There is so many things happening in BLAZE currently and most of all I have been silent. The reason for my silence is not mistrust or lack of vision. Rather….. lack of time. Good news, is that I have prioritized blogging. I think it is important to keep you in the loop. So….. sorry for my absence….. here we go. I might not right too much at a time, but just enough to get you as excited as I am about what God is doing!

We are currently running 3 extremely large projects. These projects have a primary goal to build the Church and set itself in a place so we can reach our goals. Last year might have seen slow, but God was quick on revelations and instructions. Enough was given to direct me to the future in an effective way. What are these three project

1) We are busy assembling what we consider to be the most important teams for the future. To be able to do that, we have gathered our most skilful leaders to tell us what the team need to do, and how it should be assembled. We have created a model that will allow them to build teams in an effective way. When people get involved in these teams, they will not only know what needs to be done, but effectively be trained to do it.

2) We are recruiting people for day to day work that needs to be done, to make us an effective church, for today, not tomorrow. We need your help to do the simple things, you already have the ability to do. Whatever commitment you can make will assist us in some way. Things from as simple as to make coffee on Sundays to counting the amount of people attending, controlling the dataprojector, making slideshows, recording services and so on….. The list goes on and on and on…. Won’t you get involved? Come on. The Kingdom needs you!

3) We are launching the third project the second week of October and it will be running for only 7 weeks. It is the most daring, powerful and structured discipleship system I have EVER been entrusted with. I want as many people involved as possible, although I know the right people is imperative. It will be and extremely simple discipleship that YOU, yes YOU will be able to do, without high and mighty training…… yet being powerful in discipleship.

To learn more about these three projects please email me at bernard@blazeteam.co.za.

Have a great NEW DAY.

They’re building a megaphone with a thousand voices this Christmas. They’d like to  build a network of 1,000 online orphan advocates. If you…

1. Want to express your heart for orphans this Christmas…
2. Desire to see HopeChest raise $500,000 by 12/31 to help over 5,000 orphans…
3. Blog, Facebook, or Twitter regularly to your social network…

…then HopeChest want to talk with you. It’s an easy and fun way to help orphans.

I can’t tell you much more on the blog–but if you want to be one of the first members of this new team, send an e-mail to matthew@hopechest.org for the inside scoop. Or visit Tom Davis’ Blog at http://tomdavis.typepad.com.

Limited space available. Don’t wait…

We’ve left for Swaziland Thursday afternoon and managed to cross the border with all the Christmas decorations and other Christmas goodies without problems.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the visit to Imanuelle early Friday morning at the Manzini Market Place. It was wonderful to hear his voice over the sound system! He is sending his greetings and blessings to everyone at BLAZE TEAM and is hoping to see us at his church very soon. Before we left, we gave him a copy of Scared and also a BLAZE Volunteers T-shirt.

We then left for Thembeni care point to decorate the hall. Finally we’ve met Kriek, Jumbo’s wife and one amazing woman. I’ve also forgot how big the hall was and realized how much Christmas decorations we need. But we managed with what we had. And afterwards Kriek said it was the first time that they actually had a Christmas tree. One of the funny moments was the little ones trying to sweep the hall, the brooms were almost bigger than the children so we had to take over sweeping-duties! We made a new friend, Cynthia, she is studying to become a nurse and is working for Children’s HopeChest. We also visited Bheveni late afternoon to check up on the vegetable garden. Well, the pumpkins-are-a-growing!! The other vegetables we are not so sure about, but we are praying and I know that God is blessing the vegetable garden, because He promised that He would. Anne and Wandy at Nyanza also said that we could use some of the compost pile at Nyanza for the vegetable garden.

