Hello to all! It has been an eventful past few days here in Swaziland. Many of my squad mates have been sick for the last week, so our ministry here in Swaziland has been curtailed somewhat in the things we have been able to do here at El Shaddai. Two of my teammates, Sarah and Kelly, have been horribly nauseous, while a half dozen of the other girls here have been feeling very "coldy" as well. Nonetheless, we have been continuing teaching the children, tutoring them, and helping them in their fields. The founder of El Shaddai orphanage, a godly lady named Charmagne, arrived a couple nights ago and during our two hour greeting with her after dinner she informed us of alot of startling things about the orphanage and Swaziland in general.
She told us that El Shaddai began in 2000 with only a single purpose of helping the two dozen children who were in the mountain area of the major city of Mbabane. It began with only one mud brick building and now has become and entire mountain top of multiple buildings with a pre school, multiple dorms, a baby house, a barn, and a small church, coupled with a large corn field, goat paddocks, and diverse garden. God has abundantly blessed this place. Now El Shaddai boasts at least 60 children, a pre school where local children get taught a Christian education and has helped build a primary school where 300 local children learn a basic education. As for why Charmagne decided to expand the small orphanage into a local mountain community sanctuary, let me tell you a little about Swaziland.
To put it frankly, its in dire need of Christ. The culture here Charmagne told us has really gone off into the moral abyss from 50 years ago. She told us 50 years ago men were very respectful to women and the land was pagan but now, men treat women as less than objects and have no regard for their sanctity. Traditional Swazi culture has been polygamist and now men, who have contracted HIV will go, many times, into multiple villages to visit their numerous wives to sleep with and spread the HIV virus to whole communities. Thus, HIV has now claimed in many areas of the small country over 50% of the adults. This leaves children being foisted upon decrepit and aging grandparents who are ill prepared to raise young children again. Furthermore, to exacerbate the issue the government will never admit it has a childhood orphan crisis so scant resources and programs are aimed at alleviating the crisis. Thus, this is where El Shaddai has continued to rise to the occasion.
Charmagne wanted to completely start a primary school that was exclusively christian, but because she did not have the funds necessary to provide her own "registered" teachers for all 300 students she had to partner with the government, but she has overseen it become a positive influence nonetheless, because the school is literally right on the front door of El Shaddai orphanage. Thus, many in the community now come to church on Sunday because of its proximity.
Yet to add to the HIV pandemic, Swaziland is fighting a major battle for its soul as well. Charmagne told us that the grandfather of the now present king of Swaziland had a dream one night where in the dream he saw a bright figure who held two things- the Book, and a bag of "money". The grandfather then made a diligent search throughout the world to find out who had this book in his dreams. It was us, Christiandom. Thus, Swaziland, unlike so many other third world countries, went looking for missionaries and brought them to their country. And furthermore, the dream has seemed to come true. Swaziland, though it is falling from the inside, demographically, is way more economically advanced than Mozambique and other inland African countries. Yet, Satan has not laid dormant since then, for Islam and Buddhism have been making great inroads into the country recently. Islamic mosques and beliefs are being heavily financed from the mideast and Buddhists governments are striking deals where if they will allow Buddhism to be part/or all of the curriculum in some districts of the country they will finance electric and communication infrastructure for the Swazi government. The grandson of the old king is heeding more of the money than the Book that his grandfather did. That is all I have for now. Please keep me and my team in your prayers so that we may all be fully restored to health and especially for the children here at El Shaddai who have been victims of these horrible circumstances but are finding a haven here on this mountain top. May the LORD bless you richly with wisdom and grace!
Brother in Christ,
Matthew
Our two teams at El Shaddai with Charmagne who is at the left side of the entrance sign.
The guys hike day.
Good thing I was in the right place at the right time or this rock would have fell. 🙂
