After several weeks of debriefing, training, coordinating logistics, etc. WorldRace has resumed programming and A, B and C Squads are now in various areas of
Swaziland and
South Africa.
This month teams have been empowered to branch out and pursue ministry options that truly meet the hearts of the team members.
Risking having too many options on the table, the “sky is the limit” approach was presented and teams have launched out on their own.
Team 61 has decided to stay in
Swaziland for the time being and work with Children’s Hope Chest with Tom and Emily Davis (coincidently, Hannah’s sister and brother and law).
CHC has established locations designated “care points” as locations to invest in and pour resources, time and energy to develop.
These community development endeavors are manned by local Swazi staff who oversee the regular distribution of food and the development of CHC’s other visions of furthering education, spiritual care (ie. Churches and indigenous ministry leaders), medical/dental and various other entrepreneurial efforts aimed at empowering a community to grow and sustain its growth within its own resource pool.
Tom and Emily work state-side casting vision to business, church and ministry leaders who come on board to adopt a care point in
Swaziland.
The financial, relational and prayer partnership rests then on the church or ministry’s shoulders.
The ministry works with CHC to funnel financial resources to continue the delivery of food, begin the supporting the educational opportunities for the children in the area and various construction efforts of a church, school or community center which the community is in need of.
In just 10 months, CHC has established almost a dozen care points and is serving several hundred children.
One care point has already received the construction of a church building from short-term teams sent by the sending church.
The ministry model is completely self-sustaining (thus fiscally responsible), the American churches have the partnership and ownership of a ministry in
Africa (thus relationally responsible) and indigenous leaders and contacts are bettered by the efforts of the partnership (thus, cross-culturally responsible and empowering).
This endeavor is clearly blessed of the Lord and will see growth equal to their efforts in
Eastern Europe in a mere few years.
It has been a privilege to partner with CHC on a couple care point visits and Team 61 is looking to continue this partnership as long as possible.
On a personal note, Joy and I leave for
Thailand on July 1st to do set up for the January and June teams for August, September and October.
We are hard at work setting up details of that trip including scouting trips to the surrounding countries of
Cambodia,
Myanmar and the
Philippines.
Please pray for us as we continue this prep and seek God’s best in
Asia!
