While in Swaziland, our team served at El Shaddi Orphanage. The orphanage currently houses 65 children and operates the only free public school in Swaziland, a self-sustaining farm, a medical clinic, and a chapel. El Shaddi was founded by and under the direction of Charmain Coertzen.
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The Orphanage sits on a hill with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains:
Sunsets here are spectacular:
Many mornings we would wake up and realized we were in the clouds:
We kept busy on the grounds of El Shaddi this month which was a very rewarding experience. We did a lot of tasks that we never dreamed we would be doing as a missionary on the World Race. Through personal reflection, I discovered that we are working for God and expanding the kingdom where we are and through our work. We blessed this ministry through the various projects. I also realized that often times in ministry we should not have any expectations, but rather follow God’s call and leading. We are often the answer to someones prayer. We need to be open to anything that God calls us to and serve with joy!
Some of projects we did around the property include:
Digging trenches for water lines…
Burying electrical wires…
Demolishing the old chicken coop…
Removing stumps..
Moving bricks for construction projects (often time the children would help when they were out of school)…
Working on a fire brigade….
Digging french drain pits…
And much more!
El Shaddi property includes:
A chapel:
A School:
A duck pond:
A farm:
A medical clinic:
Guard dogs:
And smiling faces:
While we were at the orphanage a group, You Me, were filming a documentary to bring awareness to the orphan situation in Swaziland. The group walked across the country (approx . 80 miles) in 10 days in a campaign entitled “Steps Over Swaziland”. We walked with them during their last 3 mile stretch ending at the orphanage:
Toward the end of our stay at El Shaddai, the Deputy Prime Minister of Swaziland, Themba N. Masuku, came to tour and bring encourgement to El Shaddai.
Swaziland is a country in need of prayer. Approximately 70% of the population has AIDS and many children are orphaned due to their parents dying from the disease. The county is very poor and the population is expected to not exist past the year 2050 without interventions.
