ADJUSTING to the "NEW NORMAL" Part 2

Our Dear Friends & Family,

We hope that you are doing well!  We are so thankful for your continued prayer and financial support as we serve the Lord here!

This post is the continuation of some of the changes we have seen in the past 5 or 6 months! 
As we stated before, there has been a lot of change around here lately...

A Nation Celebrates & Changes it's Name!  

On the 19th & 20th of April Swaziland celebrated 50 years of independence as a nation as well as the 50th birthday of our King, His Majesty King Mswati III.  During the celebrations the King announced that this nation would no longer be known as "Swaziland."  From now on this beautiful country would be called "eSwatini." Swaziland was the name appointed by the English as they colonized this region, and so the King wanted to bring even the name of this land into Independence.  "eSwatini" basically & literally means "the place of the Swati (people)."  Many other African countries had already changed their names soon after they achieved independence. A few of these are: Zambia, Zimbabwe, & Lesotho.  So, being 50 years post colonization it was the right time to make this change!     

New & Deeper Partnerships       

AIM (Adventures In Missions)  

I (Dennis) started my journey here in eSwatini working under AIM back in 2004.  I served with them for 7 years, leaving midway through 2011.  We left on good terms, and have remained friends with them.  In the past few years AIM has grown so much, having nearly 100 employees here.  For the past couple of years I've spent a couple days a week volunteering & working with a group of young people called "Shepherds," as well as the Life Coaches from their Sports Ministry.  The Shepherds are the young Swazi's who do the discipleship teaching @ AIM's 35 Neighborhood Care Points.  The Shepherd's are also part of a larger program AIM runs called "SLA," aka the Swaziland Leadership Academy.  The goal of the SLA program to keep developing these young people as they continue to serve @ the care points.  In March a team of us started a program that focuses and goes deeper with that development goal.  We don't have an illustrious name, we simply call it "SLA Fridays!"         

From Left: Xolani, Dennis, & Sebe 3 of the SLA Friday Leaders

We split the Shepherds into two groups according to the year they joined AIM/SLA.  Every Friday our leadership team (of 6 great people!) meets with one of the two groups to facilitate the Friday program.  We have a time of worship & devotion, small group mentoring, and a time we call "Focus," which is a teaching of a self leadership principle.  The goal is to be a training resource for these young leaders, an advocate, a listening ear, & to encourage them to continue in their service to Jesus & their communities.  Its a lot of work, for every Friday of execution it takes at least 1 or 2 full days of preparation. So for me 3 of my 6 working days a week are spent on this partnership.  But Praise God it has been a great time so far.  There has been a lot of fruit, and this is a much needed program.  I will update some more specifics in later blogs!     


New Catalsyt eSwatini Partner:  Mafutseni EWC                                                                            In March we also started a new partnership with a church called Mafutseni Emmanuel Wesleyan Church.  Mafutseni is simply the region where the church is located, its actually "just next to" Timbutini, about a 10 minute drive from where Zwakele was born and raised.  

Pastor Mngometulu & myself

Above is a picture of the Lead Pastor of Mafutseni EWC, named Sikelela Mngometulu.  He's a great man of God, and we have known him for years.  He's actually the pastor who married Zwakele & I ten years ago!  They have rougly 60+ children they are feeding every Sunday after their worship service.  These children are either orphaned or simply come from vulnerable situations.  The church has a passion to help the people of the community and believe they should be doing this type of ministry.  Initially they had another NGO that was helping to supply some food to make this feeding possible.  Unfortunately that NGO could help no longer.  After meeting with Pastor Mngometulu we decided that we would form an initial partnership.  We are now helping to provide a large share of the food needed to feed these children every Sunday.  This happens simply because of your financial support to us! Again, because of your support we were also able to purchase 100 plates and 100 cups for them to use.  Praise God & thank you for your prayers and financial support!    

Mafutseni EWC Building

Mafutseni EWC Preschool Room & KItchen 

PLEASE PRAY WITH US                                                                                                                      Would you please keep these two partnerships in your prayers?  We desperately need the LORD'S empowerment & presence as we serve Him.  We want to really see the Lord at work in our lives, and His love, power, and service to flow out through what we are doing!  There are many challenges, much attack from the enemy, and some discouragement along the way.  But we are persevering by His Grace.  We are continually asking the Lord for a Holy Tenacity...to be resolute in our commitment to Him and not grow weary in doing good!  Thanks so much for standing with us!  More to come soon! May God bless you abundantly!    

