Well.....today was quite different than the past few days. Today was a day of working, rest and fun! After a hard day yesterday....we decided laughter was good for the soul. Let me introduce you to one of my favorites....Shirley, our hostess who lives in the home we are staying in for a few weeks. Here is the amazing thing...and for those of you who are around Shirley's age of wisdom...this should be a kick in the butt. She is wise above her years, works full time for Heart For Africa...I mean FULL TIME....loves the Savior more than anyone I know, is a prayer warrior and let me tell you...a South African woman who can put anyone in their place....with GRACE! She is remarkable, brilliant and loves this nation. Shirley moved here about 30 years ago....she loves Swaziland and serves God with all her heart!
My other house mates.....Anita. She makes me freaking laugh. She giggles like we are
8 years old. I sit in the living room working and I actually can picture me and my cousins giggling at night. I'm waiting for my Aunt Brenda to come in at any moment and tell us to stop. Anita takes my mind to my family and I love her for that! She chose in her life to leave the "high life of corporate luxury" and serve Him with Heart For Africa. We have similar stories in that way! She an amazing detailist and logistics person....another thing we have in common.
Also in the picture.....Paula...she's new on the Heart for Africa staff...but let me tell you! She has an angels voice I hear....can't wait to actually experience it. She's a light and loves seeing God use her for change in her nation. But she loves singing and will be doing that at the wedding on Canaan!
Now Paula's funny comment today...was after I somehow thought that cutting a small chili pepper WITH seeds and putting it into a salsa was a great idea. Then.....Anita tasted it. She's one for hot things. She immediately started coughing and gagging as if she was dying (she was a bit dramatic :)....so I cleaned it all out and split the recipe and added MORE tomatoes because there is NO salsa in the grocery, no blender at the house...so good ole fresh veggies and a knife was all I had. So my recipe was off a bit....sweet Paula says, "oh Anita and Masi, consider it an Africa adventure!" And we giggled!
Today we laughed....here's why....just a few things! Well....I heard this thump, thump, thump...it sounded like horse and buggies. I was thinking...for the love, we ARE in a 3rd world country. So I grabbed my camera and headed out to the gate.....to only find some young boys version of "Swazi running with the bulls". There was a huge heard of cattle running down the road. So of course, being from south Georgia....I start mooing. Before I know it....all the girls were in the house laughing at me NOT with me!
Then.....yep....too much internet use. In the states...that just means things slow down a few seconds....nope...the entire NATION lost internet for a few hours. I was thinking...you've got to be kidding me! I lost it....that was my key to give us a small respite in the day and we laughed.
And our final Southern experience....pot roast, brown rice and salad. Shirley, in her South African voice, "Masi.....stop it.....I am trying to lose weight!" It was a true blessing....yummy dinner! Great reminder, great friends, great word of truth...great great great God we serve!
This is my home away from home for a while. I will move to the Lugogo Sun in a few weeks. But for now....this is home and I love it! Shirley and HFA have made it amazing!
Tomorrow I have a meeting with the "internet" people here. Please pray that they will be able to get the right bandwidth to the stadium for us to send you a live feed from Litsemba on your computer. You'll be able to watch it at www.heartforafrica.org if we are able to get it to work!
Pray for Janine, Ian, Chloe, Laura, Riley and Wyatt. They've had to travel back to South Africa to inspect a building that will possibly be built on Canaan.
Pray for Spencer.....he is on Canaan and has ONE pair of pants, not shorts, not anything other than one pair of pants. What was he thinking!?!?! Crazy! Pray that his days of manual labor will be fruitful and a lot will get accomplished.
Pray that the children of this nation, the orphans, are safe tonight....out of harms way....and protected by their heavenly father. Pray that the Minister of Education, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Prime Ministers Office and the Constituency Office will see the HEART of Heart for Africa in a real and pure way!
Pray that Salvation will come, that people will turn from their evil ways, and meet Jesus face to face and realize His hope for this nation!
Because of our day yesterday....I've been sitting in John 15:5.....reminded by His words...."pruning, scourging for me to bear more fruit.....and apart from Him, I can do nothing".
John 15: 1 - 5
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesa]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Until tomorrow.....good night!
From Africa...with love,
Masi
Love the post! Just very disappointed you didn't tell the too hot pepper 'complete' story!! Sorry about getting you in trouble with Shirley - told you she wouldn't want her age listed but oohhhh nooo you wouldn't listen - ok, maybe I'm not sorry - will work on it a little more :)
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