So I leave Swaziland on Saturday, travel to Johanesburg, South Africa stay the night at the airport there and fly out Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm our connecting flight is out of Quatar, a small country in the middle east, we will stay the night there in a hotel connected to the airport and arrive in Romania sometime Monday.
I am really excited to go to Europe, once in Romania, when we travel long distances, it will be by train. I will get to visit at least one castle while there, maybe even Draculas castle. Even though the historical Count Dracula was an evil murderous man, it would still be cool to say I visited Draculas castle.
I have battled a bit of sickness since being here, I had an upper respritory infection for several days and a stomach virus. Both of which i got from spending so much time in the baby house, with sick babies.
I know one of my families biggest fears for me being here has been snakes. I have been cautious of where I walk and stay out of the tall grass. One of the men here spotted a snake near our house last week and killed it, it was one on the top of the deadliest snakes list called a puffy something. It was rather large and beautiful but I am glad its dead.
Charmain is the lady who started and runs El Shaddia, she is a white South African woman. The mountain we live on was given to her by the king of Swaziland, the only way to recieve land here is for it to be given to you by the king. She is an amazing Christain woman and started this orphange simply because God told her to.
She has had a lot of opposition in the process, and this past week has been very difficult. She had to kick several of her teenagers out of the orphanage and turn them into the police for growing marijuana, many of whom have been with her since they were 4 and 5. If she didn't do so she would risk getting shut down by the government, because the school is who made the discovery and the laws are very strict. These children are an extension of her family and I know it must have been heart wrenching for her, she has done everything in her power to keep them from this very fate. In order to protect the other children in her care she had to turn in these few.
All of the staff at El Shaddai are local men and women, I believe most if not all are Christians and attend the church service every Sunday. They worship beautifully and seem to understand the Bible. Most hadn't heard the Gospel beforehand and relied on witch doctors, though they love Jesus, many still do not understand the harm and continue to rely on these witch doctors for their physical needs.
One of the staff that works in the baby house has an infant daughter who was very sick and wasn't getting better. Charmains daughter examined her and found a cut on her stomach that was healing and knew she had been to a witch doctor. Apparently to " heal" her they sliced her stomach with a knife and filled the wound with a potion. When questioned about it the mother admitted to taking her daughter and herself to see the witch doctor.
What witch doctors do is a form of sorcery and their "powers" and knowledge comes from the demonic, it is carried with the people who get "treated". Many of the children here have been abused sexually and carry generational darkness that you can see in their actions and feel in their presence, for a staff to bring in even more of that just makes the atmosphere worse.
These children are covered in prayer, taught the gospel, they go to chapel daily and are often in worship. But their is a definate battle going on, on this mountain. I've felt it while here, worse than any other place. I've been attacked numerous times in my sleep as have many others. Migraines have been an issue for several people and perverse thoughts have popped into peoples heads, and sometimes you can simply feel the darkness around you we've had to battle in worship and prayer so much.
This mountain has, to date, the most beautiful view of any place I've lived in the world. Its been a good month and a wonderful way to say farewell to Africa.
I still am in need of $4000.00 please pray into donating to keep me going, thanks and love to all!!
