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pinoy-culture · 3 years

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Tagalog Gods (Part 2/10)

✦ Diyan Masalanta – Goddess of love, childbirth, and…destruction?

“They had another idol called Dian masalanta, who was the patron of lovers and of generation.”

– Juan de Plasencia’s Relation of the Worship of the Tagalogs, Their Gods, and Their Burials and Superstition (1589)

Original article posted on my blog The Pinay Writer

So there was a question on the Anito: The Precolonial Beliefs, Polytheistic Beliefs, and Practices of the Philippines group I run on FB about the goddess Dayang Masalanta, aka Dian/Diyan Masalanta. The question was, “Does her name really mean “to be destroyed there”? That’s quite the ominous name for a goddess of lovers.”

At first glance, it does seem so. Why would the name of a goddess of love and childbirth be called “to be destroyed there? To be destroyed?” It does seem a bit odd. However, you have to dig deeper into the Tagalog psyche and beliefs to get a grasp of why this possibly is. Now, let me first be clear that this is my own opinion and there is no written record stating the meaning behind the name of this goddess, nor is there anything else mentioned about her besides the small reference in Juan de Plasencia’s Relation of the Worship of the Tagalogs, Their Gods, and Their Burials and Superstition (1589). Sadly this is the case and she isn’t mentioned anywhere else. It could be perhaps, from my guess, that she was a particular anito prayed to by a certain group of Tagalog, but she was not one well known to the entire Tagalog region compared to let’s say Lakapati who is very often mentioned in various historical sources. We will get more into this in a minute.

Now, Dian is Diyang, which means “lady”. Masalanta or Magsalanta is a Tagalog word that means “to be destroyed or devastated“. It comes from the root word, salanta, which in the Noceda and Sanlucar Vocabulario de la lengua Tagala (1754) and the San Buenaventura dictionary (1613) lists the meaning as poor, needy, crippled, and blind.

Generally, masalanta/magsalanta and nasalanta, which means “is destroyed/devastated“, is used when there is a calamity, such as a typhoon and flood. It can also be translated as victimized, damaged, and crippled and basically means someone who has misfortune or will have misfortune.

So, again, why would the goddess of love and childbirth be called Dayang Masalanta, or “Lady of destruction/devastation?”

The word salanta in the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Noceda and Sanlucar the 1860 edition

Being the goddess of lovers and childbirth, it is quite possible that Dayang Masalanta was prayed to by couples who were not able to conceive a child. This was and still is, considered devastating and could be thought to be caused by angered anito. They may have prayed to her for a child, or a woman may have prayed to her for a safe delivery and a healthy baby. It can also be that she was prayed and honored to prevent bad weather such as a typhoon, along with being the goddess of love and childbirth.

Weather? Where does this come from you may ask? Besides the indication of her name, let’s take a look to the present at a ritual that is said to have survived despite colonization and the church. This ritual that I am talking about is the Obando Fertility Rite in Obando, Bulacan, which was celebrated just recently.

The Obando Fertility Rite is said to predate the arrival of the Spaniards. It is a 3 day festival from May 17-19 that is celebrated every year by hundreds of people and attended by couples coming from throughout the Philippines looking to be blessed with a child and for lovers to find love. It is believed that the ritual was once dedicated to the anito and was replaced by the saints. While the saints and Catholicism have taken over the ritual, there are elements of the older practices still there.

Newspaper clipping from Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 19, 2005

There are 3 saints prayed to and honored during this 3 day festival. May 17 is celebrated to San Pascual Baylon, the patron saint of good fortune. May 18 is dedicated to Santa Clara, the patron saint of the childless and of good weather. May 19 is in celebration of Our Lady of Salambao, the patron saint of farmers and fisherman for a good harvest. Together they are prayed to for fertility, whether it’s of a childless couple hoping for a child, a woman praying for a safe pregnancy, for those who are single to find a lover, and of fisherman and farmers wishing for an abundance of harvest of crops and fish.

One Saint in particular that is prayed to is Santa Clara, or Saint Clare of Assissi. She was a nun from Italy during the 13th century that established the Order of Poor Ladies, officially known as the Order of Saint Clare. In the Obando festival, she is the oldest patron saint and is considered the patron saint of those who are childless and want a child. To her they danced, sang, and offered eggs as symbols of fertility. This fertility dance is said to be the Kasilonawan, an old fertility dance among barren women. Kasilonawan is actually mentioned in the N&S dictionary (1754) as an ancient ceremony, however it doesn’t get into more detail.

