scottborg - Life in Swaziland and the New Frugality

I received an email this morning about a new book called "The New Frugality - how to Consume Less, Save More, and Live Better." It was full of great advice on living well financially in our new economy.

I also received an email from our staff member on the ground in Swaziland with a new proposed budget to accommodate all the ministry we are involved in there - especially in the Nsoko area.

The problem is not unusual - we don't have enough money to cover the needs. In fact we are around $1000 a month short of where we need to be to keep things running and reasonably respond to needs there. We are feeding hundreds of children, training national staff, supporting a clinic, a church, and ministering to extreme needs in the community among a largely suffering population.

In trying to manage this ministry we can't spend more than we take in - that just isn't sustainable (with apologies to the US government). My suggestion to cut the part of the budget where we have benevolence money was met with this response from the field,

"I literally have people in front of my face that
could die if we don't intervene who have nothing. Had a child last week
who would have died if we didn't take him to the hospital and pay the
bill. I'm not sure how to turn them away because it's not in the budget -
I actually can't do it."

I feel the emotion. Marcia and I have experienced the same situations in our time in Swaziland. I can't think of many more difficult things in my life than the times I've looked into the face of someone who is dying or in extreme need and told them no I can't help them.

In the New Frugality book there is a chapter on generosity and giving. The author suggests this is part of living well even in light of tighter financial constraints.

We need your help. If you could consider helping us meet these needs please use the following link and pull down The Nsoko Project and give if you can.

Life in Swaziland doesn't know much about IRA's or Government Bonds or our trimmed down materialism and consumerism. Life in Swaziland takes it one day at a time.

As you have heard from the field report in this blog - your donation at this time could be a matter of life and death.