Beginning a new journey

What an exciting opportunity awaits us in this new year!  I hope and pray that you will sense the LORD leading you as you walk into the future.  As the church, let us move with purpose and vision into the days ahead.  Let us keep in mind the 3 main objectives set before us:  to Praise the Savior, Prepare the Saints, and Proclaim Salvation!  God bless you this new year!  PM

Wednesday in Matsanjeni

Greetings!

This was our last day of ministry in Swaziland.  It is hard to believe that we have been in the country for a week.  We have had many different experiences during our time here.  Today, we worked at a medical clinic in Matsanjeni.  We played with the children and cared for the sick.  We got to play soccer today!!!  I know that many may not share my excitement but it was a joy!  The kids grow up playing soccer.  They are really good.  They love to play and it opened up opportunities to share Jesus with the children.  I was able to share with a 13 year old boy that attends church in Matsanjeni.  He told me that he was a Christian and that he was glad to be a part of the church.  It was awesome to visit with him and talk about the Lord.  

Tomorrow, we are leaving for Kruger National Park.  We will stay there Thursday and Friday night.  Saturday, we will leave for Jo'Berg.  We will leave Jo'Berg Saturday night and arrive in London Sunday Morning.  Sunday we will leave London for DFW.  I look forward to being back in the USA on Sunday.  It has been an amazing trip, but I have missed being with my family and with the people of Pine Springs Baptist.  I hope to blog tomorrow.  I do not know if Kruger will have internet connection.  So, I will try to let you know what is happening...if not, I will fill you in next week.

Blessings to you, and pray for the Swazi people...God is at work here!  Pray for the Myers...they are a called couple!

Pastor Mark

(Pics:  Soccer in Matsanjeni, our 4 translators after the Braai tonight (barbecue South African style), the church in Matsanjeni, Children in Matsanjeni)

A great day in Africa!

Hello everyone, 

Tonight, I want to give you some really good pictures of the rural church in Africa.  We went 2 hours into the bush of Africa today.  Our team went to Nthutwakazi to have a medical clinic for the community.  We met at the church.  We had a wonderful time with the children.  We taught them some songs:  My God is So Great, Hokie Pokie, The Noah Song, etc.  They taught us some of their dances!  It was so funny, they would clap and sing and start dancing!  What a time!  The people are so friendly and so gracious.  The church was a the top of a mountain.  We could see the eastern border and Mozambique.  It was incredible.  We walked up to the peak and what else was up there?  A Soccer Field...i was so excited...Felt right at home!

We were able to see about 250 people, Men, Women, and Children.  I walked around and gave out suckers to the children.  The children know what candy is!  They are so precious.  Well, enjoy the pics.  

Tomorrow, we are going to another clinic for half of the day.  Then, we will return to the farm house to pack for Kruger National Park.  Please pray that God will continue to bless the people of Swaziland as we bring the message of Jesus to their homes.  

God Bless each of you!

Pastor Mark

Blessings to You!

Hello everyone!

Thankyou for your patience with this blog.  We have had sporadic internet connection

 this last week.  The trip is going great!  There are some exciting things happening in this country among these people.  They are so gracious and they love to Worship and Serve the LORD!  The children at church yesterday were so much fun...  Yesterday, we worshiped at a church that meets under a tree in Zikhoteni.  The children told the story of the Prodigal Son.  It was so humbling to watch the children act out this amazing story of God's grace.  The child playing the part of the Father ran to the son who was lost and kissed him on both cheeks!  The whole congregation erupted in praise and clapping!  It was awesome!  

I have been using the limited time for internet connection to reach my family with updates.  Thankyou for checking this blog.  I will continue to send you information and pictures.  I am so very thankful to have been given this opportunity.  I look forward to telling you all about this trip next week.  

Today, we went shopping in Manzini and Mabane.  The people are very good in sales.  They would try to talk you into buying everything in their shops.  We tried!  We got to spend the whole day with Wayne and Barbara.  Their picture is in the blog below.  They are extremely gifted and their ministry is amazing.  Wayne is doing better.  He has been suffering this week with bad back pain.  We took him to the hospital today for a follow-up visit.  The doctor was not able to see him.  He is making good progress. So, he will try to see the Dr. in Jo-berg on Saturday when we go to the airport to TRAVEL HOME!!! :)

Please continue to pray for the Myers.  God is doing great things through their lives!

I will look forward to sending more information soon.  

Love to you all!

Pastor Mark 

Monday

Check this out Correction: Try this blog: www.sbaswaziland2008.blogspot.com

Check this out!

Look at this blog:  www.sbaswaziland2008.blogger.com

Danny was able to set up a blog at the DFW airport before we left.

He has a lot of cool pics on his blog!

Blessings to you in the LORD!

PM

Sunday Night in Swaziland

Hello Everyone, 

We are doing well. I hope that you have enjoyed your worship this morning!  God is so Good all of the Time!  Each of the pastors in our team preached at different churches today.  I preached at the church in Nhlangano.  I was also asked to teach sunday school for the youth and adults.  It was a great time of worship and building relationships!  Tomorrow is a day of site-seeing and shopping.  Wayne and Barbara Myers are going with us.  Wayne has been having alot of back problems and pain.  Please pray for him.  He is going to Manzini tomorrow for a follow-up appointment.  Then, we will all be together for the day!  The picture here is of Wayne and Barbara at the Farm House last night.  We gave them their gifts and they were so excited.  Please pray for their ministry here.  They are really impacting lives for the LORD!