The kasilonawan ritual mentioned in the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Noceda and Sanlucar the 1754 edition as casilonawan in the old Spanish spelling where f is exchanged with s, and v, with w

Now many Pilipinos, especially soon to be wed couples, offer eggs to Santa Clara. They do this not only as offerings of fertility, but also to ask for good weather. It is said she is the the patron saint for good weather because of her name, Clara, which means “clear”. Clara is also the word referring to the white part of the egg. This is mentioned in the entries for the words liwanag and puti in both the SB and N&S dictionaries.

From the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Noceda and Sanlucar the 1860 edition

“Niyong ako’y magmula sa Kastila y itlog ka pa man din sa tiyan nang ina mo.” = When I arrived from Spain, you were still an egg in your mother’s belly. – (SB 1613)

This idea of eggs representing a fetus and of fertility is why eggs are offered to Santa Clara as a symbolic gesture from women who are having a hard time conceiving in the hopes they will have a child. Together with the ritual dance and chants, they hope to overcome this and be blessed with pregnancy.

Let’s now get back to Dayang Masalanta. We know from Plasencia that she was the goddess of lovers and childbirth. From her name, we have Masalanta referring to destruction/devastation in terms of a natural calamity like a flood. Now, is it possible that one of the anito that the people of Obando once worshiped and prayed to in these fertility rites was none other than Dayang Masalanta? That due to the arrival of Catholicism, the shift from the anito to the saints made the locals refer Dayang Masalanta as Santa Clara?

Both represent childbirth and both have a connection with the weather. Santa Clara being prayed to for clear skies and good weather, while Dayang Masalanta in her name represents a word that foretells misfortune from bad weather and we know she was the goddess of lovers and childbirth. This association of good weather and blessing couples with a child with Santa Clara isn’t practiced anywhere else in the world. In fact the only associations with Santa Clara, aka St. Clare of Assissi, is that she is the patron saint of eye disease, goldsmiths, laundry, and television according to the Catholic Church. So why would the Tagalog associate her with praying for good weather, fertility, and a blessing of a child among childless couples? I explained that they associate the weather because of her name, Clara, but again eggs? What does eggs have to do with praying for good weather? Fertility yes, but I still don’t see the connection between eggs and good weather unless this was because of a something else in the old Tagalog mindset and belief.

There is also the prayer of finding a loving partner if you attend the Obando Fertility Festival. Maybe, just possibly, Dayang Masalanta was once prayed to for love, conception, fortune, and good weather and that she was once the focus of the Obando Fertility Rite among other anito? The other anito which I suspect are Linga, a phallic god, who is often mentioned today to be associated with the rites, and Lakan Pati a fertility deity who was once prayed to for a fertile harvest and also to provide for water for crops. They were also prayed to for an abundance of fish when fishing at sea, according to the Boxer Codex, which again goes along with the Obando Fertility rites of praying for fertility and an abundance harvest of crops and fish.

For me, this is quite the possibility. However, again I must clearly state and emphasize that there is no historical written evidence to connect Dayang Masalanta with the Obando Fertility Rites, Santa Clara, or even her being worshiped for clear, fair weather. One can only assume based on her name, what we know of her from Plasencia, and what we know today of the fertility rites in Obando.

What do you think? Do you think Santa Clara was once Dayang Masalanta? Why else do you think her name is Masalanta when she is the goddess of lovers and childbirth? Let me know, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Illustration Credits from Photoset:

First Illustration (2nd photo): By Kian @morenangmariaclara.

Second Illustration (3rd photo): By Abby @abbydraws

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kratikasaxena · 4 years

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How to Care for Mental Health – Tips for Social Distancing, Self quarantine and Isolation

In this pandemic time, many people have restricted themselves for outside movement, whether on recommendations of a doctor or physician or self imposed. This will minimize the risk of spread of virus. This may lead to worry and anxiety for members of our community.

Following the tips below will help you in taking care of your physical and mental health.

Expectations : Typical Reactions

Everybody has different reactions and responses to different situations of stress and in case of this outbreak social distancing, isolation and quarantine, people may feel anxiety, worry, or fear related to:

The health status of yourself and others whom you may have exposed to the disease

A risk may arise for your friends and family to go to self isolation as a result of contact with you , may lead to anxiety.

Constant monitoring yourself, or being monitored by others for signs and symptoms of the disease

The potential loss of income and job security because of time taken off from work or job.

