now our whole team is together in Joburg for the night. We were thrilled to all be together and share a meal and devotion before we turn in for the night. Thank you to those who prayed for us in our travels. Please don’t stop. We will travel to Swaziland by bus tomorrow so please pray for us as you go to bed. We are 7 hours ahead of you. Thank you again for living on mission with us!!!

July 22
Saturday

Today’s tentative plan so you can pray and prepare:
Arrive in Johannesburg 5:35,
collect baggage and exchange money.
Lodging at the Aviator.
Dinner in Joburg.

As you begin your quiet time today please read Psalm 141.
Highlight or underline any verse that jumps out to you.
Choose a verse to pray for yourself and for others as you read.

Psalm 141:1 A Psalm of David.
O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
and let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.

In the days to come you will have a Focal Passage and “One Another” for each day.

Focal Passage for Today:
Romans 15:7: “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Theme: Welcome One Another
We are entering a new country and have so many great experiences ahead. You will notice very quickly that the South African and Swazi people are very welcoming. They are very proud of their country and their heritage. You will eat things you may have never eaten. You will see things that will be brand new. My prayer for you as you experience so many firsts is that you will approach each of them with an open heart and mind asking the Father what He wants to teach you through it. Our Missionaries are super kind and they too will roll out the welcome mat.  Choose now to have a grateful spirit. Look for the good things going on around you.  Know that you are going to be living with a brother and sisters you may not know very well, but we are going to be a big family this week. So practice our focal verse, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.  Choose to let others go first, have kind words of appreciation, and most of all remember that others outside the “family” are looking at you and watching to see if you really live the last part of the verse, “for the glory of God.” We have a great opportunity to be light in this dark world. May we all shine brightly with Christian love for one another that truly is welcoming to a lost world.

Close your quiet time with praying for:
The mission ahead
Our travels tomorrow
New friends we will meet
That the gospel is made clear by all we do.