Friday, March 24, 2006

The Week in Review with ....

Every once in a while you need to be able to see exactly why you do what you do. This afternoon I visited a potential new CarePoint site in Madonsa. The community had approached us about siting a CarePoint in this peri-urban area outside Manzini: just outside the city limits. It's kind of strange to drive there. Up until you cross out of the city limits, you are driving by what would be million dollar homes in the US. Then you leave the asphalt pavement, cross a muddy creek, and you are immediately back into homesteads made of stick, mud, block, tin and grass roofs and cement. What a contrast.

They have been cooking and feeding the kids for less than a week now and already have close to 150 children coming each day. I watched as a 6-7 year old little girl strapped on her little sister (maybe 1 or 2?) onto her back to walk home. I asked the Indvuna (guy in charge that reports to the chief) about her family. Two younger brothers. Abandoned by their father who they think went to South Africa. Living with their mother who has no work. Destitute. Legally that makes all the children single orphans. There are worse off children here as well. Double orphans and truly destitute, dealing with the effects of HIV in parents, relatives, siblings, friends, themselves. The only purpose of the CarePoint we hope to build here is to offer hope to these children. A place to grow up where some of the most basic needs are met and the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ can impact their lives.

Several gogo's are sitting under some trees for shade surrounded by 30-40 children. They begin to sing "Ngiyabonga Jesu, Ngiyabonga Jesu, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen"

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