The challenges of securing essentials you need, such as groceries , medicines and personal care items

Uncertainty or frustration about how long you will need to remain in this situation, and uncertainty or ambivalence about the future

Loneliness associated with self isolation or quarantine when cut off from the world and from loved ones

Couldn’t do day to day activities which may lead to boredom and frustration.

Desire to use alcohol or drugs to cope up with the situation

Symptoms of depression, such as feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, useless, changes in appetite, or sleeping too little or too much.

Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as intrusive distressing memories, flashbacks (reliving the event), nightmares, changes in thoughts and mood, and being easily startled.

Tips to Support Yourself during Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation

Understanding the Risk

Just think of the real risk associated to this disease which is harmful for yourself and others around you. Media coverage and news outlets may create the impression that people are in immediate danger when really the risk for infection may be very low. Take steps to get the facts:

Keep an eye on latest news what is happening, while limiting your media exposure. Avoid watching or listening to news reports 24/7 since this tends to increase anxiety and worry in yourself and among children too they might get affected.

Look to credible sources for information on the disease outbreak.

Be Your Own Advocate

If you are in isolation or self quarantined yourself then speaking to others is very much important, since you may not be in a hospital or other facility where your basic needs are met. Ensure you have what you need to feel safe, secure, and comfortable.

Work with local, state, or national health officials to find out how you can arrange for groceries and toiletries to be delivered to your home as needed.

Keep yourself in touch with health care providers or health authorities if in case you need to continue to receive your medications and treatment.Without depending on others you can order medicines online app which will help you in getting your prescription with contact free delivery at your door step at affordable prices.

Educate Yourself

Clear information related to your health on the disease, its diagnosis, and treatment should be provided by Health care providers and health authorities.

Do not be afraid to ask questions—keep clear communication with a health care provider may help reduce any distress associated with the situation.

Ask for written information when available.

Ask a family member or friend to obtain information in the event that you are unable to secure this information on your own.

Connect With Others

Reaching out to people you can rely on and trust is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety, depression, loneliness, and boredom during social distancing, quarantine, and isolation. You can:

a. Use the telephone, email, text messaging, and social media to connect with friends, family, and others.

b. Talk “face to face” with friends and loved ones using Skype or FaceTime or video calls.

c. If approved by health authorities and your health care providers, arrange for your friends and loved ones to drop off newspapers, movies, and books.

d. Sign up for emergency alerts via text or email to ensure you get updates as soon as they are available.

e. Use the Internet, radio, and television to keep up with local, national, and world events, but in a limit just make a schedule .

Positive attitude- Practice kindness and gratitude

Practicing more kindness and having gratitude toward others and ourselves is a great way to feel closer, rather than feel farther apart. This helps in enhancing our own energies and power.

Spend time in nature, whether it’s just a walk around your balcony or garden, hopefully with the sun shining overhead. Nature helps in healing.

Be good to your precious self. There is no real need for loneliness. You are not alone.

Consult Your Doctor

If you are in a medical facility, you may have access to health care providers who can answer your questions. However, if you are quarantined at home, and you’re worried about physical symptoms you or your loved ones may be experiencing, be in touch with your doctor or other health care provider:

Ask your provider whether it would be possible to schedule remote appointments via Skype or FaceTime for mental health, substance use, or physical health needs.

With this go for an online medication to avoid yourself going out of house. To avail the supplies buy medicine online in India with best online pharmacy.

Closure

Practical Ways to Cope and Relax

Do yoga or meditate, pray, engage yourself in healthy activities you enjoy doing to keep your body in movement. Relax yourself between stressful activities and do something fun after a hard task. Talk about your feelings, emotions to loved ones and friends, if you find it helpful. Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking consider keeping a journal where you write down things you are grateful for or that are going well.

#healthcare #mental health #socialdistancing #isolation #quarantine #medications #nature #relaxingmood #healthytips

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jlfisher91 · 4 years

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Savannah Grey.

For anyone who loves a birth story, this is for you. For any woman still trying to process her own, this is for you. For anyone who is a type A planner and likes to demand things from God, this is for you.

For a long time, I loved reading birth stories, and always knew that I’d write my own even before Savannah was born. After her birth, however, I didn’t want to write it anymore. I didn’t want to remember the details, I didn’t want to relive some of the memories. It’s been a long 13 months of trying to come to peace with the story-- having some progress, and then some setbacks. Ultimately, though, I am sharing. I’m sharing because it’s the story of my first baby coming into the world, and it’s the story of God’s plan for her birth. MY plans would have looked much, MUCH different. But reliving the experience has been a constant exercise in thankfulness and laying down of my pride.

