Phumlile, the quiet and sweet-spirited one on the Cherish team celebrated her 22nd birthday on Thursday. After the team coming and the retreat the girls had a few days to recoup and Phumlile went home to Nhlan
gano, about an hour from our office. We were suppossed to come back together on Wednesday but Phumlile called and said she had a funeral she had to go to. Thursday morning, Phumlile told the story of why she had gone to the funeral…
gano, about an hour from our office. We were suppossed to come back together on Wednesday but Phumlile called and said she had a funeral she had to go to. Thursday morning, Phumlile told the story of why she had gone to the funeral…At a branch of my church in Lavumisa a girl my age killed herself after she found out she was pregnant. My pastor knew that I and 3 or 4 other girls at my church had gone through a Bible Study on sexual purity. One of the mother’s of the other girls had told my pastor about the Bible study because since her daughters had gone through it, they are radically different. ‘The girls used to be so naughty but now they are the first to say ‘let’s pray’ or ‘we are going to church’. My pastor asked the 3 girls in the study to speak at church on Sunday what they learned to encourage the other young girls. Tuesday evening was the funeral of the girl and the pastor from that girl’s church asked us to come and talk about Cherish at the funeral. It was the perfect time because so many were shaken up about the girl’s death and were eager to hear what we had to say. We gave one of the leader’s of the youth group at that church a Cherish Bible study and she’s going to start one at the church. The youth leader is going to come to my church once a month to share what is going on and ask questions.
Psalms 33:10-12 says “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations”. The Lord is using this Bible study as an instrument to further His kingdom specifically in the young women in Swaziland. I love that I had absolutely nothing to do with this new group starting 2 hours from where I live. Whatever the Lord plans will stand firm. The gift I received on Phumlile’s birthday was more confirmation that I’m suppossed to go. This is God’s work here, He doesn’t need me to do anything, He can do it Himself. He just chose to bless me for the last 2 years in being a part of it.
