From Rick:
Friends, As many of you know, our family has been pouring into the tiny nation of Swaziland for about 5 years now through a ministry we have called Beyond Survival (www.beyondsurvival.org). This year will mark our 5-year anniversary trip! Laura and I have decided to take both Cody and Lauren on this trip. We had them write out why they wanted to go with us and have included it below. It's moving for us to watch a passion grow in our children to help this nation where their brother and sister are from. We know this will be a life-changing trip. If you would like to support our family in prayer please email us at clappfam@comcast.net to be put on the prayer list and receive updates from our trip.
If you would like to invest in Cody and Lauren with your financial support please send checks made to Vanguard Church with "Swazi-Clapp" in the memo to: Vanguard Church, 3950 N. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80917. All gifts are tax deductible. We can't wait to share with you all that God has done in us through this monumental trip!
From Lauren:
My family has been doing work in Africa for 5 years. I am really excited to be able to go to Swaziland. I am excited to see what God is going to do in my life. I will have the opportunity to help people. I am looking forward to visiting the Halfway House where Isaiah and Laila lived. I will also get to play with the kids at our carepoint, and we will do a Vacation Bible school with them.
Some of the things I am doing to raise money are selling bread and jam, cleaning houses, babysitting, and doing other jobs at home.
From Cody:
Why I want to go to Africa
Hello, if you don’t know me I am Cody Clapp. I go to TCA, The Classical Academy. I am twelve years old, and I love donuts. I feel like God said that I have some unfinished work the day pastor Walter was staying with us and spoke to us at church. I had to come to the first Swaziland meeting because I did not have a class. At first it was just a normal meeting but then God spoke to me and said I should go to Africa and to tell my parents. So I did and they talked and prayed about taking me to Swaziland, and so did I. Then, God finally gave them the answer that I knew from the beginning. The answer was “yes.” That was one of the happiest moments in my life.
Some things that I am looking forward to are going to the Halfway House and carepoint, also hopefully staying at Emafini (a motel kind of place where we lived for a couple of weeks on my first trip). I am looking forward to getting to know everybody on the team.
Some of the reasons I think that God is calling me back are because I felt like I had to focus so much on the adoption, not that it was a bad thing, but it was just time consuming. Another thing is I felt that I was not that helpful, and I want to give more. Finally, I just have a lot of hope for this trip, and I feel I was meant for this trip. I hope you truly feel changed by this and enjoyed this story.
From Laura:
It has been so amazing to look back over the last 5 years and see the work that God has done in our family through our calling to Swaziland, Africa. God has literally changed our family in every way possible. Laila and Isaiah are continual reminders of this calling that God has given us. As we prepare for our next trip, it has been such a blessing to see Lauren and Cody desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our friends in Swaziland.
They have seen pictures, watched videos, heard our stories, and even had the privilege to meet some of the people that we minister alongside when they have visited us in our home. I know that this trip will change their lives and we desire to encourage and support them in this endeavor. We would covet your prayers as we take this step of faith as a family. There is much to do as we prepare to leave. We also would appreciate your prayers for Abby, Sam, Isaiah, and Laila as they spend time with grandparents while we travel. We have felt so much support over the years in this ministry and want to thank each of you for your continued support of this calling God has placed on our family.
The letters from your (wonderful) kids are precious. Thank you for sharing - the caliber of character in your children is pretty astounding. My favorite part from Cody = "I am twelve years old, and I love donuts." So do I, Cody, so do I.....
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!