When we first heard about the Parent Vision Trip, we were thrilled of the idea of going to see Breanna in her eighth month on the race and having a vacation in Africa. Since it is the decision of each racer to have their parents join them, we were very excited when she called. We were going to Africa! We would finally get to see our daughter and have some time off work. Well that was the plan anyway. Little did we know our lives would be touched so deeply and changed forever.
There are 36 care points in Swaziland, Africa that feed, cloth, and teach lessons of Jesus to the children in the community. Our large group of 64 parents and racers were divided into three smaller groups that went to work at different care points. We didn’t know what to expect on the first day, but when we arrived, we were greeted by a large group of children that were running and screaming towards us with big smiles and lots of hugs. Jim and I looked at each other as we were so overwhelmed by this welcome. Weren’t we going to help orphan children that were sad and in need? These children didn’t look sad at all. We thought there must be a mistake. We followed the children in and began to play frisbee, jump rope, soccer, ring around the rosie, and bubbles with them. Some just wanted to be held and rocked to sleep. Others formed a big circle and took turns dancing in the middle while everyone clapped and sang. Jim had a line 15 kids deep for airplane rides and some of the moms painted the little girls nails. After about an hour they went in the small, one room building to sing songs and to hear a lesson about Jesus from the most amazing woman named Londz who donates her time to the care point. After the lesson was over they ate lunch and had another hour and a half play time before the center closed. It pretty much sounds like summer day camp, doesn’t it?
There are a few things you need to know about these incredibly happy children we met that day. In Swaziland, 59% of the people are HIV positive or have aids. It is also culturally acceptable for a man or woman to leave their family and move on. Many of the children have lost one or both of their parents and are forced to fend for themselves. We met a 9 year old boy that was raising his 4 year old sister and 3 year old brother. Their rent was being paid by A.I.M. and they came to the care point to eat. Another 10 year old boy was caring for his 2 year old brother while his parents were working. I held his brother for him while he napped so the 10 year old could play soccer. For an hour he was able to be a kid again. Mufasa was a 6 year old boy that was Jim’s buddy all week. He did not have shoes and his shorts were worn out in the back with large holes. He wore them every day with the same sweater. He had sores on his legs and head, and several of his teeth had decay. He was a bundle of energy and loved airplane rides. Lulu was my little friend. She is a 3 years old beautiful little girl with a big smile that never stopped. All she wanted was to be held and hugged. She had a terrible cut on her foot that I thought should have been stitched days ago. On our last day, we were out singing under a pavilion and a 3 year old boy came through the fence gate (by himself!) and stopped. He was late and very nervous about joining the group. I went up to him, held his hand, walked him over to the rest of the children and walked back to where I was. He sat down and some older boys were making fun of his sandals that were on the wrong feet and his jacket that wasn’t zippered. He showed them the zipper was broken and hung his head. I went back to him and managed to work the zipper up to the middle. Only the clasp connected the two sides, but he was happy and joined in singing with the other children. There were over one hundred children with similar stories to these and it was heart breaking.
Lunch was cooked over a fire in a large, black kettle everyday. The meal alternated between rice and corn meal and was prepared by volunteer ladies from the neighborhood. Each child brought a container to be filled and ate with their dirty fingers. For many this would be their only meal for the day. It was amazing to see the older children serve the younger ones before they sat to eat. Some covered their food and brought it home to their family.
We also went on a home visit and brought a bag of rice, beans, corn meal, cooking oil, and medical supplies to two young girls whose father had died and mother had left them. Their grandmother lives down the hill and looks after them. She cried when we gave her the food and said they had not had rice for a month. Is was touching how happy she was for such simple supplies. There was a mismatched chair and couch in the living room, and one light bulb (their only electricity) hanging from the cord in the middle of the room. They slept on mats and there were not any toys inside or out. Only Jim was offered a seat as the man in the group and we prayed with them before we left.
Working at the care point has opened our eyes to the difference between our wants and needs, and for the first time in our life we have witnessed real suffering. We live in a society that is constantly pushing a new and better life on us. We get so wrapped up in wanting new things that we forget to enjoy what we already have. The children we worked with at the care point deal with hunger, illness, abandonment, abuse, and much more, and were still happy when we were with them because they had a chance to play, sing, and eat a meal. Since we have been back, I have told several people about the long plane ride to Africa. It was 16 hours and 47 minutes from Johannesburg to Atlanta and it was brutal. About eight hours in I turned and told Jim that I didn’t think I could make it. He laughed at me! I heard myself telling the story to someone one day and it hit me hard. What do I have to complain about?! Every one of my basic needs are met everyday and many of my wants and here I was complaining about a plane ride. Our plan was to go to Africa and change some lives, but as it turned out, it was our lives that were changed. On Saturday night, we were at worship with all of the racers and their parents, and I felt the tears coming. I tried to hold them back, but it got worse. They were tears of joy and tears of sadness, but they were definitely tears I will never forget. We will forever be grateful for the opportunity to go to Africa and work at the care point with our daughter. These beautiful children have changed our lives forever.
