Well it has been almost a year since we moved our family to Swaziland and it is amazing how quickly the time goes by.  It is safe to say that we are fully adjusted to life here in Swaziland.  Madeline and Emma are doing amazingly well and to see them playing with, caring for and loving the children here in Swaziland is a joy to our heart.  Since we are now at the end of our busy season we have an opportunity to recharge our batteries and get everything prepared for the Christmas parties coming up in November. Looking back on this past year we have seen God do amazing things in the ministry we serve.  Just like in the States there are highs and lows with the work we do, it just seems that everything here is magnified for some reason.  We have experienced seeing pure joy on the children's faces when they receive their Christmas presents.  We have dealt with finding out that several of the kids we love dearly have tested positive for HIV.  We have met so many people from all across the States and Canada who share the same passion we have for the people of Swaziland and because of that we have developed life long friendships.  We have mourned with the local community as they buried a precious child whose life ended way too short.  We have seen a young Swazi girl (who we took in for a couple of months) absolutely flourish in her new loving environment with her Swazi caregiver.  

Because of the work of this ministry approximately 5,000 Swazi children are getting fed not only physically but also more importantly, spiritually through weekly discipleship.  This ministry is truly making a difference.  By far the victories have outweighed the attacks of the enemy.  We find comfort in the attacks because it tells us that we must be on the right track, why else would the enemy come after us in this ministry? 

We have an immediate need that we ask you to join us in prayer for.  After reviewing our support account we have discovered that we have a monthly shortfall of approximately $1,900 per month.  This of course is putting a drain on our account and after too long will make it impossible for us to stay and minister here in Swaziland.  If you are able to partner with us please visit our blog site http://theclyburns.myadventures.org/ and click the support me tab on the left side.  We have faith in our Father to provide everything we need in His perfect timing.  We know we are exactly where God wants us to be and we are doing the work He has called us to do.  Thank you for your prayers and we give God all the praise and honor for all that He is doing in our lives and this ministry.

In His Service, 

Mark, Allison, Madeline & Emma Clyburn

If I told you to close your eyes and imagine a 14-year-old boy, I bet we would probably have the same mental picture.....About 5'8" and 130 lbs. (at least), cool haircut (mostly in his eyes), probably braces on his teeth, designer clothes, cell phone, and more than likely an untouchable spirit about him.  I'd like to tell you about a 14-year-old boy that I met last week at the local hospital here in Swaziland. 

His name is Thandella.  When I first laid eyes upon him, I wasn't sure whether he was a boy or a girl.  He was cuddled up underneath several blankets in the hospital bed.  Actually he was in a baby bed.  He probably only weighed 45 pounds, mostly only what his skeleton weighed.  His caretaker was with him and she was only a distant cousin.  He didn't have on designer jeans.  He didn't carry a cell phone.  He actually needed serious dental work, but who can afford that here.  His hair was shaven closely to his head, and his spirit was fading fast.  He wasn't concerned about what his friends were doing, or where he was going to "hang out"....he was just totally humiliated that the nursing staff wouldn't let him out of the bed to go use the restroom.  He wore diapers.  He screamed in pain.  He winced every time he moved his body the slightest bit. 

I began to talk to him as well as his cousin.  She told me that he was HIV positive and suffering from TB.  I could feel his chest rattle every time he breathed.  He was on oxygen and was given several liquid medications for his TB.  I visited him several times and during the weekend.  His cousin was exhausted from having to try to sleep on the concrete floor beneath his baby bed.  She said that he moaned most of the night and could rarely get comfortable.

Sunday afternoon, I felt a strong need to go visit Thandella.  When entering his room, his cousin approached me with a sort of panic in her face.  She said that he had been struggling and she was worried that he might die.  Thandella was in a coma state and having tremendous difficulty breathing.  His cousin was very emotional and concerned for this sweet child.  I crawled in the bed with him and just began to pray.....I prayed for his knowledge of Jesus.  I prayed for peace for his family.  I prayed for comfort.  And I also prayed for God to take him home.

Monday morning Thandella went home.  He died at 5:00 a.m.  His cousin was extremely saddened by this but she was also thankful that he would not have any more pain or suffering any longer.  Thandella touched my heart in a way that I can hardly describe.   We don't know why this child was HIV positive.  We don't know why he was chosen to carry TB.  We don't know why he was selected to be malnourished.  But the one thing we do know is that God knows all of these answers and many, many more.  Everything happens for a reason.  We are not entitled to know the answers to these questions.  We just have to have faith.  Faith in God alone.  Faith that He does all things for His glory.   Faith without limits.   Faith without fear! 

Please join me in praying for Thandella's family as they prepare for his burial.  Pray that they can have faith in God alone.  Pray that their faith is without limits.  Pray for any other "Thandellas" here in Swaziland.  Pray that first and foremost, they know who Jesus is.  Pray for this country....

