One of the girls on my squad, Bree Rossi, recently posted an incredible blog about Swaziland. Since it is one of the countries on our route that I am most excited about, I asked if I could repost her blog here for you guys! I hope you enjoy it!
To everyone that has been supporting me on this mission trip… THANK YOU!!! Because of y’all, I am officially 9% funded!! WHOO HOOOOO!! 🙂 I am so thankful for each of y’all! Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support mean so much to me. The process of fundraising has definitely been humbling, and you all have been so incredible throughout it.
Hello!
Or Sawubona as my friends in Swaziland might say. Swaziland is one of the 11 countries I’ll be traveling to on this world race, and this week’s blog will transport us to right to one of the smallest countries in Africa (and hopefully answer questions like, “Seriously, where even is that place?”)
LOCATION: Swaziland is located in the southern portion of Africa, and surrounded almost entirely by South Africa (and parts of Mozambique to the east). It’s about the same square footage as one of our smaller states: New Jersey.
GEOGRAPHY: For being one of the smallest countries in South Africa, Swaziland is definitely one of the most beautiful. Its mountainous and green with lots of hills and valleys, and its a temperate (almost tropical) climate. Swaziland is cut through with many rivers and is one of the most ‘well-watered’ areas in all of Africa.
POPULATION: APPROX 1,106,000 people call Swaziland home (about the pop. size of Dallas, Texas). The median age is only 20-years-old, and the average life expectancy is 50. Almost 40% of Swaziland’s population are under the age of 14.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION: In Swazi culture, wealth is measured by the cattle of the family. The enclosure where the animals are is sacred and is believed to be inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: The population is approximately 35 percent Protestant, 30 percent African Zionist, 25 percent Catholic, 1 percent Muslim or Hindu. The government in Swaziland practices Freedom of Religion which went into effect in 2006. While most in Swaziland would associate themselves with being religious, there are still many misconceptions about the gospel itself, and what exactly it means to follow Jesus.
SPECIFICALLY SWAZILAND: The low life expectancy in Swaziland is mostly the result of health-related problems – specifically with HIV/AIDS transmission. As a result of the disease plaguing the country, about 1/5th of the population has been classified as ‘orphans and vulnerable children’ or OVC.
Put another way, if the UK had the same HIV prevalence rate as Swaziland it would have 11 million infected persons, the US would have 56 million and India would have 212 million infected persons – the very right to life is threatened in Swaziland with almost 50% of children born here dying from HIV-related incidents.
WHY WE GO: So why is Swaziland a part of the World Race? What is the need? What good can we do?
- The astronomically high incidence of AIDS in Swaziland had lead to an incredibly large number of children orphaned and on their own. Many of these children don’t even know their own parents, not to mention Jesus.
- While many Swazi people consider themselves to be religious, they don’t live any differently than their unbelieving compatriots. In addition, the age ranges that attend church are becoming older and older, and the majority of young people are apathetic due to the devastation of AIDS and widespread poverty.
- Quality Christian leadership is in short supply in Swaziland. Even if the people wanted to learn more, to where are they supposed to go?
WHAT WE’LL DO*: In the past, many Race teams have partnered with El Shaddai Orphanage, which is located in Ekufikeni in Swaziland and was started by a missionary who felt called to these abandon children almost 20 years ago.
These children’s lives have been devastated by the lose of their parents (many to AIDS), and without EL Shaddai, these kids would be left on their own. El Shaddai feeds and clothes and houses and cares for these special children, and needless to say that is not an easy job. These kids yearn for love, and Racers have gone and provided that love. They’ve taught the children that their is one who loves them more than they could ever know, and on my World Race, this is a ministry I will possibly be a part of. Whatever we do in Swaziland, we’ll need prayer that Christian leaders will rise up and lead people toward God – and that the circumstance of the people would not detract from the message of the gospel.
*what we do in each country can of course change due to a wide array of factors–but this is what world race teams have done in the past in Swaziland!
Here’s a video that a former racer made about his time in Swaziland! Also, don’t forget to click on the SUPPORT ME tab on the left-hand side of this blog to, you know, support me. 🙂
A City on a Hill – Ministry at El Shaddai from Doug Linstedt on Vimeo.
