"Why would you continue to send volunteer mission teams to Swaziland even after the partnership has ended?"  This is a question I have been asked numerous times.  In 1996 North Carolina Baptist entered a Mission Partnership with South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland.  The partnership ended in 2000, but First Baptist of Washington has continued to send teams to Swaziland; the last team having gone in February 2004.   

I first visited Southern Africa in 1996, along with thirty other North Carolina Baptists, as part of a "survey team" to asses needs in the region for the partnership.  One of the first places I visited was Swaziland.  On that trip I spend only four of the fourteen days in the tiny country, but I was overwhelmed with the number of needs I saw.  I was also impressed by the warmth and openness of the people.  I knew before returning to Washington that Swaziland was a place the Lord would have our congregation work.

The first team went less than a year later as several men from our congregation joined with other men from our local association to do construction and evangelistic work in Nhlangano.  At the invitation of missionary Wayne Myers, I led a team from First Baptist in 1998 and again in 2001 to do evangelistic work in the southern part of the country.   In August 2002 thirteen members of our congregation, including five youth, traveled to Swaziland to lead the National Swaziland Youth Conference.  An invitation was recently extended to return in 2005 to again lead the Youth Conference. 

Our teams have experienced some unique situations over the years.  In 1998, Steve Allen, a young man in our congregation, had an acute kidney stone attack while on the trip.  Our dilemma was finding adequate medical care for him.  With the help of the Swazi missionaries, we were able to get him to a hospital in South Africa.  A young missionary intern, Monica Trice, checked on him every day since he was hospitalized four hours away from his other team members. Upon our return home, Steve shared with our congregation his "call" to missions.  He entered seminary, continued to keep in touch with Monica via email, and a few years later they were married.  Last Fall Steve and Monica Allen were appointed as the newest members of the Swazi Mission Team and are in language study living in Mababne, Swaziland. 

Our most frightening experience came in 2002 when a rear tire "blew-out" on a vehicle I was driving.  Three other team members were in the vehicle with me.  When the tire "blew" I lost control of the vehicle and it "rolled" twice.  One of our team members was thrown from the car.  We were literally "in the middle of nowhere," on an isolated dirt road, two hours from Nhlangano, home of the missionaries with whom we were working.  The Lord was surely with us.  We had no serious injuries. With the help of some "Good Samaritan" Swazis we were able get the vehicle to a drivable state.  We drove back to Nhlangano in the dark, with broken windows, a broken windshield, and doors that would not completely close.  The wreck left us with some minor cuts, a couple of bruised ribs, a few other bumps and bruises, and a hard learned lesson about driving on Swazi roads. 

So why do we continue to send teams to Swaziland?  It has a lot to do with relationships.  Relationships our congregation has developed with missionaries and relationships we have built with the Swazi people.  They call us by name.  Each time I go the Swazi people ask about our families; they ask about team members who have been on previous trips.  It reminds me of "homecomings" in the country church I grew up in as a boy.  There is always lots of hugs, laughter, and celebration as old friendships are renewed. 

It also has to do with needs.  The needs in Swaziland are overwhelming.  Swaziland now has the greatest percentage of its people infected with HIV of all the African nations.  In recent years drought has led to poor crops and a shortage of food.  King Mswati III was recently named as one of the world's ten worst dictators by Parade Magazine.  Polygamy is a common practice.  Women and children are routinely abused, both sexually and physically. Medical care is almost non-existent.  AIDS has left countless Swazi children orphaned.  

We continue to return because of the spiritual needs.  The major religion in Swaziland is Zionism - a mixture of Christian teachings with ancient African ancestor worship.   The idea of a personal relationship with Christ is foreign to most Swazis.  Their religion is one of superstition, legalism, and ritual.  Pleasing the "spirits of the ancestors" is more important than obedience to God.  On our most recent trip we conducted evangelistic services in a place called Ntuthwakazi.  During one of the services Babe Mkhaliphi gave his testimony through a Swazi translator: "I attended a Zionist church for many years and was faithful. I was also an Inyanga (witchdoctor). One day as I was alone in the field the Holy Spirit spoke to me and I felt convicted of my sin. No one had witnessed to me, but I felt a great need to confess my sin and to receive Jesus into my life. So, there in the field on that day I got on my knees and confessed my sin and asked Jesus to come into my life. I did not know what to do now, so I went to a pastor at the school where my son is schooling and he counseled with me about this new life. I took all my witchcraft things and burnt them in front of the pastor. I then tried to continue in the Zionist church because it was the only church I knew. Because my life had changed and I could understand the ways of the Lord better, I saw the things we were doing in the Zionist church were not right, praying to the ancestors and many other things. I tried to talk with the priest and witness to him, but eventually the church chased me away and so I started worshipping with my family. My older children were saved and my wife rededicated her life to the Lord. At this time I was still working in the mines in South Africa and it was time for me to return to work after the holiday. So, I instructed my son, Wonder, to pray and find someone who could come and teach us the word of God and you now see how the Lord has answered."

The person Wonder found was missionary Wayne Myers.  It was not happenchance, but the work of the Holy Spirit.  Up until a few months ago Myers had never heard of Ntuthwakazi.  During our February 2004 trip, our team was one of the first to share the Gospel at Ntuthwakazi.  Many made professions of faith in Christ including Babe Mkhaliphi’s mother.  Plans are now in the making for the building of a church. 

Will First Baptist continue to send teams to Swaziland?  As long as the door remains open and the Lord continues to lead.  I pray that we can take another large team in 2005, including 8-10 youth.  Our relationship with Swaziland has been as much a blessing to us as it has to the Swazi people. 

The dates of the 2004 trip were February 10-27.  The project included leading worship services in five Swazi Baptist churches; conducting evangelistic services in three locations; teaching in Swazi public schools, teaching at Ngwane Teacher's College; leading music clinics; leading pre-school training clinics; leading children's Bible studies; leading a two day Ladies' Prayer Retreat; and conducting health clinics in 4 locations.  Results were 130 Professions of Faith; distribution of two footlockers of medication; distributed 120 pounds of preschool/children's books; purchased a laptop computer and printer for Ngwane Teacher's College.  

Fifteen persons participated in this mission project including three persons from First Baptist Church Smithton (formerly a mission of First Baptist Washington).  Participants were:  Anna Anderson, Karen Anderson, Reggie Baker, Jack Cherry, Jean Cherry, Sue Cuthcin, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Moore, Connell Purvis, Peggy Thompson, Becky Turnage, Jeff Williamson.  From Smithton:  LaCount Anderson, David Ellis, and Burke Holland.