The following blog was written by my team leader, Linsey Thomas (www.linseythomas.theworldrace.org)…

 


Rainy day in Swaziland…

 

Food is something that I definitely have taken for granted my whole life. Many times I have bought food and it has gone bad in the fridge and I have had to throw it away or it has a little mold on it and we toss that in the garbage. Or I take too much food and can’t eat it all and throw it away, but here in Swaziland, food isn’t easy to find. My team and another team are living at a compound and our teams had some bread that was moldy and we threw it outside to the dogs and Gogo (the grandma who lives on the compound) cried because we threw good food to the dogs.

When I saw this I thought of Matthew 15:21-28 where it talks about a Gentile women pleading with Jesus to heal her child who is possessed by demons. The disciples wanted her to send her away because of her begging. Jesus then said to the women, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep-the people of Israel.” She then pleaded and wanted the Lord to help her. The part that really hit me in the story is the next part where Jesus says, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” He then rewarded her for her great faith and healed her child. I have been thinking about how much food in America we throw away and how far kids walk here in Swaziland for some mush that is cooked over a pot that they eat with their hands when it’s steaming hot because they are so hungry. So right now for me it isn’t right to throw food to the dogs here when there are children and other people who will eat whatever they can get their hands on.


Every single day I am reminded over and over again how much we are blessed with in the United States. Honestly, looking at my life I have no worries at all. I have a family who loves me, have never gone hungry, have a place to sleep, and clothes to wear. I am beyond blessed and wish people could so badly see these children and their families and want to do something. I want people to feel uncomfortable because I feel that way every day. I want people to be so moved that they find ways to help others. These kids have a name, a story, and frankly they don’t have a childhood.


The other day I was at a care point where children walk miles to get food and one of my teammates looked at one of the 4th graders spelling list. The words in the school books were rape, abuse, fear, and some others that I cannot remember. Instead of these kids learning about rainbows and dreams they are learning about their reality. This makes me sick.



The kids walking to the Care Point.

 

 

 

 

I can’t get this picture to flip… but each child gets ONE scoop… DAILY.

 

Of this… (this pot feeds 200 kids each day.)


 

 

My heart breaks every day and I wonder how I can help… I have no idea what will help Swaziland but I know that God loves this place and I know that prayer is powerful and this is where I need you friends and family.. I need you to PRAY.. Pray for SWAZILAND!