Saturday morning early we left for Thembeni again to put up the last decorations and was met with the news that Kriek was in an accident Friday afternoon. Luckily she was driving a very BIG 4 X 4 and wasn’t hurt seriously except for a few bruises and a sore body. Looking at the photos afterwards I could really see God’s protection and His greatness, it could have been so much worse. The rest of the team joined later in the morning and we had fun with the 600 children at the Jumping Castle, the playground and with the programme in the hall. One of the highlights was the American team teaching the kids how to make their own little Christmas trees which they could take home. While the children lunched, we sorted out the Christmas presents which were a bit of a challenge, but in the end everyone received their present, sweets and a piece of cake. I think the cake was the children’s highlight, they did not want presents but cake and that wish came true. I just once again realized how fortunate we are; daily we are eating sweets, cookies, drinking cold drinks and enjoying ice cream, but still we manage to complain about our luxuries …

Bernard and the rest of the Saturday team left at around 15:00 so that they can reach the Border Post before 18:00. The rest of the group finished up at around 17:00 and we left for Nyanza for a shower, something to eat and to contemplate about the day. We all agreed that we have so many blessings that we sometimes just ignore or forget about, that the Body of Christ is powerful and amazing and unites people from every country, race and gender for the Kingdom’s good. To bed early, again

We left for home Sunday morning and reach Trichardt at around 17:00, tired but happy.

I wish to thank every person that supported and joined the Swaziland team with prayers, hard work and donations.

BLAZE TEAM will be sharing an early Christmas at Beveni care point on 7 November 2009. We will have two(2) teams leaving at different times. The first team will leave on Friday, 6 November, from the church at 6 in the morning and will return on Sunday 8 November. This team will assist Kriek and Jumbo with the preparations for the Christmas party. The second team will leave Saturday morning, 7 November, very early from the church and will join the first team at the care point. They will return to Secunda just after the Christmas party.

If you want to join any of the teams, please confirm with Annalize on or before Sunday 1 November 2009 at annalize.steenkamp@blazeteam.co.za.

Looking forward to see you there!!

The two (2) teams really did what was needed at the specific time and places. The first team (Daanjie, Vikus, Rut, Bianca, Werner, Petro and Uncle John) left from the church Friday afternoon at 14:30.

Thank you to Bernard and the team that took the chairs to Caiaphas on Saturday. We really prayed for favor at the Border Post and God answered our prayers. Every time we cross the border we learn valuable lessons for the future

I don’t think we always realize how fortunate and blessed we are to be able to bless Caiaphas and other ministries in Swaziland. All we have to do is to be faithful and obedient in the little things and God will do the rest. He is already causing the ripple effects; the butterfly affect that Glenn Packiam writes about in Butterfly in Brazil. We have so much favor and support; it’s almost too many to number!!

Back to this weekend, we were worried about the condition of the soil at Beveni care point but God provided and we had soft rain during Friday evening to prepare the soil. Both the teams worked really hard and we managed to plant pumpkin, cabbage, spinach and onion. We were also worried about the water at the care point, but again God heard our prayers and we had soft rain falling just after we left the care point, it rained through Saturday night and Sunday. The rain was falling softly so that it could soak through the ground and the seeds could not be washed away.

We also spend some time with some of the children at Beveni, unlike the other care points we visited during August these children still need to get to know us and trust us. I sat on the ground with them for about 15 minutes before one of the little girls moved a bit closer and climb on my lap. Bianca and Werner played with the children when taking breaks from the gardening.

Joseph also showed the Gogo’s how to maintain the compost pile. All the bits of paper, weeds, twigs, etc. should go to the compost pile. And that can go back to the vegetable garden. The children helped pick up all the paper and plastics laying around the care point, the paper went to the compost pile and the plastics was burned to protect the animals and keep the area clean. The Gogo’s will also use all the washing up water to water the vegetable garden until the water crisis is solved.

By Saturday evening everyone had aches and pains, but it was worthwhile. We realize that we are the hands and feet of Jesus and like Bernard said, of those that is sponsoring the care points. Most of the sponsors are in the USA and cannot visit the care points as regular as we can. It is something that God entrusted to us and we are honored to serve.