Throughout my entire pregnancy, I thought about Savannah’s birth. I was so excited for literally every last part of it. I wanted my water to break, I wanted contractions, I wanted Nate to be by my side through it all because it would be an experience in our marriage that we would never forget. I wasn’t afraid of it, I was eager for it. I had a fairly loose plan for a natural birth- knowing that I had the option of an epidural, but mostly (again, excitedly) planning on letting my body do what it was made to do. At first, it did.

I went to bed on the 11th (4 days before her due date) and less than 3 hours later, around 1am, my water broke. It was the very typical “I think I peed myself” sort of thing, but I also knew it was more than that because contractions started immediately. We called the doctor and they had us come in right away. I remember being surprised and excited that they put us in a labor and delivery room right away, rather than taking us first to triage. I was checked by the midwife and only 3cm dilated. They gave me something mild to help me sleep, which didn’t work because I was running high on adrenaline.

By 8am, I was checked again and not progressing. My contractions were consistent and fairly strong earlier in the night, but were now slowly spacing out and becoming less effective. The doctor offered me pitocin, which I quickly declined and asked if I could try to get my body in more active labor on my own. I bounced on the exercise ball, I walked the halls a LOT, and contractions definitely picked up.

One of the things I loved about UPMC was that they offered nitrous oxide as a way of managing pain. I researched it a lot before going in and knew it would be my first request when the pain increased. For anyone who may be interested for their own birth experience, let me just say- It. Was. Awful. To use it effectively, you had to be taking the deepest breath at the peak of the contraction. This was too much for me to think about while the pain was rapidly increasing, so I pretty much failed at nailing the timing. Also, it made me want to vomit. Skip it.

The day somehow moved at a snail’s pace and within a moment. I was managing the contractions okay for the most part, but my midwife came in around 2pm to offer pitocin again, since I still wasn’t progressing quickly. Because my water had broken early in the morning, there was a time crunch to get the baby out to prevent infection and I was quickly approaching the deadline. I will pause here and say my midwife, Patty, was a gem. She was a great listener and knew that I wanted a natural birth, but was also aware of what would be in the best interest of me and the baby. She had to deal with my mini breakdown because I felt like a failure for needing any medical intervention (remember that time I said I held the idea of a natural birth loosely? I lied.). I knew that with pitocin would come hard, hard labor- unnaturally hard- and I conceded when they also offered me an epidural.

The epidural came in the early evening and I remember my body shaking so violently that I wasn’t sure they’d be able to give me one. As soon as I laid back down, it felt like a warm blanket was put on my lower half- it was amazing. Until maybe 3 minutes later when a contraction came and I felt it in one isolated area in my low back. I panicked and asked the nurse why I was still feeling it. She responded saying that I must have had a “window”- where the medicine fails to hit a certain area. She called the anesthesiologist in and he worked some sort of magic that made the pain go away. I tried to rest, but at this point I was getting nervous. Things were moving really slowly and I was anxious to get pushing.

I have basically no memory of what happened between about 6pm when Nate and I started a movie, and 10pm- when the midwife came in and said it was time to start pushing. I knew we weren’t fully in business, because no delivery tools were brought in and set up. The midwife said the baby had to be a little lower first, so I started pushing, which proved to be one of the hardest things I’d ever done. Remember the “window” from the epidural? Whatever magic the anesthesiologist did to make it go away, wore off. I felt every bit of the contractions in my back. Also, at this point, I’d been up for almost 24 hours, with barely any sleep even before labor began. I was exhausted, in pain, and making no progress.

By this point, things were getting rough. Savannah’s heart rate was dropping, so they stopped the pitocin. It returned to normal, however, as soon as they did that, my body was basically useless when it came to pushing because my contractions lost a lot of their strength. What was helping me, was hurting her. Two hours of pushing and pausing have gone by now. I took a short break and started again. At 4am, the midwife said we’d start the pitocin again, but if her heart rate dropped, we’d move immediately to a c-section. At this point, she wanted to give me another break to try and rest so that we’d get an effective set of pushes with the pitocin to help. I cried and prayed nonstop from 4am to 5am that God would get this baby out at our next attempt. I really did not prepare to feel as helpless and hopeless as I did in that moment of labor. Even as I’m typing this, I’m crying at that awful memory.

