Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 8/5/2010
 I'm 29 today and feeling the usual
birthday blues. I'm not a big fan of my birthday in general, but at
the same time I want people to notice and pay me special attention.
It's an odd combo. I feel exposed admitting it.
I've been back from Africa for five
days, and combining the birthday blues with post trip recovery has
not made for my most emotionally stable week. Since getting back my
time and attention has been spent putting out fires. Space to
process Swaziland with the energy to do it is a luxury I haven't been
afforded.
It's odd, there are two ways I can view
today, I can see at it as the end of my 28th year on earth
or the beginning of my 29th. I've been looking at my
birthday as the end of something and it seems pretty bleak. To be
dangerously honest I assumed I would be married long before now, and
the way I imagined my life looking at this age is nowhere close to
reality.
Everything that I've worked for or
towards in the last year seems to have fallen apart or be over. This
is an overly pessimistic and very simplified way of viewing things
even though it feels right. But as my favorite college professor
said, “Feelings are real, but they don't define reality.”
About three or four months ago I felt
like God was saying that it was time to push on every door I could
and see what opened. I was hopelessly optimistic, annoyingly cherry,
and felt downright unstoppable.
I pushed...
and I got pushed back...
Every door has now shut, I'm out of
ideas, out of options, and too tired to try again anyway.
Here I am, 29, today, and I work a part
time job with no room for career growth. I run a nonprofit that the
city is trying to shut down, because what we do is messy. The
interpersonal conflicts take the biggest toll, and sadly there is no
stud on a white horse anywhere on the horizon.
Truthfully, right now I'm a little bit
of a wreck. I can glance at the positive things, which make me
appear good. My life on the Facebook feed looks amazing. Some days
I buy into that life. Than there are the days like today, where the
losses seem to overshadow the gains. It's not that the losses are
more, they are just closer at the moment pushing anything positive
out of my frame of reference. It's likely that tomorrow I'll be able
to see life in better perspective but today will be a day to get
through.
I can also look at today as the
beginning of my 29th year. The start of something new.
So many things have been wiped clean. I've spent the last year
clinging to good things which gave me a false sense of security and
identity. Now those things are gone. I truly hope God is
clearing the path for something greater.
About a month ago I went up to be
prayed for at the end of church. The woman asked what I wanted
prayer for but I kept quiet. My desire was to hear what God wished
to say to me. During our time together she said, “The greatest
adventure in your life is knowing God more.”
That's my hope for
this last year in my twenties. I desire to get to know and fall more
in love with God than I've ever been and with so much of my life
wiped clean, I'm ready.
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 8/3/2010
 This is a letter I sent out to everyone regarding Fill-A-Belly and some crazy things that went down while we were gone. I'm working on more Africa blogs and have some great stories of our time there that I can't wait to tell, but getting this information out today and telling the truth about what's going on in Carlsbad is super important...
As most of you have realized FAB, our weekly
relational dinner for the homeless in Carlsbad, has undergone some
changes lately. Get ready for it, here is the whole story of what's
going on, our plan for this week, and how we NEED YOU to get involved
and be part of the solution.
The day before Molly and I left
for Africa we received our non-profit status from the state of CA.
After a year of working towards this it felt amazing for Fill-A-Belly
to be recognized as official!
Then, about a week ago, while we
were still overseas, we got an e-mail from St. Michaels our host
church, who has been a wonderful partner over the last year and a half.
For the last few months the police have received complaints about the
homeless in the downtown Carlsbad area and those complaints have
reached the City Council. While we were gone the police and a
representative of the City of Carlsbad's department of code enforcement
met with leadership from St. Michaels. The church was told that they
were not zoned to feed the homeless and that if they applied for a
permit to feed the homeless they would not be given one. They were also
told that if Fill-A-Belly happened at St. Michaels for even one more
week they would incur a hefty fine.
The way this was done is
frustrating for many reasons, the largest of which is that we weren't
allowed to have a voice represent Fill-A-Belly or share the great
things that are coming out of our Tuesday night meals. We weren't given
an opportunity to try and apply for the correct permits and be
completely above board with FAB. It seems that we have been blamed for
a large variety of issues surrounding the homeless in Carlsbad, some of
which are are our responsibility and some of which have nothing to do
with our outreach. We desire to be in good standing with the city and
to work with them in what we are doing, but in this case we were not
given that chance.
