(more pics next time the internet is so slow!!!)
The moment we stepped off the bus and onto the mountain I knew this month would be nothing like the last. We arrived at El Shaddai children’s home just before dusk and we quickly settled in for a good night of rest.
The next morning, as I stepped outside to eat breakfast, my breath was taken away.
Swaziland is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. El Shaddai rests on a mountaintop, and with one gaze of the land my eyes were filled with rolling green hills, mounds of giant rock, red dirt roads, and a huge river flowing through the valley. My eyes have never seen creation such as this. This land is truly the Kingdom of God.
Yet, the nation of Swaziland is doomed. In 2050, it is predicted the people of Swaziland will cease to exist because of the devastation from its AIDS epidemic. Many children are now orphans because the older generation is disappearing.
But here, 65 children are set apart. They live within the gates of El Shaddai and here they are protected. They are the exception to a disappearing nation.
They are full of energy, love, and curiosity. They are happy and content with life. The children here do not see trash, they see toys. A worn electric cord is a jump rope, an avocado with a string tied to its stem is a helicopter, film from an old VHS tape becomes a costume, and a plastic bag becomes bubble gum. This is imagination and innocence at its finest.
Here, children live and love in community. Even at their young ages they understand how to look out for each other. This ministry has farming, gardening, chapel, daily chores, school, pre-school, medical clinic, and a nursery. This hilltop community teaches life-skills, trades, and responsibility. Most importantly, at El Shaddai, children are given a future; and in turn, they become the future promise tothe nation of Swaziland.
Sweet children of El Shaddai you are a city on a hill and you are the promise of Swaziland. Let your light shine from the mountaintops, flow through the rivers, and flood the valleys.
As the Lord says to His people,
You are set apart.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”. -Jeremiah 1:5
You are called by name.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine”. -Isaiah 43:1b
You are a city on a hill.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
