I’m now in my 6th month of Global Leadership Academy here in Swaziland, Africa as I prepare for ministry full-time in Zimbabwe. God definitely put this internship along my path in order to do a deep work within me so I can be as prepared as possible for the journey ahead of me. I’m absolutely certain of this. I’ve had the time and solitude needed to examine areas in my walk with the Lord that need to be strengthened. What God has been showing me most of all is his great desire to be loved above all else. To put it simply, God just wants my love over everything else in this world. And He wants my love by showing complete surrender, absolute trust, faith, and obedience. And to be planted firm in these things God has to make us walk through them. It’s the only way He can truly teach us. And that’s what He’s been doing for me. And as painful as it may be sometimes, I’m so eternally grateful to Him because I know I’m being strengthened for what lies ahead. This internship is a blessing; I see God’s hand all over it.
My room in my rondavel at GLA campus has one of the best views. It looks out to surrounding mountains, a beautiful lake, and cattle grazing. One night I couldn’t quite get to sleep because there was a cow that just kept mooing. It just wouldn’t stop. I asked my roommate Goodness if she heard it and why it was being so loud. She laughed and said that the mother cow was mooing because she had lost her calf and was trying desperately to find it. I know absolutely nothing about livestock but living in Africa has me learning all kinds of new things. When the mother cow would moo then you could hear faintly in the distance the calf mooing back. The calf and mother cow did this all night and into the morning. The mother cow was in such distress because she couldn’t locate where the calf was. Later in the morning the mooing stopped and I believe she found her calf. Why I’m telling you all of this is because it got me thinking about God’s love for us. Just like the mother cow, God won’t stop calling us until we are all found. He doesn’t want any of us lost. I was brought to tears as these cows searched for each other. My roommate probably thought I was crazy crying over these cows but I was learning a much deeper lesson in all of it.
The past few months I’ve had the great opportunity to tutor with a 10 year old boy named Bongiswa at the I Am Not Forgotten Home next to GLA. Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon a group of us interns go over to help some of the kids with their homework. I’m not quite sure how it happened but a few weeks into it Bongiswa asked me to help him. So we’ve been practicing spelling in English, writing skills, and math. It’s a good thing I’m helping a 10 year old because math was never my best, lol! Several weeks after tutoring Bongiswa I got interested in what his story was. Why was he at the I Am Not Forgotten Home? So I started asking him questions. Bongiswa is very quiet and sweet. But he talks when you ask him things. I asked him how many brothers and sisters he has and he told me 11! I was shocked! He started laughing. That’s a lot of siblings. He said he has 6 brothers and 5 sisters. I then asked him if he had parents and he said that he has a father. I didn’t ask him more about his family because I didn't want to bring up any hurt feelings. But I did speak with Thombie, the house mom, and she said that Bongiswa's dad had 12 children from 12 different women and that Bongiswa's mother passed away and then his father didn't want to take care of him anymore. It always breaks my heart to hear this but I know that Bongiswa has a loving home now with Thombie and the other kids. Some things I learned about Bongiswa: he is super smart, his favorite thing to do is read, he likes playing soccer, and his favorite colors are yellow, green, and white. I know this boy has such a bright future ahead of him. He's very well-mannered and smart. He's been a joy to be around.
I want to also share with you how your support money has been helping while I'm in Swaziland. You are such a blessing to many people both in Swaziland and Zimbabwe!
- With your financial help you are providing me with the preparation I need for full-time ministry in Zimbabwe. Global Leadership Academy is just the place for this.
-We have been able to help some of the young girls at Healing Place Church in Mbabane go to youth camp this summer.
-We have been able to bless the interns considerably by getting them a birthday gift when it's their birthday. This may not seem like a big deal but it definitely is. Most of the interns have never recieved a birthday present in their whole life. It's been a joy seeing them so happy and excited on their special day.
-We have been able to buy some clothing and special gifts for Sibonelo and Bongiswa.
-We have been able to pay school fees for the boy I met in Zimbabwe in December named Talent.
I want to thank you for your continued prayer and financial support. I couldn't do it without you and I'm very thankful!
Until my next post :)
Be Blessed!
Shannon
To Donate Online:
http://www.worldoutreach.org/ Click Donate and Select my Name, USA and International Cards Accepted
Or Mail Checks to:
World Outreach Ministries, P.O. Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 (Designate for Routzahn, Fund Code #91)
