AIDS, poverty, hunger, you may not see it but it is all around us. Where I am in Swaiziland, Africa it is easier to spot but this is not the only place of need and suffering. I am realizing how many years I have spent thinking I was living like Christ but really I was missing a few key essentials of Christ’s commandments.
Matthew 25:40 has been a recurring theme on my World Race journey thus far. It says ‘ ” I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me.” ‘ This passage is referring to when Christ comes back and he is sorting out the “goats” from the “sheep”. The “sheep” are the blessed ones who clothed, fed and provided for those in need, the least of these. And the “goats” are the ones who failed to clothe, feed and provide for the least of these. The “goats” then ask in verse 44 ” ‘Lord when did we see you hungry or thirst or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you.’ ” Then Christ replies ” ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me’ “. It makes me wonder what did the “goats” do?
OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND!!! Such a simple phrase with so much truth. In some cases I can argue that having things out of sight out of mind is good and healthy but in others it is harmful to the full spectrum of life. We get so stuck in our little bubble that hardly anything can pop us out. Like even here on the race I have a hard time keeping up with people at home, on one part that is the fault of internet in Africa, but the other is it doesn’t fit in my little bubble of existence. Also the presidential elections, I have no clue what’s going on, as strange as it may seem not all news sources are reporting the same presidential junk over and over. In the same way that I am out of touch with stuff in the States most of you are probably out of touch with the reality of need in Africa.
My team has been in Swaiziland for about two weeks working with a man named Gift and a project called G-42. G-42 sponsors 7 care-points in the area around where we are staying and more in different parts of Swaiziland. At each care-point there are around 30 children who are either orphaned or live with someone other than their original parents. The children gather at these care-points close to where they sleep and are fed and taught by a handful of teachers and gogos (grandmothers in SiSwati). G-42 and other ministries in the US provide all of the food for the care-points. Praise the Lord someone had a vision to provide for these children!
Unfortunately feeding their bellies is only a temporary relief for them. Even the people they currently live with may die soon from HIV/AIDS to leave them with even less. Across from the first care-point we visited we are told there is a military barracks where young girls are paid for sex, money these girls some younger than 10 need to provide for their families because they have no parents. YIKES!!! Why are we wasting our time with flat screen TVs and paying extra for HD crap and not helping these young girls pay for bread and clean water!!! OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND! I want you to see these young girls walking up with babies tied in a towel on their backs. Girls you would normally think are taking care of their baby siblings while mom rests but NO these are their children birthed out of a necessity to provide.
They say that if something isn’t done to help the people of Swaziland and if they don’t help themselves then by 2025 Swaziland may no longer exist due to HIV/AIDS. The whole country could possibly cease to exist. Honestly I don’t believe that this will happen because the problem can be helped significantly by educating the Swazi people; and also because I believe in miracles, I believe that God can transform this place instantly if he chooses. The situation is so overwhelming really only God can solve it. But the question is whom will he use to bring these miracles to existence?
You may already be involved in helping to provide for people in need, but if you aren’t consider stepping out and finding a way to help the people in Africa or people in an area around you. I wish I could have all of you alongside me seeing people in need along my journey, but at the same time I know there are so many people in need in each of our communities in America as well. All I can really ask of you is for you to ask the Lord how you can specifically be involved in helping those in need.
This past month my teammates spent time creating a database of all of the children in the care-points we were working with. Eventually the dream is to have each child sponsored for food, schooling and medical bills similar to the sponsorship that Compassion International offers, but on a much smaller scale. Please pray that all of the necessary connections are made for this to happen and that God will rise up people to sponsor each child. If you want more information you can check out the G-42 web site at www.g42global.org
