Global Ministries

25th March 2020

Dear Leaders, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

All over the world, people battle serious illnesses, terminal diseases, and life-altering circumstances.  Some have a wonderful support system of family and friends, whereas others have less support or seem to walk their journey alone. In Eswatini, the Prayer Shawl Ministry reminds those men and women that there is a group of women who journey with them through prayer regardless of their support structure.

The leadership of the three church bodies in the Kingdom of eSwatini - the Eswatini Conference of Churches, League of African Churches and the Council of Swaziland Churches - are concerned about the implications of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the lives of emaSwati. Following the statement issued on the 17th of March 2020 by the Right Hon. Prime Minister of eSwatini on measures taken by the government, the church bodies note;

Lectionary Selection: Matthew 24:36-44

Prayers for eSwatini:  

Gracious and loving God,

You are Lord! You are the Lord our God in heaven above and on earth below. We honor you, for you are the God of our Praise!

Thank you for your Word that is spirit and life to us. Let it saturate our hearts, minds, and spirits so that we may hold fast to your promises as we journey through the joys and uncertainties of life. Daily, we are reminded that our lives here on earth, and the things of this world, are fleeting. Guide us continuously. Let us seek to be alert and watchful, and set our hopes on those things eternal through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Ignite our hearts and open our eyes of understanding to know that it is imperative that we remain in the position of readiness at all times because the Son of Man will come at an hour when we will not expect him.  

Please pray for:

• Eswatini to continue to be a peaceful nation.
• The economy of Eswatini to improve and those in leadership to prioritize funds to attend to the needs of the people, so that the economic burden on families, communities, and church bodies will be lifted.
• Council of Swaziland Churches (CSC) obtains the resources to grow in influence and expand its reach in ministry and programs to meet the needs and expectations of the people.
• Victims of forced evictions and that this injustice will cease to exist.
• Elimination of violence against women and girls.

In Jesus name, we pray,

Amen

We discovered resources within ourselves.  We learned how to navigate the streets of Manzini, where the best restaurants were, where to get the best produce.  Wren and I explored the marketplace from top to bottom, finding all the wonderful gems there, learning to speak siSwati from orange vendors.  After church one day Milo and I stopped by the local mosque and were invited to come back, which we did.  Our front porch became the neighborhood kid hangout and there would be calls for Milo, Wren and Zeph from the parking lot at all hours of the day.  We learned by trial and error and found joy. 

Today is February 20, 2018, my 25^th birthday. I am thinking about how thankful I am for all I learned being a part of Global Ministries and now as I work at my return placement with the Partners in Service program. Last week, I had a Partners in Service retreat where I had a chance to both reflect on my current assignment in Kentucky and my Global Ministries assignment, in Swaziland. During this time of reflection, I understood that I gained more patience and the ability to listen from my Swaziland placement - which ultimately helped me on my return with my current assignment by understanding my place and role in an organization. In the Zion Church, I learned about the importance of prayer and disciplined meditation. Knowing your place and being present are just some of the disciplines I learned in Swaziland.

In the last two months the church has been remodeled in the pulpit area by one of our very own, Babe Gumedze, who is a pastor or “mfundisi” at Kukhany’Okusha. He has put new tiles around the perimeter of the windows as well as around the back wall where the main stage is. I watched him and was his assistant when he needed an extra pair of hands. Babe Gumedze has been doing this since he was twelve years old, more than thirty years. I learned that his favorite book in the Bible is Hebrews because no one knows who wrote it. It is also his favorite book because it is one of the books that talks about the relationship of connecting the Old Testament and the New Testament together. His work made me realize that doing things for God and the church are not always perfect. Babe Gumedze’s work was done by hand, which took patience and time. Babe did this out of love for the church; these are all things that God praises.

I found a new way of looking and perceiving the church’s role in my faith. I also, think it is more of a blessing doing things with your hands rather than machine. There is a humility and humbleness with hands. Babe Gumedze’s handcrafted work is beautiful and a blessing for the church. We all thank you Babe Gumedze for your hard work.

Lectionary Selection: Matthew 5:13-20

Prayers for Swaziland:

Welcome to the new year of 2017! I would like to share a prayer…

We start fresh and anew in 2017 and as the children go back to school I pray for a blessed new year for Swaziland. They say 2017 is a time of action and success. I pray that the Kukhany’Okusha Zion Church and fellow members be the salt of good taste. I pray that God's grace makes Swaziland shine bright. I pray that the youth of Kukhany’Okusha have a good first day back to school. I pray for many passings and high marks/achievements in their first term back.

Amen

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Global Ministries has enjoyed a long relationship with the Council of Swaziland churches.  The fundamental objective of the Council of Swaziland Churches is to coordinate the efforts of member churches and Christian organizations in furthering the unity of God's Church as the body of Christ in eSwatini (Swaziland).  And, the effect goes beyond ecumenism and the unified spiritual and moral development of the Christians who belong to the member churches. In its encouragement of member churches and Christian organizations to undertake joint action in serving the needs of society, the Council brings a practical perspective to its work.  It seeks to build self-reliance within the churches, empowering them through training to enable them to initiate and implement a range of development activities to help relieve and reduce poverty, especially in rural areas.

Carol Ann Cannon Gilley
November 18, 1936 – September 19, 2016