Lucky for me (and possibly some of you) I am still a contributer on the blog and felt like putting up an update now that we're all home. I'm guessing that none of my teammates will write another blog because they became so much of a chore while we were in Swaziland. Regardless, I wanted to just share a bit about some things I never touched on before and talk about being back.
The last Saturday that we were there, something happened that I really feel the need to share. At the Mbabane hospital, there was a 13 month old girl named Fezeka that I had prayed over and prayed with the previous week. When we went for our last visit and I saw her, she was doing worse. It wasn't until I held her though that I knew that she was truly dying. I really felt as though she may not make it through the day, and through the tears of her mother and words of the nurse, my belief seemed to be affirmed. I knew that the only way she would survive was for God to heal her, so I asked members of my team to pray over her in addition to my prayers...the more the better. I've continued to think about Fezeka daily, especially because I don't know how she is doing, but I am hoping for an update from one of the FYMs soon. Please lift her and her mother up in prayer.

In general, my heart remains in Swaziland. When I think of little Andile & Lindo at Mangweneni, Nobuhle & Sipuiso at the abandoned babies home, or think of Ntenje at Behkelonge, or even Fisokuhle and his mom at the Manzini hospital, my heart aches to see them again. I even think about the babies I met at the hospitals and wonder how they are doing now, especially Nathan and Fezeka. Often I tell people that I would hop on a plane tomorrow if God told me I could, but I know that there are some things that God wants to take me through before I return. Africa is fully in my blood now and I can't wait for the chance to go back.
On another note, I miss my teammates dearly. I knew I would miss them a lot, but I didn't think it would be this much. Sometimes I wake up in the morning, expecting to roll over and see all the other girls rustling in their beds, and I am disappointed to find myself alone in my room. I remember how we all craved alone time, but aside from the time I need with God, I'm getting sick of being alone. Even through my struggles and how difficult I could be for others to be around, my team loved me, served me, spoke truth over me, and prayed for me. I will be eternally grateful for what they did and will miss being surrounded by that kind of presence. For all of the parents of my teammates that may read this, I want to tell you something: your child is amazing! God has been faithful in helping you to raise him or her up to be a man/woman of God. And, as I'm sure you've noticed by now, the LORD has been growing and changing your child in amazing ways, I pray that you can embrace that, though I know that I don't need to tell you how to be a good parent.
I don't know how to close this post, other than by leaving it open. As I'm sure is the case with the rest of my team, there is still so much to process, so many questions left answers, so much heart ache to deal with. There is no happy, tied together conclusion here because there isn't one in my life, and I'm okay with that being the case for a while.
Thanks to everyone who lifted our team up in prayer, supported us, and encouraged us...it has been appreciated more than words could say.
God Bless,
Leah Rose