Last summer, I agreed to be the Supply Coordinator for the Swaziland Ministry at Capital. Admittedly, at that time, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Today I watched as two thousand pounds of supplies were packed in preparation of our upcoming trip to Swaziland. Yes, you read that right. Two THOUSAND pounds of supplies. Over the course of the past few months, there have been times when I have been overwhelmed with everything that I needed to do. But even more so, I have been overwhelmed with the provisions of God.
When you are planning supplies for 200 kids, the task can seem daunting. Time and time again, I have wondered how in the world we were going to collect all of the supplies that we wanted to take to Mkhombokati. I have prioritized what we would need, figured the least amount we could get away with of an item, and then wondered again how it was going to happen. Somewhere in the midst of my scheming and planning, God decided to show me how awesome He really is and how He provides for our needs – whether it be our daily bread or 200 school kits. Time and time again, God has used seeming random encounters to provide exactly what I needed when I needed it.
-Chatting with an acquaintance at a friend’s birthday party, I mentioned we were taking handmade crocheted hats to every kid at the Care Point…if we could get enough. I was met with the response that this acquaintance had hundreds of handmade hats in storage and would be happy to provide however many we needed. Umm, really? Who keeps hundreds of handmade hats in storage? So a brief conversation over birthday cake, added to the many hats made by the Capital community, provided the makings of a cold weather kit for each child at the Care Point.
-On a day in December, I received a text from a teammate that she & her mom could get some toys for the trip donated. I was told the toys were in the office of the church and I could pick them up the next Sunday. Walking into the church office, I was anticipating finding a grocery bag or two of toys. Instead, I was met with four boxes and two garbage bags full of brand new toys still in their packages. So many toys, if fact, that we are not able to take all of them with us to Swaziland. This blessing not only blessed us but also allowed us to bless a low income school in the community with all of the left over toys.
-After seeing a coupon in the newspaper for the soap I was intending to purchase for the hygiene kits, I sent out a Facebook request in order to get more coupons. Some dear friends saw my request for coupons and indicated that they would like to donate some of the soap. Awesome! However, when I stopped by their house to pick up the soap, I found that they did not buy some of the soap. Nope, they went ahead and purchased all 200 bars of soap for the kids’ hygiene kits.
I could tell you of every phone call, text message and Facebook post from friends and family members indicating that they would like to help or donate in some way. But then this post would be really, really long. All of these donations, combined with the overwhelming support of the Capital community and hours of hard work and support by my amazing teammates, made something seemingly impossible, possible. So today as I watched 40 suitcases being packed full of supplies, I just had to step back and praise God for His provisions and His timing as He led me on this journey to show me that He is Jehovah Jireh, my Provider. And while my heart is overjoyed reflecting on the 40 full suitcases today, I’m pretty sure that in a few short weeks, 40 empty suitcases will make my heart explode with happiness. For that means that the 2,000 pounds of supplies have made their way to Mkhombokati to help provide for the needs of the kids at the Care Point. For not only is He my Provider, He’s also the Provider for the children at Mkhombokati. And how awesome is it that the infinite God of the universe allows us to partner with Him?
I may not enjoy carrying 2,000 pounds of luggage through the airports on the way to Swaziland but every single suitcase is a reminder that Jehovah Jireh does care for me and my needs. I’m just hoping His next provision happens to be luggage carts.
Grace and Peace,
Amber
