During the month of April, chapter four in this journey, our squad was separated out for “womanistry” and “manistry” month. The ladies of Q-Squad had the privilege of living at El Shaddai, an orphanage on top of a mountain in Swaziland. Our days were spent secluded from much of the world, daily distractions, and were internet free. The views from my front door never ceased to amaze and the sunsets were the greatest I’ve ever seen. The presence of the Lord was all around- He showed up in the rays of the morning, the vivid colors at dust, and in the eyes of the beautiful children we had the opportunity to love on. It was a month of diving deeper with Jesus and seeing God’s beauty in new ways.
Day to day ministry was divided up differently amongst the ladies based on our skill sets and the immediate needs of El Shaddai. Cleaning dorm rooms, organizing child sponsorship, gardening, and teaching are a few of the ways we were able to serve El Shaddai. I had the opportunity to work in the garden- weeding and shucking corn with squad mates, which led to many conversations of faith and growth in our relationships with Jesus. Two of my fellow teacher squad mates and I also had an opportunity to put on a professional development workshop for the k-7 teachers at the local school. Most of the teachers at this school came into their role without any former training in the profession. During the workshop we spoke about lesson planning strategies, behavior management, and different learning styles. It was exciting to encourage this group of teachers by providing them with resources and teaching techniques to use in their classroom.
The most humbling and rewarding part of this month was spending time with the kiddos that live at El Shaddai. In the beginning I had mixed feelings about spending time with these kids- What good will it do to spend time with kids that will be left again? The Lord quickly showed me that our purpose what not to become best friends with these kids. Our position in their lives was to praise them for their unique creation and guide them towards the Father whose love is ceaseless.
El Shaddai is currently going through a rough season financially and are in a period of transition. Right now, only 1/3 of the children have sponsors- the money to support this ministry and provide for the basic needs of these children is spread very thin. They are also in need of long-term help. Many Race teams have helped at El Shaddai month-to-month, but they are in need of long-term missionaries. They are seeking people who will be around to invest in the children and form lasting, influential bonds with the children. Please pray for the financial needs of this ministry and that the Lord will send more help up this beautiful mountain.
Check out http://www.elshaddaiswazi.org/ to learn more about El Shaddai and for supporter information.