Monday, March 14^th seemed like a normal day in Swaziland...school with the girls, and then off to take a Bomake to the clinic for some X rays and meds.  As we were waiting in a line that would appear to take hours for us to reach the point of speaking with a human, Amy asked if I wanted to visit the Children's Ward, there at RFM.  Anything to get out of the heat and an ongoing line, I agreed to go to see the children.

(Written four years ago:  taken from my journal)    

...As I am leaving the hospital with the team I can't stop thinking about the children there at that hospital.  (If you can even call it a hospital...it seems more like a holding place until you die!)  I don't think I will ever forget the smell of the children's ward.  It was a distinct smell, one of almost death.  The first room I visited was for Burned Children.  The smell took my breath away as I entered this room.  Eight beds lined the entire small area.  Some kids had bandages on their arms; some had bandages on their legs.  One even had a small bandage on his forehead...but the most shocking of all the children in this room was the little girl who was covered from head to toe with a bandage.  All you could see was two tiny holes for her eyes.  The story was that her family had just discovered her status as HIV positive and they wanted her dead.  (It is a "curse" if you have HIV/AIDS)  They proceeded to boil water and pour this on her....I am guessing she is about 18 months old.....

As we pull away from this place, I am vowing to NEVER go back to that hospital...it is too much for me to handle.  Those poor children.... 

********

I mentioned to Amy, that I vowed years ago, when we were here on our first short-term trip that I would never go back to the children's ward.  We laughed as we walked through the door and instantly the memories came flooding back.  I passed by the room that once held the 18 month old who was burned so severely that she had no chance of surviving.  We walked past the bed that once held the infant whose mother begged for me to take her child.  We crossed over into the room that once held the little boy who was so malnourished he couldn't even hold up his head.  I smelled the same smell.  I heard the same cries.  I even felt the same sickness in the pit of my stomach.  

We stopped and talked to several kids along the way but we were drawn to the "Malnourished Ward" for some reason.  We found a little boy who was abandoned in the bush a week earlier and was brought in by some teenagers.  We have formed a bond with "Charlie" and hopefully we will soon become his foster parents until a more permanent home can be found. 

The second day that we visited "Charlie" a new patient was admitted to that particular ward.   If you close your eyes and envision what a National Geographic picture of a starving child would look like...it is he.  He was so thin and emaciated that he almost didn't look human. The mother, who had very little to do with him, looked very young and sick herself.  She didn't try to snuggle him, or even help him when he was crying.  She told us that her son is 6 months old....WHAT?  He probably doesn't even weigh 7 pounds!  She was more interested in eating herself, than taking care of her son.  Who knows what the future for this child will be?  Will she abandon him, like "Charlie's" mom did?  Will she see to it that he gets the proper treatment to become healthy?  Will she help her son? ....Probably the answer is no.  It is safe to assume that this mother will abandon her son also.  She will see him as an expense and too much trouble.  He may even be a "curse" for her or her family.  She will probably leave him in the bush as well, if she doesn't leave him at the hospital alone first.

There are many needs here in Swaziland.  There are many hungry people.  There are many people dying from HIV/Aids.  There are many sick children.  There are many people without jobs.  There are many people who can't afford to take care of their children......but God had us visit that hospital for a reason.  One was to meet and fall in love with Charlie, and the other was to get us on fire for an Abandoned Children's Home here in Swaziland.  So many children are left alone, to die, just because their caregiver can't "afford" to take care of then. There are so many babies out there that need medical attention, a safe environment to sleep, proper nutrition, and most of all love.  We are in the process of developing criteria for a "Safe House".  At this point we are in the planning stages....but we serve a big God and He can make this work for these precious children. 

I will keep you posted on the developments of this "Safe House".  Please pray that things will quickly fall into place so that we can take on these sick, abandoned babies.  Thanks in advance for your prayers.... 

Allison 

A new "job" has been added to my range of tasks here in Swaziland:  it is profiling children.  Among all the other tasks I have been working on since we arrived, I was most excited about working on this one.  It is basically collecting information about a child (approximately 25 questions which a Swazi communicates to the child) and then entering this into a spreadsheet.  The information then is collected and arranged for someone Stateside to make individual profile packages for each child.  These are then given to groups, churches, communities, etc. to find monthly financial sponsors for each child.  Simple new task...I love administrative type work:  entering data into a computer...Perfect match right? 

What I wasn't counting on was having to study, comprehend, and digest all of this information about these precious children.  Simple questions, such as these:

•        Type of orphan?

•        Age?

•        Level of education?

•        Number of siblings?

•        Number of children living at home?

•        Location of home?

•        How many wives does/did father have?

.....keep me awake at night.

       Some sample answers to these questions are:

•        Double orphan

•        Age 12

•        Preschool only

•        10 Siblings

•        16 Children at home

•        30-45 minute walk from Care Point

•        4 wives

Who knew that such a simple task, would wrangle with my insides?  Who would have thought that I could even be bothered by all of this information?  Who ever expected this to influence my day-to-day business?  Who would have thought this to completely change my view of everything I do?  Who knew that this would totally change who I really am?

