In His Name the Nations will put their HOPE.
Isaiah 42:4
Founded in 2000 with only 400
RAND (about $50 USD), this home for orphaned children is now over a million
dollar operation including, on the large expanse of property given to them by
the King, a “baby house” or day care, a preschool, a clinic, a church, and
housing for 50+ children, 25 guests and 10+ staff members. As a volunteer, my first two weeks here I
felt like a small cog in a large machine disconnected emotionally from the organization. As a result, I found myself focusing on the
problems and cracks in their system (i.e. children moving from preschool to 1st
grade without knowing the ABC’s) and wondering at what point can growth in an
organization end up reversing the benefits and doing more harm.
From a workers point of view
I guess it is like any organization or company in which I can’t see the bigger
picture. I don’t know all the ins and
outs, or in El Shaddai’s case the stories of the all children who have been
rescued because both their parents died of HIV.
I don’t know how it feels to go from having one meal a day to having a
full tummy. I don’t know how it feels to
be given a free education when school was not an option for the family in which
I was born. I don’t know how it feels to
realize simple hygiene (i.e. hand washing) can keep me from being sick all the
time. I don’t know how it feels to be
abandoned and alone and then swept up into a loving family with over 50
brothers and sisters to play with daily.
HOPE has been on my heart
since I got to El Shaddai. Uncertain of
the ministry at first, I’m slowly realizing and seeing on the faces of each and
every child a spirit of HOPE in a future they weren’t supposed to have. They’ve been rescued, feed, educated, healed
and LOVED by El Shaddai at a point in their lives when no one else could. The ministry may not be perfect from an
outsider’s point of view, but I thank God El Shaddai is clearly helping these
children by putting HOPE in their hearts and in HIS Name.
