Yesterday, on our way to an AIM staff retreat in South Africa, our Pajero broke down. We were stuck alongside the road. For those of you from South Africa, we don't need to tell you that is not a good place to be. To our American friends, just think "sitting duck". There are even signs posted in various areas by the roads to tell drivers for their own safety not to stop. In a word, it's dangerous. There are many hijackings and theft and worse.
I looked in my rearview mirror, saw Jodi and Baby Emi, and realized that this could potentially be a very bad situation and that we really needed the Lord. Before I could even say anything, a car pulled up behind us and I looked into the eyes of the kindest man, and had an unexplainable peace and I knew that we were going to be ok.
This older gentleman, Phillip, wanted to know if we were ok, if we needed help, and if we needed water or food. He said that he drove by and the Lord told him to turn around and help us. So he did. Jodi and I both wondered if he were real or an angel. Seriously, he was so kind, and caring. He phoned his wife and she phoned around for a tow truck, and he waited with us by the side of the road for three hours! Who has time to do that? He never left our side for one moment. He told us some of his incredible testimony while we waited, about the overwhelming love of Jesus that he has experienced. Jodi had tears streaming down her face and I had chill bumps. Jodi truly thought this man was an angel. When the tow truck arrived, he loaded Jodi, baby Emi and myself into his car and followed the tow truck 21 kilometers up a mountain to the next town where the Mitsubishi dealership was.
The mechanic ran some tests and came to tell us with a smile that this car would never run again. We thought he was joking and laughed. He wasn't joking. He told us the best we could do was sell it for spare parts - that the engine was irreparable.
The irony is 2 days ago I took my motorcycle to South Africa and put it up for sale, in hopes that we could sell my bike and sell our Pajero and with that money buy a newer, safer car, as our Pajero is/was 14 years old. Those of you who know me well, know that this wasn't an easy decision to sell the bike, but the thought of getting stranded with Baby Emi and Jodi alongside a South African road was enough motivation for me. Not to mention our fuel costs have practically equaled our rent lately. Irony number two is the fact that we had a buyer for our Pajero who was supposed to transfer the money to our account TODAY!
So, our friends who are also here for the retreat came to fetch us at the dealership as we were now car-less. As Jodi and I were getting all of our personal belongings out of the car, we looked at one another and there was absolutely no fear, no despair, no anxiety, but just an incredible sense of peace, and that everything was going to be ok. Still now, as we're writing this blog, we are overwhelmed with God's peace.
The reality is we have no car. We are in South Africa with our bags at this retreat, and we have no car, but we do have peace. This is one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had. We wanted to share with you so you can be praying with us, because we are sure there is going to be a miracle! We can only experience the awesome provision and care of God when we don't have the means to fix it ourselves. We praise God for protecting us, and for sending us an encouraging, helpful messenger to remind us of God's love for us and increase our faith. We will keep you posted as this journey continues (maybe on foot).
I had one of the most incredible weeks since I came to Swaziland. It was refreshing, life giving, encouraging, and filled with sincerity. I helped with a group from California that consisted of two ladies, Elkin Antoniou and Carolynn McGraw from Liquid Worldwide (http://www.Liquidww.com), and their amazing team from Hollywood including director Helmut Schleppi and actress Janna Fassaert. They came to make a documentary on Swaziland and focus on all the good that is happening here and what the leaders in Swaziland are doing right. They were such a great group of people and such a pleasure to be around.
We met at the airport and I just fell in love with their hearts for their project, their love for the Swazi people, and their gift of encouraging everyone they met. Their focus was really on the people of Swaziland and not on having a "feel-good" trip for themselves. It was like watching dominoes fall everywhere they went. They met one guy who introduced them to a Member of Parliament who introduced them to the King of Swaziland who then agreed to do an interview. You just cannot make this stuff up! Many people here in Swaziland have been wanting or trying to meet the King for years, and they come in and in three days have a meeting with the King himself! The favor of God was on them and I was so encouraged.
Because of this interview, I had the WONDERFUL opportunity to meet the King of Swaziland!!! He was so pleasant and such an amazing guy that I couldn't help but have compassion for him. It is easy to have an opinion about someone until you meet them and realize that at the end of the day they are also just a man, a father, a husband, and not just the king of a nation. I left there feeling encouraged for the future of Swaziland, and had a renewed hope for what GOD is doing here through so many of the people we rub shoulders with daily. Jodi and I love being part of God's plan here in Africa. Thanks again for being part of it with us.
