Travel Journal: From security lapses to sugared engines welcome VanderWals to Swaziland

January 23rd, 2008

Greetings from Swaziland,

Thanks so much for praying! We definitely feel your prayers and God's peace during this difficult time.

In the last 24 hours, great progress has been made in securing the house and yard where we stay. Yesterday morning, one of our friends, a police commander in Swaziland, came to our home because a disturbance occurred outside the gate.

A 2-hour meeting ended with encouraging resolutions. We now have a guard 24 hours a day, plus extra security precautions. We have been touched by how seriously the Swazis have taken our safety. They have shown great boldness, despite their normally reserved and quiet manners.

Last night, we slept well. The boys are happy to be "home" (their word), and we thank Jesus they feel that way. Thank you to all who have been praying for the boys specifically!

The boys are having a grand time. Amazingly to us, the boys were not frightened by our recent problems. Instead they prayed for "wisdom in dealing with this situation." And today, their close friend Benele is visiting them.

Our Swazi team has responded forcefully to the sabotage of the vehicles. They take this seriously and are being very proactive in putting extra security measures in place.

The engines in both vehicles need to be replaced. One has been located and the second may be as well. Please continue to pray that the repairs will happen quickly. It's costly, of course, so please pray God will supply the extra funds.

Apparently, the sabotage happened during our last trip. We were having trouble with the power in both vehicles and kept trying to locate the problem without success. Looking back, it was miraculous that God allowed us to complete all the clinics.

Traveling to the last clinic, however, we had to unload the big trailer and push it up a hill that normally would have been scaled with minimal difficulty. Before returning this week, the Swazis were trying to address this problem, when they found the sugar in one vehicle. A check of the other vehicle found sugar there, too.

We praise God for His protection and comfort. We are busy with our Swazi team and have many projects to tackle. We plan to use this extra time while the vehicles are repaired to lay a better foundation for future work. We are not discouraged or scared. However, we realize that we need you to stand in the gap for us. Please pray that His peace will prevail as we analyze and adjust to the recent revelations.

Here's an answer to long-standing prayer for rain! Swaziland is the greenest and most beautiful we have ever seen. Recent reports say that the dams and rivers are 90% full for the first time in 8 years! For this we say "thank you, Jesus." Some parts of Swaziland have not received rain, we are told, so we will schedule several clinics in these locations.

Another praise! One week ago, we were informed that the order we made a year ago for 10,000 SiSwati Bibles would not be available until July 2008. While we were on the plane, word was received that not only were the 10,000 New Testaments available, but 8,000 SiSwati full Bibles had been located in South Africa!! This is miraculous! Please pray for wisdom as we decide how many to purchase.

We love you all. Without doubt, we can feel the prayers you have lifted to the Throne of Grace on our behalf.

Love, Harry, Echo, Luke, Jake, Zeb, and Zion - now Mandla

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