“MANISTRY”
You heard me….Men at work, with other men, topped with a side of MEN! This month is all about the Men. On the world race we usually have one month were all the women and men are separate, so instead of having each team at a ministry site, All the men are at one site doing ministry while the women are at another doing a different ministry. Usually the men’s ministry is some sort of manual labor, and that is exactly what this month is for us.
This month the men are working at El Shaddai ministry in Swaziland. El shaddai is an orphanage in the mountains of Pigs Peak, Swaziland. We are helping Charmain( the Director and resident Mom here) with some work that needs done. We are helping move cinder blocks that are being used to expand the one ministry building, seal the roof so it does not leak during the rainy season, harvest corn, move rocks and boulders off the new soccer field that is being put in for the kids and help out with anything else that needs done. We also have the pleasure to lead a small chapel service for the kids every night(Mon – Fri). The Swazi people are some of the nicest and most hospitable people that we have met on the race, and the kids are no different. They will put a smile on your face the moment you see them, they sing like angels and their laughter brings pure joy.
On top of all of this, the place where we are staying is a true testament to God’s goodness. Coming into this month we were under the impressions that we would be living in our tents, taking bucket showers and overall just roughing it as we had out month of “Manistry.” Again God had other plans for us. We arrived at El Shaddai a day later than expected and upon our arrival were lead down a path to what we thought was the grassy area we would be tenting on…instead we were lead to a long building that had bunk beds for all of us!…Oh and also HOT showers and western style toilets! We also have a building with a common area and small kitchenette. But that is not the best part. We arrived late at night after sundown and were not able to see the surrounding area. We woke up the next morning to this:
Trust me when I say the picture does NOT do the view justice. We are living on top of a mountain with a view of God’s glorious creation. We get to see the sun rise and fall each day over the mountains of Swaziland and be in utter awe of God’s creation ….not to mention the stars at night which are an amazing sight. With no light pollution at night the Milky Way is a swath of tiny bright lights across the sky among all the other stars that are burning bright.