How do we respond and where do we go from
here? We want to respond with grace and hopefully work with the city,
while not letting this stop the great things that are being done at
Fill-A-Belly. There has obviously been a lack of education and good
publicity about FAB in Carlsbad. We want to do something about that and
we need everyone who has been involved to help. We need your stories
about FAB, how it's changed you and the changes you have seen in our
guests. You can e-mail them to fillabelly@yahoo.com, you can post them
on our Facebook Group, we would love for you to video them, post them
on youtube and e-mail us the link.
We also need you to spread
the word about what is happening. Forward this e-mail on to all your
friends, invite people to our Facebook group. During the last two years
we have had over 1,000 people help out at FAB and we need every one of
those people to help with this campaign. After we have gathered that
information we hope to go to the city and work with them in finding a
solution for Fill-A-Belly. During this time we also hope to get some
media awareness that will highlight what we are truly about!
Where
do we go from here? We need everyone's help to keep Fill-A-Belly
running! We have chosen to go potluck style in parks for at least the
next month. Today only we are going to take a break in Carlsbad, but we
will still be feeding at Cottonwood Creek Park in Encinitas. For more
information about that site check out our web site www.fillabelly.org.
We don't have a kitchen so we need about 12 volunteers to bring food
and other items to Encinitas tonight. This is it. If people don't bring
food we don't have a back up plan.
Here is a list of what's needed, if you can bring any of this e-mail me by 2 pm today at fillabelly@yahoo.com.
3 people to bring a large pot of Chili â€" enough to feed 20 people.
4 people to bring salads
3 people to bring desserts
1 person to bring bowls and spoons for 60
1 person to bring cheese and sour cream
Next
week on August 10th we will be doing a similar potluck style meal for
both Carlsbad and Encinitas. In Carlsbad we have chosen to meet at
Holiday Park under the gazebo off Chestnut Street and Pio Pico. I'll be
sending out an e-mail so people can sign up to bring parts of the meal.
We will need everyone to spread the word to our guests that
Fill-A-Belly will be at 7 pm next Tuesday at Holiday Park. During this
next month we will need a lot of help from those who can cook! As
always we will still be accepting cash and check donations, and those
donations will be used to help offset the cost of the main courses so
we can make sure to have enough food.
Fill-A-Belly is going to
keep pressing on in Carlsbad, Encinitas and soon in a variety of other
locations! We will come out of this trial with more strength and unity
then ever before!!!
Thanks for being a part of making Fill-A-Belly great!
Sincerely,
Morgan and Molly McKeown
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 7/24/2010
 Things are more intense here, the
expanse of sky is vast, the sun is stronger, the sunsets brighter and
the stars seem closer. The truth of life in Nsoko is even more
intense than the land. Every day our team holds malnourished
children and we are wrecked by the reality of poverty. Bit by bit we
sense more of God's plan for Nsoko and understand small part of His
redemption in this community. This place has such strong need and
dynamic beauty.
Today I was holding Sinetemba who was
left orphaned after his mother Dudu died soon after our last trip to
Swaziland. I asked his Aunt why he was so fussy and she said, “He
is just hungry.” It's hard to hold a small inconsolable child with
tiny arms and legs and know that he likely has had nothing to eat for
quite some time. But it's good to know that there is food at the
Care Point and that he will get to eat at least one meal today.
One thing that's set this trip apart
from others is that I have been coming here long enough to see the
holes people who have passed away from HIV/AIDS have left. During my
last two trips I spent time visiting with and talking to Dudu and now
she has died. Last year we all fell in love with Maswane's courage
as she faced dying of AIDS at 19 years old because she was raped as a
young girl. It's odd to drive by her hut and know that she is no
longer there, but it's good to know that she is out of pain and with
Jesus.
