Thursday, August 27, 2009

Whatever you did

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

AIDS. ORPHANS. WIDOWS. PANDEMIC. Serious words. Serious reality. Take a look at these recent statistics (HIV & AIDS information from Avert.org):
-33million are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
-More than 25 million people have died of HIV/AIDS since 1981
-Africa has 12 million AIDS orphans

Now, take a personal inventory. Do you know anyone that is affected by HIV/AIDS? 5 years ago my answer would have been 'no'. But not any longer. Here are some pics of those I've met who face the reality of HIV/AIDS every single day.
I challenge you to watch this video link.
You may be asking yourself; "What can I do?" You can:
-pray for them
-give of your time, energy & resources to organizations that are on the frontlines fighting the fight against HIV/AIDS (like Compassionate Life Foundation http://www.james127.org/)
-go yourself.
You see, when we all face Jesus someday (and we will!) and He asks us: "What have you done for the least of these?"...what will our answer be?

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Live by Faith

"We live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7

A young Canadian middle school girl who 'saw' a need and took it upon herself to raise money to purchase dining tables, chairs and bunk beds for orphaned children a half a world away. A hardworking middle aged Swazi woman who 'saw' a need and prayed for over 20 years for God to send someone to help build a church and reach out to the poorest of her village. A South African couple who 'saw' the great need of orphans in Swaziland and in response to God's call left their home, moved to the top of a mountain and began an orphanage and free school that has become a beacon of hope to literally hundreds. Real people. People of faith. People of action. Their names are Cloe, Busisewe, Kallie and Charmaine and their pictures are above. I am humbled and honored to meet them. But I am also thankful. Thankful that they challenge me (a 50 something American) to live out my faith to a greater degree....daily.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

El Shaddai (God Almighty)


"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. " Psalm 91:1


Half of our time in Swaziland was spent up in the mountains at an amazing place called El Shaddai. It's a children's home for 64 orphans. But it's more than that. It also has a church where the people of the surrounding village come each week to learn about God's word and Jesus. The church also houses a pre-school where around 50 little ones walk for miles each morning to come to school. It also has a clinic where on Thursdays and Fridays the sick (and there are many!) come for help. It also has a school where 264 children, grades 1 through 7, are able to go to school for free (unheard of in Swaziland). Our time at El Shaddai was well spent...albeit exhausting! We built a massive playscape for the orphanage (miraculously built in just 3 days when the supplier said it normally takes 3 weeks!!), put up fencing around the babies' house, assembled furniture in the long term volunteer house, manned the clinic with highly trained nurses, painted, visited & taught at the school and played & loved on as many children as possible. The name El Shaddai means 'God Almighty' and after seeing what God is doing there we realize...He truly is!!