Looking Up, Not Down

Today we spent time with the HIV/AIDS Task Force on the CentraL Nazarene District. To date it is the only Nazarene Task Force available but we are working on starting them on the other Nazarene Districts in Swaziland.

I mentioned how beautiful this one particular tree is that seems to be blooming everywhere. It has purple flowers on the tree. Mary Magagula said, "yes they are beautiful but are also very dirty. The flowers fall off and make a real mess on the ground." My comment was that is just like 'Heaven' beautiful but 'hell' is a mess and dirty. We are to keep looking up and keep focused on Jesus and not be looking down in life. Will said that sounded like a sermon illustration. I am not a Preacher but how often do we focus on the things of the world that are dirty and sin center instead of keeping our eyes on Christ the Light of our life.

The Tree is called Jacaranda and will drop all its flowers and then be green with leaves. New life in Christ. We can have it if we just reach out to Him.

Quiz about Swaziland

Here are some questions to help you better understand where we live.

1. Which side of the road for we drive on?
2. When a cool front comes in, which way is the wind blowing?
3. During our Winter the sun goes lower across the sky in which direction?
4. When the temperature is 35 degrees, is it hot or cold?
5. When the wind is from this direction it is always hot.
6. If we weigh 70, how big are we?
7. Our table cloth is 150 by 240. Can you visualize how big it is?
8. Our gas costs E 9.25 per liter. That is about $1.20. Is that more or less
expensive that gas in the US?
9. When we are walking in a crowded mall why do we most often pass on the left
instead of on the right?
10. Why when we shake hands is it proper to hold our right wrist or arm with our
left hand as we shake?
11. What Season of the year is it here?
12. What is a normal school year for the children?

Well how do you think you did? Stay tuned later this week for the answers.

Have a Blessed day in the Lord from the Stemen's in Swaziland to you our friends and family wherever you are today.

Children at Work

Here in Africa, everyone gets involved with the work. We have been in touch with our friend Emily from Bethany, Oklahoma. She is 10 years old and very much wanting to come here to help with a project. We pray that someday she will be able to come and share God's light with the children. This picture is of some children that were helping shovel stone to make cement for a driveway. Cement here is made by hand with a lot of shoveling, mixing and putting in a wheel barrel and taken to the place it is needed and then poured and spread by hand and shovel. Sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it. More like HARD work. NO CEMENT TRUCKS for this kind of a project. The children are very excited to help the people from America that come to help their country. Emily is praying for us and we believe someday God will make it possible for her to come here to share. Keep praying Emily. Your prayers make a difference.

The children are always so happy even though they have so little. There is almost always a big smile on their face and they love to be hugged. Oh, I love to hug them as I always have a hug to pass on. Our prayer is that they always feel the love of Jesus in our hugs. ****To our SS Class at BFC --- our hugs are being shared with the people here but we will still have some for you when we return.

**** Family & friends consider yourself hugged from Swaziland today.

Thanks to all of you who comment on our blogs. We love getting the comments.

Music Everywhere

It is good to praise the Lord and make music O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad for your deeds O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. Psalm 92: 1-4

We woke early this morning and listened to the songs of the birds. Their songs are much different that what we hear in the USA. That is at least in the places we have lived. The ground doves have an entirely different call and there are many different birds here. Very colorful birds but hard to pick up the color on a photo. Then we listened to the chattering of the children as they walk to school. The primary school is just down the hill from our flat. Oh the joyful songs of the children as then talked to one another.

Later we went to the Hospital to meet with Matron Anna, Director of the Nazarene Clinics. As we walked down the hallway were heard different music of people talking in English or in their native tongue. What beautiful music if you just listen.

Sometimes we get so busy with our routines that we do not stop to listen to the music that is all around us. May you hear the music that God is sending your way today.

Indian Ocean

God's creations are beyond our descriptions. There are just not the right words to describe the things we have seen. The Indian Ocean off of Maputo, Mozambique was breath taking. Thank you Lord for the things you created for us to enjoy. I wonder if the people there enjoy the waters as much as we do or do they just take it for granted and not really see the beauty. May we always see God's handiwork as we look around.

Psalm 9:1-2
I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

PS: We were really there but I cannot get the picture to upload. Sorry. You probably wouldn't fully enjoy the beauty of just water anyway.

Oh! What a Beautiful Morning

This morning as we awoke and looked outside the song in the musical "Oklahoma" came to mind. 'Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a beautiful day!' Then the words to the chorus 'Let's just Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let's just lift our hands toward heaven and Praise the Lord,' finished my thoughts. After a day ofmuch needed rain we saw the mountains the clearest since we have been here. What a site of God's handiwork that He created for us to enjoy.

We live in such a small world and yet some times we have to go about 1/3 of the way across the world to hear from relatives. Yesterday we got an e-mail from Karis' cousin Vernon Seitz in Indiana and of course he had to brag again about his almost 20year old grandson. Well Cousin, it will have to stay a tie on this cause our grandson, Seth is pretty special to us. Then we also hear from a great nephew of Will's. Trevor Stemen made contact with us and he lives Jackson,TN. It is really a small world but oh so many people that need to know the Lord and live in His Blessings both great & small.

If you are reading this we would like to hear from you. We are a long way from home that is wherever our family & friends are and we would love to keep in touch with you.

Home Again In Manzini

We have had a whirl wind week of new experiences in the field of building. On Saturday the 13th of September we helped tear off a metal roof and put a new one on the Pastor's home at Sitsatsaweni. Then on Sunday Will preached at the Steiki Church of the Nazarene. Our travels took us to Maputo, Mozambique to help a Work & Witness team from Mt Hood, Oregon, a man from Holland that is 78 years old and is an electrician and a young lady from near Mount Vernon, Ohio. This was quite a team as God brought us together.

Will put in a gate and got the area ready for a drive. Their drive is just wide enough for the wheels of the car as it is nothing but very fine sand everywhere. As you can see by the picture that some of the work for Will was a setting down job. Then he helped Hank the electrician with some of the wiring, did some painting, and other odd jobs as were needed. Today we traveled back home and were very glad to see our home away from home. Living out of suitcases gets old after a while.

Karis spent a lot of time helping with the clean up of the meals, did some laundry, went to the market with the Ladies to get food for the hard working men, played with the children, did some painting and helped get curtains ready to put up.

God has blessed us with some new friends that we have come to love from the team. Pray for Hank, Jack, Jacob, Johnny, Larry, Barbara, Carol, Hannah & Heather.