A Time for Everything

Our team has been taking time to
reflect and process the past four and a half months of our time here in Swaziland and
to recognize the areas where God has really impressed us. One night, while in St. Lucia, we
all were at the beach for late night worship. After a few songs, we circled up and just began testifying to remarkable
things that Christ did in our lives over the time we spent here. As I was sitting there listening to others, I
began to ask God to reveal to me what he really wanted me to learn/gain from
this trip and this family he has given me. I closed my eyes and the only thing I could see were my teammates and
leaders. No matter how hard I tried to
picture people I had met, starving children, poverty stricken streets, or dying
mothers; all I could see were the girls, guys, and leaders that I have been
living with for the past few months. Then it hit me…this is the community I have been longing for, for so
long. My heart has cried out to God with
the request for people my age that can encourage me in the word and challenge
me to seek more of Christ and the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life. After all the years of empty relationships,
falling away from God, flirting with disaster, and walking aimlessly into the
night, I have been blessed beyond all measure with the people on this
team. I finally have girlfriends who
hold me accountable for my thoughts and words; who encourage me to seek the
Lord in prayer over every decision I have to make; who drop everything to
listen to my problems; who tell me I am beautiful; who don’t gossip or spread
rumors; who genuinely love me despite my faults and failures; who I can call my
sisters. And I have guys who protect me
from the dangers of this world (physical and emotional); who set the example of
what a godly man should act like; who love me when I am at my worst; who can
see past my physical features and deep into my soul; who have set the bar
higher; who make me laugh when I want to cry; who sought out godly fellowship
over anything else; who are remarkable and full of wisdom; who I can call my
brothers. 

Please take a minute to read a little about each member of
my family here in Swaziland,
they mean the world to me:

Loretta: The one and only Asian on our team who never
gets tired of hearing our silly Asian jokes! She has one of the most loving hearts I have ever come across. If you ever need to witness an example of
true servant hood, this girl has it down. Any time anything needed to get accomplished, Loretta is always there to
get it down without grumbling or complaining. She always has a cheerful smile on her face and wholeheartedly receives
joy in her heart when she serves others.

Alene: She is like a younger sister to me. Since the first day we met, we connected with
each other in a very special way. I have
watched her grow from a clueless girl fresh out of high school, into a
knowledgeable woman who fears the Lord. She is continually seeking the Holy Spirit to direct her path and set
her feet straight in the direction that God wants her to go. She never settles for an easy answer, but
continually digs deeper to get as much out of scripture and her teammates as
she can.

Jillian: She is our little bundle of spunk. One of the smallest girls you will ever meet,
but she comes complete with a very large heart. Getting to know Jillian is like getting to know Jesus. She has the purest love for the people and
children that she comes into contact with. She gives all her time and devotion to spending quality time with people
so that they feel a small portion of the love that Jesus Christ has for
them. She brings laughter and excitement
to our family in a very refreshing way. 

Gail: Another girl who has become like a sister to
me. God has really blessed our
relationship this part of the trip. She
is much younger than me, but often I feel myself yearning for the passion that
she has in seeking out the Spirit in her walk with God. If Gail isn’t in her bed journaling, reading,
studying, or praying; than she is in another part of the house doing one or all
of those things. She constantly reminds
me to always turn to prayer and God when I need answers. She is a real example of the dedication it
takes to be completely focused on God at all times throughout each day.

Layne Carson: I have to tell you her whole name because one
day she will be a famous journalist. Layne
has the prettiest smile I have ever seen and her whole face just lights up when
she laughs. I can see the joy and peace
that she has inside of her because her Heavenly Father loves her so much. She challenges me with the standards she sets
for herself in ministry and within her own private, spiritual life. I can’t wait to see how the Lord will change
all those around her because of the way he has personally perfected her. 

Jessica: Jessica came on this trip leaving behind a
very ugly past. She has been through
more in twenty four years, than some people experience in a lifetime. However, we all know God is bigger than
anything in this world and he has shown her that beyond a shadow of a
doubt. Jessica is now a God fearing
woman who knows more and more about his Spirit every single day. She encourages everyone every chance she gets
and she has allowed herself to open up to all of us girls and really show her
true colors. God will use her for
greatness.

Sarah T: This girl is someone I have come to admire
more and more every single day. I didn’t
get the chance to get to know Sarah really well until Swaziland, so I
praise God for putting us on the same team. She has a spirit of determination, meekness, love, compassion, wisdom,
fire, joy, and so much more. Seeing her
in ministry and being allowed to work along side her has inspired me to labor
harder serving others and God. She also
hopes to one day be a competitor in the Women’s Iron Man competition, and I
know that she, if anyone, will complete it with great victory. 

Mary: Wow, I don’t even know where to start with
Mary. We have been so close since
September, first being roommates in Jeffrey’s Bay and then moving to Swaziland
together and being roommates yet again. Mary has shown me what it truly means to be a prayer warrior. The confidence she has through Christ blows
my mind each and every day and makes me wonder how I can have the peace that
she does about it. If there is ever a
need, Mary is always the first to volunteer to pray and the Holy Spirit always
gives her the right words at the right time. I have learned so much about chasing the heart of God from her and I
know that she will teach many young women the same important lessons with the
help of the Father. 

Sarah K: Sarah was voted the most loveable member of
our team and I couldn’t imagine giving her a better compliment. She gives hope to purity and innocence,
something I thought was hopeless in the world we live in today. Being a fellow volleyball and basketball
player, Kepp and I made a great pair for bunkmates. Sarah really understands the meaning of
Christ’s command to love one another. Never once did I hear a harsh or ugly word leave her mouth. She has always shown each of her teammates
love and kindness, the way Christ commands us to. I pray that God gives me the same heart to
love people with the same passion and commitment that she did the whole
year. 

