What are you worshiping today?

As I sit on a mountain in an African country ruled by an absolute monarch, King Mswati III, I realize that I might view the world through a different lens than many other people. We are here because God has called us to care for “orphans and widows in distress” and that is what we are doing. God didn’t ask us if we agreed with the politics, religion or cultural views of the country we serve in, He just told us to go and we did.

 

The article below was in yesterday’s newspaper and it’s a real concern here. There are people who are very angry about the sale of alcohol being banned again for another 30 days (after a 6 month ban in 2020), not only because they might like to imbibe from time to time, but more importantly because it is an important part of some ancestral worship practices. Their concerns and their fears are of the repercussions of not being able to perform their rituals that will give them favor with their ancestors.

 

Churches are closed here again, which is not only hard on the Pastors, but also the people who are used to paying for a blessing. It is commonplace for people to line up at church and pay large sums of money for a big blessing and then smaller amounts for a smaller blessing by the Pastor. Yesterday an article said that one pastor has created a drive-thru service so that people could drop off money and receive a blessing from the Pastor. They could even swipe a card without leaving the car, or they could get out and use the ATM that was installed at the church for ease of use.

 

Some people worship their King, some people worship the dead, some people worship their ancestors, some people worship their culture and some people worship their Pastor.

 

What are you worshiping today that someone else might think was wrong, sinful or just crazy? Your way of life? Your freedom? Your rights? Your Pastor?

 

As we are very busy on Project Canaan with an extension on the dairy barn, finishing children’s housing and dining hall as well as designing a recreation area for 400+ children, we are also celebrating Swazi culture by allowing our bigger kids to do a double-night sleepover at the Swazi homestead. 

 

Dairy expansion.

Recreation area between middle and upper campus.

Swazi homestead with new boys house built. Girls is next.

While we are staying as safe as possible from Covid-19 we are also preparing to receive whatever part of Cyclone Eloise that is to hit us in the next 48 hours.

 

My prayer for today and the days ahead is “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:5

 

Perhaps you will join me in that prayer too.

 

Live from Eswatini … it is a glorious Saturday morning.

 

Janine

 

PS Please join me on my new Janine Maxwell Author page on Facebook. We will be announcing the new book launch there very soon!