The Walk with the Word

It was the day before the big Litsemba Day event at the Somholo Stadium in Swaziland. So much work had gone into planning the details of the day – with the continual focus remaining --- “how can we bring HOPE to the children of Swaziland?” HOPE is found in one place --- in Jesus --- so every aspect of the day’s events needed to shine the light of truth on the one solid fact – Jesus is our only hope.

July 23 was the big day. Bible Camps held at 30 different churches had lavished the children with these three facts --- “Jesus loves them” – “Jesus chose them” – and “Jesus is their HOPE”. The shear volume of children attending the camps was more than overwhelming. And while our wonderful volunteers were taxed to their limits with trying to manage 200 – 400 children at each church, when 40 – 100 had been expected ----- they were also humbled with the realization that ---- “the fields are ripe unto harvest”. We saw that with our own eyes. The magnitude of the number of children wanting, seeking, hurting, hoping ---- was paralleled with the greatness of our God. I kept feeling Him whisper in my heart – “I know each one of them intimately – and I love them deeply – tell them.”

So on July 22 (the day before the big event), the teams had left for their final day of serving and loving the little ones and the stadium was abuzz with activity and work as preparations were well underway for the day long message of HOPE on July 23rd.

The potential for God felt like a tsunami wave on the horizon ---- and the spiritual opposition felt just as big. So I began the day asking God where I needed to be and what I needed to do – to further HIS plans and battle effectively against the plans of the enemy (for they were thick in the air – the enemy was not pleased).

God opened the door for me to do something I’ve never done before.

I was blessed with a reprieve from all responsibilities --- and instead given the entire day to pray at the stadium. Now – 10 years ago, if someone had told me I needed to pray all day long – I would not have known where to begin and I certainly would not have known what to say beyond the Lord’s Prayer and “God is great…”.
But oh how God has grown and changed this daughter. (Oh how she needed to be grown and changed – still does.) ☺

So I went to the stadium with my backpack equipped with my Bible, my Ipod, a bottle of water, my Swazi cell, and a granola bar ---- ready for the day of walking and talking with God. And I was truly ecstatic. In a whole lifetime – you don’t have many days like this one was sure to be.
I’ve endured enough spiritual warfare and made enough bad choices in my life --- that I truly, truly, truly LOVE sitting, walking, talking with God – and most of all listening for HIM. I also felt the electrical currents of spiritual opposition in the air – and knew we had to enter into battle and we had to have MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE or disaster was looming.
So as I arrived at the stadium while the dew was still thick on the ground – I could literally feel the struggle taking place in the unseen realm --- and I felt humbled and awed to imagine the powerful angels encircling me. I went to the center of the field and watched as the stage was being assembled, the equipment was being bolted and secured, the lighting and sound affixed into place and the cables, chains, cords, and ropes fastened and tightened. There were problems – but God had people in place that day who would not back away from the problems. I saw God in their tenacity and skill.
As I sat in the middle of the field and observed – I asked God what I could possibly do to enter into the arena and make a difference for the children. And He was very clear in His response to me. In Ephesians 6 we read about putting on the full armor of God --- and one of the pieces of equipment we need is the “sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word”. There had never been a Christian event of this magnitude at this stadium – and oddly enough – children had NEVER been welcome to events held at the stadium. The stadium is positioned geographically between two landmarks – on one side of the stadium is a beautiful but dark mountain range where the bodies of past kings have been entombed after their death. The mountains are guarded as the dead bodies are protected. (Note – the kings who died were entombed with their bodyguards – who were alive when entombed with the dead king. A gruesome way to continue “protecting” the king.) Much witchcraft takes place in the mountains as witchdoctors illegally seek to sneak past the guards and use body parts from the decayed kings in making the “mutu” for concoctions and potions – it’s all truly evil.
Then on the other side of the stadium is a high mountain with one steep cliff side --- which up until about 100 years ago was used as “execution rock”. This was the place where criminals would be sentenced to death by the king. They would be required to hike up the side of the mountain and jump to their death off the cliff side.
And our day of HOPE for the children was to be held in between these two ominously evil places.
So God said --- “Donna – pull our your sword – MY WORD – and speak MY WORDS all over this stadium.” I was to go on the offensive – not using the sword to protect – but using the sword to push back the evil that had become so comfortable in this place. So I prayed long and hard – and leaned into the prayers I knew were being said for me here at home (everyone should be allowed to feel the deep comfort of prayer warriors likes my husband, sister, close friends, and family). I knew my complete inability to step onto this field ---- but I praised God because I KNOW HIM TO BE THE VICTOR --- and I wanted to see His victory in this place. I prayed and stood up – opened my Bible and asked God what words He wanted the blade’s edge laced with. He guided me to the Psalms – King David was a warrior with a heart for God --- His words would be used in this battle. So I began reading Psalm 1 and walked in a tight spiral slowly making my way outwards from the center of the stadium. At the end of each chapter I would pray words from the chapter that seemed as if they had been written for this place, this time, these moments. It was amazing, humbling, powerful, and serious.
People were all around me – working diligently to do their part – and yet it felt as if I was completely alone with God between the mountain range and execution rock. And it was the best place to be on earth – no fear – yet intense evil pushing back against the Words being spoken out loud. I could almost see the pressing in of the enemy – but I could also feel the pressing back of God --- and I was honored to see GOD’S great strength --- He is so much more powerful than the enemy. There is power in the Blood of Christ. May we as His children not waste one drop of His powerful Blood. As a little girl, I remember singing the song in our little Baptist Church “There is power, power, wonderworking power – in the blood – of the Lamb”. And I remember at a very young age wondering where the power was – I couldn’t see it or feel it. But as I have walked with God – I have come to know it. And on July 22 wedged between two mountains used for evil – God showed Himself powerful and claimed the ground as holy ground to be used for HIS great purposes. I was in awe ---- as I kept walking, reading, and praying.
7 hours later the stadium had been covered with a blanket of God’s Word and over 70 Psalms had been read to securely tuck in the covers over this now claimed Holy Ground.
Never have I ever been so honored to spend an entire day reading (out loud) God’s Word, praying with purpose given by our Father, and feeling the victory from God in the marrow of my bones. I walked and prayed over the very ground where for years and years young maidens who were deemed pure and beautiful would dance bare breasted before the king to vie for the “opportunity” to become his next wife. I felt God’s grief over the lust and perversion and then felt His joy at claiming the ground as His own. And all along – I continually remembered that this was just me – little me – nothing special or different or powerful about me --- but that God was allowing me to simply be present as HE did what only HE could do. He won.
Throughout the day – God kept bringing the picture image to my mind of Elijah the prophet in 1 Kings 18 --- as he battled with the prophets of Baal. I felt God showing me the picture of the altar prepared and the water being poured over it --- knowing even the dousing of the altar would not prevent God’s fire from consuming the offering. I wondered why this kept coming to mind as I read in the Psalms --- but could not deny that this story of God’s faithfulness and power was being constantly whispered to my heart.

