Back in Eswatini + An Invitation for You

Mar 30

I’m so grateful to be writing to you from Eswatini again. I had such a meaningful time in the U.S. at my women’s retreat with Refuge Foundation, it was a gift to rest, reset, and be poured into. It also feels really good to be back here at Project Canaan.

If I’m being honest, this transition season has been harder than I expected. They say you should only take on one major life change in a year…and I did three at once; a new job, moving to a new continent, and getting married. I’m learning to give myself grace, to take each day as it comes, and to be present where the Lord has me. I am thankful for a husband who extends so much grace and reminds me to extend some to myself as well.

Lately, the Lord keeps bringing me back to three simple words: “come and see.” As I’ve been praying through that, I sense He’s inviting me to open the door wider, to invite others into what He is doing here. And that’s exactly what we’re trying to do, sharing the stories, the needs, and the beauty of life here at Project Canaan and in Eswatini. I could go on and on about the people I have met and talked to who are interested in linking arms with the ministry we are doing here. In the coming months, we have over 10 people traveling here to come and see firsthand, and we are expectant for the seeds that will be planted and how God will grow them in His perfect timing.

We are so excited because for the first time ever, we are hosting a special Transit Weekend for our Grade 7 and Grade 8 students.

We’ll be taking all 51 students off-site to camp together. Our heart is to create a space just for them as they step into an important and formative season of life. This weekend is all about creating space for connection, discipleship, and fun while giving our oldest students something just for them before we host our larger Camp Canaan for the younger children the following week.

We are also so excited to have an incredible group of people pouring into them:

Six interns from the U.S.
Bryan Throgmorton, who served here for 7 years
Auntie Janice, who has known these children almost their whole lives
Missionaries from Malawi, Kaitlyn and Emmanuel Masina, bringing a fresh voice and perspective

These are people who know and love these kids deeply, and we are expectant for what God will do in their hearts through this weekend.

We would love to invite you to be a part of it. The cost is $55 per student, and we have 51 students attending. Would you consider sponsoring one (or more) of these students for Transit Weekend? This will cover the cost of everyone involved in the weekend, students, staff, interns, etc. Sign up HERE to make a one-time gift for sponsorship for camp! *Just type $55 in the amount box and click “Give”

Your support helps make this experience possible by creating space for these students to grow, be encouraged, and be reminded that they are seen, known, and deeply loved.

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to “come and see,” this is one of those moments. You get to step directly into their story. If you sign up to sponsor a student we will send you a student’s name to be praying for leading up to our weekend together.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Your prayers, encouragement, and generosity through financial support mean more than I can say.

Now if you want to keep reading, I thought I would give you a few more stories from my time here:

I had an amazing time when I came to the US for my annual retreat with Refuge Foundation. I caught some massive fish that I will remember forever. I also got to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday with him and see lots of friends and family!
This past Friday, my husband, Preston came to the school with me for lunch break. He hadn’t seen some of the kids in a while and they were so excited to see him. It brought me so much joy. I think for the first time he realized that he can make a difference just by showing up. He has agreed to spend more time with the kids and even join us on our camp weekend. I have dreamed of doing ministry alongside a spouse and I am grateful that dream is coming to fruition.
I have been helping teach Life Orientation to our Grade 8 students. It has been a new experience for me to step in a classroom setting to teach. Since I have known this group of students for the last 11 years it is so fun to watch them grow into young men and women. We are learning about identity, sexuality, social behaviors, healthy friendship. These students are confident and they are willing to share about themselves in a way that most 14/15 year olds do not know how.
We kicked off a two part series on “The Good News of Easter” yesterday at church and I was brave enough to teach the entire lesson for the first time. We were able to use a tv we purchased to display the song lyrics to the worship songs and all the important things from the lesson along with the scriptures we reviewed.
Heart for Africa will celebrate their 20th anniversary this June and we have so many people coming to visit and stay with us. It is going to be a full month of familiar faces and an opportunity to meet some new friends.
Our Spiritual life team recently kicked off a program for some of the men at Project Canaan, Men of Honor, and we are working on creating a very similar program for some of the women in leadership on Project Canaan. These are men and women who work directly with the children.
I will really be starting to communicate on my socials more often so please follow along here, http://instagram.com/_joyforthejourney_/

There are lots of exciting things on the horizon and I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks!

Prayer Request:

Continued prayers for my transition to this new life here! I thought for sure I would be adjusted by now but my Coach through Advanced Global Coaching reminds me often that it takes about a full 12 months + to get adjusted to life here. I am entering my third month on the field and they say that means I am functioning at about 30% capacity, not sure if that is supposed to be encouraging or not. But I am continuing to lean in and to allow the Holy Spirit to sustain me each and every day.
We are still in need of some monthly partners, we have had some donors drop due to life's circumstances and are in need of $1,000 dollars per month. So that is 10 people at $100 a month or 20 people at $50 per month.
Prayers for the plans and preparations for our busy summer ahead: interns, Transit Weekend, Camp Canaan and the 20th anniversary celebration, etc
Prayers for Preston and I as we continue to find rhythms and routines that start to make this place feel like home.

Thanks for following along on this journey!