Returning to
Swaziland has
been remarkable yet unremarkable.
There
are a few changes after being gone 15 months, but most things are the
same.
It’s amazing to see so many of the
same people doing the same thing.
I
guess that has struck me – I am not sure why I expected so many things to be
different.
I guess because our own lives
have changed so much since we were last here.
Today
Marcia went to see the ladies Bible study and craft coop.
She was greeted warmly by so many of the
go-go’s.
Since we left, the women with
the help of AIM missionary Julie Anderson (www.JulieAnderson.myadventures.org)
have started a craft coop.
40 or so of
the women who care for the children are working together to sew purses and
other items to sell.
They share a few hand
crank sewing machines among several women. They were each paid about $25 today
for their work and the purses that sold in the
US.
This little amount is a huge boost to their little to nothing monthly
income.
I sat under
a roof structure today talking with Pastor Walter, the man who started the 8
care points we are working with.
In
November Walter was hit by a care and broke his leg.
It is still in a cast – it isn’t healing
well.
He sat on a plastic stool with his
foot set up on another stool while he and I chatted to catch up on our
perspective families.
This roof
structure was one Josiah worked on when he was in
Swaziland the summer of ’05.
Not much has changed with the
progress of building the church, but today a work crew came to begin preparing
the ground to pour concrete.
We had a
donor give the money to complete the building – the challenge now is to stay on
top of the building company to see it actually happen.
We visited
another care point yesterday.
There were
easily 100 children there and they were singing and playing with a team we had
visiting.
There has been some good
progress at this care point with two buildings being constructed and work done
toward a third.
One disappointment was
an attempt at drilling for a well on property.
We hired a geological survey company who told us there were good
prospects of finding water on the well.
We dug 200 feet and came up dry.
That cost $3000.
Many of the
children were complaining of being thirsty – it must have been well over 100
degrees out there – but we had little to offer them.
They are praying for rain.
I think I
am continuing to learn the value of patience and the necessity of a large dose
of it to work in
Africa.
One needs to get good at waiting.
And not just a little waiting like in a line
or at a traffic light – but in waiting years to get someone to come drill for a
well and then have it come up dry.
The
wait some more for the funds to try again.
Or waiting over a year for progress to be made on a building.
Or waiting 12 weeks for a leg to heal that
should have healed in 6.
Or waiting to
use a sewing machine to earn $25 to help feed all the hungry children who live
with you.
In the
waiting I witness here in
Swaziland
I see great strength of character.
I
hope for that kind of strength for myself.
But I must say I am afraid to ask since I know how that strength comes –
– – – by waiting.
