Beautiful Morning

 
Today I woke up to the beautiful sound of roosters crowing, goats crying and cows running down the dirt road… It is my birthday and I had to laugh at God’s humor! What a fun way to start the day, Well I am back in Africa leading the “real life” team and living in Swazi for the winter (your summer) The homestead we are living in has about fifty goats and twice as many chickens. I love it here. I love that as you walk or drive down the roads in America you have to share with the “bikers” but here you share with every farm animal you can imagine. I wish you could all come to experience the joy it is to lay down your American rights and just be, living with the people of Swazi has already taught me so much, the joy that they have is beyond me. I now know God gives grace to the broken. Can I tell you about a little boy named Zachela…? He showed up on our homestead the day we arrived, and we have somewhat adopted him in to our family of 14, he will come early in the morning to eat with us and we give him a “babywipe” bath, this only makes him somewhat clean, his only outfit smells of soiled urine. Today I asked one of our brothers what his story was. He said that both parents abandoned him and he now lives with his granddad, the problem with this is that his grandfather will leave him for days, sometimes a week at a time to live by himself with no food or water. One of the team members had gone to the bathroom (outhouse) and heard a noise; she was shocked to see Zachela lying in the ditch next to our house. It breaks my heart to know he suffers from lack of love but the smile on his face is real, he has joy… He will be with us as long as the Lord allows, he is one of us and we take him most everywhere. Please pray for him and all the others who are suffering, that they will find peace, love and joy ion the midst of the brokenness.