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| The face of hopelessness (identity hidden) |
Ian left eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) for an extended trip
to the US and Canada on October 5th and I followed a few days after. We have collectively been on 24 flights so
far, sleeping in six different locations and meeting with hundreds of people.
Why are we doing this? We are doing it solely to share what
is happening at Heart for Africa and to raise funds to support our work.
Meanwhile, back in eSwatini, our family has received ELEVEN
children in the 19 days that we have been away.
The youngest is 5-days-old, the oldest is just over two years. Included
in those eleven children are two sets of twin girls a pair of siblings and four
children who are HIV positive.
When we travel abroad our goal is always to educate people to
what is happening in the tiny Kingdom, and invite them to join us in helping to
raise the remnant that is being left behind as a nation is being decimated by
the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Poverty leads to
starvation, starvations leads to desperation, desperation lethargy, lethargy leads
to hopelessness and hopelessness leads to baby dumping, child abuse and death.
Below are US and eSwatini population growth charts, where you
can see the largest population base in the US is the 25-year-old, followed closely
by the 55-60-year-olds. In contrast, eSwatini’s largest population is under the
age of two years, and the second largest is the 22-25-year old group – the ones
having all the babies. But those are
just charts, just graphs that people can dispute. I have seen those 2-year-olds and those
23-year-olds. They are real.
And why on earth would you want to give money to help two crazy
Canadians who are now raising 210 Swazi children until adulthood? We need donor support, but people are busy,
distracted and often, disinterested.
While we are enjoying seeing trusted friends and having familiar
food, I long to be back home in eSwatini where most of my family lives. Every day we deal with death, child trafficking,
rape, violent crime, lies, stealing, pain, heartbreak and hopelessness every day,
and oh, the hopelessness - that is the worst. But I have found that hopelessness
is nearly impossible to convey to a western audience and get them to respond. I
have seen the face of hopelessness, hundreds of times, and it is always the
same. The eyes of a hopeless person are empty, but still open. Their skin is
dry and blotchy like they have never had a drink of water. Their limbs are limp and lifeless, which
usually matches their hair and the way their lips sit on their face – limp and
lifeless.
BUT I do see
hope in the eyes of our children, our
amazing staff and the social workers/police/doctors whom I have the privilege
to work with. I see joy in their smiles and hope in their eyes just knowing
that someone sees them, hears them and cares.
I am “cheating” by writing this blog on Friday night on a 3+
hour flight from Atlanta to Denver so that I am not “late” posting my blog
after everyone has finished their morning coffee and moved on with their day. As
I am writing this I am listening to a song by Lincoln Brewster called “While I wait”. The lyrics say:
“While I wait, I will
worship, Lord I’ll worship your name.
While I wait, I will
trust you, Lord I’ll trust you all the same.
I live by faith, and
not by sight.
Sometimes miracles
take time.
You’re faithful every
day.
Your promises remain.
Though I don’t
understand it, I will worship with my pain.
You are God you are
worthy, you are with me, all the way.
So while I wait, I
will worship, Lord I’ll worship your name.
Though I don’t have
all the answers, still I trust you, all the same.”
We need funding for our children. NO, we need funding for
HIS children. I’ll stop asking when He
has provided sufficiently for the children He has placed in our care.
If you can sponsor a child today, please do so.
In the US: bit.ly/ProjectCanaanChildrenAngel
In Canada: bit.ly/ProjectCanaanChildrenAngelCA
Live from an airplane … I will worship while I wait.
Janine
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