One Child at a Time
It is summer here. The weather is almost as hot as Round Rock is in the summer and there is very little air conditioning here. The summer rains have started and the hills are a beautiful shade of green. Swaziland is called the Swiss Alps of Africa and if you could see it you would understand why. I swear I can hear Julie Andrews singing “The hills are alive, with the sound of music…..” The flowers and trees are so beautiful in full bloom. God is showing off his handiwork big time for all of those who take a moment to notice. It’s sad though, most of the Swazi’s don’t pay any attention to the beauty around them. They don’t know the names of the trees or plants. They don’t take care of the environment at all, even the Christians who know it is all of God’s creation. But those that I come in contact with are getting used to me getting excited about God’s beauty and ordinary miracles that happen around them everyday. Some are now starting to point out to me the flowers and trees that I so enjoy. I can feel God smiling just a bit every time they notice his magnificent creation.
But I can’t blame most of them for not noticing. Most lead an extremely hard life without any hope. When you are hungry, thirsty, too cold or too hot, don’t have money for food, medication or transport to get your sick child or grandchild to the Doctor, or your children have all passed away leaving their children for you to care for or they simply left their children with you to raise without any financial or physical help, I can understand why perhaps they become oblivious to the beauty around them. On the other hand, there are those who are off chasing the money and material things to be like those who live in the western world, especially the US. And then there is the King and his many wives and children. It is a country full of extremes on so many levels as is the case in so many countries in Africa.
But the mothers, gogo’s (grandmother’s) and the children are so beautiful and precious. The joy of being here is forming relationships with the teachers, mothers, gogo’s and children that I encounter. I hear God whisper to me almost every day that it is all about “One heart, One child at a time” which is how I am reminded of God’s faithfulness so I can make it through the tough days when I am faced with overwhelming needs. When I see the precious smile on a mother’s or gogo’s face so thankful that the (Swazi) Methodist women volunteers and I have visited them, brought them seedlings for their garden or transport money to get their child to the clinic, all of my hardships and feelings of helplessness are washed away and I am so blessed. This past week we have been handing out uniforms that our volunteer ladies sewed for a very small portion of the neediest of the children in the schools. The smiles on their faces were priceless. One little girl ran right out the door of the head teacher’s office directly home to show her gogo her new uniform! It brings a huge smile to my face and I hear God’s whispering in a loving voice: “One child at a time. That’s all I ask.”
A few days ago I drove up to Lomngeletjane, the school we are building. The pre-school teacher’s two year old daughter saw me drive up and said to her mother “Chris.” I walked in the little wooden shack and she said “Hi Chris” and let me give her a hug. Don’t you know she melted my heart? A year ago the children were still too afraid of me to interact with me. Now God blesses me with their smiles, words and physical contact.
When you read this, I will be back in Round Rock for the holidays. I arrive in Austin on December 7th and will be in the States for approximately two months. I hope to share my stories and pictures with a many of you as possible. As much as I miss my sons and my FUMC family and can’t wait to see everyone, I know that I will miss the children and women in Swaziland who have so touched my heart. I can’t wait to share their stories with you.
On Saturday, Dec 13th I will be at the Daily Grind located at 16238 Hwy 620 North (the corner of 620 and Great Oaks next to the Bank of America) hoping to have coffee with those of you who have the time to stop by. I’ll be there from 7:00am until 2:00pm and hope to see you. I also look forward to seeing you at church. If you would like to schedule a time for me to come visit your Sunday School class or small group, please e-mail or call me at chrisinswaziland@gmail.com , 512-255-8964.
God Bless you,
Chris