Numbers
It has been 78 days, 15 hours and 7 minutes since I flew out of Kansas. In 11 days, 10 hours and 45 minutes I will arrive back there. We have 6 days left of ministry, that’s less than 17 hours of ministry total. Our debriefing will last 4 days, and traveling will take up one more full day. I have at least 3 children that I will cry saying goodbye to, and dozens more that I will miss daily. There are also 4 members of our host family that we have to leave and 1 church family for me to say farewell to. I have 2 leaders and 12 teammates that have become like family to me and in only 12 days we will be scattered across the U.S. once again (with 1-3 still in Africa).
While I have been here I have heard of 2 adults joining the family of God, along with an unknown number of children. I know of more healings done by the LORD than I could count, though 0 were instant, right before my eyes. I know of at least 3 people that experienced demonic possession, and 1 who experienced it 3 separate times. I have seen and done VBS with nearly 200 children on a weekly basis, 2 times a week for 75 of them. I have visited 2 hospitals weekly and seen countless sick and dying. I even lost 1 10 month old baby boy to what I believe was AIDS.
I’m sharing all these numbers now because I know people will be curious and ask “How many _____?” when I return home. Truth be told, these numbers don’t really mean much to me. I don’t care how many kids I played with, I care who those children are. I don’t care how many people came to accept Christ as their personal Savior, I care that God was truly at work and glorified while I was here. Whether two people came to the LORD or two hundred, God rejoices either way, and so will I. He has not sent me here for nothing, He has not sent my team here for nothing, so whether we see the fruits of our labor or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we were willing vessels of His will, that He was at work, and that He was glorified…that’s all.
The names below are people that need prayer here in Swaziland. It is by no means complete or comprehensive, for it grows daily, but it’s a start. Please pick some of the names and pray for them as if you intimately know them, not that they are just another name. Thank you!
~Leah Rose
Tuulile Lukuele Fisokuhle Dlamini Nonhlanhla Dlamini Sinethemba Ma’vuso Khomsile Silundza Nelly Mbetse Zama Mbetse Sandile Mbetse
Banele Mbetse Mayibongwe Mbetse Thandiswa Mbetse Dumolwakue Nyanda
Zanele Ngwenya Nathan Noblie Dlamini Nobuhle
Antile Lindo Lindewe Nosipho (adult)
Ben Sandiso Juliet Meisha
Nosipho (baby) Cynthia Musa Pastor Walter
Lelo Noctula Colile Gogo Shongwe
