McKinleys in the Kingdom of Eswatini

I don’t know where Kevin has gone, but he’s probably migrated North for the winter. I haven’t seen or heard him in quite some time. The drop in temperature brings a shift to the night chorus. The quick summer jubilance of crickets, cutters and family of sporting harmonies has calmed. Hibernating or deceased, the remaining evening string section is slower and softer, shivering in the Alameda-like temperatures. The weather and the sounds are more familiar to me now. Not because my senses have memorized the inputs, but because the winter here is much like the summer back home. Sweaters and jackets are required until lunch time, when you better have worn layers because the sun has warmed the earth and the temperature jumps back up to shorts and t-shirt weather. As the cold quiets birds and bees, the noise of the trucks, taxis, and long busses can be heard more easily from my window. Sometimes I imagine that I hear the BART off in the distance or a fog horn, but I’m sure that’s just an audio mirage as the shoreline is more than three hours away, and trains are only for coal in this region. Goodbye summer heat, hello winter.

Last Friday our family returned from a week in The Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland)where we visited four of the communities that Hands at Work serves. The kids had the week off of school and Eric and I were invited to come and support the team of three incredible superheroes who run the service center there. As a review, for every group or region of communities that Hands establishes, there is a supporting office with staff comprised of two to five local persons. Their roles are essential to making sure the Care Points maintain constant food stability as they are the ones who purchase and deliver food on a monthly and weekly basis, plan the programs for the communities, and train, disciple, and encourage the individuals who are serving and caring for the children. They also are responsible for collecting stories, planning how much food is needed for each community, and conveying essential information of accountability to the international churches and partners that support them. How were Eric and I able to support them? This week it was prayer, cutting grass (very important safety measure for the kids in keeping the snakes away from their play space), sharing Bible stories of encouragement, driving the Service Team around (as they usually have to pay for a taxi since they don’t have their own cars), and fixing several hazardous play structures. We sang with them, prayed with them, listened to their stories, and shared the hope that we can cling to in Jesus. Our kids played with the kids in community, whined about being hungry even though they had access to ample food, and they even figured out how to get creative when screens are hundreds of miles away.

Extras:

• Eric and Ashley celebrated 18 years of marriage on the 15th

• Zac has his first wiggly tooth and has learned from the other kids at school that in South Africa there is a Tooth Mouse instead of a Tooth Fairy. Beth has made it clear that either are fake and Mom is the one who stuffs money under pillows. Kid better be happy with Rand instead of a dollars for this first tooth- ha!

• Beth had her first netball tournament of two games (it was brutal- her team was obliterated). We were so proud that she made the one and only complete pass for her team in the 13 minute game.

• Tali had a choir performance at school where they sang a South African Song called Shosholoza. Can you spot Tali? Can you see her and her peers mining with imaginary spades? Read about South Africa's second national anthem here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shosholoza