blairnightingale - Mission: Swaziland.

Hey guys,

I will be heading for the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland in just 5 short days. I know that most people have never even heard of this country, so I really wanted to share some information about the area and the severe need that we will be facing in order to get us all on the same track for this next stretch of my year in Africa.

Swaziland is a small country, about the size of New Jersey. It is actually enclosed within the borders of South Africa and Mozambique. I will be flying to Johannesburg and then we will be driving six hours into Swaziland to our house in Manzini.

Swaziland is goverened by the last ruling absolute monarchy in Africa today.

The current King, King Mswati the III, is in his 22nd year of absolute rule. This once prosporous place has been devastated by greed and refusal to appropriately address economic and social problems within the Kingdom.

With sky high infant mortality rates, systematic rape, at least forty percent unemployment and the highest HIV/Aids numbers in the world: the tiny Kingdom Of Swaziland is in a downward spiral that threatens to wipe it off the map literally by the year 2025!!

Please pray for this Kingdom. For these people. For our team. For the ruling King.

Conviction. Repentance. Compassion. Change. KINGDOM.

For my own wreckless abandonment of this world for God's Kingdom.

This has been a struggle for me to do and I really want to take my eyes and hands completely off off this world in and beyond Swaziland.

Seth Barnes founder of AIM says this about Swazi:

"It's a country of of pain and contradictions,
of death endured in the devastating quiet of a dark shack. It's
horrific what's going on over there. Shame is a terrorist stalking the
nation's girls and young women because of a culture that doesn't talk
about what goes on in secret. It's nightmarish and someone needs to
stand up and shout or at least talk about it."

Guys I've been thinking lately, Christians are to be Kingdom soldiers.
I am to be a kingdom soldier.

God is so very concerned about justice, about the poor, the hopeless, the fatherless and the dying.

He is less concerned about whether or not I go to this church or that church, or whether I sing this song or that one but what am I doing for the Kingdom???

He wants Justice! Mercy! Kingdom!

I must throw off this world, and step into the fight.

For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

Me and the boys listened to a sermon last night entitled "God Dies." This retold for us the gruesome detail of crucifixion, the humility and sacrifice of the living God and His achievement at calvary.

He gave everything for me. He held onto nothing and for this He deserves my everything.

How often I serve leftovers to a Holy selfless God!

"The kingdom of heaven is
like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again,
and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Matthew 13:44

I want to be a soldier in Swaziland. I want to be a soldier until I die but talk is cheap and I'll need His grace and His spirit and all of your prayers.

....if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words

Isaiah 58:13

I Just feel at this point that I need to encourage all my Family at Living Stones Church.

There is such genuinity among you, there is Kingdom around you. You have loved me greatly. Thank you. Push on. Push in.

Engage the lost, broken, poor and the oppressed! God is there and He has promised His power and presence to you! I Feel overwhelmed for you guys right now.

Seek. Listen and go for it!

I will be with all you guys again from Swaziland.

Grace and Peace,

Blair.