At 5am, the midwife returned and told me that we’d try pushing, but Savannah was stuck at the pubic bone, unable to get under it. If these pushes were ineffective, she could try to use the forceps to get Savannah out. I was so nervous, but knew that might be my only way out of a C-section. When my attempt at pushing failed for the last time, the midwife called the doctor- who said she wouldn’t even attempt the forceps based on how stuck the baby was. The midwife told me I’d be getting a c-section and I sobbed so hard I thought I was going to throw up. Every part of my perfect plan was falling apart and I was shocked, scared, and angry.

They had Nate wait outside the operating room while I got the spinal tap. I was sitting on the bed, arms and legs hanging over the side and holding onto one of the nurses as I continued to cry. I heard the anesthesiologist mention that something wasn’t working, so a different one came and attempted to give the shot. After what felt like ages of being poked and prodded, I heard one say “we’ll just need to put her under”, and they laid me back. I frantically asked the nurse “am I going to be asleep for the whole thing?? I’m going to miss it??” and she told me yes. They weren’t going to let Nate in before putting me to sleep, but I asked at the last second and cried to him and repeatedly said “I’m gonna miss it, I’m gonna miss it.” Most C-sections still result in the baby being pulled out head first, however, Savannah was so stuck that the doctor said she had to pull her out feet first- something she’d only done for the second time in her career.

The next thing I remember is waking up in so much pain in a recovery room. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I could hear Savannah’s little whimpers as Nate held her. Once I could finally open my eyes, I remember thinking how dang CUTE that baby was. The nurses helped me have skin to skin and I got to breastfeed her right away. A lot of that moment is somewhat darkened by how much pain I was in- something that makes me sad whenever I think too hard about it. But the reality is, she was (is) perfect. Nate was with me then and although we had a bunch of people around working to get me set up with pain management, I had my little family.

This story is not in the least how I would have planned it. Every single piece of it broke down at some point. But I am so thankful that God gave the medical staff the wisdom to know how to keep me and Savannah safe and healthy. The fact that some women leave the hospital without their babies is not lost on me. I know at the end of the day, I’m crying over ruined plans, not loss. I’m thankful for His ways of sharpening my faith and getting me to a place of surrendering my will to His. I’m still very afraid for our next and final birth. It’s extremely likely that I’ll need another C-section (although, I will most likely attempt a VBAC if the doctors think it’s possible). My prayers have shifted from “please let this happen this way” to “please let me have peace no matter the outcome.”

April is C-section awareness month. While I struggle with looking at my C-section as a dark cloud over my birth story, I know it is the means by which my Savannah was safely brought into the world. In the end, I’m thankful.

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gethinandbex · 6 years

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2018

In what seems like a hearty joke, 2018 is indeed now upon us; the speed of it’s arrival leaving us breathless at the many blessings and challenges faced & accomplished during 2017. Like us, we’re sure this New Year hasn’t started any slower than the last one ended for you.

As a family though, we start this year with thanksgiving in our hearts. We’re thankful for the many blessings we have in our lives, our family and friends, our roles, church and Pastors; people who have believed in us and continue to believe in us and our work here in Swaziland.

With that said, we start this year being thankful for YOU, our supporters! No matter the amount, the faith it takes to commit financially and prayerfully to us and our roles here is seen, known, and appreciated! Without your ongoing love and giving we wouldn’t have made it through the first year, and yet by grace, here we are in our fourth… And to those we’ve met along our journey whilst here, those who’ve decided to faithfully come along side and support us, we say a heartfelt THANK YOU!!

Family Update

January 2018 finds Bex 7 months pregnant (due first week of March) and Lils & Cal turning 2 ½ at the end of the month. Safe to say, Liliwen and Calon arrived in the 2’s with a bang!! We’ve had days where we felt like pulling our hair out and days where we can’t believe we had anything to do with making these little angels!

Lils has seemingly potty trained herself without us having to do anything, which isn’t surprising for this fiercely independent young lady, who responds to her mother when asked to come inside for dinner, with statements such as “Uh no, we’re helping daddy fix the car!”, when dad is changing a car lightbulb and the twins have spent the last 5 minutes running around said car, screaming & chasing each other with sticks.

Cal isn’t particularly interested in toileting well at the moment, if he’s near a potty he may use it, he may be just as likely to run out of the bathroom professing “I did a wee!”, “Did you do it in the potty?” I ask, “No, on the floor, but I clean it up.” He has indeed mopped it up off the tiles using the shorts he was wearing just a moment before. “Do we reward this behaviour or reprimand it?” I ask Bex.

