I'm not gonna lie to you.   I think jet-lag kicked my rear end pretty hard.  I have been waking up at 4:20 - 5:30 am-ish every morning since I got back in the states.  I love saying that, " back in the states."  It makes me feel like an international traveler.  I mean, I was only gone for a week, folks.  Yet, it has been so fun to say, "Yes, I remember being so happy to have free refills when I got back in the states."  Or, saying, "My sleep pattern was so whack when I got back in the states."  And, you need to imagine me saying back in the states in my best Thurston Howell III voice.  Not kidding.

Anyways, today I slept in until  7:15am!  Please know that I enjoyed waking up at chicken-thirty every morning.  It has been great watching the sunrise, and spending time just being quiet.  I reaally do understand my early bird friends love it so much.  I just wish I could wake up in the wee hours and stay up late too. 

I finally decided to get out of my bed.  I snuggled my youngest for a while and watched a few minutes of Beakman's World with my two older kiddos.  I decided to check my facebook while all was quiet.  I had watched this sweet video yesterday that Children's HopeChest posted, and I wanted to watch it again today. 

Riverwood Church documented their visit to Swaziland in this video.  It is absolutely beautiful.  I saw a few familiar faces, and I couldn't stop smiling at the giggles and joy in the images I was watching.  The church led the kids in worship, they were fed and you could see they had clean water and good teaching.  They had tons and tons of fun with these kiddos.  Gah, it just makes me grin just typing it out again.  I can't help it.  I guess I've become a bit more mushy since I got back in the states.

But, here's the deal, folks.  This sweet carepoint is sponsored.  There are others that are not getting this support.  Jennifer Vines and I visited several commuties the week we were in Swaziland.  We observered ones that were near the city and in rural areas.  We hugged on the women that fed hundreds of children daily in their community.  The children would just hold our hands and hold on to us.  We listened to them sing and play.  We saw gardens and outhouses that were built for the children.  It was incredibly encouraging to hearing our missionary friends tell us the stories of these carepoints getting clean water, great teaching, school uniforms and a fence to help keep a safe boundary for the kids. 

Then we visited one that was not sponsored on Friday.  It's named Lesibovu.  We drove up to them singing praises to God loudly in their little mud and stick building where they worhip weekly.  Because of many of you we passed out dresses, socks, underwear and shirts to these little ones to this group of sweet kids. 

This carepoint does not have clean water.  We were shown the creek where they get the water.  I was going to take a photo of it, but folks were bathing in it.  Cows and other animals drink from it, kids play in it, the women wash clothes in it.  They boil it and use it for food.

They need a fence so the community will know the boundary for the carepoint. 

They need uniforms so they can go to school.

More than anything, they need to know that they were created by a great God that loves them and has a purpose for life.  It's kinda the same thing I need.  Yes, these orphans need material things that I have.  But, I'm also as needy of grace and truth as they are.  Pray about sponsoring a child with us! 

......stay tuned.....My next post will be on the little girl that I barely know, and I kinda crazy already love........

I'm going to go read some books with my yahoos.  Yeah, it's so great to be back in the states.