ADJUSTING to the "NEW NORMAL" Part 1

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 

Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;therefore I will wait for him.”  - Lamentations 3:19-24

Our dear friends and family, 

Thanks so much for standing with us in your prayers! They really do make a huge difference!  Please know that we also pray for YOU our SUPPORT TEAM regularly!  

Since you last heard from us there has been much change.  Some of the changes have been rather painful & challenging, while others are thankfully great developments!  The storms of our lives in the past 5 or 6 months have brought to my mind the above verses from Lamentations.  It can be so easy to constantly "remember my affliction." We are tempted to unhealthily focus on our challenges. Then often bitterness tries to creep into our hearts, thereby threatening to damage the wellspring of our life.

For me (Dennis), I've dealt with depression for years, both before I was a Christian and after.  Lots of people in the church are afraid to discuss depression (& many other mental health issues) because somehow we think that if we are dealing with these problems than we are "not good Christians", or that we are somehow "weak in the faith." But that's complete rubbish!  When painful storms come (because of years of struggling with depression) the tendency of my flesh is to stay focused on those painful challenges and then lose hope.  Its a familiar path my heart walked for years before knowing Jesus.  Now as a follower of Jesus part of the battle for me is to reject that familiar path.  I have to actively "call to mind" the GREAT LOVE God has for me, and stand in the truth of God's compassion for my situation - I repeatedly remind myself of God's Truth.  He is so extremely and utterly faithful to us, His children!    

So while the past six months have been challenging, and painful at times, there is much to be thankful for!  We choose as a family to constantly remind ourselves of the goodness of the Lord!  Below are some of the changes, both for prayer and for His praise!   

A pic w/ our niece "Khosi"

Health Update:  In our last email update I (Dennis) shared about my health scare over New Years.  Since then I have been seeing a heart specialist.  He has been fantastic! The first thing he did was put me on 1 medicine instead of the 4 meds the hospital had me on.  My focus has been on exercising, eating healthier, checking my blood pressure regularly, and reducing stress.  Thanks for your prayers for this!  Things are going much better these days!  In fact, my blood pressure reduced very much and is normalized, and I am now on a half dose of the 1 medication.  In March  Thandeka injured her leg while she was playing on a trampoline!  She severely sprained her right knee and the ligaments below it.  She could not put weight on her right leg for 3 weeks plus & ended up missing school for most of that time. Again, we want to thank you for your prayers!  As of today she is walking, and much to her delight :) back in school.     

 

Will you please pray for Zwakele's Mother?

Some of the challenges we've seen were unexpected and life changing.  In the past couple of months my mother in law suffered two strokes.  We thank the Lord that she is still with us!  And she is recovering.  But she is not 100% and she is not the same as before.  She now needs someone to be with her at all times.  This was a sudden change.  It's part of what I mean in our title coming to terms and adjusting to a "New Normal."  It seems like we are in a different stage of life now.  

Will you please pray for my precious mother in law Jane Dlamini?  Things are much different for her now, and its been hard on her as life took an unexpected turn.  She was a regular volunteer cook for years at AIM's Timbutini Care Point.  At this point, she is now unable to do this.  She was also used to starting fires, cooking food for herself, as well as a host of many other "regular normal life activities." For anyone its hard to come to terms with these kinds of changes.  Please pray for her recovery, and that we can continue to get her the best care as possible.  Thank you so much!

 

Welcome Vumile Dlamini

As our brother Maurice Dlamini left Catalyst Swaziland last December, we started looking for other people to help with our ministry.  In February, we welcomed our friend Vumile Dlamini to the Catalyst Family!  She was hired as our first staff member!  We have known Vumile for some years having met & served with her @ Healing Place Church.     

Vumile is a wonderful young lady and we are excited to have her serving with us @ Catalyst Swaziland!  She is passionate about the Lord and following Him.  Vumile is initially hired with us for a period of 6 months.  She then hopes to qualify for the University of Swaziland, starting her studies in August 2018.  Please keep her in your prayers so that, Lord willing, she can reach this goal for her life!    

This is then end of part 1...We will have more ministry updates in part 2.  I am excited to share with you a new ministry partner that we have developed!  Please look for that post next week!  Thanks and God Bless You!!!