We’ve finally arrived.
To our final leg of this journey.
To a continent I’ve only been to in my imagination.
We’ve landed at El Shaddai in Swaziland.
El Shaddai is an orphanage, a safe place located on top of a mountain, in the middle of nowhere. The nearest anything is an hour and a half drive down the mountains and this is the view the 40+ children & staff who live here are privileged to wake up to each day:
It’s truly been an incredible, humbling month at El Shaddai. Ministry has included harvesting maize, working in the Baby House, teaching in the Pre-K school, tutoring the older children, and holding chapel for the children, along with various other ministry opportunities we’ve been blessed to be apart of.
Takeaways from ministering at this orphanage included:
-I’ve had the privelage of witnessing the huge piece of my Father’s heart that compassionately hurts, feels for, and reaches out to the orphans of this world as he mentions many times throughout His Word. One of the teenagers who lives here has shared with me her personal journal which accounts for the many intimate and precious ways our Father has spoken to, healed, affirmed, comforted, and loved her passionately. She speaks with such incomparable wisdom and faith for a 16 year old girl, it gave me goosebumps just reading through her accounts of dreams and visions she received. It made me so proud of the God I serve, and the chance He gave me to see how He truly cares and takes care of the orphans, becoming their father and mother, their Rock and solid foundation, their comforter and healer, their best friend. It gave me peace and assurance to see how He truly works in ways unseen to reach out to all of His children, desperately crying out for someone to love them.
“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.” Psalm 68:5
–Realized how blessed I am to be a healthy, available vessel to be Jesus to these children.
To have a lap for three two-year-olds to crowd onto to cuddle and babble with.
To have arms to wrap around little 9-year-old Ayanda when it gets cold during worship.
To have fingers to stroke Eli’s forehead as I rock him into a nap.
To have hands to hold Bongewe’s as we skip down the dirt path, faking our best English accents.
To have two feet to run and get Benjamin a bandaid and antiseptic to clean up his torn-up & bloody elbow.
To have two legs for Hope & Faith to create a makeshift slide out of and scoot down them.
To have a voice to speak affirming, loving words to these beautifully created children.
“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Please keep El Shaddai orphanage, the children, and incredible staff who work here in your prayers- along with continued financial provision & protection!
Sent from my iPad