Davie: Well every family has to have a “class clown” and sure enough, Davie was ours. If we ever needed to laugh or plan something
outrageous last minute, he was our man. But that is not the thing that sticks with me the most about Davie. When we first started our journey together, he
lacked discipline in several areas. However, God has been so faithful and turned his world upside down; he
took Davie and
molded him into a MAN seeking after the heart of his Father. I have not met a guy so selfless, caring,
genuine, loving, joyful, compassionate, wise, witty, humble, entertaining, and
the list could go on and on. I now look
to him for advice and encouragement through Christ. People back home will not recognize him!

Blair: Since the first day at training camp, Mr.
Nightingale has challenged me with questions, scripture, lifestyle, words, and
love. I have never seen a man so
determined to meditate on his Father every minute of the day. Whenever I see Blair, he is either reading
his Bible, reading systematic theology, reading a book about the Bible,
listening to a sermon, or memorizing scripture. Man, I have never been so convicted by someone else’s actions in all my
life. When I look at Blair I want what
he has, I want the passion and drive that motivates him to choose Christ over
everything else. I know God will use his
unique character and dedication to influence many others toward seeking the
kingdom of heaven.

Ryan: Peace and
Love! These are the words that describe
Ryan and his thoughts on life. He was
once a boy who would sit around and smoke, but now Christ turned him into a man
who speaks truth boldly into the lives of others. He has the special and rare gift to always
see the good in others. No matter how
people treat him, he always responds in love and with words of affirmation. The compassion he showed for the people of Swaziland
really touched my heart dearly; and getting to cook with him every Monday
night, God allowed me some sweet insight into this wonderful creation he
made. Peace and Love!

Tyler: What can I say about Tyler? He is like a little brother to me. Tyler
is another one of our guys who God worked in tremendously and really showed him
the value of pursuing His heart. Tyler has a passion for
young boys and he really desires to show them the beauty of having Jesus Christ
in your life. He has worked hard over
the eight months of this mission trip and I know that he will be rewarded
greatly for his labor in Africa. God showed Tyler a whole new kind of love…

Melissa: She joined us this semester all the way from Florida. Melissa did not know any of us and she came
determined to lead our team closer to Christ no matter what the sacrifice would
cost her. This girl understands what it
means to live with the joy of Jesus Christ in her every single day. I have never seen anyone take such delight in
our Savior and you can just tell that she feels privileged to be in his
presence every moment of the day. I hope
that when I get home to America,
I can learn to live each day with the desperateness of sharing the gospel. Melissa is one leader I will never forget…she
made a huge impact on my life!

Caroline: She is our leader from the south and she will
never let us forget it. Caroline has the
most precious laugh and most wonderful voice. God has blessed her immensely with the ability to counsel and speak
truth over others. I am touched every
time she opens her mouth to pray. She
always volunteers to pray for the team and individuals when needed. I can see that she has surrendered it all to
God and knows that God is enough for her in her life. I just pray that I can have that peace soon
so that I can receive the wonderful blessings and gifts God has in store for
me.

Isabel: I would say that Isabel is Queen of the
Giggles. She is laughing every moment I see
her and her joy just fills up our house and brings smiles to everyone’s
face! Over this past semester, she has
put up with some of the hardest jobs ever and she has never once complained. Isabel was sick for a lot of the time, but
never once did she let that slow her down. She seeks after individuals on the team each day to spend time with and
invest her wisdom and knowledge in. If
nothing else, Isabel taught me what it means to serve relentlessly when God
calls you to do, even when you doubt his purpose for you. Her obedience has finally paid off and she
gets to come back to Swaziland
in January to be on AIM Staff full time! Please put and keep her in your prayers…

Matt: He is our fearless male leader who never left
us with a dull moment. Matt was a
phenomenal teacher during discipleship times and his wisdom spoke to me each
and every day. He always looked at life
through a different window; which helped many of us reevaluate our spiritual
lives and make the necessary changes God was calling us into. Matt’s charisma, humor, creativity, talent,
spontaneity, and randomness kept our team together finding new ways to
entertain ourselves while being stuck in a big house with not many options, in
a country where it isn’t safe to be out after 6 pm. It was such a blessing having a male leader
and influence on the team this semester!

And there you have it…I couldn’t
imagine these past few months without any of these individuals, without my
family. God has filled my heart up with
so much love for each and every one of these people that I think it might burst. I hope that you can see glimpses of Christ in
all of them just this once because I am lucky enough to see it everyday, and
what a sight it is!

As I leave this part of my life and move into something I
have yet to know, I only feel that this passage from Ecclesiastes is highly
appropriate:

There is a Time for Everything

“There is a time for
everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and
a time to die,

a time to plant and a
time to uproot,

a time to kill and a
time to heal,

a time to tear down
and a time to build,

a time to weep and a
time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a
time to dance,

a time to scatter
stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and
a time to refrain,

a time to search and
a time to give up,

a time to keep and a
time to throw away,

a time to tear and a
time to mend,

a time to be silent
and a time to speak,

a time to love and a
time to hate,

a time for war and a
time for peace.

What does the worker
gain from his toil? I have seen the
burden God has laid on men. He has made
everything beautiful in its time. He has
also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has
done from beginning to end. I know that
there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they
live. That everyone may eat and drink,
and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure
forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Thank you all for your support
and prayers over the past nine months. God really used each and every one of you to display his power in my
life and in those lives around me! I can’t wait to see you all very soon!!