I’ve spoken to Musa from Children’s HopeChest Saturday; they have an urgent need of skills. Just the basics of starting and maintaining of a vegetable garden and the compost pile. Guys, we have the knowledge! And that’s how we can assist in making the care points self-sustainable. I’ve also mentioned the projects the youth has in mind for the Beveni Christmas to Matt and he was really excited. We will keep you up to date with the Christmas planning.

We left for home Sunday morning around 11:00. It was still raining and we also had the lovely mist that the other team had LoL, we had a few near-death experiences with lumber trucks, a cow and a white car … but we also knew that we had God’s protection.

This was a successful trip, and we cannot wait to see the first veggies! I’m also excited for the people that went to Swaziland for the first time: Vikus, Bianca, Werner, Ashley, Dawie and Joseph.

BLAZE TEAM is also blessed with wonderful, passionate youth. Finally I can share the first part of their fund-raising to give the children at Beveni a wonderful Christmas. All of you in the Goven Mbeki area should listen up now :

Saturday (24 October) the youth will have a car-wash-fund-raising-event.

Where : Evander Club

Time : 09:00 to 14:00

The cost will be R50-00 per car, and they will wash your car and clean the inside.

Please come and support them!

Everything went really well and the 5 of us (Ashley, Dawie, Joseph, Martie and Bernard) had a packed day. We got a lot of things done and had time to see small parts of the country as well.

We leaved early (6:00) on Saturday morning (17 October) with Isak Louws’ Corsa bakkie as well as Ashleys’ corsa light. So, it was actually a corsa outreach. We left for the borderpost and arrived there at a little past eight. It took us up until nine to get through with the chairs but God blessed us, and gave us favour by the fact that we did not have to pay any taxes either sides. The complete value of the Chairs caused the taxes to be money we don’t really want to spend, seeing that they are sponsors. Nevertheless we crossed the border with thankfull hearts and approached the Swaziland with a caution on the road because of extreme mist and a bad road. Everything went well and we reached Matsapa at about ten.

Caiaphas received the chairs and then asked how he should pay for them. I simply said that a thanks would be all he needed to give. Tears came to my eyes because of his response in thankfulness, and I could see that Joseph also got very emotional. Leaving there with thankful hearts that we could be able to give them 50 chairs, we headed back up the hill and on the tar road.

There we met up with Annalize and Petro. She took us to Beveni. The newest carepoint in Swaziland that has been equiped by Hopechest. We have decided on a previous trip that we would want to help with starting a vegetables garden. At this stage the children at the carepoints only recieve a meal of pap and baked beans and we would love to add to it by adding some vegetables. We planted new seeds and prayed that God would let it grow.

We left for the borderpost after we quickly made a pitstop at the nextdoor neigbouring carepoint that was equiped the previous time. What a lovely sight to see that the other teams have actually caused the place to become well equiped. We needed to be the hands to those who are investing financially, I realized. That is what God wants us to do now.

With hearts filled with the expectancy of children we left for the Nerston borderpost that normally closes at five. Once again being tortured by heavy mist and bad roads we came in time to cross the border and back into South Africa, wonderful SA. We ate something and discussed the day, with busy minds of the things we could do we departed for home, arrived safely at about eight.

Wonderful, quick trip with no losses and a lot of successes. Awaiting our other team with prayers and hopes of their safe return.

Bernard

Two(2) teams will be leaving for Swaziland this weekend. YaY!! A team of eight(8) will leave on Friday afternoon, so that we will have an early start at Beveni care point. We will finally start with the vegetable garden! It is a first for us and we hope for the best.

The second team will leave early Saturday morning, they will deliver the 50 chairs for Caiaphas at Manzini. It was a need that Caiaphas expressed a few months ago and we are fortunate to bless them with the chairs. After they’ve delivered the chairs they will join us at the care point for the vegetable garden duties. The second team will leave for home again Saturday afternoon and we will leave late Sunday morning.

