I left a piece of my heart in Swaziland. Sure, I’ve said goodbye to some amazing people in the last 5 months, but I’ve not yet had my heart broken in such way as it has in that place among the hills.
Why Swaziland? Why the very country I had no desire to visit in the first place?
I suppose it’s because never before have I understood so clearly where the brokenness came from: fatherlessness.
In Swazi, as in many countries in Africa, children are growing up without fathers. Grown men are being forced to learn what it is to be men without ever having a proper guide. In many homes, the father is either physically absent due to death from HIV, violence or poor conditions; or he is emotionally absent or neglectful. The absence is affecting an entire nation.
Last month I feel in love with a bunch of preschoolers. I saw firsthand how those children have grown accustomed to having to fend for themselves in a harsh world. They were so eager for love and attention.
Looking back, I know we didn’t leave Swaziland in hopelessness. There are those who know satan has a stronghold in this area and want to fight against it. Our host, Xolani, is on staff with AIM. He has a dream to see the problem of fatherlessness eradicated. Xolani knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up without a father and has a heart for others like himself. He wants to see men raised up who can serve as leaders and mentors, both at home and in the church. He wants to grow a sports ministry that will allow the message of the love of our Heavenly Father to spread to those who typically aren’t exposed to it. He has already begun a men’s ministry that is creating disciples and, one day, will multiply to flood Swaziland with men seeking after God’s heart. The Kingdom has already been brought to Swaziland; God is just waiting for more of His children to jump in.
Yes, my heart ached at having to leave that beautiful country behind. There are people I met there whose faces will remain etched in my mind. God broke my heart for Swaziland as He showed me His heart – His father’s heart – for the fatherless there. But I leave knowing there are people like Xolani, like our new family at Living Waters Church, like the other AIM staff, who see the first step in making changes is to seek the Lord and serve Him. I know those I leave behind are in the best possible hands.
If you’d like to learn more about our work in Swaziland and Xolani’s ministry, you can send me a message. You can find out how to partner with him to fulfill the vision God has given him.
