Sweet Soccer Goodness…and Jesus too!

Ahhh!!!! That is a sigh of sweet relief and rest. The past couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur at times here as we have been preparing for a big soccer tournament and outreach at Hawane CLC. I have a pretty strong background in event management, so organizing an outreach day shouldn’t be too overwhelming of a task…until you add in the twist of being in Africa!!! I know what to expect at events in the US, but what do you expect in Africa? In the end, other than a bit of a late start, there was nothing to worry about!

Last Saturday was a beautiful day here in Swaziland for reasons greater than the weather! There were too many people to count on the Hawane CLC property…kids mobbing the jumping castle, teenagers kicking the soccer ball around getting ready for their game, mom’s sitting around talking. The only measure we have of how many people came to the event was that we handed out 700 hot dogs. Yes, 700!! It was such a beautiful sight to behold: men, women, and children of the community all gathered together laughing, cheering, and having fun. I don’t care what anyone says, but one of the most beautiful things in the world is a smile and there were lots of those on Saturday.

Of course, the best part of the day happened just before lunch as a team from Northern Ireland ministered to the people in song and dance, sharing the Good News at the end. They gave an opportunity for people to come forward if they wanted to commit their lives to following Jesus Christ, and the angels rejoiced as over 100 people stood up and walked forward!! It was an overwhelming response of children and teenagers. What an extra blessing, though, to see adults come forward. It is not common for an adult to come forward to an altar call here in Swaziland, it takes great humility to break the cultural norm and step out, and we had multiple adults ranging in age from their 20’s to 65!!

Thank you for your prayers for this community, please continue to pray for God to break through the hearts and mindsets of the people. Pray for the people that came forward on Saturday, for those at Hawane CLC, and for those that attend other churches in the area, that they will be disciple in the ways of the Lord and walk in His light!