During one of our first days this trip
while visiting a remote Care Point we ran into the mother  and
daughter of Nora one of the women we did a Legacy Book for. Our
meeting last year immediately came rushing back into my mind. The
team was about to leave, we were loaded up in the sprinter when a
truck followed by a huge cloud of dust pulled quickly into the
center. Two women, one holding a baby, jumped down out of the bed of
the truck, turned back and lifted a very weak woman out. I was
immediately reminded of the Gospel story where the friends of a
paralyzed man lower him through the roof of a house to get him near
Jesus.
I got out of the bus to investigate and
found out that they had traveled far to see our group. It was
obvious that Nora was in the last stages of HIV/AIDS, half of her
face was infected and her lips had sores all over them. Our entire
team decided that what we had planned for that moment wasn't nearly
as important as being with Nora and her family, so we prayed for her
and invited her to participate in Legacy Books that afternoon.
I was so excited when I saw Nora's
mother and her twenty year old daughter at the Care Point a few days
ago. As Paloma and I were talking with them she asked about the baby
and they both pointed upwards then explained that the baby had died.
My heart broke. We took a photo of four generations (shown above) of their family
last year and now two of those generations have been destroyed. It's
also very likely that Nora's daughter has HIV/AIDS since her baby
died so young. In my mind I see the photos from last year and the
photos from this year and the holes are hard to reconcile.
 One of the best things that's happened
this year was talking with a beautiful woman who we did a Legacy Book
for last year (pictured on the left.) She brought her book out and proudly showed us her
families photos. She also told us how much she valued the book and
how grateful she was to have it for her children. It was beautiful
to see the fruit of the Legacy Books Project. Getting the news that
Nora's granddaughter had died was really hard, but I'm thankful that
we got make a book with her story and take pictures for her family.
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 7/16/2010
 Hello All! We are in Swaziland,
Africa. It's so exciting to finally be here. As usual it's been a
travel marathon, drive to LA, all day on a plane to Atlanta, all
night and day on a flight to Jo Berg, then all day driving to Nsoko!
We made it all in one piece and even got some great travel favor on
the way. We had to change a ticket that we were told would be around
$1000 to change than were only charged $400. Traveling as a team was
a lot of fun and truly bonded us together. I was so glad everything
went smoothly, especially because we were traveling with Dina who is
in a motorized wheelchair.
Now we are finally in Nsoko. This
morning our plan was to tour the Care Points in the area but our van
broke down and needed to be fixed so we ended up spending the morning
praying as a team, which was wonderful. I'm excited to see what God
does in our time here. Then we went out to a few of the Care Points
in the area now the team is at the main Nsoko Care Point getting
settled in.
The guys brought some Nerf bowling pins
and a ball but the kids immediately turned the pins into rhythm
sticks and the ball into a soccer ball. Everything becomes a soccer
ball here! It feels so right to be back in Nsoko. Please keep us in
prayer during our time in Swazi. We have a lot of plans but we want to
be open to what God has for us!!!
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 7/12/2010
 I've got a budget to make, packing to
do, a computer that needs fixing, and a heck ton of errands to run.
It's been one of those weeks and things are not slowing down any time
soon. The to do list is about a mile long and the number of minutes
till I get on a plane to Swaziland is whittling down to nothing.
We leave for Africa in 28 hours. Wow!
For so long this trip seemed far away, now it's here. Our group is
composed of 10 people all young adults from North Coast Calvary
Chapel. Our plan is to run Kidsgames sports ministry, make Legacy
Books, love people and see where God leads.
I LOVE leading these trips, they are an
intense challenge but it's also my sweet spot. I don't think I'm the
best trip leader in the world and everyone knows that I'm not the queen of
details, “What day are we arriving again?... Oops!” Despite that it
brings me such joy to see people discover what they have been made
for and be introduced to something that has the power to forever
transform lives.
To be honest, this last month has been
brutal. There were weeks where every day I got some kind of
emotional sucker punch and as soon as I recovered from one hit I was
pounded with another right, left combo. One of my roommates said it
well... “Morgan it seems like Satin is throwing everything possible
at you right before Swazi, which means something pretty sweet is
coming!”
I've been asking God to surprise me on
this trip. I don't always like surprises because I sometimes enjoy
control a little too much (ok I'm a bit of a control freak).
What I've realized lately is that God loves me and he always
has the best plans for me, so it reasons that a surprise from God
would be pretty sweet. I'm looking forward to seeing what it is.
