When I was little I constantly wondered what clouds were like. Cotton candy? A pillow? Could I sit on them? Jump on them? They were so high up and elusive that the mystery remained even when I learned in school what they really were. At El Shaddai Children’s Home, however, the kids don’t have to wonder what clouds are like. Situated high up on a mountain, the home is often surrounded by the clouds that circulate through the area. When the sky is clear there are mountains as far as the eye can see and a river passing through far down into the valley.
Swaziland is a rough place. Just one Google search and you will see the statistics. But El Shaddai is set apart. Fourteen years ago a woman named Charmaine asked God where to build it and He led her far up a mountain to what seemed like an impossible place. She had faith in His plan and He sent people and resources to help build El Shaddai into what it is today. In this place our whole squad of forty people had the pleasure of spending the month of October. Every morning while the kids were at school we did work projects around the premises. We cleaned bathrooms, painted roofs, and organized storage closets. In the afternoons we hung out with our kids. There were equal numbers of World Racers and grade school aged kids so each of us were partnered up with one kid for the month to tutor and mentor. I somehow was paired with a thirteen year old girl and by the grace of God we ended up having so much in common. Our first conversation included minute-long awkward silences because of our mutual shyness but eventually we learned how to laugh with each other and shared moments I will remember forever.
One major project that my squad accomplished at El Shaddai was the creation of their website: elshaddaiswazi.org. Through it you can read more about the organization and even sponsor one of the children there. Charmaine and the other staff have big dreams for this place and one of them is to have every child sponsored on a monthly basis so they do not have to constantly worry about the financial well-being of the home. Please contact me if you want any further information about sponsorship or about the home in general.
This month our squad enjoyed the majesty of God’s creation and learned from the child-like faith of sixty orphans. We were isolated on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, but found community like never before. It was a beautiful month in Swaziland!
If you are interested in giving me a late birthday present, I would greatly appreciate a donation of any size as I still need about $4500 to be fully funded.
