I have been walking around with this blog rattling around in my head for weeks now! This is the final "chapter" in the story of our family receiving new names from our Swazi friends. This last story is about our daughter, Claire. What is kind of cool is that she was given her Swazi name by the same young lady who gave me my Swazi name in 2009! Namcebo is a beautiful 15 year old girl who I met on the vision trip I took with AIM in January of 2009. She has held a special place in my heart ever since. When I met her, I felt drawn to her partly because she reminded me of my own daughter. She is bright, intelligent, well-spoken and funny...just like my Claire. In fact, my nickname for Claire since she was very tiny has been "my bright, shining star". Reuniting with Namcebo in Nsoko and introducing her to Claire was one of the highlights of being in Swaziland again. They became fast friends and confidantes almost immediately! It seems only fitting that Namcebo would be the one to give Claire her Swazi name. My heart quickened and my eyes filled with tears as she uttered the words to my girl: "Her name is Nothando!" (translation: love)

Claire lived up to that name every single day we spent in Swaziland! She loved having Namcebo over to our home. They spent lots of time giggling, telling secrets and playing around on the computer and trying on Claire's clothes! Claire never let Namcebo go home empty-handed; sharing art supplies, books, clothes, candy and other goodies.

 

 

 Claire loved spending time with the other pre-teen and teenage girls of Nsoko. She gave of herself in so many ways to these young people. Studying the Bible with them and praying with them; showing them how to make friendship bracelets...to name a few!

 

 

By far the greatest way Claire showed her love in Swaziland, however, was in how she showered it on the children of Nsoko! I will let the following pictures and Scripture tell the story:

 

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud..."

 

..."it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres..."

~ 1 Corinthians 13:7

 

 

 

 

 

"Blessed is (s)he who has regard for the weak..." ~ Psalm 41:1a

 

 

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord."  ~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-5

 

 

 

 

When you see the blessings of Christ literally pour out of your own child...when you see that child praying over the sick and proclaiming life over the dying...when you see joy and wholeness reflected in the eyes of a broken child as they look into your own child's eyes...when you see your child pick an orphan up out of the dirt,  into her arms to tell that child there is a Father in heaven who will never abandon them and because of that they are in the same eternal family...that is priceless! That is beautiful! That is love...