It's late, I've got to go to bed soon!
Down to 27.5 hours before leaving and the clock is ticking. Even now
I'm forgetting details. The voice in my head sounds something like
this. “Get someone to cover Fill-A-Belly orientation, finish out
stuff for the Junior High ministry, set e-mails with away messages,
don't forget to put the towels in the dryer or they are going to
stink. I sure hope I can get packed in time to watch the
Bachelorette tomorrow. Don't forget to make room for the good stuff
on the Tevo. Tell the team how proud you are of them, they have
worked so hard and come so far.”
It's almost time to sleep which means
wrestling the incessant “to do” list to the back side of my
brain. I would love to have as many people as possible praying for
our trip.
If you want to commit to lifting us up
to God while we are gone write a comment on this blog, it's really
encouraging to know that people are praying! Feel free to add your
specific prayers in the comments section of this blog.
Prayer Requests
Team Unity
Safety
Provision with our Logistics
God's leadership and guidance in
everything we do
Great connections with the people there
That our hearts will be broken
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 6/25/2010
I've been trying to take more risks with this blog lately. Posting fiction feels like a huge risk to me. I'm not quite comfortable with my abilities to write in this style although I love doing it and find it cathartic. I haven't checked my facts and this is just a rough draft. Two of the characters in my story are named after my favorite kids in Swaziland, but just to be clear this is fictional. So here it is, read, enjoy (hopefully) and comment at the end cause I love comments! Ok only comment if you have nice things to say, just kidding, well kind of kidding =)... This story is continued from http://morganmckeown.theworldrace.org/?filename=fictionAll Eliza
could see was fuzzy blue. She was swaying back and forth moving
rhythmically. Heavy  foot steps and labored breathing filled her
ears, but they were not her own. As the green and blue world of the
sugar cane field and sky came slowly into focus Eliza realized that
large harry white arms were carrying her though the stalks. If Eliza
had the energy she would have tried to run again, but nothing flowed
through her exhausted body. Too tired to keep her eyes open she
closed the tender, swollen, bruised slits and let her mind drift
through the events that brought her to the fields.
It was just one moon ago, Eliza stood
in her only dress quietly clutching her older brother Thulane's hand
as they sang the burial songs over her mother. At that moment death
felt pretend, like the story books she used to read in school. Some
cried, others stood stone faced, not able to expend the energy and
weep at yet another funeral. Without her mother Eliza felt like the
ground during dry season, parched, cracking, dust easily blown by the
capricious wind. The group of mourners stood in a tight circle
singing the deep, haunting melody of the funeral song heard all too
often in their corner of Swaziland.
Eliza remembered the soft feel of her
mother's calloused hands and the strength in her body as she would
hoist huge bags of dried food onto her head and carry them the 3
kilometers home from the store. After much begging her mom would
finally give in and allow Eliza to carry a small bag. She would
walk, tall and proud imitating her mother's confident steps, trying
not to let the bag slip to the left or right. At the end of the walk
her mom would gently pat Eliza's small shoulders and say, “my what
a strong little lady, soon you will be carrying the big bags,” then
wrap her arms around in a quick hug. Eliza fought the thoughts of
her mom, she did not want others to know her weakness.
Across the circle from Eliza he stood,
straight and ridged with hands clasped in angry fists. She was
afraid of what her fathers black eyes held. He had taken to the
bitter fermented drink over the last few months. As her mom got
sicker, he got meaner. There was no avoiding his rages in the one
room stick and mud hut they all shared. Thulane her older brother
took the brunt. He would throw his, small for his age, 13 year old
body on top of Eliza trying to protect her from the blows.
Before her mom got sick and her father
lost his job their life had been peaceful. Every day was the same.
Eliza would wake up to the hungry cries of Machubane her youngest
brother. Her father was gone, working in the sugarcane fields from
the first light. It was different then. Machubane would snuggle
himself close to their mother making soft contented coos and sighs as
he sucked down his breakfast. Eliza would then begin to prepare the
morning meal. It took all of her 8 year old strength to pour the
water and white dried corn called milly-meal into the pot over the
fire. After everyone ate and their bellies were full, Eliza would
hurry to change into her school uniform, which had been washed and
neatly set out next to her sleeping mat by her mom the night before.
