Lucky for me (and possibly some of you) I am still a contributer on the
blog and felt like putting up an update now that we're all home. I'm
guessing that none of my teammates will write another blog because they
became so much of a chore while we were in Swaziland. Regardless, I
wanted to just share a bit about some things I never touched on before
and talk about being back.

The last Saturday that we were there, something happened that I really
feel the need to share. At the Mbabane hospital, there was a 13 month
old girl named Fezeka that I had prayed over and prayed with the
previous week. When we went for our last visit and I saw her, she was
doing worse. It wasn't until I held her though that I knew that she was
truly dying. I really felt as though she may not make it through the
day, and through the tears of her mother and words of the nurse, my
belief seemed to be affirmed. I knew that the only way she would
survive was for God to heal her, so I asked members of my team to pray
over her in addition to my prayers...the more the better. I've
continued to think about Fezeka daily, especially because I don't know
how she is doing, but I am hoping for an update from one of the FYMs
soon. Please lift her and her mother up in prayer.

In general, my heart remains in Swaziland. When I think of little
Andile & Lindo at Mangweneni, Nobuhle & Sipuiso at the
abandoned babies home, or think of Ntenje at Behkelonge, or even
Fisokuhle and his mom at the Manzini hospital, my heart aches to see
them again. I even think about the babies I met at the hospitals and
wonder how they are doing now, especially Nathan and Fezeka. Often I
tell people that I would hop on a plane tomorrow if God told me I
could, but I know that there are some things that God wants to take me
through before I return. Africa is fully in my blood now and I can't
wait for the chance to go back.

On another note, I miss my teammates dearly. I knew I would miss them a
lot, but I didn't think it would be this much. Sometimes I wake up in
the morning, expecting to roll over and see all the other girls
rustling in their beds, and I am disappointed to find myself alone in
my room. I remember how we all craved alone time, but aside from the
time I need with God, I'm getting sick of being alone. Even through my
struggles and how difficult I could be for others to be around, my team
loved me, served me, spoke truth over me, and prayed for me. I will be
eternally grateful for what they did and will miss being surrounded by
that kind of presence. For all of the parents of my teammates that may
read this, I want to tell you something: your child is amazing! God has
been faithful in helping you to raise him or her up to be a man/woman
of God. And, as I'm sure you've noticed by now, the LORD has been
growing and changing your child in amazing ways, I pray that you can
embrace that, though I know that I don't need to tell you how to be a
good parent.

I don't know how to close this post, other than by leaving it open. As
I'm sure is the case with the rest of my team, there is still so much
to process, so many questions left answers, so much heart ache to deal
with. There is no happy, tied together conclusion here because there
isn't one in my life, and I'm okay with that being the case for a while.

Thanks to everyone who lifted our team up in prayer, supported us, and
encouraged us...it has been appreciated more than words could say.

God Bless,

Leah Rose