Marius and I had such a great trip to the States. I got to be a part of my friend Schramm's Montana wedding, which was wonderful. I got to be with my family lots, and I was able to speak at Whitefish Foursquare and Trinity Evangelical and connect with many friends there. Our church in GA had a baby shower for our sweet little girl, and I was so blessed. So many people came and gave generously –clothes, money, diapers, etc. It was really, really sweet!
I had a bit of a rough start with getting a flight out of South Africa. I was supposed to fly standby with a buddy pass, but after waiting 6 days and Delta not letting a single standby passenger on, we finally bit the bullet and bought a ticket at the last minute on SAA. Thanks to some very generous friends (Stephan and Janene, Randy and Sandra, Jay and Cindy, Christy and Gilbert, and Tommy and Velma), we were able to not go into debt for the airfare. THANK YOU GUYS!
Marius spent time at AIM headquarters where he participated in training, and attended several meetings regarding his new position here in Swaziland. He is now overseeing all the AIM short-term teams that come through Swaziland – logistically, arranging ministry opportunities, hosting, transportation, etc. He is enjoying his new responsibilities, and I am also getting a chance to get to
know the teams, and be there for the leaders when they need input.
This past weekend we hosted a "sleepover" for the AIM team that is currently here. They are here for 3 months, and there are 19 of them, and they're an all-girl team. They're working at Nsoko with the carepoints there – playing with the children, teaching Bible stories, visiting several homesteads, and taking care of some desperate needs in the community. They're also really roughing it – with bucket showers.
We made homemade chocolate chip cookies, brownies, hot fudge sauce for ice cream sundaes, and we grilled burgers and had a baked potato bar. We also made homemade pancakes with maple syrup and bacon for breakfast. Best of all for them was the face that everybody got to take their first hot shower in a month! I think that was their favorite part. They were blessed and we really enjoyed getting to know this team. This is really right up mine and Marius's alley to make food and have a home to host people and bless them. We love it! We have had a sweet girl from Alabama staying with us for a few weeks. Bailey was not feeling so well, so she came to the Deetlefs's B&B for some rest and relaxation, and we just love her.
We are getting really close to our due date – just under a month away. We leave next week to spend the last 2 ½ weeks in South Africa (so that we'll be over the border in plenty of time before I go into labor. Please pray for us in these last days of preparation, and pray that by the mercy of God it be a labor and birth without complications. I am so blessed that my mom and dad are coming to hang out with their little granddaughter for a few weeks, and Marius's mom will also come spend time with us. We are very excited to meet this sweet girl!
There is much more to say, but for now please know how grateful we were to see you in the States, and thank you so much for supporting us here in Swaziland. We love you and promise to keep you posted on ministry and "baby" news!
Lots of love from Africa, Jodi and Marius