She would run to two kilometers to
school in her broken, one size too small, sandals, chatting with the
other girls all on their way to form two. Eliza loved watching the
world, the cows lazily crossing the road, the goats fighting for the
top position, the small children washing at the water hole. Her home
was beautiful. In the wet season the butterflies would dance on the
wind and the green sugar cane fields leading to the flat topped
Lymbobo mountains held nothing but promise. She was grateful for the
fields, thankful for the job it provided her papa and the food she
got to help her mother cook.
The teacher repeated the words again
and again while pointing at the pictures. “House,” she would say
while pointing to the large white building that looked more like the
Spar store in the next town over then anything Eliza had ever lived
in. Either way, she would write the words in her notebook and
commit them to memory, hoping some day she would be able to use
English. More then anything Eliza wanted good grades so that she
could continue in school and then have a real job. She dreamed of
sitting in a beautiful modern office every day, wearing crisp new
skirts and blouses, typing quickly, answering phones and responsibly
filing papers.
As soon as classes were over Eliza
would run back to their hut, trade her school uniform for an old tee
shirt filled with holes and a piece of material wrapped around her
lithe hips, then sprint back into the bright sun. She and Thulane
loved to explore. They would jog along the sandy river banks until
they found tall trees with no thorns. Climbing came naturally to
Eliza. She would wrap her arms around the highest branch she could
reach, then swing her legs up and around hoisting her lanky body to
the next level. Thulane was faster and stronger, but he often let
Eliza lead. The feeling of climbing and seeing the world from above
made Eliza's heart fly. From her perch high above the river, she
would watch the huge birds soaring above the green fields, riding
effortlessly on the wind.
Those days didn't feel like four years
ago they felt like a different existence.
As the footsteps continued on the man
holding Eliza begin taking labored breaths. He stopped for a quick
second to hoist her higher and tighter in his arms then fell back
into a jog. Eliza became aware of the stark whiteness of his arms
and thick course hair that covered them. As she wondered where he
was taking her, dark begin to encroach on her world. It started at
the edge of her vision then penetrated inward until the world was
like a night with no moon and her thoughts were silenced.
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 6/14/2010
 Last week was a rough week. I'm still
a little shell shocked and more frail then usual. At this point I'm
trying to get my bearings back and make a sweep of the ship to
figure out what the storm took and what's salvageable. Not a fun
process. I'm left wondering exactly how I got here.
A few months ago I started dreaming
about change and feeling the restless discontent I often experience
right before God opens up a new season in my life. Doors that I
thought would open were closing, which only fueled the desire for my
life to be in a new place. I would wake up in the morning sad and
longing after dreaming about spending more time doing missions and
empowering others to do missions.
The lyrics from Faith Like a Child, an
old Jars of Clay song reverberated in my head...
“Sometimes, when I feel miles
away
and my eyes can't see your face
I wonder if I've grown to
lose the recklessness
I walked in light of you.”
Had I grown to loose the recklessness
that was a daily part of my life on the World Race? Was I living the
way that God called me to or just getting by?
Then, with out any effort on my part a
new door was opening. I was stoked. The new season I had been
waiting for, YES! In my mind that transition would lead to
freedom and be a step towards doing what I was called to do. With
out realizing it, I started to believe making that change would give
me more worth and value. I was moving towards my ministry, career
and calling all at the same time. It was easy to hold my head a
little higher and laugh quicker. I wasn't stuck, I had options,
worth and was moving forward in life.
Last week it all came crashing down.
The door slammed shut. The deep fear I had shoved away became a
reality. I wasn't progressing at all. I was nothing, nobody and the
only thing I was worth was to administrate for others. I cried, A LOT, unfortunately there is no hiding it when I'm upset.
For some crazy reason last week was packed with ministry opportunities. I got to
speak at Three0 our group for 30 somethings in the church, even though I'm not 30 yet, all about what God is doing in Swaziland. During
Fill-A-Belly I had an intense conversation and prayer time with
a man being haunted by things he's done in the past. Saturday
morning I was honored to spend a powerful time praying for my
roommate who is struggling to raise support in a rough economy.
