We have been in India for a month now, and God has been moving in huge ways. Much of our time has been spenting hanging out and loving the staff and children at the orphanage that AIM supports. We have also been spending a lot of time at a leper colony. God has completely broken my heart for this place, and taken my heart to depths of compassion it has not seen in some time. They are some of the most gracious, generous, humble people I have ever met...and no, they are not 'yet' believers. Please pray for us in this area: that language barriers would be broken, and the gospel recieved.

Right now, we are preparing for our teams arrival in two days (June 9th). There are 18 students who we will be leading in ministry and discipleship for two months. They will be serving Jesus at three different leper colonies, three orphanages and a slum here in Delhi. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we lead this team.

Jitender is one of the oldest boys at Asha House. He is an amazing man of God, and has a desire to serve Him in the hard places!

This says it all...

...okay, maybe not all, but it's definitely 'INDIA'!!

More to come in the next few days...we promise!!

We're finally in India. Actually, we've been here for a week now, getting reacquainted with the culture and trying to remember how to navigate around the crazy streets of India. We had forgotten how interesting and unique India is. It's definitely a culture set apart from anywhere else we've been; a night and day difference to USA/Canada and Swaziland (which, when you're in India, you realize is not that different from the America's). It is definitely a good thing that we came here a few weeks early, as so much has changed since we were here last; even that which is the same takes a bit of recollecting!!

Daddy has been working a lot on my heart this week. While we were in South Africa, I was battling Him about going to India. Don't get me wrong, I have wanted to be back here ever since I left in 2005, I just didn't feel ready. My biggest fear was loneliness. We were moving from our base in Swaziland with 10-15 full-time staff to a base that's only just starting, where we were the only staff. I didn't think I was ready to be alone. Even on the plane, I spent a lot of time just crying out to Daddy because I was afraid for what was coming once we stepped off the airplane in Delhi. I didn't feel ready. However, he kept telling me over and over again, "Daddy knows….Daddy knows….Daddy knows." He reminded me that as long as He's going with me everything will fall into place. I knew without a doubt that He was going with me…He was sending me to India…He knows!!

This week He's shown me that Daddy really does know…

This past Friday, Matt and I headed to the orphanage, Asha House, where our team will be working. We know most of the staff from when we were here last time (although, it is a different orphanage that is only about 1.5 years old). During the drive there, I wasn't too keen on being there for the afternoon. However, Daddy knows, and He sent me there that afternoon for a reason….I fell in love with India and the people here. While at the orphanage I had some great conversations with some of the female staff, the start of great friendships, I fell in love with the orphans (not a hard thing to do), and I fell in love with India. Daddy once again reminded me that He knows!!!

He knows what's going to happen in half an hour or 10 years!

He knows what my passions are and how to reach them!

He knows my fears and that His perfect love drives out fear!

He knows my doubts and what to say to rid my mind of them!

He knows how to love me, and does just that!

He knows that I'm going to fail, and loves me just the same!

What do I have to worry about, because….Daddy knows!!

It has been a while since we have last blogged...my apologies!!!

A bit of an update...

April 10th we packed all our belongings in two bags each, said bye to our friends and ministry in Swaziland and headed to Jo-burg, South Africa. We dropped off our passports and visa applications at the Indian Embassy. Matt and I, along with my friend Alisha, hopped onto a charter bus and headed down to Cape Town while we waited for our visa to be approved. While there, we stayed with an amazing couple from the States. They welcomed us into their home, and blessed us with amazing community and fellowship. Cape Town is very beautiful and so were able to spend a week just delighting in the Lord's beauty and watching stunning sunsets!!!

Last week we then headed to Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa, to spend a short amount of time with great friends of ours. It was a much needed time of relaxation before we lead our team in India!!

Finally, today we head back up to Johannesburg, pick up our visas and fly off to India on Friday. The Lord has continually confirmed our trip to India. Just last week as we were at the Indian Embassy, we were informed that they would only give us a 3 month visa. This posed to be a problem as our trip is 4 months long...uh oh!!! We basically just sat in the waiting room praying that they would extend it to 6 months. Praise the Lord, they did!! Before we applied, this embassy had never given anything longer than a 3 month visa, yet we walked out with a 6 month one!!

We hope to continue to be in touch during the next few months. Our team arrives on June 6th and will have a team blog that you can keep up-to-date with:08in0602rl2.myadventures.org

The last few weeks have been busy for the Best's. It seems like every second day I say to Matt, "I need to put this (or that) on our blog," but it's only now that I've had the chance. So, there's a little bit of catching up...

Discipleship Under the Lapa

The World Race teams have been travelling through Swaziland/South Africa/Mozambique for the past three months, and it's been a blessing to be able to sit in on their teachings and discipleship. For two weeks we gathered in the mornings under the Lapa (an african, thatched roof gazebo thing). It has been crazy to see the Holy Spirit move in our lives as well as the students here. We have learned so much...hopefully in the next few days we'll be able to share some of what the Lord's teaching us with you!!!

Our Mozambiquan Adventure

Our Mozambiquan visa expired on March 20th. Since being in Swaziland we've planned so many trips to Mozambique that have fallen through. Since we had the visa, we decided we must go!!! So, a couple of weeks ago we were dropped off at the Mozambiquan bus stop at 6am to catch a public transport combie (15 passenger van). We weren't taking into consideration that the previous morning there had been a public transport strike and riots in the city, halting all transport, and scaring off a few Swazi's (don't worry, everything is fine). Therefore, no one wanted to go to Mozambique that day and the combies don't leave until they are filled up. We sat for 4 hours at the bus stop waiting for the combie to leave. We finally made it into Mozambique at 1:30pm, and were informed that the last combie leaves for Swaziland at 3pm. Needless to say, we went to Maputo for lunch (we found a great sea food restaurant for prawns and calamari) and hopped right back on a combie to come home. It was a lot of travelling, but a fun adventure that we shared together!!!

