During our time in Swaziland we had several ministries we were involved in. Every Tuesday and Thursday Team Ruach and Team 220 went to the Nazarene Hospital to pray for patients and the Hope House to spend time with tenants.
The Nazarane Hospital was heart breaking. On our first visit I walked into the third room on the right side. This particular room had babies with tuberculosis. As I walked to the woman was holding her child, as I approached her I asked her if I could pray. She said yes and as I prayed for this little baby he started crying.
It broke my heart to see this baby boy crying. The World Health Organization estimates 400,000 children dying from TB in Africa and Asia every year. This was just one of the heartaches we saw at the hospital. For those of you that do not know, it is estimated that 25.9% of the population of Swaziland has HIV. The life expectancy at birth is 48. We were informed by our ministry contact that many HIV infected children are abandoned when parents find out their status.
During our time at the hospital we meet two abandoned children. We are not sure of their names or what they had, we just knew they were abandoned. Every time we visited the hospital Team RUACH and 220 made sure we held, played, spoke, prayed, and loved on these children.
Picture by Ashley Edwards of Team 220
Though we don’t know their real names, the hospital gave the names to go by. And all I can think about is what God thinks about them. He LOVES them. (John 3:16) He MADE them. (Psalm 139: 13-16) They are a GIFT. (James 1:17) He DIED for them.
There was not much more we can do for these children, just love and pray.
Love… and pray…