There’s so many people that’s going to Swaziland for the first time and we are so excited for them! We know that they will ♥ every moment and that it will be a life changing experience. The first step : get your passport.

Other exciting news : the Youth has some BIG plans for Beveni and are planning fund-raising events … I will keep you up to date with the events and where and how you can support them. I’m so thankful for their hearts!

I will also update you on the vegetable garden and share pictures when we are back.

That’s all for now BLAZE peeps

We are back from our short weekend trip to Swaziland ~ 15 and 16 August. We visited three (3) Children’s HopeChest care points: Bhalekane, Beveni and Thembeni. It was an awesome experience to see and experience what is already happening at the care points and the growth and successes they have. This is where things are happening! At the Thembeni care point we met up with the team from Capo Beach Calvary Church. Yip and they are from the sunny California! They have “adopted” the care point and shipped a container to Swaziland with playground equipment, bicycles, clothes, shoes, soccer balls, books, etc. We where there when they opened the container and we assisted with the unloading of the equipment. You should have seen the children’s faces!! But despite all the excitement I have never seen so much discipline. Heidi drew a line in the ground and asked the children to stay behind the line to maintain some form of order ~ and behind the line they stayed oo’ing and aa’ing.

But maybe I should give you a short background of the care points:
There are 22 Children’s HopeChest care points in Swaziland. At these care points children are provided with at least two (2) meals per day, clothing, school and medical attention. The basis of these programs is the discipleship. About 2 700 children are being cared for there every day. Bhalekane and Thembeni care points already have a school, kitchen, an all-purpose hall, bathrooms, soccer field, running water, electricity and rooms where the outreach teams, etc. can stay. Beveni care point started of with a small building of sticks, clay and a zinc roof. Now they have a small kitchen and school. They are still struggling with running water and most of the other resources. The small camp for a vegetable garden is in place and waiting for the seedlings. Watch this space for more news on especially Beveni! We would like to support them with their vegetable garden and the painting of their kitchen. And in Florida USA Deb Gangemi and a group of wonderful people are busy raising funds for the plumbing, showers and other resources at Beveni.

I’ve been following Tom Davis and Children’s HopeChest for a few months now and have finished Scared ~ A Novel on the Edge of the World written by Tom Davis a few weeks ago; and would like to share a few thoughts on the book. What makes Scared such an amazing book? It’s scaringly straight forward, based on real life stories, it’s very graphic and it’s about Swaziland. Publisher, David C. Cook says in his note in the beginning of the book:

“Child advocate and speaker Tom Davis gives us a gripping portrayal of the hurt and pain that affects many in Africa. This story reminds us of our need to be engaged in being light in a very dark world. Some scenes will grip and haunt you, some passages you will want to run away from – but this is real life. And real life requires true Christ followers to act justly and love mercy. May Adanna’s story inspire and embolden you.”

That is exactly what happened to me. I’ve always had a passion for the hungry, hurt and abandoned and I love Swaziland and its people ~ but while reading this book things started to change in me … I experienced true compassion. Not just that “shame, the poor things” or “it’s so sad” type of feeling but gut wrenching compassion. And seeing and spending time with the children and the people working with them, this weekend just made the feelings so much stronger.

We know that Swaziland has one of the highest HIV/Aids infection rates and we know that there are thousands of orphans in the country, but that’s about all we know. Latest figures are indicating that from the one million or more people only 900 000 are left. That is the huge impact HIV/Aids has on the country. We don’t really realize the huge impact it has on these people’s lives, we don’t know how they live each and every day, we are not aware of the true struggles in the country. The plights of the children are basically the following:

“ Both of her parents died from AIDS, then a distant uncle took her in. Her life was reduced to the life of a slave. She was forced to work fifteen hours a day, and her uncle sold her body to men in the community so he could have money for alcohol. Then he began violently raping her on a daily basis.” (Tom Davis – Scared)

