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Above is King Mswati III, the absolute monarch of Swaziland. In Siswati, Khulula means set free, and in a nation in Crisis God is moving here in Swaziland. We are having a tremendous time of work and ministry, and we would love to call you to prayer for this country and encourage you to consider coming with a missions team to visit Teen Challenge in Swaziland from your church.
The need is great, the opportunities are greater. We are praying for people to be SET FREE. Along with Bro Ward's amazing hospitality, traveling with Mariah has been a highlight of this trip. She joined us from Brooklyn Teen Challenge and has served beautifully in ministry, video, photo's and administration. Her love for Jesus, serving and the children has been so refreshing! |
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Swaziland is a nation in crisis as they battle a mounting AIDS pandemic that continues to ravage the society. Swaziland is one of the most beautiful countries in Africa but as an escalating victim of the HIV AIDS pandemic UN statistics project the possibility of extinction of the nation by 2050.
The average rural Swazi family is "child led." Imagine your 13 year old daughter responsible to lead the household, find money to pay for school fees, purchase food. As a result transactional sex is currency for food, school fees, clothes, and transport to school, even an orange.
•Population 953,524
•AIDS Prevalence Rate 38.8%
•AIDS Prevalence World Ranking 1
•Living Below Poverty Line 77.8%
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3 UNSHAKABLE TRUTHS
1) God loves you too much to abandon you. God knows me just as I am. He knows me in ways I cannot ever understand. Though HE knows the worst about me, He loves me still. He has given all the light we need to know His will, and all the grace required to do His will.
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When you are committed to God's will, there is nothing that can keep you from it.
2) God is too wise be mistaken. He is today where He has always been -everywhere, yet seated on His throne.
There is no king or ruler that has more authority than God; there is no political figure that has more influence than God; there is no nation that has more control than God. No one can out-think Him or out-smart Him Almighty. He is God.
When you place your life in His hands, He is in charge of your life & all you do.
God is too powerful to fail, more on that next week! |
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It is great to be back in Swaziland. We came here for the first time in 2002. What a blessing to see what God has done here through His faithful people. |
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| God has brought phenomenal growth in these nine short years. Challenge Ministries Swaziland now has a men’s and women’s program, a Life Skills school, and the Hawane farm for orphaned children.They have also serve Bulembu, a 6.2 square town. |
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This town, once abandoned when the mines closed has loving care homes for babies, toddlers, and children as well as Christian schools for pre-schoolers, primary and high school students. They also offer a hospitality training program which is housed in beautifully refurbished conference and catering facility.
But, the most exciting part for me is seeing the young men that we worked with during our early trips to this country. They have grown so much in their walk with the Lord and are now occupying positions of leadership at both the Potter’s Wheel Church and the Challenge Ministries programs. Now, they are sharing the same Word that changed their lives with others. And you know, that’s what it’s all about. We are so proud of them. Musa (left) was one of our first TC choir members in Swaziland. He recently married a lovely young lady named Waheeda, we are so proud! They are sooo happy. |
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Ministry continues well... back from Bulembu to Mbabane, We continue concerns for Lavumesa We are praying for spiritual breakthrough and rain-This is a picture of the Lavumesa River- Pastor Sabella walks the river bed as all all of Teen Challenge are praying for the rain. Will you join with us? At this season, that river should be overflowing its banks. It is dangerous for the children because of the advice of the witch doctors. When the drought is bad, infants often come up missing. Ministry continues well... back from Bulembu to Mbabane, Tomorrow is graduation. |
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Please join these widows and families as we pray for God's touch on the weather. People are starving, some are eating cow dung in order to make it possible to take their ARVs for HIV treatment. They need a miracle ! |
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Swaziland has the highest HIV infection rate in the world. In a nation where the UN projects annihilation of the adult population in the next 10 years, where over 70% live on less than one dollar a day, and 9 out of 10 children will not live to the age of 35 due to HIV and AIDS, Teen Challenge Swaziland is at the cutting edge. Ministering to physical and spiritual needs, they see miracles every day.Thank you for being a part of the miracles as you pray. |
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God is impacting lives and communities as living evidence of Kingdom transformation. Supernaturally, in the face of unemployment and poverty God is raising up one of the largest Teen Challenge ministries in the world. In a nation the size of New Jersey, there are 950,000 people. (When Cathy and I first visited the population was over 1.2 million). In the face of the storm they refuse to give up on their nation. Homes, centers, church plants and outreaches cover the Swazi landscape as evidence of their continuing vision.
(Click for mix of the new Swazi video) |
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The power of God at work in the lives of these Teen Challenge students and children is truly miraculous in the face of the tragedy and death that surrounds them. The hope of the gospel is the key to the future. |
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MIRACLE IN LAVUMISA - SEND THE RAIN LORD
In this season, when that river should be overflowing its banks, it is a dangerous time for the children. The counsel of the witch doctors frequently results in infants coming up missing. You joined us to pray for spiritual breakthrough and rain. Mariah took this picture of the parched bed of the Lavumisa River as Pastor Sabella walks the river bed and calls us to pray for an end of the drought. |
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| Thank you for interceding along with us! As you mixed your faith with Kevin and Helen Ward along with ICBC leaders,God showed himself mighty! The pictures below tell it all as the rains came in 48 hours! What a testimony. May these rains be a prelude to the outpouring of revival for Lavumisa |
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Teen Challenge, through their ICBC (In Community By Community) Program, is sending graduate teams and community nursing to minister with prayer, heath care, feeding and practical evangelism based outreach to impact the most impoverished rural communities of Swaziland. |
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They are seeing tremendous results as they reach to those most in need, The level of poverty, coupled with disease and the instability of the society have placed incredible obstacles in the lives of the Swazi people. Articles in the Observer and Swazi News detail the plight of Rural families who have no food to mix with their ARV's and they are forced to eat cow dung to stay on their meds.
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3 UNSHAKABLE TRUTHS
God loves you too much to abandon you.
God is too wise be mistaken.
God is too powerful to fail!
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Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" Jer 32:27
God is too powerful to fail. Let's tackle truth # 3. Until we step out on the impossible, we have not begun to tap the resources of God. |
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A highlight of this trip was that Cathy and I got to travel with Mariah from Brooklyn to Teen Challenge who was such a blessing and ministered so powerfully with us. Pictured right, she joins us with Kevin Ward, the Executive Director and pioneer of Challenge Ministries Swaziland. |
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There is no challenge that you will face where God cannot sustain you. Don't lose sight that the promise is not the treasure, it is the One who promised! The enemy's primary goal is to somehow convince us the key is human strength. (click to continue) |
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