....Only God knew!

He knew that I needed to be changed.  He knew that my insides needed to be turned up side down.  He knew that I had gotten really comfortable with life.  He knew that I have a deep yearning for these children and that I needed to be shaken up.  He knows my purpose here in Swaziland and He knows the exact buttons to push to get me on fire.  He knows it ALL!

Matthew 6:7 says: "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

      Just because something may be difficult or uncomfortable, we need to embrace it and ask ourselves:  What is God trying to teach me?  What do I really need to change?  What lessons can I share with others by going through this?  How can I use thisuncomfortable situation to bring glory to Him?

      These profiling questions and answers still get me stirred up, angry, and even teary eyed.  He doesn't promise the journey to be easy.  He doesn't promise it to be without pain.  He doesn't promise it to always to fun.  He does, however, promise that no matter what, He will be with us.  He is with us through the good, the bad, and even the ugly!  No matter wherewe are or where we go, He is with us always!

  I have a new attitude about my new job.  I tackle it with a clearer understanding of "The Big Picture"- "His Picture". I know that he sees these beautiful children and is with them as well.  He knows their pain.  He knows their sufferings.  He knows their broken hearts.  He knows everything about them.

 Embrace your difficult situations....He knows it all!

And so it begins.... 

It is great to be able to update our blog.  In case you didn't know internet access here in Swaziland is nothing like in the States.  It is safe to say that you are one of the privileged few if you have access at your homestead.  Most of the Swazis and ex-pats will go to an internet café where you have to pay by the hour to have access.  Luckily we have one within walking distance of our apartment so we can get by there often to check our email, update our facebook status and check up on the news (especially my Auburn Tigers).  The only challenge is that it is usually very crowded so finding a place to sit can be difficult.  We are still very thankful to have the limited access we do have and hope we can get access to skype very soon. 

Moving to a third world country does have its limitations, but overall it has been a tremendous blessing for our family and the girls are adjusting very well.  Our current accommodations are very nice although we do not know how long we will be able to stay here.  The one thing we do not miss is the television!  You would be amazed at how much time you can spend together if there are not the day-to-day distractions most of the western world is used to.  Now I must confess that it felt strange not watching the Auburn game this past weekend (I have not missed a game in over 10 years) and not finding out until Monday who actually won the game.  Again, just removing another distraction in our lives is not so bad at all.  

We have made our first couple of trips to the grocery store and the food here is certainly different, but there are still enough similar things that we are able to keep the girls fed and satisfied.  Now the girls would love them some Chick-fil-A or Zaxbys, but KFC will have to do.  We made one mistake by going on our first shopping trip the last weekend of the month.  We were unaware that it was payday for just about everyone who works in Swaziland (unfortunately that is only about 10% of the population), but still I think every person who got paid was out shopping so it was very crowded.  It was still a good experience being out in the community and seeing how Swazis live life, so to speak.

We are transitioning slowly into our ministry work, but we have been able to get out and visit a couple of carepoints over the past week.  We went and visited the Bheveni carepoint and had "Big Fun Day" with a team that is here from the States.  We also visited the Timbutini carepoint and helped with an art project for the kids.  There is really only one word that can explain how Madeline and Emma reacted to meeting their new friends at the carepoint and that is AMAZING.  They did not hesitate or have any issues with just jumping right in and playing with and caring for the Swazi kids. 

Madeline and Emma also got to experience their first church service this past Sunday.  The music was beautiful and the message Pastor Walter brought was very moving.  As most of you know (or have heard) that worship in another country is not limited by time or anything else for that matter.  So after about 3 hours the service ended and to our surprise the girls were not completely exhausted, they did ask on several occasions why we were in church for 3 hours, but they were troopers.

And so it begins our journey in Swaziland.  We are so thankful to the Lord for calling us and providing our way here.  We are so blessed to be surrounded by such loving and supportive people.  Please continue to pray, specifically for protection for our family, provision for a vehicle and more permanent accommodations to be found.  So we anxiously await all that He has in store for us while we are here and we pray that we focus on being Kingdom minded in all that we do. 

In His Service, 

Mark, Allison, Madeline and Emma

Our family is making final preparations to move to Swaziland Africa as full-time missionaries.  We will be going with a sending agency from Gainesville, GA, Adventures in Missions (AIM). Our main focus will be to work with the existing missionaries to see that approximately 4000 orphans receive two meals a day and that they receive any medical care needed. We will also help the orphans with basic needs such as: water, clothing, shoes, education, and most importantly discipleship.

We know that money is tight, but we are only asking for a small monthly commitment.  Just think how little $20 dollars a month seems..... two movie tickets, a fast food dinner, weekly visits to Star Bucks, etc.  In order for us to even step on a plane, we have to have our monthly commitments for a year.  Your support of just $20 a month would make a HUGE difference in completing our fundraising efforts.

Please consider helping us get to Swaziland so that we can continue this orphan ministry.

With Love,

Mark, Allison, Madeline, and Emma Clyburn