It has been a bit quieter here in Swaziland since the World Cup was going on in South Africa and teams couldn't afford to fly in. I am sure that all of you watched a game or two and that you absolutely LOVED the heavenly sound of the VUVUZELAS!! (I could do without that sound for the rest of my life!)
My mom was here for 3 weeks to visit us and enjoy Emi who is 8 ½ months old now. Can you believe it? We can't. Time is flying by. We enjoyed her time with us so much.
We have started a new Care Point in a little place called Gege. We just finished building a kitchen there with the financial help of a Worship Band in the States called Desperation. I was told in the week that they are already feeding 150 kids. That is absolutely amazing and making such a difference in their lives. I took my mom with me to the last food drop which consisted of beans, maize meal, oil, salt, soup mix and little bags of dehydrated soy and rice. They are very grateful for this food.
I will be busy the rest of the month helping church teams who are visiting Care Points that they have adopted. It is always fun seeing how the kids respond to their American friends and for the churches to see how they are making a difference here in Swaziland.
Jodi and I just booked our tickets back to the States, and we will be there from the middle of October till the end of December. Aside from raising some money while we're there, October is Jodi's birthday, Emi's birthday and our wedding Anniversary. And we will be there for Thanksgiving, my Birthday in December and Christmas. We really hope to see lots of you while we're home. It will be a fun time to be back in the States, and we're really looking forward to it.
Thank you again for being a part of our lives here in Swaziland. We really appreciate you!
The kids at Eskhaleni had a very different Saturday than what they are use to. Besides balloons and guitars, beach balls and bubbles and a whole lot of crazy fun, they had a very "American" lunch treat. We prepared 480 hotdogs for them!!! Every kid got two hotdogs, two cookies, an orange, a bag of chips and a cup of juice. We end up feeding adults from the community as well and it was a wonderful celebration. Thank you Journey for your servant hearts and pouring yourselves into Eskhaleni the past week.
On one of the home visits we did, we met a little girl who had these big sad eyes. Kids here in Swaziland are generally happy and always smiling even if they have nothing. This girl was different. She smiled once when she saw the bubbles floating by her. The ladies from Journey replaced her dirty bandage and care for her little hand that was burned. (She is the one with the yellow balloon on her head.) This girl is sweet and precious and leading a life that you and I cannot even begin to imagine. Children like these are the most vulnerable and in need of care. She touched my heart because she is someone's "little Emi".
We woke up this morning with a heavy fog trying to hide the day from us. It turned out to be another great day with Journey from Alabama. We handed out T-shirts and shorts, oranges and toys and I just watch the kids being kids. There were lots of smiles going around making it all seem so worthwhile. The building project and the fencing of the Care Point continued at an amazing speed.
We visited another home on the mountain. I LOVE sitting under a tree of a homestead and just visit with the Swazi's talking about the drought, the kids, Jesus, their needs and family. We are after all part of one big family. Here are a few images of my day down in Nsoko, Swaziland. The quality is not that great as I am using a video camera.
I am without Jodi and Emi this week as I am leading a Children's Hope Chest group from Birmingham, AL. Life without my girls are just a bit less colorful as you can imagine... I had no idea how my life would change with Emi joining our family here in Swaziland. It is such a blessing to see life through her eyes, to understand for the first time ever unconditional love and to not think about jumping in front of a charging lion to save her. She makes a part of my heart blossom that I didn't know was there and just calls forth love from deep within me. Emi is indeed Gracious and Beautiful! So is her mom!
The group I am leading is here to build a fence and kitchen as part of a plan to further develop the Care Point that they have adopted. It is called Es'Khaleni which means "escape passage" and is situated in between the Swaziland and South African border. A kind of no man's land. Very low rainfall and corn seldom matures. Just a very harsh environment with lots of orphaned and vulnerable children that are been served by the construction of the Care Point.
My highlight was a home visit this afternoon where we took a food package to a family home of some of the kids from the Care Point. It consists of a bag of maize meal, beans, candles, matches, cooking oil, salt, soap, soup powder canned meat, sardines, cookies, coffee, sugar and tea. Home visits ALWAYS puts life in perspective for me. I met an 18 old girl, Thembile, with her baby girl of one month old, Mabaso, wrapped in a sheet. I just keep comparing Emi's life to hers and how this baby is absolutely fine without all the stuff we believe is vital to make life possible. She has no wipe warmer, or bum cream or hypo-allergenic formula or sterilizer and orthodontic pacifier or baby soap or Huggies #3 and so on and so forth. I am a blessed man with so much to be thankful for.
I enjoy what I do in Africa and love Swaziland and its people. I am thankful tonight for God's grace on my life, my beautiful family and thankful for YOU. Don't you love that we are making a difference together?
