The children come hungry, dirty, hurting, and smiling.
They come to a 12×12 building that is grandly called a Care Point. When I first envisioned this place I saw a safe building where the children were cared for, cleaned up and fed. I did not imagine a small, run-down shack on the side of the road. I did not imagine a room with a dirt floor, one kettle for cooking and usually lacking in food and water.
I also did not imagine the Go-Go’s (the grandmothers who care for the children) to be the most amazing women I have ever met. These are women with burdens. Women that have lost more family than I can count, women who live in grass huts and do not know the idea of luxury, women who work hard every, single day of their lives.
These are also women who come to care for the children every day because they want to see a new Swaziland. They want the next generation to live past the age of 30, they want them to be educated, healthy, and successful. The Go-Go’s are not paid, many do not receive any material compensation at all, but yet they come.
They come singing, praising God and with willing hearts. If only each of us could come with hearts like theirs.
Each Care Point is different, but the main goal is for it to be a safe place where the children can go each day and receive a warm lunch, smiling face, and hopefully a small education. Most of the children are young (2-6) and are cared for by their older siblings. Many do not have shoes, parents, or clean clothes.
Our short time here has been an education to us in many ways. We have learned the value of a smile and a hug from a child, we have learned that much, much, more needs to be done, and we have learned that we certainly don’t have the answers, but we have a Jesus who does.
I was blessed to be able to spend 2 full days with the wonderful Go-Go’s at a teacher training session
that we held last Monday and Tueday. These two days were spent helping the Go-Go’s understand the importance of planning and scheduling their days, and how best to educate the small ones in their care every day. We taught them simple things about making lesson plans, having a daily routine for the kids to follow, and how to teach things like numbers and letters. They were also so much fun as we taught them silly games like Duck, Duck, Goose and Over Under. I never dreamed I would be in Africa playing Duck Duck Goose with 60 year old African women!
Hopefully we have left them with the skills to further the education of their small charges and the love of Jesus. We certainly didn’t solve their larger issues; food was still not being delivered regularly, many many are still dying of AIDS every day, and many children don’t have the basics of food, water, and shelter, but I am confident that Jesus’ love was spread.
Please pray for the small nation of Swaziland. Pray that this generation of children would be the generation that changes and breaks this Nation for Jesus. We don’t pray small prayers here, so please join me in praying GIANT prayers for this beautiful place.
Father, we are so grateful for our time here. We love this nation, Lord, because you love this nation. I ask for a healing across the land. I ask that they be healed from AIDS, healed from poverty, healed from the many heartaches that they suffer. Father, we know how much you love your people and I ask in your holy name that blessings would rain down on this land. I pray Isaiah 51:11 on this place “The ransomed of the Lord will return! They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee” I ask Father that your name would be glorified all across the world, and most especially in Swaziland. Amen.
As we move out of Swazi this week and onto our next locations for August please be in prayer for us.
Ephesians 6: 19-20 ” Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
**PS: Please check new pics on the link of the left**
