a Social Experiment - Highs and Lows

Despite the desperate situations we see around us, GOD is doing some incredible things.  The local church is growing-and more importantly-getting involved.  Servolution projects coming out of the church and back into the neighborhoods.  Last week, Mitch covered preaching at Healing Place Church Swaziland.  He spoke on "Talents"... and discussed the parable.  At the end of the sermon, a challeng was offered to  both services (around 400 people) to give us their name and i will give them 10 Rand(a small amount of money to us-just under $2, but to many in the church-this would be 2 hours wages)... 86 families signed up to match the $$ with their ability/talent and do something for others.  This week we had someone call each of those families and see what they had done with the money... incredible stories from buying a grandmother bread to helping a neighborhood orphan.  We are(and we pray HE was) proud of many of these people...yes, there are many that would have taken it and put it in their pocket, but there are a few that did something with it.  We believe that there are sparks of fire all around us in Swaziland, and once the wind picks up-there will be a raging fire for Christ.   

On the flip side, this week a 10 year old boy that Children’s cup has been caring for passed away.  At the time of mourning at his homestead house, the grandmother came in and his baby sister had passed.  Yesterday, we rescued a girl from sexual abuse from her “grandfather”.  A perverted old man with HIV… now this girls blood counts are lower-and it is expected that she will also be +. 

The Highs are Higher…and the lows are lower.  The one consistent thing- Jesus.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  We have that that we can hold on to.  

 

 

What can we do?

A 14 year old girl was taken in by this elderly couple(not giving name or photo-to keep her protected), because her mom re-married and the new dad was beating her.  One would think-“AHHH, finally someone in Swaziland cares enough to reach out to a young lady, cares enough to show what safety and LOVE look like”…then this utter violation-she was molested by the grandfather figure.  Our hearts break, her trusting nature is destroyed, and a child is left blaming herself.  We are grateful that the truth has now come out, and we are working on getting her into a loving environment, away from those who would harm her.  But-so much damage has been done.  Her innocence stolen.  It may be years of seeing true love, the love of Jesus before she may be able to trust again.  All of the missionaries here are willing to show her that love, and give her the time and attention.  What the enemy intends to use to kill and destroy, we hold on to the promise that GOD intends to turn it for good.  We believe she has a bright future, and one day may be a great leader-and maybe even help others who have experienced what she has had to endure.

This “heaviness” combined with constantly having to watch over your shoulder, taking every precaution to keep a heightened awareness about ourselves, combined with hundreds of stories like above(just happened late last week), with major changes in the leadership of the ministry(the circumstances of “Pops” Dave Ohlerking passing), with still trying to understand a culture and language that confounds us…well, I believe that God has given us more than we can handle….let that sink in a second…yes, I believe HE is giving us more than we can handle.  Otherwise, we might think we could do it ourselves..that that little girl could do it herself...that the ministry could do it itself.  We are forced to rely more heavily on Him than ever before.  It is not easy.  But then again, He did not say it would be easy, He just said GO.

Please pray for her, please pray for the Ohlerking family, Rodgers family, and Children’s cup family, and if you would… please pray for us.  We love and miss you.