God reminded me that He has a plan and a purpose for my life and that
He loves what I'm doing, but even more than that, He loves who I am. He knows what is best for me even when I don't and has my best interests in mind. My worth and value don't come from anything I do, they are a free gift because God loves me that much.
To be honest I'm still hurting. One
dream is lost, but I choose to trust that another better dream will
rise in it's place. Until then God is telling me to rest in Him,
wait on Him and trust that He will open the perfect door when the
time is right.
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 5/19/2010
 There is something beautiful and humanizing about hearing a person's story in their own words. Last year in Swaziland I had the honor of interviewing Nkosingiphile Mamba and compiling a Legacy Book for his son Sphumelelo. Here are some of Nkosingiphile's words to his son.
If you would like to sponsor a legacy book this year go to...
"My name is Nkosingiphile Mamba. I am 42 years old. I have one son, Sphumelelo he is 6 years old, and he is alive. He is never sick. I hope that when I die my son will live more. My wife is also sick, very, very sick. My son likes that he lives with me and he loves being with me. I love to give him sweets and carry him around. My son knows that I have HIV/AIDS and wants to be with me a lot.
When I die I hope that Sphumelelo will remember that I would give him 2 Rands every day to buy sweets. When I am no more, no one will be there to give him sweets and to hold him. No one will be there to ask him how he is doing every day when he comes home.
I am working now, but the sickness is getting stronger, I do not have the money to go to the hospital, transportation is costly.
I hope that Sphumelelo will grow up and become a teacher because he has a good mind. I couldn’t live with out Sphumelelo, every day I want to hear his stories and every day I love to put him on my shoulders and laugh with him.
My legacy to my son is the hope that he will put God in everything that he does and follow Jesus, I hope that my son lives to have a family of his own, a family to love the way that I have loved him."
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 5/17/2010
I wrote this on May 15th and was just processing on the computer seeing where my thoughts would go...
I'm easily distracted, slightly ADD, and
more then a little blog, text message, Facebook and Twitter obsessed.
I just learned how to Tweet from my cell phone and have been going
crazy with updates all day long. By the way you can follow me at
MorganKMcKeown and I want to follow you as well.
Right now I can't get online, and it's
probably good for me. I'm forced to actually write an  update instead
of reading everyone else's. I'm at my Aunt and Uncle's in Clovis,
CA, getting ready to celebrate my Grandma's 85 th birthday
tomorrow. All they have here is dialup which I tried to navigate but
after waiting 20 min for one page to pop up, I gave up.
Today during the drive from San
Franscisco to Fresno, while Molly napped next to me, I was thinking
about how much I'm excited about right now. I can't wait to be back
in Swaziland this summer. We have an amazing team. I still can't
believe that we have ten young adults going this year. I realized that a lot of my Facebook status updates lately start with, “Morgan is excited about...”
There is so much that I can't control
about the trip, which is a good thing for my relationship with God.
I can't control fundraising, ticket prices, team dynamics, stuff that
happens in country, etc.. All I can do is pray, get ready and help
the team to prepare as best as possible. It's funny that one of my
biggest issues is needing to control and one of my favorite things to
do is lead mission trips, which by their very nature put me
completely out of control.
It's been fun to start to see things
for Swaziland come together. One of my favorite things I get to do
as the leader is read each person's support letters before they send
them out. I love hearing everyone's stories. It's such a joy to see
how God has drawn each team member to Swaziland. Sometimes I get the
pleasure of catching a little glimpse of how their deep passion
intersects with the story God is weaving in Nsoko, Swaziland.
Today was beautiful. Molly and I spent
last night in San Fran with Lynette who was on B Squad for the World
Race, so we traveled together a lot in 2007. After waking up we went
straight to Philz coffee. I have yet to find anything comparable in
San Diego. The coffee flavors are so rich and perfect. Every sip is
like a firework in your mouth, bold, intense, creamy and sweet in
just the right ratios. I ordered a dark decaf mocha. Since giving
up caffeine I haven't had anything nearly as good as today's drink.
After that we went to a sweet street
side doughnut place for Maple Bacon Doughnuts. Talk about starting
the day off right. I might have to work out extra all next week for
that but it was well worth it.
