February started off with a flurry of activity as the first team of volunteers for Mercy Tech arrived this year. Frank and Leslie Peters, Frank’s brother John Peters, and David Samuel landed in Eswatini and came straight to Project Canaan, ready to put their valuable skills and knowledge to use. The house was instantly full, and a hectic schedule of work began.
David Samuel spent his days at the Lusito shop working alongside our new instructor, Sandile Dlamini, as the final preparations were made to kick off the new technical training school. The classroom was organized, and all the books and training materials that Ross and I had diligently packed and shipped over were now unpacked, sorted, and set up on the new shelving units built specifically for this purpose. David spent many hours accomplishing this task. Might I add—this was no small job, as the boxes of books topped 40 and represent a wealth of information for the new students to access and study.
In addition to working with Sandile, David was also out in the main part of the shop, guiding and instructing our technicians. They certainly appreciated his help, as he was not afraid to jump right in and work alongside them.
Leslie Peters spent her days at Project Canaan Academy in a variety of places. Her biggest undertaking was unpacking, categorizing, and setting up the books in the new library. The scope of the project did not deter her, and over the month, she got the job done. This will be such a great space for the kids to use when researching for school projects, as well as giving them a huge variety of books to read for their own enjoyment.
Leslie also spent countless hours volunteering in different classrooms, helping kids with their reading skills. On a personal note, this is the second year Leslie has stayed with me, and she has become a much-loved “sister” to me. 💕
Frank and John Peters took on a project that Frank actually started planning back in 2024 when he was here. For those who don’t know, Frank is an avid bicycle enthusiast and wanted to provide a safe space for the kids to ride their bikes. The site for the new BMX track had been chosen last year, and the hard work of clearing the land, preparing the track layout, and surfacing began soon after their arrival in February.
This was a colossal task, but Frank and John were able to complete it in just one month. As if that weren’t enough, they also set about repairing broken bikes and performing maintenance on the remaining ones.
The grand finale came the day before they flew back home, with the opening of the new BMX track. Frank explained the course layout and elevation changes to the children and also taught them the various races they can have on their new track. He then prayed a prayer of dedication, and the racing began. This track will provide hours of fun, safe, and healthy activity for years to come.
The month flew by, and before I knew it, their time here was up, and our goodbyes began. What an amazing team to host—a true treasure of help here. Thank you, FRANK, LESLIE, JOHN, and DAVID, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you!
As for me, I’m still in kindergarten several days a week, helping with basic reading skills and thoroughly enjoying watching the kids and their enthusiasm for life.
On February 24th, the seven-month anniversary of Ross’ passing, a new little baby boy was born to a woman here in Eswatini who has become a treasured friend to me over the last year. His parents have chosen to name their son Ross to honor my Ross. I’m sure you can imagine what that did for me. Meeting this tiny Ross and holding him was something I will never forget.
Romans 15:13—”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (NIV)
Love,
Laurie
