Balloons & Babies!

Saturday is winding down here at Hawane Farm. That's where my friends Melissa & Jim live - a quiet place tucked away in the mountains of northwest Swaziland. It's not a farm in the traditional American sense, though they do have crops and some animals (including a dog named Roxy who I'm trying to figure how to take home with me - she's become my snuggle pal on these cold nights). What makes this place so great is there's a church where twenty orphans or vulnerable children are provided homes and guardians. Some have special needs, others have been gifted with amazing voices, and all of them burst with joy. In fact, some of the children are in a choir and were invited to tour the UK for three weeks. We heard them practice last night. Mind. Blown.

Today, Melissa, two other missionaries and I went to a group home for women to celebrate two women who are having babies. A baby shower in Swazi is like a baby shower in the states - silly games, lots of snacks, and even cupcakes! The women who live in this home have been abused or addicted (or both) and are in recovery and counseling. It was an amazing gift to be able to celebrate along with them (and cuddle up with a few babies, too).

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day with a couple of church services and a community dinner with Jim and Melissa and some of the other missionaries who are around. I love how they're carving out intentional time to create a family with everyone who's around - short term, long term, and everything in between.

For now, I'm off to help make tortillas for tomorrow's enchilada night with the group. The grocer figured out homesick Americans love their Mexican food and charge $6 for a small pack of tortillas...so, being the cook Jim is, he learned how to make them. I managed to find some roobios honey oatmeal and some Stoney Ginger Beer (which I discovered and got hooked on in Uganda four years ago) and was also introduced to these fabulous cookies simply called Lemon Cremes. Thankfully, those are plentiful (and cheap) here so I didn't mind stocking up for the next two weeks.

Please let me know how to pray for you while I'm here. The days start early and end early as the sun sets between 5 and 6 pm, so I'm winding down around 9 pm with a book and some good prayer time. I'd love to pray for you. If it's something you'd rather keep your request anonymous, you can email me instead at ajw@annejacksonwrites.com.

Love from Swazi,
Anne