The Black Forest Project 421: MEET CHARLTON AND NATASHA SWEAZY AND THEIR 11 CHILDREN

“Children are arrows in a quiver, and they are to be trained as missionaries and shot at the Devil.” — Jim Elliot

Charlton and Natasha Sweazy with their children (February 2022)

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://strengthtostrength.org/creation-to-new-creation-curriculum/?srsltid=AfmBOorFfOrEBvHKaOARswEgufO7AinXW8eJ_vZxvS8SOvBnn91X4TtQ]

Mr. Sweazy is a former professional firefighter who has spent the past decade focused on discipleship and church planting. In 2014, he and his wife, Natasha, moved to East Africa to engage in international Kingdom expansion. While in Uganda, they planted a church in Kampala and established a Christian resource center near the city’s largest university. The center serves as a lighthouse for many to engage with scripture, utilizing Creation to New Creation, a biblical literacy curriculum Charlton developed.

A former Sattler College trustee, Charlton has recently transitioned into a staff role at Sattler, where he continues his commitment to Kingdom expansion through education and discipleship. He also remains actively involved with The Bridge English Training Center, which serves the immigrant community just outside Boston, MA.

Charlton and Natasha have five biological children and six adopted children from Uganda. As a family, they are passionate about the Kingdom of God and strive to see “His Kingdom come on earth” through loving obedience to Jesus and radical love for their neighbors.

https://sattler.edu/blog/team/charlton-sweazy/

70 years ago on this date, January 8, 1956, Missionary James Elliot, who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. In memory of those martyrs, I would like to blog about a church planter in Uganda, Charlton and his wife, Natasha Sweazy and their 11 children.

A family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, when you're inside you see that each tree has its place. – African Proverb

Yes, the family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, when you're inside you see that each tree has its place. When you look from afar the forest appears to be like one compact unit. The same is true of a family. A true family is one. They are united against whatever threatens their bond of unity. Whatever affects one member affects all because they care about one another. The reason they are united is because each member plays his or her distinct role effectively and cooperatively. It's not that they love each member equally. No, they don't. In fact they may even hate what some members do. It's like what happens in an ant colony. When we look from outside at an ant colony we see a beautiful display of teamwork. But a closer inspection, according to scientific findings reveals that the species "hate each other" (source livescience.com). But you see, when there is work to be done, or an enemy to conquer, they put their differences aside to fight for the common good. They have different personalities but one purpose: to work for the common good. We don't have to lose our uniqueness in the quest for unity. We only need to lose our selfishness. Be unique!

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3812930888780340&set=a.886048424801949]

Introduction:

https://sattler.edu/blog/team/charlton-sweazy/

“The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.” - Mario Puzo

Hi! My name is Natasha Sweazy, and I am a Christian woman, wife, and mother, striving to follow after our King Jesus. My husband Charlton and I have been married for fourteen years. The Lord has given us ten beautiful children, four biologically and six through adoption. We are currently sojourning between Kampala, Uganda and Malden, Massachusetts. (August 6, 2022)

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://strengthtostrength.org/the-god-who-sees/?srsltid=AfmBOopaoy4TQds1p5faNJXWThbXtW0zvO99wUMyANa-4Jn2L76E9fsm]

Four Core Values:

Charlton and Natasha Sweazy are Anabaptist and I can tell they follow the Anabaptist four core values: Faith, Family, Community and Simple Living. If you see their mission work and church planting in Kampala, Uganda, the four core values were being used.

“Make it easier for churches and religious communities to run schools, succor families, and aid the needs of human life. Religion is the best family policy.” ― Catherine Pakaluk, Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth

As a proponent of large families and having more children, I applaud and admire the couple for not only giving birth to children, but also for adopting 6 Ugandan children. I believe that adoption is a good idea for woman, regardless of whether she is infertile or not. As it says in Psalm 127:3 - Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. – Psalm 127:3 (NASB)

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. – Psalm 127:3 (NASB)

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=942438447928075&set=a.563324335839490]

The couple deserve the John Troyer Memorial Award, for having many children. I wish Charlton and Natasha Sweazy the best in serving God and their family. I will close with the words of Friedrich Froebel:

Let us protect our children; and let us not allow them to grow up into emptiness and nothingness, to the avoidance of good hard work, to introspection and analysis without deeds, or to mechanical actions without thought and consideration. Let us steer them away from the harmful chase after material things and the damaging passion for distractions... Let us educate them to stand with their feet rooted in God's earth, but with their heads reaching even into heaven, there to behold truth. - Friedrich Frobel

[PHOTO SOURCE: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1276291]

SERMONS AND LECTURES BY THE SWEAZYS:

Kampala Church Update Charlton Sweazy

Followers of the Way

Dec 9, 2020

VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/ZSXy2z_RM18?si=eSNKTe2M_BqpQuCr

"Engaging in Meaningful Community" - Charlton Sweazy

Followers of the Way

Apr 20, 2022 Citywide Meetings

VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/cmR_HUsS-Ts?si=7o8k1RSGSOF158l8

Shaping Children's Character

Followers of the Way

Aug 10, 2024 2024 FOTW Conference

Shaping Children's Character Charlton Sweazy

VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/I0ZiSNOHYjY?si=aaHiK3pAzbIo2fVs

More sermons by Charlton Sweazy here: https://www.followers-of-the-way.org/messages/preacher/p/18779/charlton-sweazy

The God Who Sees

· Post published: August 6, 2022

Strength to Strength Sisters welcomed Natasha Sweazy to contrast the worldviews from women in the Bible to the world today. From the cries of women saying, “give me children or I will die” to “give me children and I’ll die”.

No matter what stage of life you are in, whether it be women with a lot of small children, a child who has walked away from God, or women unable to have children of her own, God sees us and he knows our heart.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/the-god-who-sees/

VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/oe_1FJxDTBo?si=0sikNi0s5qPIfzbr

Why I Started Being Modest. Four Women’s Testimonies.

Followers of the Way

Download Nov 22, 2022

Go to: https://www.followers-of-the-way.org to learn more about Followers of the Way! Laura Kuruvilla, Becky Baer, Erica Milioni, and Natasha Sweazy share their testimonies regarding Christian modesty, fashion, extravagance, and body image.

https://www.followers-of-the-way.org/

VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/zaZijOAGwS0?si=jNYCXV7fTRaAnNhO

Sisters Discuss the Headcovering

Followers of the Way

Mar 16, 2025

Several sisters from Followers of the Way Boston -- Natasha Sweazy, Laura Kuruvilla, Crystal Johnson, Carol Sweazy, and Erica Milioni -- recently gathered to share their personal experiences and discuss the significance, practical considerations, and challenges of wearing the head covering.

00:00 Stories

39:50 -When do you wear the head covering? All the time or only during prayer and worship? What about at home with your children or sleeping?

48:39 -What style head coverings do you wear? Are trendy head coverings like hats okay? 1:00:32 - How do you tie or style the head covering to get it to not slip off?

1:09:24 - What tips can help reduce sweating or overheating in warmer weather while wearing a head covering?

1:10:32 - How do I wear a head covering comfortably over my thick 4C hair without causing breakage?

1:14:32 - Have you ever felt self-conscious or had opposition while wearing the head covering?

1:28:20 - When do girls start wearing the head covering? Is it just for Christians after conversion?

1:34:00 - What if my husband does not support me wearing the head covering?

1:37:38 - Do you feel like the head covering mars your Christian witness?

VIDEO SOURCE: https://youtu.be/VwZlA8GKbok?si=xdUqmjGlM3T28eR8