Hello from Swaziland! We’ve been here for a little over two weeks but our internet has been limited. We arrived at the EL Shaddai Children’s Home at 3:00am. Our ministry contact was so great to meet and feed us at that insane hour and then we crashed. The next morning, I looked outside the window and the sight took my breath away. God’s majesty and power spoke from the rocks and hills and mountains. It is very much a place of peace here. Our contacts were given this land by the King of Swaziland, the only way to get land is for the King to give it to you. They came to this mountain and God told them that He was giving them this land to build El Shaddai. Along with the housing and kitchen/dining area for the elementary age chidren, there is the baby house, a church, as well as buildings for short term and long term missionaries. There is also a school just outside the property that El Shaddai helped found which is for the entire surrounding community.
View from the church on the El Shaddai property
We have been doing a variety of things so here is a glimpse of our daily life at El Shaddai.
- 6:00-9:00am: Workout/Breakfast/Quiet Time
- 8:00/9:00-12:00: Ministry – We are three teams strong this month so we rotate through different areas at El Shaddai. One day we may be helping at the preschool that meets at the church, playing with babies and toddlers at the baby house, or digging a hole for a septic tank for the house the children live in.
- 12:00pm- Lunch
- 1:00-3:00pm Team Time/Rest
- 3:00-5:00pm: Ministry – We either go back to the baby house or go to tutoring for the elementary aged children. We help with homework and afterward play or talk with the kids. Today we helped the third graders learn how to measure items.
- 5:30: Chapel – We rotate in groups of two leading chapel for the kids every day. This is one of my favorite things to do. It’s fun to worship with the kids and teach the Bible and try to apply it to their lives as best we can.
- 6:00: Dinner – Our contact’s daughter makes our dinner and it is so good.
- 7:00: Team Time/Hang Out/Rest – This is a good time to talk, play cards, or lay on the rocks and look at the stars.
- 8:30/9:00pm: Bed Time – Sad, I know, but we are usually in bed, though not usually asleep by 8:30/9:00pm.
The children are a joy and we are thankful to be a part of this ministry.
Sitting with the preschoolers during their lunch break.
