I am now convinced that Swaziland will be one of my favorite countries on the World Race. On Sunday afternoon we arrived in the village of Nsoko and were greeted by a huge group of smiling, waving kids that started jumping into our arms as soon as we exited the van. We spent the whole afternoon hugging, laughing, and playing with the children. These beautiful children were so hungry to be loved. We played with the children until dark, and by then I was almost worn out for the day.
That evening we learned some facts about Swaziland that opened my eyes to the great need here. HIV/AIDS is rampant here. There is a 70% infection rate of HIV/AIDS in the region in which we are ministering. The current life expectancy is only 30. Most of the children have lost at least one parent to AIDS. Because of this epidemic, it has fallen on the grandmothers – called gogos – to raise the children. In the cases where there are no gogos to care for the children, the oldest children try to scrape by and care for their younger siblings, often relying on the generosity of neighbors to make ends meet.
The situation here is truly desperate. But where there is great darkness, there is great potential for God’s light to pierce the darkness. The hearts of the people are very open to God right now, especially the hearts of the children and teenagers. They are looking for hope. We have that hope; He is called Jesus Christ. Everywhere we go, we tell people that we are here to share God’s love with them. This love is unlike any they have every experienced before. Having a boyfriend or girlfriend doesn’t even come close. My prayer for Swaziland is that the Holy Spirit opens hearts to receive His love. He can change hearts, one life at a time, and this change can effect a change in the whole country. God, bring your Kingdom to Swaziland!
