Wow! Swaziland trip report – crocs & crocs

After enduring limited internet connectivity for the last ten days, I’m back on line at the Joburg airport while we wait to catch our plane. It’s been a wonderful trip. Karen debriefed our World Racers at a retreat center on the banks of the Crocodile River and then helped lead a…

By Seth Barnes

03 February 2009, 12:02 am

By Seth Barnes

03 February 2009, 12:02 am

After enduring limited internet connectivity for the last ten days, I’m back on line at the Joburg airport while we wait to catch our plane.

It’s been a wonderful trip. Karen debriefed our World Racers at a retreat center on the banks of the Crocodile River and then helped lead a vision trip in Nsoko, Swaziland.

Staying at the Nisela Safari Camp just a few miles down the road from our center, we ate our dinners just a few yards away from the crocodile pond (with a huge croc in it). Giraffes and zebras grazed nearby and Racers had to occasionally shoo ostriches away from their tents.

I took a number of videos and will be sharing them with you over the next week. Every day we took care of widows and orphans in some way or another. Here are four highlights from the trip:

Seeing how well our Racers are doing. We left them dancing and singing at our closing South African bar-b-q (called a “brai”).
Our Nsoko base looks tremendous – so much work has been done on it. The orphans looked so much healthier!
Getting to spend time with a number of my blog readers on the vision trip was a thrill. Gabe, Kevin, and Shawn had all participated in our discipleship experiment last year.
Yesterday’s shoe distribution, though chaotic, was amazing. We washed the feet of hundreds and hundreds of children and some Gogos (estimates were upwards of 700), then we prayed your prayers over them (119 of you posted them on this blog – we laminated the prayers, prayed them individually, then gave them to the children), and then we sized their feet and gave them new shoes. You should have seen their expressions when they’d get brand new Crocs or Nike sneakers! Here’s a video:

Comments (7)

Wayne

February 3, 2009 at 9:28 am

Seth…What a tremendous blessing you live as you and your wife walk in the Lord. I love the connection made between those who wrote prayers, those who received the prayers and how they were faithfully prayed over children having their feet washed and provided with new shoes. The power of that cycle of involvement and sharing it on video is powerful for everyone involved. I am curious if you have a way to email an update with the video to everyone who submitted a prayer, as some are new to your blog and may miss the update.
This prayer is for you.
Romans 10:15
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Tami

February 3, 2009 at 10:02 am

Job well done! Have a safe trip home and I pray that the Lord again gives you a whole row of seat!
Elysa MacLellan

February 3, 2009 at 10:08 am

The video had me crying as soon as I heard the prayer about dreams said over the Swazi girl and then I was laughing at the shoe hawker…I’m guessing that was your beloved Karen?

Laughing thru the tears…I guess that’s part of being in His Kingdom.
heather

February 3, 2009 at 12:04 pm

karen is hilarious!! can’t wait to see you guys in a few days and hear more about it :o)
beth

February 3, 2009 at 12:40 pm

Can’t wait to see more videos….for selfish reasons, I must admit. I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of my daughter, Marissa, who is there as a racer. Although understandable, it has been hard to have so little contact w/ her since they arrived in Africa. I’m praying for all of themthe racers and the africans! Such beautiful people.
pat rowland

February 4, 2009 at 4:34 am

this video blessed me!
i got to see kt =)
thank you!
and thank you again for allowing the Lord to work thru you so well =)
pat
vince giordano

February 4, 2009 at 6:32 am

cool stuff seth.