 Then we walked all around the Farmers
market down by the water under the Golden Gate Bridge. I loved the
bright colors, slightly fishy smells, and stand after stand of hippy
vegan food. We shared a vegan, veggie rap that was a party in my
mouth. Every bite was amazing, spicy and tart with the perfect
amount of crunch. The only draw back was that the guests at my party
way overstayed their welcome, which has been happening a lot since I
got braces. I managed to get a huge piece of radish lodged between
my front teeth, not my finest moment, but oh well.
Lynette and Molly are all people who I
want to give all my effort to and yet being with them is never an
effort. Some people you have to work to be around, say the right
things and keep the conversation moving. With Molly, Lynette, and
Arvin, Lynette's boyfriend who I got to meet today, it's easy just to
be. No effort required. I love those types of friendships and am so
grateful for their presence in my life.
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Posted in General Articles by Morgan McKeown on 5/5/2010
 As Mothers day rolls around I can't help but think of the legacy my parents have given me. I would not be where I am today with out their support. I'm so fortunate to have grown up in a loving home with my Mom and Dad. They encourage me to go for my dreams, while at the same time reminding me of where I come from and what I truly love.
Last year God gave me an idea during my time in Swaziland and a project was born...
http://morganmckeown.theworldrace.org/?filename=learning-to-die-part-2
We wanted to give the children in Nsoko the gift of knowing their parents legacy before AIDS steals that opportunity away.
In the summer of 2009, we were
able to complete over 30 legacy books for families in Swaziland. Since
then four of the parents we worked with have passed away from AIDS. This year we
hope to extend the project to more families. I'm planning a young adults trip back to Swaziland this July and one of our goals will be to compile more legacy books.
http://morganmckeown.theworldrace.org/?filename=leaving-a-legacy
If you would like to support me personally so that I can lead this trip donate online through the "Support Me" link on the left. Then click "Staff Support" on the drop down menu.
Each Legacy Book...
Gives a mother or father with HIV/AIDS peace as they prepare for death.
Allows an orphaned son or daughter a tangible way to know their parent’s love, stories, hopes and dreams.
Provides beautiful portraits of loved ones for a family who likely has no photos. A legacy book costs about $30 to compile. Will you consider sponsoring one today?
To give a Legacy Book click here: http://www.razoo.com/story/Legacy-Books
Here are some of my favorite excerpts from our 2009 Legacy Books, as you read these please pray for the families in Nsoko, Swaziland.
All the family photos on this blog are by Paloma Ramsey.
Nkosingiphile Mamba ďż˝" Father to Sphumelelo Mamba ďż˝" 6 year old son
“Sphumelelo
I love to be with you. I am happy that you are alive and that you are
never sick. When I am gone I hope that you remember how every day I
gave you sweets and carried you around. I also want you to remember
that when you came home I asked how your day was. I care about you.
“I hope that you have a long life. I think that you will grow up and
become a teacher because you have a very good mind. Sphumelelo, I
cannot live without you. It's a joy to spend the day with you, hear
your stories, then put you on my shoulders and listen to you laugh. My
legacy to you is that you would put God in everything that you do and
follow Jesus, and that someday you would love your children the way I
love you.”
Shongani Dlamini ďż˝" Mother to Nzuzo a 9 year old son and Nokwenza a 2 year old daughter.
“When
I was young I wanted to be a dentist. I was able to finish school and
learn English. My dreams changed after I had children, and life changed
even more once I was diagnosed with HIV, now I cannot work. Today I
find joy in counseling others about HIV/AIDS.
“Nzuzo and
Nokwenza I hope that you know to watch out for HIV/AIDS because it
kills. I want you to learn that Jesus is the answer to everything. If
you know those things you can have successful lives. I desire for you
to know the right way so you can learn from my mistakes. I hope you
live better lives than I was able to.”
Nurse Mngometulu ďż˝" Mother to Candy and Zenda, daughters, 11 and 8 years old
“Candy,
I love to dance with you, especially when there is a traditional
wedding. Zenda, I love it when you sing. Girls, I want you to know that
I tried really hard to take care of you and I want you to continue
going to school. Above all else know that God is alive and He is able
to help you.”
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