The Kingdom of Swaziland is one of the last remaining monarchies in Africa. Home to 1.1 million people and breathtaking scenic views, it’s also where the world’s highest HIV/AIDS infection rate lives (26.1% in adults and over 50% of adults in their 20s). It’s estimated that by 2050, Swaziland may cease to exist.
I spent the entire month on top of a mountain. I never went into town. I was in my element. We were based at the El Shaddai orphanage.
The vision for El Shaddai is to raise up the next set of leaders through this place. The vision is to let God use the least of these in a group of orphans to lead in the comeback of this country. That definitely sounds like plan God would love to make happen!
8 am to 12 pm
I would usually wake up early enough to silence and solitude with Jesus and just gaze out at his wonderful creation. Make a small breakfast and cup of coffee then I was out the door for manual labor, which I really enjoy. We dug water lines with pickaxes and shovels so that other parts of the property could have plenty of fresh well water. We also dug up all of the weeds in the cornfields and hoed up new ground for a garden. We drew plant beds, purchased seeds, and planted crops such as onions, tomatoes, cabbage, wheat, corn, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers, beets, pineapple, watermelon, and many others that will help provide a healthy and sustainable form of nutrition to supplement the kids’ diets. We also took care of pigs, goats, geese, and chickens, which will provide some meat for the kids. Some people cleaned the pigpens on a daily basis. $170 worth of new tools were bought so that future teams can continue to serve in the fields to support the staff and kids. We also built soccer goals for the kids out of spare lumber and bought a couple new soccer balls. We also laid brick walkways in front of the chapel and other buildings so that they didn’t get all muddy and full of puddles when it rained. We also ran a small hospital clinic on the property. I also spent time at the baby house with ages 4 and below. I showed them love and attention, played with them outside, and I let them play on me. I like babies now haha.
12 pm to 3 pm
Lunch and break time. Most of us guys took afternoon nap
3 pm to 5 pm
We were assigned buddies for the month, which I thought was a great idea. During this time, I would go meet with Sizwe and we would work on his homework together. Most people would spend time with their buddies in the stuffy mess hall, but I liked to take Sizwe outside and I would teach him out in the grass or on the rocks. Sometimes it was math, English, or I would read to him. After he completed his homework, I would take him for walks, climb trees, or play sports. This boy brought me so much joy. He was very shy for the first couple of days, but he ended up coming around. He knows I love him and most importantly he knows of the matchless love of Jesus Christ.
Free time
The cool thing about this month was that we grew closer as a squad. We went on hikes to various mountains and trekked through marijuana fields to get to a beautiful secluded waterfall. One Saturday, I took about 12 boys on a hike. They were so thrilled just to get outside the gates because they rarely leave El Shaddai. I spent a lot of time with the Lord on the big rock outside our hut. There were dance parties. The AIM video crew came in for a few days shooting footage for a new World Race video so be on the look out for that! I had the privilege of being interviewed for it.
All in all, this month lived up to my expectations and it will for any other racer that gets to come here. God is transforming me right now and really shaping my character. It was a month where I was being still more often and all I wanted was to sit at my Heavenly Father’s feet. I’m a lover of His presence.