Be blessed.
Marius
I am in Jasper, Georgia with my mommy for the next 2 weeks. My mommy and I will be at Crust Restaurant (50 Depot St. Jasper, GA 30143) this Saturday, May 8th, from 12-2 if you want to stop by and see us. I would love to meet you, and my mom would love to see you too!
We will also be at Trinity Evangelical Church on Sunday, May 9th, at the 10:30 a.m. service if you would like to see us there. My daddy couldn't come with us because he is leading a team right now in Swaziland. They are from Birmingham, AL and are visiting the carepoint they are sponsoring, so please pray for my daddy as he is missing us very much and handling all the details of this team's trip on his own.
So much has been happening in Swaziland. We have helped with six teams since we last wrote, and Jodi has been in the kitchen a lot cooking for them. One of my responsibilities here is the upkeep of the base vehicles. Four out of our five vehicles died this last month! I've been scurrying around trying to buy replacement vehicles so the teams would not be stranded. Fortunately, I have been able to replace two vehicles so far and we're looking for others.
Our retired pastor and his wife, George and Bonnie Callahan have been visiting with us for the past 10 days, and it has been wonderful to experience Swaziland anew through their eyes. They have been extremely moved by their experiences here. George went with me as I did a food drop in a town called Gege where we are starting a new carepoint. It was so neat to be dropping off the very first black pots where food will be served to kids daily and that will develop gradually into a much needed community carepoint. For me the theme here is that it really takes so little to make such a big difference here. These pots of food alone will change little kids lives!
Bonnie was able to teach a Bible lesson at another carepoint. She taught 35 girls a lesson on parables and did a craft to help illustrate. We were able to help with a "Princess Party" last Saturday hosted by a team of NFL wives. Several hundred little girls ages 5-9 came from 9 carepoints and received new dresses, shoes, had a huge meal, got their fingernails painted, had their pictures taken, and just danced and played like princesses. It was awesome!
George taught a Homiletics class at the College of Theology. Bonnie shared with my Bible Study group. We visited several other carepoints and did some home visits as well – taking food to some needy families. George was also able to do a chapel service at the Hope House, a hospice for terminally ill AIDS patients. This was a very special day as well. It was a packed 10 days!
Emi has been blessed with a ticket to visit her grandma and grandpa in the States. Jodi and Emi will be leaving Monday evening and will be in Georgia for the next three weeks. She is so excited for Emi to be able to spend some time with her family. A lady Jodi has never even met donated the money for the ticket, so she's heading home. She will share at Trinity Evangelical Church in Marble Hill, Georgia on May 9th if you want to come hear a quick update, and she is also planning a few "Drop By and Meet Emi coffee dates at places in or near Jasper. Stay tuned to the blog for where she will be and when. Emi is almost 6 months old and today she started saying, "Ma Ma Ma Ma" which Jodi is sure translates to Mommy. She is such a happy girl and gets to meet so many people that pass through our home. She is the joy of our lives.
Thanks for keeping up with what is happening here with us. We love you and Jodi hopes to see you at Trinity in a few weeks. We couldn't be here without you and we dearly appreciate your support!
Love,
Marius, Jodi, & Little Emi
My mommy wanted me to share what I've been up to this week. Besides eating and sucking on my fingers, this has been a really busy week for our family. My daddy has been going to the airport in South Africa to pick up teams, and he has been showing them different ministries they can be a part of while they're here. He has been driving around some people from Focus on the Family who are getting involved here in Africa, and today he is taking a team of really BIG guys to the Kruger National Park to see some lions and hippos. Our friends Scott and Marcia have been staying with us and helping these teams get to know what God is up to in Swaziland.
My mommy and I and our friend Julie have been making food for teams. One day we cooked cottage pie for 24 people, and later that week we all made beef stew for 15. A few days ago we got to make sandwiches for some really big guys that were here visiting orphans at the carepoints. They play football for the NFL, and one of them just won the Super Bowl! . Mom says that is a very big deal. There was also a former Georgia Tech quarterback on the trip. That is my favorite team.
My mom and dad took me to visit a few of the carepoints last week. The Swazi people think I am very WHITE!
We went to give some of my clothes and toys to another little baby. Her name is Nolwazi, and her mommy is 14 and has AIDS. Nolwazi was born a few weeks after I was, so mom says we can always give her my hand-me-downs so she'll have plenty to wear and play with.
I love living in Swaziland, and so do my mommy and daddy. Thank you so much for helping us be here. Our family really appreciates you! I will send you more pictures of my adventures later....