And that is the story of so many little girls in Africa. Currently there is a 9-year-old boy caring for his two (2) little siblings of about 5- and two years after both his parents died of Aids. Can you imagine being 9-years old and suddenly being the head of a household? Where do you start? How do you provide? How do you protect? Luckily Matt Gerber from International Discipleship Ministries Adventures in Missions/Children’s Hope Chest,
and his team found them and is looking after them! I cannot think for one second anymore that it is not my problem … This is within 400-kilometer from my home ~ hunger, abuse, poverty, death, and destruction are all on my doorstep and yours.

Yes, Adanna’s story did “embold” me to take a step and do something. It did shake me into action. And it was not that difficult and it surely was not that impossible. We can sit around in our comfort zones and think of excuses not to get involved or we can get of our couches and start making a difference. The choice is yours. Get involved where you are – locally, found out what is the available platform where you can get involved. Ask the church where you can serve. Matt told us that these children’s biggest need is not just food and clothes, but love and care. Someone hugging them, holding them and praying with them.

Visit http://www.threadsofhopewovenbygod.blogspot.com for more information on especially Beveni Care Point.
Also the team of International Discipleship Ministries Adventures in Missions:
http://www.sethbarnes.com/?category=Swaziland
http://jumbogerber.myadventures.org/?tuid=1092811
http://swaziland.myadventures.org/?tuid=1092811
You can also visit the Children’s HopeChest Web site to find out how to get involve in these children’s lives – http://www.hopechest.org. I’m also urging you to get hold of Scared. Visit the Scared publicity page at http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/scared-publicity-page.html. Or the blog of Tom Davis at www.tomdavis.typepad.com where you will find photographs of Swaziland and much more.

I by no means want you to feel guilty, but I do want you to realize that the Body of Christ is ineffective because of our passiveness and that it is time to do something about it. It is time to make a commitment and be active; we cannot wait for some time in the future or a place “far, far away” where I can do something spectacular. The time is now, the place is here and the platform is already waiting for you.

WHAT ARE WE DOING IN SWAZILAND?

• We are still building relationships with the people of Swaziland. We are already supporting Caiaphas Magagula from New Covenant Church in Manzini. He is in urgent need of chairs for his church – he indicated that he needs about 50 chairs. If you want to sow into his ministry you can sponsor a chair for R77-00.

• We are also supporting Emmanuelle with his Open-Market-Ministry. Emmanuelle has being preaching at the Open Market for the past 15-years from Monday to Friday. We already gave Emmanuelle with a sound-system, keyboard and Bibles. This is an awesome ministry and Emmanuelle is able to reach so much more people because of the sound-system and music!!

• Once a year we attend the LTT in Swaziland. This is being arranged by the New Covenant Church every year, usually in September. LTT stands for Leadership Training Time and the main focus is to equip the Elders/Pastors in Swaziland. The LTT is for a week, usually in September.

• During our August visit in Swaziland we felt that we would like to get involved with one of the care points. The one that really touched our hearts was Beveni, mainly because there is still so much need there. All the children at the care point has sponsors, but there is little things like the painting of the kitchen to keep it clean and hygienic, the vegetable garden that is currently just a little camp with a fence, running water to the care point and clothes and toys for the kids.

• Every year Children’s HopeChest give Christmas parties for all the children at the care points. This year we would like to assist with the Christmas party at Beveni. Guess what’s the children’s’ Christmas wish? Not toys, clothes or food … but a cake.

If you would like to reach out to Swaziland, you are welcome to contact me at:
E-mail: annalize.steenkamp@blazeteam.co.za or corevalues@blazeteam.co.za

“A new report commissioned by UNICEF and CDC and recently published in the journal Lancet found that one in three girls in Swaziland has experienced sexual violence by age 18, which can lead to serious health issues such as HIV, IRIN/PlusNews reports. In addition, the researchers found that 22% of Swazi women between ages 15 and 24 are HIV-positive, noting that sexual violence could be a common HIV transmission mode among women in high-burden countries such as Swaziland”

For more information on the report go to:  http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog and http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports.

