The highs are high and the lows are low

So many crazy things happened this week that I will attempt to share some highs and some lows in bullet form so you don’t have to read all day.

Highs:

·      Our friends at Global Medical Relief Fund have agreed to help the young burned girl I blogged about last week (http://janinemaxwell.blogspot.com/2018/09/5-day-old-baby-girl-burned-in-house-fire.html) and she will start her journey to healing in January! THANK YOU ELISSA!

·      Our friends Eileen and Joe Habelow (along with the support of Mount Hope Christian Center, Belmont) have agreed to host the young burned girl and her guardian for the next 2-3 years of surgeries and procedures to restore her to body, mind and soul to health!  THANK YOU HABELOW FAMILY!

·      After a 4.5 hour drive yesterday we welcomed home our 198^th baby. She was left for weeks at a time with strangers. She is 20-months-old and is the size of a 9-month-old. She has the saddest eyes and doesn’t make a sound, but she will be loved back to life by my amazing team of Aunties.

·      We celebrated EIGHT birthdays this week, including Ian, Robert, Bernice and Moses’ today! It’s a good cake week.

Lows:

·      During a celebratory lunch with my Khutsala Supervisors I witnessed a man with a rifle shoot a dog a right in front of us. I assume it was a wild dog, and obviously unwelcomed. We heard a shot, then a yelp! yelp! yelp! as the dog ran in circles (I think he was hit in the hip), then another shot and the yelping stopped. The man returned to the lunch table and finished his lunch.  The rest of us lost our appetites.

·      We had another late-night office break-in, this time with weapons involved.  A spray of buckshot scared the robbers from trying to cut their way in to the safe, then Ian and the boys chased the four masked men in to the bush, while Tricia and I guarded the open office. Lots of damage, but nothing stolen.  We will not be afraid, nor deterred from the work the Lord has called us to.

·      We had a big storm that brought water in to our house and blew out two transformers, a DB box at the egg barn and one of the tunnel roofs at the Greenhouse. 

·      I learned that in Swazi culture, if a man pays Lobola (payment of cows for his bride) to her family, then he “owns” her womb, and any child that comes out of.   If the payment is not paid, then her womb is only being “rented”.

This was a discouraging week for me and I appreciate the prayers of friends around the world. Some days/weeks are just harder than others.  But He is my strength and my shield and as our children sing “If God is for us, who can be, who can be against us?”  He restores my soul through their voices.

Live from Swaziland … time to go make French toast for my favorite birthday boy.

Janine

If you would like to sponsor this new baby, please click on one of the links below:

In the US:  https://heartforafrica.secure.force.com/pmtx/dn8n__SiteDonation?id=a0v1A00000Ja4x0

In Canada: bit.ly/ProjectCanaanChildrenAngelCA 

Another break-in and now an assault ... what would you do?

Jere's arm after tacking the robbers.

There has been a rash of break-ins on Project Canaan.  The first major one was last July when thieves broken in to our front office, right under the nose of a sleeping guard (and his defense was the he was asleep!). Six weeks ago our house was broken in to (http://janinemaxwell.blogspot.com/2017/07/our-home-was-vandalized.html ), a month later the VanWinkes house was broken in to (http://janinemaxwell.blogspot.com/2017/08/another-break-in-on-project-canaan-and.html)  and this week the thieves escalated their crime to a new level.

On Wednesday night vandals broke in to the Guest House while our dear friends, Jere and Janet Scott, were sleeping.  Janet awoke with the men in their bedroom and when she shouted at them they hit her in the head twice. Jere (who is 84-years-old) jumped up and grabbed one of the robbers, and pulled his ski mask off before they ran out the door with multiple electronics and cash. We are so thankful that they weren’t hurt or killed, and both are strong and more determined than ever to continue serving the Lord here in Swaziland.

Janet's black and blue eye from being hit

Daily we reminded that we are living/working/serving in a third world country.  We are surrounded by hunger, orphan headed households, poverty and lack of education, which is leading to anger, jealousy, a sense of entitlement, but only by a few.  And you know what they say - it only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch.  I think there are a few bad apples in our basket.  That being said, there is crime everywhere. Houses are broken in to all the time in Canada and the US, cars are stolen, people are robbed. This is not a third world problem, but it is a very real, ongoing problem for us here.

We have local and regional police involved as well as a private investigator.  We are working on a broader security plan that will need to involve weapons, cameras, better trained security and more fencing.  But I HATE that we have to do this. I HATE that a few young people who are smoking dagga (weed) are giving a nation a bad name. I HATE that by writing this blog and sharing what is happening that some people will no longer want to support Heart for Africa financially or change their plans to come and serve here because they are afraid.  I HATE that there is fear amongst some of our volunteers and fear amongst most of our staff.  And I really HATE that Spencer and Chloe have to be worried and afraid for us a million miles away.

It would be easier (and likely much wiser) for me to stay silent, and not tell you how many calls we now get in the middle of the night from police or investigators asking about this person, reporting an incident that just happened or wondering if we are okay because our dogs have gone crazy barking.

What would you do?

We are weary. We are not sleeping well.  We (I am) are trying to not be intimidated or fearful, but alas, we are along way from home, and at times feel very isolated and alone.

I can certainly see why so many people have just packed up and moved home after trying to help in Africa. I can also see why donors are skeptical and don’t want to support ministries in Africa. I GET IT. 

But we will not be leaving.  We will endure.  We will continue to pray for wisdom, and strength and endurance and financial support and protection as we continue to love and care for 162 precious children who GOD himself has entrusted us with.  HE IS our protector and HE HAS won the battle. 

This is how Jonathan sleeps, with one leg crossed the other - he is why we must not be afraid.

This is Bonita's 2nd birthday - she is why we must not be deterred.

Thank you all for your many words of encouragement, your prayers and your love.  If you feel that you want to help us financially as we incur more costs to further secure our volunteers and children, I thank you in advance for that too.

In the US click here.

In Canada click here.

Thank you.

Live from Swaziland … it is Saturday morning.

Janine