International Church

Last term here we stepped in as the Children's Pastors of the International Church. We did it for a year and a half + and trained some of the national students at the College of Theology here into that position. IC is an English speaking church so we have many different nationalities represented in the church.

Coming back to Swaziland, this position was not even on our radar, until one of the interns graduated, went home to South Africa, and was offered a position about 9 hrs. away from here. So I was asked with Doug to take over and train up some more of our College students into Children's Ministry. Honestly I had a hard time getting into it. I got into the curriculum and worship, but actually putting everything together and pulling it off, I felt like I have been "going through the motions". I hate that! I have been praying about this and other things that God would change my outlook and heart, ugh! So today is Sunday and the third week that we have been with the kids now and I actually enjoyed it today. I did not feel like I was once again "going through the motions". I felt like I (and the team) were actually teaching and getting through and having a blast doing it.

This picture is of our group of kids we are growing, 34 the first week and 51 today.

We also are getting involved a bit with the youth here at the church, God put it on Dougs heart very strongly on a long ride home from Johannesburg, South Africa. So, we decided to open our home this past Friday for a "Back to school Braii (bbq)". Pastor Raymond, the youth pastor, told us to prepare for 40ish kids to show up. They meet on Friday for their youth meeting, so we met at our home instead. I had it all set up, we were going to set up tables out on the patio in the back yard and Doug would Braii Chicken and sausage. Well . . . it began to rain at 2, bummer. So on to plan B, we set up our table and three folding tables in our dining room with chairs to seat 37. Yeah, wish I would have taken a pic. So at 4.30 two of the guys show up for the braii that was to begin at 6, very un-African to be that early!! I started prepping the kids for "strangers" in the house, as we really don't know many of the youth, rooms closed, no one in any of the rooms, let me know where you are at all times, etc. I was beginning to be not so excited about opening up our home for all these kids. "Were they going to be rude, dirty, mess up my carpet?" (just being honest!) I found myself having the "self talk" that is not so healthy! I stopped myself and asked the Lord to prove me wrong!! The night came and went and we had 42 students, our 3 kids, and 4 of us adults! We had a blast, the food was eaten, my carpets still clean and some of the most polite kids ever. I guess I was a bit shocked having done more with more "rural" kids who are a bit tougher and have more of a poverty mentality of being out for themselves, esp. when it comes to food. God did prove me wrong!