So. Many. Miracles.

Hello everyone!  I am really sorry for the worry that I may have caused anyone by not getting on the internet this past Saturday!  I ended up spending the day with Chanita Foster whose husband plays NFL football for the Indianapolis Colts!  5 years ago she was called to Swaziland by God and now has a nonprofit organization called Beyond The Game.  She has started many schools and carepoints around the country!  The day was SUCH a blessing and I had the opportunity to travel more to the rural parts of Swaziland.  The specific place we were at was literally the stereo type of what you think of when you think of Africa.  There was monkies on the side of the road, mud huts with grass rooves, and it was so HOT!  Many of the kids have never seen a white person, and there were kids appearing from 2 miles down the road because there is no cars or electricity in this specific area.  It was like I stepped into a time portal.  I discovered that all of the Swaziland used to be like this 10 years ago until Taiwan decided to donate a certain amount of money for updates, and from there cities have developed everywhere.  But there are still many parts of Swaziland that have not yet been reached.  I was really grateful to meet Chanita, and I think God specifically set this up.  I say this because before this past Saturday I was literally thinking "I dont want to go back to my old life.  How can I honestly live in America and impact lives when I've seen and witnessed so much poverty?"  Then I meet Chanita.  She obviously lives in America, and has an abundance of money.  But God has blessed her with this nonprofit organization and she travels to Africa for one week every month.  Her time in the States is dedicated to fundraising and building support, as well as raising a family of 6 kids and 2 horses.  Wow.  This has really inspired me. 

Normally I blog about each specific day, but I feel like SO MUCH has happened that I would be here for hours!  So I am just going to go through all the key points and touch base on all of those.  And especially all the miracles God has performed.  :)

1.  I had a wild impaca (I dont know how to spell this) nuzzle me, lick my hand and try to eat my hair.

2.  Ive been proposed to with 17 cows and 3 dogs.

3.  Last Tuesday I think it was?  Our team felt called by God to go into the Squatter Camp, find prostitutes, and have lunch with them.  When this idea was revealed by God we all thought it was really crazy.  But through the grace of God and by trusting him...we did JUST that.  We went in, found SIX prostitutes, bought them lunch.  I found out that these lovely woman...are all around my age.  One that I spent the most time with, Sonto, is 18, 5 months pregnant, lives in the Squatter camp, is abused physically by her boyfriend, and  is still a prostitute.  Nokwanda- 16 years old, no father, lives in the Squatter camp, dropped out of school, and is still a prostitute.  The stories could unfortunately go on.  While out with the girls, Nokwanda randomly turned to me and asked, "Lindiwe, do you drink?"  I responded, "No, do you?"  She kind of hesitated, and said "Yes.  But only on Friday and Saturday nights because I have to..."  This response will also be like a dagger to my heart.  Ever since we went out, we have not been able to find her since.  We got her in an interview and she admitted she needed help.  Notando (who also is 18 and has a child) also openly admitted she needed help.  After taking them out once, we took them out again 2 days later, and then afterwards brought them into our home to spend more quality time.  They are just like us.  Young women, who love to dance and laugh.  They give themselves to men just so they can get by in life, and purchase all the necessities.  Something as simple as soap, they go and prostitute themselves for.  Normally for E20 a man, which is just under 5 American dollars. Disgusting.  I HATE that these men have made them feel so worthless, and they feel so trapped.  When they left our house they said "Can you come find us for church in the morning?"  Um... YES!!! So on Sunday (which was just two days ago) we headed over to the Squatter Camp to find them, and we did.  Although they refused to get in the Kombi with us. It was just Sonto and Notando who came up, and you could tell they REALLY wanted to, but something was holding them back.  Kirsten and I were literally BEGGING them to get IN the kombi...but it got to the point where the large van was moving backwards and Kirsten and I had to jump in at last minute to catch the ride ourselves.  We walked over a mile for these girls on Sunday morning to get them for church, and they were refusing to come with.  I was beyond frusturated.  As we pulled away I just looked out the window and immediately started praying, "Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that you place some sense of guilt in their hearts and some how GET them to church." .................
4. During the service I turned around and looked out the tent to see...Tenele, Sonto, and Notando...WALKING UP THE HILL!  Our God is SO GOOD! That walk is LONG.  We offered a ride for these girls, and God answered the prayers and made them show up!!
5.  The Pastors words, "Well, I prepared a messege last Monday, but  I feel the Spirit is leading me in a different direction." ....The entire service consisted of a messege about not selling your bodies off, self worth, "an abusive boyfriend isnt one that loves you", beauty, etc.  It was SO blunt and I think if the pastor knew that there was prostitutes in the church he wouldnt have been so blunt, but its EXACTLY what the girls needed to hear.
6.  At the end of the service he had an alter call.  The call was if you wanted to recieve the POWER to resist the devil, and all the evil desires of this world.  WHAT!?!?!  I was shaking at this point in complete shock of all the revalance.  God REALLY wanted those girls to be there and it wasnt any accident they showed up.  I began praying so hard and rapidly, "God please please please do what ever you can to GET THEM UP FRONT!"  And my eyes opened to the sound of a scream I will never forget.  It was a scream filled with agonizing pain, along with a sense of relief. 
7.  Notando, Sonto, and Tenele were ALL up front.  The scream came from Notando who was on the floor, shaking, screaming and crying.  There were people literally holding her down because her body was heaving so powerfully... It didnt take me long to realize that I was literally witnessing an evil spirit being cast out of Notando's body.  I know this sound completely CREEPY, fake and unreal.  But it HAPPENED.  Tears started inevitably streaming down my face in complete joy and praise to our Almighty God.  Never thought in a million years that I would be witnessing such a divine miracle.  It's made me realize that our society takes a prayers so lightly and doesnt completely understand the power of prayer.  When you pray a prayer, and are serious about a result, God means business.  Even re-writing this gives me the chills, and I feel totally filled with disbelief. 
God loves ALL. These women are so beautiful.  It's going to be SO hard leaving in 6 days, feeling unsure if people will keep them accountable.  Prayers are NEEDED for these women!!!
8.  ANOTHER MIRACLE.  So do you remember when I wrote about how when I was at the Hope House for the first time and when I layed hands on that one man to pray I felt really overwhelmed and I began to cry?  Well....After the prayer he was confident he would be walking in a week. Guess what...HES WALKING!!! He will be leaving the Hope House soon :) 

9.  We also had a meeting last week with some people who live here, and they are really excited about the girls home and REALLY want it to get up and moving.  Our God is so good. :)  We are now just in the process of verifying a contracter for renovations because the home is in A LOT of immediate need.  MONEY IS NEEDED for the home to be done.  Our goal is to have girls in the home within a year! 

10.  We had a sleep over last week with some of the girls and they NEVER get to take baths and showers so they were having SO much fun and were shreeking with glee the entire time they were in the bathroom!  Makes me grateful for every single shower I get to recieve.  We are so incredibly blessed. 

A lot more has happened, but I tried my best to convey most of the miracles!  Prayers are still greatly needed!  Especially that God will use our team as vessels and coworkers this last week we have in Swaziland that we can accomplish what we havent yet! 

With MUCH love,

Lindsay :)