Blessings to you all, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

Love, 

Pastor Mark 

Day One @ the Pastor's Conference

Today was the first day of the Pastor's Conference.  The people were very excited to see us and we were very blessed to be with them.  We were able to begin with some of the teaching sessions and we had a really good turn-out.  There are about 26 total in attendance for today.  We had one breakout session today since we started later than we expected.  Tea time was a great fellowship time with the people.  Tonight, we ate at the guest house and now we are at the Myer's house to send messages to you.

Wretha, Jade, and Shirley cared for over 100 people today at the clinic.  They went to the top of one of the mountains today.  The mountains here are beautiful.  Cows run wild in the streets and all of the cars drive on the wrongside of the road.  LOL 

We are having a wonderful time and God is moving in the medical and conference meetings.  Please continue to lift up the people and each of our team.  Also, we were able to meet Steve Allen and his family (& new born son) who are missionaries in Mabane (capital city of Swaziland).

Please know that I miss each of you and look forward to sharing this adventure with you in person.

Mark

Greetings from Swaziland!

WOW!!!!!!! We are a long way from Texas! I hope that you all are doing well. We arrived in Swaziland about 6:30P.M. (Swazi-Time). We have had little sleep and no shower for the last 2 days. We are happy and blessed! This is an absolutely beautiful country. We have finished eating dinner at Wayne and Barbara Myer's house with Two Swazi Pastors and one Lay Leader. We are currently planning our days for the Pastor's Conference which begins tommorrow morning. After a shower and a good nights sleep!!!!

Thank you for praying for us and continue to lift up the people hear and the ministry of the Word of God! The picture is of our team after entering into Swaziland.

More to come in the days ahead. God bless each of you!

Love,

Pastor Mark

Weekly Prayer Update from Swaziland

OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS:

-May 21-30, a 23-member university team from Wilkesboro, North Carolina and Mississippi arrive to minister in the Hhohho region (Mbabane), staying in the rural area with the help of ACTS (African Christian Tours and Safaris).  Ministries include speaking in schools/teaching True Love Waits, children and youth ministries, homestead visitation, prayer walking and revival services.  Pray for safe travels, good health and many opportunities to share with the Swazi people the love of Jesus. 

-Saturday May 24^th is the scheduled training/workshop for the teachers of the Swazi Baptist churches’ preschools at the Phuzumoya Baptist Church.  Pray all the teachers will plan to attend this time of training and working together.  Pray the training will be very beneficial to the work of the preschools.

-Saturday the 31^st of May, the Shiselweni Baptist Association is scheduled to meet at the Velebantfu Baptist Church.  It has been a while since the Association has met and there is much to discuss.    Pray for a good representation.  Pray there will be unity in fellowship and much will be accomplished!!

-Plans continue for the volunteer team from the Smith Association in Texas scheduled to be in the Shiselwleni region June 18-28.  The team will conduct medical clinics as well as lead a pastor/leader training event.  Pray for the team members as they prepare spiritually for ministry with the Swazi people.

 

AIDS UPDATE:

N grew up in the Thunzini community and attended the Thunzini Baptist Church.  Her mother was not married to her father and after many years did marry an older man and move to Piet Retief, South Africa without N and her three brothers.  Three years later, when N was 10 she moved to Piet Retief to help her mother with a new baby brother.   Like most Africans, N’s mother and step-father rented extra rooms in their house .  One of the renters was a young man.  During the 2007 school break (December/January) N was left with other children at home while her mother went to town.  During that time the young man returned and tricked N into taking something to his room.  While in the room he attacked N and raped her.  He told her not to tell anyone or he would kill her.  5 months later, N is 13 years old and pregnant.  The young man has been arrested but it is uncertain whether he will be prosecuted.  A study of the UN Children’s Fund confirms that one out of three Swazi women has suffered some form of sexual abuse as a child.  Now N is one of those statistics that may include AIDS.  One wonders when the nightmare of continual abuse and AIDS will end.  Unfortunately for some it is just beginning.  Pray for N’s health as she deals with a pregnancy and pray she will not have contacted the HIV virus through this encounter.  Pray for the many female children/youth/adults in Swaziland that deal with the fear of abuse on a regular basis.

PM

26 Days To Go

With less than a month to go, please pray for the team as we make the final preparations for the trip.  Everything has come together so far and I know that God will continue to bless as we follow his lead.  

Also,  Chuck Barrett IMB missionary in South Africa asked for prayer concerning the economic situation in Johannesburg.  Here is the email:

This morning I learned of an urgent situation that is occurring in South Africa.  Because of frustration concerning the economic situation of South Africa, youth in South Africa have began a crusade to rid Johannesburg of “foreigners” they feel are taking their jobs and they want them to go home.  Here is an update from Chuck Barrett IMB missionary in South Africa concerning the situation:

 

Just for prayer and update, the violence here keeps creeping along as those with an evil agenda find targets on which to take out their personal frustrations.  Others are always to blame for our personal problems. 

 

As I traveled this weekend, one of our churches which would normally be full was very empty as people were practicing stay at home/stay safe preservation tactics.  I then traveled to a place where we have just started a Bible study and found most of the doors closed and many people away.

 

Please pray for this situation to improve and for the violence to stop.  I understand townships are being attacked and approximately 22 people have been killed.  Pray for the safety of our missionaries living and working in the Johannesburg/Pretoria area of South Africa.

We will be flying into Johannesburg on our way to Swaziland.  Please pray for our journey through S. Africa and into Swaziland.

PM

The First Blog

Thank you for visiting this blog site.  I look forward to sharing my experiences and observances in the future.  Please check back often to read new content.  PM