I just spent the most incredible two weeks of my life in
Swaziland. I absolutely loved it! The people are so amazing and loving. I didn’t even mind the bucket baths, the cold
water, hand washing my laundry, and when our electricity was out for almost two
days because of a massive storm that blew through.
Swaziland. I absolutely loved it! The people are so amazing and loving. I didn’t even mind the bucket baths, the cold
water, hand washing my laundry, and when our electricity was out for almost two
days because of a massive storm that blew through.
Swaziland is a country crying out for help. More than 50% of the people are infected with
HIV or AIDS, and it is believed that by the year 2050, without some kind of
miracle, Swaziland will cease to exist.
One day at the grocery store, I read a poster that said, “There are two
kinds of people in Swaziland: those who are infected with AIDS and those who
are affected by AIDS.” This is very
evident by the alarming number of orphans in Swaziland.
HIV or AIDS, and it is believed that by the year 2050, without some kind of
miracle, Swaziland will cease to exist.
One day at the grocery store, I read a poster that said, “There are two
kinds of people in Swaziland: those who are infected with AIDS and those who
are affected by AIDS.” This is very
evident by the alarming number of orphans in Swaziland.
During our time in Swaziland, my team, along with Team
Bamboo, worked with a ministry called G42.
Our contact’s name was Pastor Gift, and he truly is a gift to the people
of Swaziland. We were all constantly
amazed at how much Pastor Gift does. He
was always on the move, helping people, taking things to people, or taking someone
(or more accurately a lot of someone’s) somewhere.
Bamboo, worked with a ministry called G42.
Our contact’s name was Pastor Gift, and he truly is a gift to the people
of Swaziland. We were all constantly
amazed at how much Pastor Gift does. He
was always on the move, helping people, taking things to people, or taking someone
(or more accurately a lot of someone’s) somewhere.
Looking at the situation in Swaziland from a worldly point
of view, a lot of people would give up because of the obvious hopelessness of
it all, but Pastor Gift believes with all his heart in the power of prayer and that
God is bigger than anything else. He
believes that God can bring change to his country and transform the lives of
his people. He loves having teams come
in and believes in what we pour into his ministry. He gets excited by how the network of people
who know about his ministry is constantly growing, and how the number of people
praying for Swaziland will grow with it.
Now most people in Pastor Gift’s position would go crazy, and honestly,
I don’t understand how he hasn’t already gone crazy. He shared a little bit about how he keeps his
sanity. Pastor Gift gets up at 4:00
every morning and spends an hour praying.
He does not take offence or let bitterness build up inside him. He is quick to forgive and forget. He makes himself available to anyone who needs
his help. He looks at every situation as
an opportunity to help and pour into people’s lives, not as a burden. Fridays he gets away from it all and takes
some time to rest.
of view, a lot of people would give up because of the obvious hopelessness of
it all, but Pastor Gift believes with all his heart in the power of prayer and that
God is bigger than anything else. He
believes that God can bring change to his country and transform the lives of
his people. He loves having teams come
in and believes in what we pour into his ministry. He gets excited by how the network of people
who know about his ministry is constantly growing, and how the number of people
praying for Swaziland will grow with it.
Now most people in Pastor Gift’s position would go crazy, and honestly,
I don’t understand how he hasn’t already gone crazy. He shared a little bit about how he keeps his
sanity. Pastor Gift gets up at 4:00
every morning and spends an hour praying.
He does not take offence or let bitterness build up inside him. He is quick to forgive and forget. He makes himself available to anyone who needs
his help. He looks at every situation as
an opportunity to help and pour into people’s lives, not as a burden. Fridays he gets away from it all and takes
some time to rest.
One of our ministries while in Swaziland was working with
children at various care points in the area.
Care points are points set up in the area where children can go to get
food and help with education. Every day
Go-Go’s ( grandmothers, or sometimes younger women who care) prepare lunch for
the children in the surrounding area.
Many of these children are orphans, and for many it is the only meal
they get in the day. We went out in teams
to visit the various care points every morning and spend time loving the
precious children that were there. We
would tell them Bible stories, sing, do different crafts, play games and give
hugs.
children at various care points in the area.
Care points are points set up in the area where children can go to get
food and help with education. Every day
Go-Go’s ( grandmothers, or sometimes younger women who care) prepare lunch for
the children in the surrounding area.
Many of these children are orphans, and for many it is the only meal
they get in the day. We went out in teams
to visit the various care points every morning and spend time loving the
precious children that were there. We
would tell them Bible stories, sing, do different crafts, play games and give
hugs.
Some afternoons we would do home visits with people dying
from AIDS. I was really nervous about doing
this. It was so hard to know what to do
or say, or how to really help these people and bring them hope. But God always came through. He spoke through us and used us in these
people’s lives. We would visit with them
through a translator. We would sing for
them and share stories from the Bible.
The last visit we did in particular, I could see a total change in the
man we were visiting with and his Go-Go, who takes care of him, when we left.
from AIDS. I was really nervous about doing
this. It was so hard to know what to do
or say, or how to really help these people and bring them hope. But God always came through. He spoke through us and used us in these
people’s lives. We would visit with them
through a translator. We would sing for
them and share stories from the Bible.
The last visit we did in particular, I could see a total change in the
man we were visiting with and his Go-Go, who takes care of him, when we left.
The girls had the opportunity to be a part of the women’s
ministry. On Tuesday afternoons we would
meet with the older women. It was a time
of talking and sharing and praying together.
And they would sing, which was always my favourite part of the
afternoon. On Friday afternoons we would
meet with the teenage girls and young women.
This was a time of us sharing with them about purity, and purpose for
their lives.
ministry. On Tuesday afternoons we would
meet with the older women. It was a time
of talking and sharing and praying together.
And they would sing, which was always my favourite part of the
afternoon. On Friday afternoons we would
meet with the teenage girls and young women.
This was a time of us sharing with them about purity, and purpose for
their lives.
The boys had the chance to be a part of Pastor Gift’s soccer
ministry. Pastor Gift coaches a soccer
team of guys aged 17 to 25. The love he
has for his players is obvious, and he invests a lot into their lives. Our guys would practice with them three days
a week, and the warm ups they had to endure did not look fun. Us girls would sit and watch and thank God
that we were girls. Our guys had the opportunity
to build relationships with the players, talk to them, and lead by example.
ministry. Pastor Gift coaches a soccer
team of guys aged 17 to 25. The love he
has for his players is obvious, and he invests a lot into their lives. Our guys would practice with them three days
a week, and the warm ups they had to endure did not look fun. Us girls would sit and watch and thank God
that we were girls. Our guys had the opportunity
to build relationships with the players, talk to them, and lead by example.
Swaziland is the sixth country we have visited, and it was
the hardest one for me to leave by far. God
captured my heart for the people of Swaziland.
I have never felt such a strong sense of love for any group of people
before. My heart feels a little bit
broken, and I don’t think that I can fix it.
I believe that God gave me this love for Swaziland, and I hope and pray
and trust that He will bring me back one day.
the hardest one for me to leave by far. God
captured my heart for the people of Swaziland.
I have never felt such a strong sense of love for any group of people
before. My heart feels a little bit
broken, and I don’t think that I can fix it.
I believe that God gave me this love for Swaziland, and I hope and pray
and trust that He will bring me back one day.