Exhausted and drained, I left the stadium to return to the hotel and work with the tired and exhausted teams coming in from serving the thousands of children they had loved on and cared for during the day.

Next morning – July 23rd, up early to leave at 5:00AM with prayer warriors - we drove to the stadium to once again pray over the grounds. It is a beautiful thing to stand in a circle with those who trust, love, and praise God – no matter how things may appear.
As we began praying a loud as God guided, the event coordinator, Masi Willis, quietly came and whispered in my ear – “please have the group pray over the sound system – the dew has seeped through the covering over the sound board – and the equipment got soaked – nothing with work – we need prayer”. And so I shared with the group and we prayed to the ONE who could fix it. As we then broke off to walk individually and pray --- I stopped in my tracks and was overcome with emotion --- as I realized ---- just as in Elijah’s day --- God had allowed the sound system to be doused with water --- and HE would NOT allow the water to hinder His consuming fire to receive the offering. I knew HE WAS SHOWING HIMSELF to us. And so I praised Him for what I KNEW he was about to do. Two hours later the sound system came to life ---- and worked beautifully for the entire day. God’s message was heard loud and clear --- and His praises were lifted loudly over the mountains surrounding the stadium.

How is it that a God of such great power and authority would be willing to pause in His perfect holiness and allow us to experience and see Him? What makes Him care for us so deeply? Why does He even notice our tiny world or give ear to our situation?
He is a good, good God. He is the only safe, right, pure, secure place to rest our head. In our weakness HE IS STRONG.
Makes me welcome my weak knees…

God's presence in a young man named Peter - vivid and beautiful...

Peter is a young man of 25 who has lived in the rural areas of Swaziland all his life. Orphaned at the age of 5 when his mother died and never really knowing who his father was, Peter knew despair at a tender, early age.
Taken in by a kind lady who use to employ his mother, Peter was saved from a life of living under the bushes and begging for food. For this he is most grateful and speaks with much love and kindness towards the dear lady who raised him. But she was very poor herself, and so while he was kept safe, there were many needs left unmet.

When I met Peter for the first time in March of this year, he graciously agreed to hop in our car and help us find the many rural churches we were visiting to assess whether they were a “fit” for our upcoming Bible Camps. Peter had lived in this remote area all his life and everyone knew him well – so he was the perfect guide sent by God (we had not chosen him – God had sent him to us). Just love seeing God like that. ☺
During our day of riding and meeting church pastors, I had repeatedly offered Peter bits of food as I nibbled here and there on banana, granola bars, etc. He would politely decline unless it was a soft fruit. At the end of the day I knew he had not eaten nearly enough – and I did not want to leave him hungry so I pressed to leave him food as we were dropping him near where he lived. When he looked at the food and declined, I pressed. He finally explained that he had a very painful jaw tooth that would only allow him to each ripe bananas and very soft foods. I asked if he would allow me to see the tooth – he agreed – I could see the black center and grey fingers spreading from the black center of his back left jaw tooth. I asked him if he had ever seen a dentist and he shyly shook his head “no”. I asked if he would be willing to go to the dentist so his tooth could be cared for and with a spark of fear in his eye he said he would be willing.

