Arriving in Swaziland was a bit of a process. We flew Cambodia → Vietnam → Qatar → South Africa. Then we hopped on a bus and drove the rest of the way into Swaziland. We left Cambodia after experiencing their hottest month of the year; then, we touched down in Africa just as they were moving into their winter season. We left the extremely busy capital of Cambodia. Now, we are in the rural mountains and valleys of Africa. It has been revitalizing. I feel like I can breath again.
Swaziland tops the list of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. On its present course, the country’s population is projected to die out by the year 2060. One of the many repercussions of the situation is a large population of orphaned children. Adventures in Missions has several bases in the area that help to support local ‘care points’. Each care point is run by native leaders. Children may walk several hours – each direction – to get a warm meal, play with their friends, and be discipled.
My parents flew across the globe to join me for a week at the beginning of this month. Together we were able to visit the “Thulwane” care point and hang out with the kids. After their departure, I joined the agriculture team. We planted several hundred onions, red beets, and spinach plants at the Thulwane care point. Then we helped prepare a green house at the Ntabas care point. For our last week and a half our team has been relocated to Nsoko, Swaziland. This is one of the most HIV/AIDS ravaged areas in the country. Our team has been doing renovations to the Adventures in Mission base here.
Top 3 New Experiences in Swaziland
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Cobras – Snake season is ‘over’, but we were lucky to find a baby cobra. Nsoko is home to large spitting cobras. Our host was telling us how a couple weeks prior to our arrival, a large cobra flung itself out of the tree in their yard and landed on their gardener. Apparently, this is a common hunting tactic. Cobras frequently bite people here. They are extremely poisonous, but typically not lethal. You have about 8 hours to get to the hospital and receive anti-venom before you die. The venom affects your muscular system. Apparently it feels like your whole body is on fire.
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Black Mambas – Three hours ago, our host ran over a black mamba with his car on the way to pick us up. This snake’s venom attacks the nervous system and death comes within a few short minutes.
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Wild Giraffes – They are extremely timid animals. We spooked a group of six of them and I nearly died laughing. When they run it looks like they are moving in slow motion. It is one of the most awkward movements I have ever seen in my entire life. We’ll just put it this way, they won’t be escaping a Cheetah anytime soon.
