161 on the Project Canaan payroll yesterday – employment can bring hope to many

Payday is a great day at Project Canaan.  In Swaziland everyone gets paid once a month and it is on the last workday of the month.  Yesterday Ian prepared payroll for 161 people including farm workers, construction workers and baby home workers. 

In Swaziland it is estimated that each person who is employed is caring for 13 dependents at home.  The unemployment rate is somewhere around 70% causing 65% of all Swazi’s to depend on international food programs to get one meal per day.  Our philosophy is to provide as much employment as we can in order to give a “hand up” rather than a “hand out”. Of course children who have no one caring for them need more help, which is why we use the maize and sugar beans grown by our employees to provide 74,000 hot meals each month through our partner churches all over the country.  It is a beautiful circle that we love to see expanding each month.

Yesterday was a milestone for us because we had had the highest number of people on payroll in three years and if the 13/1 ratio is correct then 1,859 are being cared for through the employee at Project Canaan.

I have included some great photos of people on the farm, harvesting green beans, working in the Lusito Mechanics Shop (shout out to summer intern Danny Comeau from Cape Girardeau, MO), the construction team, the baby home and as of today, the Khutsala Artisans Shop.

I love living at Project Canaan and I love serving God here.  We see His hand each and every day in a mighty way and I am at a loss for words to give sufficient thanks.

Ben and Anthony preparing beans for market.

Stanley and the team harvesting green beans.

Stanley and Anthony do the farm payroll distribution.

Potatoes grown at Project Canaan.

Peter does the construction payroll distribution.

Denis and Danny at the Lusito Mechanics Shop.

Pinky making her first bracelet.

Khosi making beautiful braclets.

Denis helping make some special charms for our jewelry.

Live from Swaziland … employing people can bring home to many.

Janine

Be still and know that He is God.

Be STILL and know that He is God.

Be still and KNOW that He is God.

Be still and know that HE is God.

Be still and know that He IS God.

Be still and know that He is GOD.

I am not sure which word you put the emphasis on in that scripture, but this week I have used them all to remind myself of the certainty of the promise given in those words.

This week my cousin Kim found out that the love of her life, Paul (father of her three teenagers) had a stage 4 malignant brain tumor that is inoperable.  Only fifty days ago he was “perfectly healthy” and then things changed.  On Thursday, July 26th he went home to be with Jesus.  I have no words to describe this.

Be still and know that He is God.

Yes, Stanly gave me permission to use this photo.

This week Stanly Mduma (one of our farm Supervisors) careened off a cliff when he lost control of the ATV he was driving.  He is father to a new set of twins (Janet and Jackson), a second set of twins and two other children.  Those six were almost orphaned this week.

Be still and know that He is God.

This week I was asked if I ever have fun anymore.  Chloe remembered us having fun when we lived in Canada back in 2006.  Have we become much too serious or has life just changed that much?

Be still and know that He is God.

This week I was asked if I am happy here in Swaziland.  What is happiness?  Am I supposed to be happy?  I am seeking to have the “joy of the Lord”, but I am not sure that “happiness” (as we define it back at home) is something that we will see a lot of here.  Maybe it is semantics, but maybe it is more than that.  Something to ponder in the weeks ahead.

Be still and know that He is God.

This week I learned that more than 50% of all HIV positive adults who are seen at the Pediatric AIDS clinic (because their children are HIV positive and are on treatment), themselves refuse treatment.  Why?  Because they say they “feel fine”.  So they go on to increase the chance of infecting others, shorten their own lifespan and almost insure that their children will become orphans in the not to distant future.

Be still and know that He is God.

Happy 1st Birthday Miriam

This week baby Miriam turned one-year-old and would likely have been just another infant mortality statistic if it weren’t for the discernment of a Social Welfare Officer and the hearts of the women who live and work at the El Roi Baby Home.

Be still and know that He is God.

This week our electric fencing is finally electrified around our house so we will be safe at night, but the water filtration system is still not filtering so we will continue to boil water. 

Be still and know that He is God.

This week Jesus was on the throne, all week, and He didn’t miss anything. He wasn’t surprised by anything nor was he shaken by anything - not Paul’s tumor or Stanly’s accident or the color of the icing on Miriam’s birthday cake.  His plans are not our plans and His timing is not our timing, and sometimes it just plain SUCKS (sorry Mom for the bad language), but I trust Him with my life and the lives of those around me.  I am not saying it is easy or without pain, but it is the truth that I cling to in the darkest days.

Anna and David share Petelyn's boa on Miriam's birthday.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God”.  This week I am thankful for these powerful words.  May they bring you peace.

Live from Swaziland ... this isn't getting any easier with time.

Janine