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!
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
Marius,
I knew you would miss us all !!! 🙂 What an amazing experience George and I had while we were with you. You and Jodi were most gracious and planned so much for us to see and experience. It was so perfect and we long to return some day and share in more ministry wtih you both. I will keep an eye on Jodi and Emi while she is here!! 🙂
Blessings,
Bonnie
Marius,
That’s so cool to see it happening so quickly! I remember our ministry team praying for God to raise up others to support that carepoint as we were there every Monday this fall! Thanks for sharing how God is at work!
Erica
Good update – thanks for the pics!
Good update – thanks for the pics!
Sweet blog babe. Emi and I miss you and are proud of you for all you’re doing in Swaziland. We love it there too! Have a great week with Journey Church, and know that we love you very much. Thinking of you every time I eat Mexican……
love you,
jodi & baby emi
Miss your presence man. Your a good guy. Hope to see you soon and for you and Jodi to meet Jan, my wife this time.
I love seeing you lead this trip and the pictures of the carepoint make my heart sing for new life to come to this area-Awesome! I pray the Lord is blessing you and speaking to you in new ways as you’re without the “colorful” parts of the family. I get to spend the day with Jodi today-Yipee! Thanks for sharing her:) Your heart for Emi is reflecting the Father’s heart so well. Miss you!
I am indeed humbled and thankful to see what God is doing through you to help people whose lives are so different from our own. I am honored to call you a member of my family. We will give Jodi and Emi an extra hug to bring home to you.
Marius,
I am humbled by your words and thankful…..trusting God will sustain you while your girls are away. I wish they were in Montana but someday I will meet Emi and hug her mom. Blessings to you. Buzzie Anderson, Whitefish, MT
Dear Marius,
It is so good to read your updates. We are so blessed to be a part of your ministry in a small way. Your reports put life in perspective for us too! Love you, and hang in there until the girls get home!! Love Carol
Man, it’s so good to see the Lord moving in huge ways there in the Nsoko area. I think about how much has taken place there in the last two years and it’s phenomenal. Praise the Lord, and thank you for your dedicated service.
Traci