Baptism Saturday

Two of the students living next door to us were baptized at Mantenga Falls on Easter Saturday. It is definitely the coolest place to be baptized (in the eyes of a photographer that is!!). Matt helped baptize Marcus, who asked to be held under the water for 30 seconds while the guys poured out prophesies and prayers over him. He said that despite the fact that he was underwater, he could hear their prayers clearly and word-for-word...so cool!!!

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday proved to be a busy day for us.

Our friends Andile and Moshoeshoe (see previous blog) have just built their first house on their own homestead...we are very excited that they finally have a place of their own!!! Their house dedication fell on Easter Sunday and Matt was asked to preach at it. It was a great opportunity to share the gospel and challenge a group of Swazi's (especially since they weren't at the Easter services). This is the only time he's ever spoken to Swazi's where they were interested and commented on it later. However, only a few hours later, they were celebrating with a cask of a home-brewed alcoholic drink. Please pray for the hearts of Swazi's, that it won't just go in one ear and out the other, but it will be received and lived out!!!

I (Naomi) was only able to stop by the house dedication for a few minutes as I had been asked to take photos at another service in the south of Swaziland, Nsoko. A group of people with G42, one of AIM's sister organizations, believe that the Lord is building up a remnent of Swazi's that will lead this country to Christ...that remnent is in Nsoko. On Easter Sunday G42 ordained Pastor Gift as their first pastor, with their first church plant in Nsoko. It was a great day despite the fact that it rained all morning and we had to walk through 6 inch deep mud to get to the tent. Everyone was decked out in their Sunday best, and looked great from their ankles up!!! Many people even went bare foot!!!

A Long Awaited Visitor Arrives

Alisha, one of my best friends from Cape Breton Island, arrived in Swaziland on Wednesday. We are so excited to have her visiting, show her around Swaziland and introduce her to our friends here!! We took her to a snake farm on Thursday where we all held an albino boa constrictor. I was very proud of myself as I've been to the snake farm twice before and never had the guts to actually hold the snake!!!  

I'm sorry this message was quite long, but hopefully a good catch-up with what's going on in Swaziland. We now only have a few weeks left in Swaziland before we have to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa to apply for Indian visas. In only a month we'll be heading to India to prepare for our team this summer!!!

Keep checking out our blog in the next few days, as Matt has some exciting Swazi news and photos that he'll be posting!!!

Moshoeshoe and Andile are our closest Swazi friends. I (Matt) met the two of them when I first visited Swaziland in 2006. In July we moved on to the same homestead they were living on, and formed an even closer bond. They have been married for over three years, and are still without any children. This is percieved as a very bad stigma in Swazi culture, and the pressure from the family to begin using Sangoma's (witch doctors) and muti (traditional African medicine) is tremendous. We have tried to encourage them and pray with them for the Lords will and blessing. Please keep them in your prayers that they wont be drawn into ancestreal worship, and other practices that are not pleasing to the Lord.

The four of us love to go and cook meat, and swim at the local river/waterfall. I have tried to teach Moshoeshoe how to swim, he is getting better, but I think he has invented a new style. Naomi has failed to talk Andile into getting in the water, but has helped make her into one of the meanest pizza cooks in town.  Anyway, please lift us up in prayer as well, as we are striving to learn what discipleship really looks like, and that God would give us wisdom in our ministry.

On February 16th, Matt had the privilege of being the Best Man in his friend Dennis' wedding. Dennis has lived in Swaziland for about 3 years and met the woman of his dreams, Zwakele!!! It has been interesting to see Dennis and Zwakele get engaged and married 'Swazi Style.' Like all Swazi's, Dennis had to pay for Zwakele with cows, and although their wedding was 'western style' with the brides dress and bridesmaids, they danced up the aisle... after all Swazi are great at dancing, on the other hand Matt had a little trouble finding his rythmn...

I personally think he stole the show!!!!

Let's not forget the rest of the wedding...

On Saturday Dennis and Zwakele had a small wedding with about 150 invited guests. However, this is unusual in Swaziland. Usually, anyone and everyone show up to a wedding in the community, invited or not. So, on Sunday, they had the exact same ceremony but in the local community, where four times the amount of people were squished into a church a sixth of the size...it was hot, but all had a great time!!!! I had the privilege of taking the pictures of the wedding, so here are a few...

Dennis met Zwakele half way down the aisle, and they walked the rest of the way together.

The ceremony on Saturday

The flower girl was so cute!!!

The groomsmen...not really sure why one of them is holding flowers!!!

The ladies!!!

And now, the bride and groom...

Matt looked so smart in his vest and tie...In my opinion, definitely the best looking one there!!!

Our main ministry here in Swaziland is making friends with everyone and anyone we meet, whether in our office, on the street, in the rural area, in the hospital, in the squatter camp, or on our homestead. We desire to show them the true love of Christ: one that is greater than poverty, greater than AIDS, greater than ancestral holds. Yule is one of these friends...He always seems to be at the grocery store, street corner, or pizza place when we're there. Sometime I think he just waits on the street for someone from AIM to drive by. Everyone here at AIM knows Yule!!!

Yule is one of thousands of people in Swaziland suffering from AIDS. He has also just recently been diagnosed with TB, and is on medication for it. We often see him with kleenex up his nose and in his ears because he can't control the bleeding.

We ran into Yule on Christmas day while we were ordering our Christmas dinner (it was Pizza). We had the privilege of sitting with him while he ate the fruit, juice, milk and sandwiches we gave him. It was great to see him laugh and smile on Christmas.

Please pray for Yule...Pray that He won't only want money or food, but that He will truly want Christ...