This just presses Swaziland more strongly on my heart and I’m requesting you to pray for Swaziland and its people. Swaziland forms part of our circle of influence, and we are in the position to make a difference there through our continued support and prayers.

Looking at what is happening in Swaziland it is wonderful to hear that there was “Tent Services” held during late May and early June! Past. Cajafus Magagula is 1 (one) of the pastors that we connect with in Manzini and he and his congregation formed part of these Services. He informed us that they are in urgent need of Siswati Bibles. This is just one of the means in which we can make a difference. Marleen has ordered the Bibles and we would like to take them to Swaziland at the end of this month.

Date:  Saturday, 4 July 2009. We will leave from the church at 06:00  and will be back on the same day at about 17:00. If you would like to join us or have any enquiries please contact Annalize at corevalues@blazeteam.co.za. Remember that you should have a valid Passport! I will keep you posted on the arrangements.

Looking forward in hearing from you

Blessings ya all!

This time we did not have any broken down vehicles or problems at the Border Post. We did however have a few falls, pains, “lack of voice” and adventure … Petro managed to get acquainted with the floor of the vegetable market at the Manzini Market after the heel of her shoe broke. Luckily there was someone at hand to fix the shoe, and we had a well deserved rest while we waited. Bernard lost his voice in Swaziland somewhere between Saturday and Sunday. Isak and his camera saw the inside of the guard-house at the royal residence … this will make me think twice about where to take photographs! This was also where we met our unofficial tour guide ~ he really took us on a scenic route …  Rut is our local “dust-pan” designer ~ now the local Swazi tradesmen knows what a “dust-pan” should look like!

We spent time with Emmanuelle at the Manzini Market and were able to give them a keyboard to assist with the church services he’s leading there every Monday to Friday. If ever in Manzini during the week, go and attend one of his services at the Open Market ~ you will find him there every Monday to Friday at 08:00 am. We also spend the Sunday morning with Caiaphas and Bonnie Magagula and their congregation at New Covenant Church Manzini.

Just after our arrival in Swaziland God gave us this word:

God wants us to dwell in His peace, and that the peace should run over in all areas of our lives and situations we might meet. We should also allow the peace to drench us.

This was a huge challenge for me! Sometimes we confuse peace with laziness and doing as little as possible. During the four (4) days we’ve discovered that we just need to “be”, and allow God to work through us and not out of our own ideas, plans, emotions or thoughts. We had to surrender to His Will and follow His lead totally. We had to keep our eyes fixed on Him…

God also gave us the following instructions through the team that interceded for us in South Africa:

Now more than ever listen to the voice of the Spirit of God, lay down your own opinions and hearts, renounce the flesh, renounce the flesh! The people are thirsty for the living water of God!
Close your mouths and know that I am here. Forget about your fleshly concerns!
Don’t do anything out of your own, don’t stop or go without Me saying.
As long as you fully rely on me, you will be prepared. Do nothing apart from My leading.

God also brought us back to the “heart-issue”:

Pro 21:2,  “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the hearts.”

1Sam. 16:7, “But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.”

I just realized more and more that we ALWAYS have to serve from our hearts, work from our hearts, speak from our hearts ~ we are in Jesus and that is from where everything should originate. Coming from anywhere else the effectiveness will not be timeless.

Like all the previous trips to Swaziland we grew on some many different levels, our hearts were changed, minds were renewed, standards challenged … mere words cannot really describe what happened and is still happening inside of me. I get super excited because I know that each and every time we REACH out, God reaches into our lives and turn it upside down and inside out …

I challenge you to REACH out, be available and allow God to STRETCH you and change you live!

Annalize

PS. Check out our photographs on flickr