X

Swaziland

1989

December 1989 : What a glorious day, the great power of God manifests. Joshua and I have been carrying the cross in the Kingdom of Swaziland for three days. People come hour after hour and gather around the cross. Many people were saved at Pigs Peak. George was one of those, he was so happy.

A senator from Swaziland that Joshua, my 18 year old son, and I met last year at the United Nations reception of the Libyan Mission came out on the road to see us. The people are so responsive and kind.

We climbed a 4,000 feet mountain today. The roads are good with a wide side for walking. This area has rolling hills and is green from fresh rain. Flowers of radiant beauty are everywhere. My favorite is one I call the wedding bell, it is pink and looks like a star burst. Tonight we are sleeping in a hut in an absolutely beautiful animal preserve. There is a fireplace and it even has electric lights, it is really amazing. There are wild animals everywhere and we had the most wonderful time watching them up close or with binoculars.

It was so lovely last night at the cabin, I was up early and carried the cross in the cold mist in this nature reserve. Finally I left the cross and Joshua and I did a two-hour trip around the game park. It was great, I saw wart hogs, zebra, wildebeest, baboons, and impalas and others, and then I went back to the cross. Both newspapers of Swaziland have come to do news stories. The walk carrying the cross through this nation is becoming the main news feature in Swaziland.

Today has been a great day of witness along the road. More than twenty people from a Bible college walked with us today. They were singing, clapping and dancing behind me as I carried the cross along the way. It was a sight to behold. Car after car stopped and crowds gathered along the road.

Swaziland3Praise the Lord. Today was glorious. One thing I will never forget was seeing Joshua as he was approached by the head witch doctor of Swaziland while carrying the cross. He was trying to convince Joshua that he was ignorant and brainwashed and Joshua was giving testimony of his true relationship with Jesus Christ. Finally after a long discussion with Joshua, he came to me. We exchanged cards and promised to send each other material about the truth of each other’s beliefs.

Today was a great day for the Lord along the roadsides. It was take a few steps, stop and talk, then walk a few hundred meters then stop, cars stopping, people gathering. It was this way all day. At one point, I counted twenty-seven cars and trucks parked on the roadside with crowds of people all about. I preached over and over again, when I got tired, Joshua would preach. We led many thousands to Jesus today. It was one of the most awesome days that you could ever live. Faces, people, hands being reached out, people praying, tears, smiles and the glory of God. A lot of people are dressed in traditional clothes made of animal skins. At one place we saw hundreds of warriors marching through the fields.

We were up early this morning and on the road with the cross. The scene was take a few steps then half an hour of talking and preaching. Then walk, stop, then talk, then walk, so many came to Jesus. It was a constant mob of people, all asking the same questions. It was unreal, I am so tired tonight. It is absolutely impossible to move, but even when we go anywhere, everyone is asking about the cross and why and what are we doing. Praise the Lord. This is the most awesome trip. I love this life, I love to live this life with the cross, preaching, sharing Jesus. Praise the Lord.

What a wonderful day carrying the cross with a great crowd of people following us. We preached at a church that meets in a tent. At the end of the meeting, a lady came up holding a little child about six years old who had never spoken a word. I prayed for her and the child began to repeat the words after me, her mother was amazed.

Afterwards I continued carrying the cross. The sun was so hot, it was one of the hottest days I’ve ever felt in my life, and I just need God’s continued healing from the sun’s rays.

Swaziland4Today was an amazing miracle of God. We got our visa for Mozambique. It is usually very difficult to get into that country. In only a few days, we will load up with supplies to take in. Only God knows what will happen. But today was a good day, cars stopped, we prayed and we talked with many people. I went through another game park, walked right through the middle of it with wildebeest, gazelle, zebra, wart hogs all around. The bush was so thick we couldn’t see much; we could sometimes hear animals running. We arrived at a sugar plantation and were invited to stay at the home of the manager. It was blistering hot and the manager gave us an air-conditioned room. Oh, unbelievable, it felt so good.

Today, I almost got too hot, very close to sunstroke. It is so hot, unreal. Joshua and I carried the cross to within three miles of the border. We left the cross at a house and went back to the place where we spent the night last night. I was so hot, my head was bothering me, I almost passed out, when I got to the house, I took a bath and fell across the bed, my head hurting. I pray for the pain to stop, I am very weak and shaky. It was just too much heat for me today. It is now the hottest time in the lowlands of Southern Africa. We saw baboons all along the way. We see jungles and sugar cane fields. I am hot and tired and tomorrow we leave for the war in Mozambique.

Pilgrim followers of Jesus

Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1