Just weeks before I had traveled to Swaziland, a dear lady from a ladies group at a church near our home had slipped $40 in my hand and said, please use this when you have a need in Africa. She had graciously meant that I should use the money for myself when I had a need. But as I stood there with Peter, in a matter of moments, I praised God that He had met every one of my needs and that He had even provided money in my pocket to hopefully meet this young man’s need. The money was literally in my skirt pocket as I had prayed over it and carried it with me throughout the trip eager to see where it was suppose to go. I quickly asked the kind man driving me (a gentleman from New York who has sold all he owns and moved to Swaziland to serve) if he would be willing to arrange a dentist appointment, drive the 2 hours to collect Peter and be his “dad” for the whole affair of caring for the tooth. Mark Hackett is a wonderful many who loves God and looks for opportunities to serve Him . He was already saying “yes” before I could finish my request.

I left Peter that day with a plan and a prayer ---- and we were all blessed to have been able to see God’s love flow to Peter.

Two weeks later, after I was back home in Georgia, I received an email from Mark that Peter’s visit to the dentist was done. The jaw tooth was indeed infected and the wisdom tooth underneath it was infected as well. More extensive work would need to be done. This was much more serious than we had realized. Appointments were made to visit an oral surgeon. I prayed and asked God for provision. Days later the surgery was complete and all was well for Peter. This infected jaw could have easily developed into a fatal situation--- God chose that Peter would be saved --- we could see this clearly through His detailed choreography of events. Praise God!

So when Mark shared with me the remaining funds needed to pay for the oral surgery, I prayed and committed to finding a way to pay for them. Peter felt loved and cared for --- and I knew God had already laid out His plans.

The WMU at Coal Mountain Baptist Church, where the dear lady who had given me the initial $40 attends as well, had invited me to share with their group about the work in Africa I had seen God doing. After our evening together, they lovingly placed a very generous donation in my hands and asked that I use it to further God’s work. I was blessed beyond words.
I had been diligent and prayerful to allot the funds as God would have them to be used. And get this --- I had just enough funds remaining to fully cover Peter’s oral surgery bill. So I prayed to confirm this was God’s plan --- and felt that good peace wash over me. So the funds were sent. Peter felt the goodness of the Lord through these ladies hands.
And I saw His goodness as well.

The brief time I spent with Peter also touched another Swazi lady who was in the car with us the day he assisted us in finding the rural churches. Paula was touched by his meek demeanor and by God’s very clear desire to meet Peter’s needs through the gift I carried in my skirt pocket. His story was/is very touching.

So during the days between then and now, Paula has been at work in her church in in Mbabane. She has completed all the needed paperwork and contacted Peter to see if he would like to join YWAM and serve God in other countries!!!!! YWAM – Youth With A Mission – is a solid, Godly organization that equips young people with a heart for God to serve others and evangelize the gospel of Christ.
Peter, a young man orphaned at an early age, who has lived in rural Swaziland all his life ---- and who has loved God deeply and openly calling God his one and only Father --- now has an amazing opportunity and future ahead of him ----- all because he was willing to guide us to churches and he caught our focused attention because of a terrible tooth ache that needed attention. Isn’t GOD BEAUTIFUL! YES!!!!!

So as I have been here this trip – the plans have been put in order by Paula for Peter’s application into YWAM and he has been accepted. He will move to their training center here in central Swaziland and live here for several months ---- and is then scheduled to live and serve in Egypt. EGYPT! The place he has read about in his Bible, the place that is in great need of GOD, and a place far, far away from the rural hills of Swaziland. Peter had shared with me on the first day we met, that he longed to become more educated, he wanted to share the gospel with others, and he wanted to become a writer someday.
Are you praising God with me??!!!

Paula had arranged for Peter to receive a scholarship of about $900 USD --- and she has committed to trying to raise some of the still needed $900. I told her I would love to share this beautiful story and see if God also touched any of you to contribute to Peter’s YWAM costs. I’ll need to ask her how we can get the funds to YWAM for Peter ---- so there are a few details to iron out still in that regard.
But ----- I am so thrilled to see God’s goodness to Peter.
Just as my trip to rural Swaziland led me to meet a young man named Peter who was in need ---- and God provided for his needs; I am completely certain Peter’s trip to Egypt (and all the other places God will take him in the future) will bring him before people in need, and God will provide for those situations as well.

God is sovereign, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is the holder of the plans. He is most worthy of all our praise. We stand in awe of HIM.