Needless to say, parenting twins is stressful & busy but A LOT of fun! Lils, recently said her first unprompted prayer just before bedtime. She said, “Heavenly Father, thank you for today!”, which we obviously thought was adorable. Cal managed to top it a couple of weeks later when asked if he wanted to pray. His first prayer, very solemnly, “Heavenly Father… Thank you for Liliwen’s feet.”

Over Christmas, we were here in Swaziland and it was hot, so we were able to go swimming most days. The kids’ confidence in the water is now great, with them swimming all-over using their floaty arm bands. Christmas to New Year week was peaceful & restful for us as a family, even though we weren’t able to be with extended family.

Liliwen and Calon will be starting nursery two days a week at our chosen preschool at the end of January, with special thanks to dear friends who made it possible and have covered this year’s school fees.

Ministry Update

For Children’s Cup during 2017, we were responsible for the Wellness Team in Swaziland. The team responsible for doing basic health care on our CarePoint children, managing extra care health needs such as HIV/AIDS treatment, social welfare, as well as Guguletfu and our disability support program.

The big change this year is that we’ve just handed over leadership of the Wellness Team to one of the team members, who is a Registered Nurse. She is local and has been on the team for the whole of last year; she has the character and leadership skills to continue developing the team as the numbers of children we serve continuously grows.

Why did this happen? Well, simply put, every role we have worked in since arriving in Swaziland has been for the purpose of handing it over to a local. Thus, making it more sustainable. If, for whatever reason we should have to leave, the programs will continue.

We are remaining part of the Wellness Team, as our Disability Support Program falls under the Wellness umbrella. As far as Cup goes now, our focus will be on developing the disability program and Guguletfu to meet more children’s needs across more of the CarePoint sites. There are now 32 CarePoints across Swaziland and South Africa with over 11,000 children attending the Children’s Cup Christmas parties last December. We are praying to find someone who we can train as a disability coordinator, someone who can be a point person for the programs we are running, someone who will learn and become as passionate as we are for those with disabilities and their families.

Within Liberty Church, we are continuing to work alongside Community Pastors Lue & Zinty Ncube as coaches over the new Liberty Church Manzini community, launched in May of 2017 and over the Liberty Community Centre. The second half of 2017 has been an incredible journey for the church as many more individuals & families have got connected and really begun to be part of the flourishing community here in Manzini.

Together, we are serving as elders, on the leadership team, within the kids program, facility management and other areas, helping to live out Liberty’s values of Love, Truth, Freedom, Family & Others.

January is Liberty’s 7th birthday since officially launching at the Tribeca Cinemas, NYC in 2011 and it is amazing to think of all that has happened and come from Paul & Andi Andrew making the incredible decision to move their family half-way around the world, from Sydney, Australia, to NYC where they knew only three people, for a vision that God had given them. If it wasn’t for stumbling into a Liberty Church gathering near the end of 2010, we may never have come into our calling, and arrived here in Swaziland as ambassadors of the Church. Liberty is one church with 6, soon to be 8, different communities and we are blessed to be part of this enduring story of God’s love.

This Year

We are believing for major things this year! We start the year off with Liberty’s Vision Sunday on January 28th, where as a church we get to look back on all the things that have happened over the past 7 years and cast vision for the future, with all its beautiful possibilities.

Guguletfu (Treasured Ones), will kick off the year in February as we believe to serve more families affected with disabilities than last year, and aim to find the perfect person to be trained as a coordinator for disabilities.

We are believing for a healthy baby and delivery here in Swaziland. We have a doctor and hospital we trust and will be giving birth here in Manzini the first week of March. Bex is super strong right now and makes other pregnant women look like they’re not even trying, (can I say that? I just did;) We’re praying this transition for our family will be a healthy & happy one, especially for Calon & Liliwen who welcome a new sibling.

We are believing for continued growth and lives changed at Liberty Church and Liberty Community Centre. The community centre is changing lives with it’s free access to musical tuition, educational support and skills training and the church is committed to bringing people into a truly loving community where they are known, valued and appreciated. We are believing for many more lives to be impacted & transformed with God’s love.

We’re believing for more supporters to come along side us in our journey here, to partner with us faithfully, prayerfully and financially as we seek to walk-out the vision placed in our hearts.

Thank you for taking the time to read,

With love, from Gethin, Bex, Liliwen, Calon and bump X

To financially partner with us please click here. To sign up to our Newsletter, please email [email protected]

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