Sorry I haven’t blogged in a few days! I have not been able to log into my blog!! (Ugh!!!) So here are a couple of blogs.
12-12-07
Besides having 3 Christmas parties in a 4 day period (I’m exhausted and sunburned); I have been rushing trying to get other projects done before the end of the week. Why before the end of the week you ask? I’ll fill in that part of Swazi culture in my next blog.
This blog is about the Christmas celebration in Swaziland for Children’s Cup. Last Thursday was the party in Mozambique. A mission team from TX and several of our staff were t
here for that one (I was not). On Saturday was the MEGA party for the 11 Manzini (Man-zee-nee) CarePoints and approximately 2500 kids. It was cool and rainy, colder than a warm summer rain and at times downright cold as we were soaking wet. We still had a blast but the event was modified slightly. Monday we were in Mapheveni (Mop-a-vein-ee) which is the one CarePoint furthest away in Swaziland, right next to the Mozambique, about a 2 hour drive. We had the other extreme there, it was a scorcher! We all started saying the rain had not been so bad. I had to make myself be conscious of my water intake as I felt a headache and the beginnings of heat exhaustion. We still had a fun day! Tuesday was the Mbabane (Bah-bawn) party, it was nice to be only 5 minutes from the field it was held on and the weather was hot but bearable with an occasional breeze. Worn out at the end was an understatement! It was loads of fun though.
Now what all occurred at the parties? Singing and performances, face painting, balloon animals, bouncing inflatables, relay races, soccer drills, tug-of-war, sack races, hot dogs, sodas and chips, Christmas play and songs and performances by di
fferent groups of children. At the end, every child got a little gift bag with goodies including a washcloth, toothbrush, juice, chips & of course candy. Each party the helpers started with a prayer of protection and that each of us would love on and show each kid the reason for the season and how much God loves them. The kids were so well behaved even when they had to wait in lines. I’m going to try to upload several photos but they might not get added until next week.
Even though it won’t be a white Christmas here and Santa Claus did not visit the parties (they have no clue who he is). It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
12-13-07 (or in Swaziland 13-12-07)
I was at Mapheveni again today. This CarePoint is in the midst of sugar cane fields and has poor hired hands which remind me a lot of migrant farm workers in the states. The water supply is the river which is not only unhealthy but also dangerous. 6 months ago 2 children were killed in the river, one by an alligator and one by a hippo. Today, while we were there, we got word that a 2 year old boy had just drowned that morning. The mother was at the river doing laundry and the boy wandered off, when she found him, he had drowned. The mother was in shock and grief when the community leader went to check on the situation. The child was one that ate at the CarePoint. It is just was a reminder of how dangerous life is here. It is not uncommon for me to see small children walking along the sides of busy roads unaccompanied by any adult or older child. Children are left alone constantly to fend for themselves which is such a stark contrast to the rules I enforced for DFCS in the states. I have a much better appreciation for why many foreign families do not comprehend the urgency of child protection and guidelines in the states.
I want to briefly mention also that Tuesday night I went with Teresa (Children’s Cup staff nurse) and Rajne (a doctor staying with me for 3 weeks from Phoenix) to the government hospital. It was sad. Nurses there issue medication but family members are the care givers, they feed, bathe and give the patient the medicine. It is a step above living at home. There are numerous beds in a large rooms. At least 8 beds per room in the children's wards. Your belongings go on the one little metal night stand next to the bed or under the bed. Are Mangwaneni teacher, Precious was visiting her sister there. Her sister was skin and bones. She was confused and not able to communicate much, she did wave goodbye when we left. Things family had brought for her, extra clothing, wash basin, juice had disappeared and no one could find them.
We went to the children’s ward where there was varying illnesses and only basic care – medication, oxygen & some with IVs. One area had the residential severely mental or physically handicapped. This was their home. There were 3 children that had been abandoned. One with cerebral palsy, the other two with no apparent problems. (They are not open for international adoption, you must live here for at least a year.—I know you were thinking it. It crossed my mind too.)
If you are not sponsoring currently, please reconsider. The need is great and we are making differences! There were 3 families that night that we prayed over and asked for God to heal, give peace and comfort and give the doctors wisdom. The impact of just having someone, even a stranger, care was visually evident in these family members. There are children that by our efforts at the CarePoints are being kept from getting to the point of needing to go to the hospital. No telling how many lives have been saved by preventing an accident or catching an illness before it escalates. I just want to thank you for your generosity in supporting me and Oasis @ Swaziland. Merry Christmas!
12-12-07
Besides having 3 Christmas parties in a 4 day period (I’m exhausted and sunburned); I have been rushing trying to get other projects done before the end of the week. Why before the end of the week you ask? I’ll fill in that part of Swazi culture in my next blog.
This blog is about the Christmas celebration in Swaziland for Children’s Cup. Last Thursday was the party in Mozambique. A mission team from TX and several of our staff were t
here for that one (I was not). On Saturday was the MEGA party for the 11 Manzini (Man-zee-nee) CarePoints and approximately 2500 kids. It was cool and rainy, colder than a warm summer rain and at times downright cold as we were soaking wet. We still had a blast but the event was modified slightly. Monday we were in Mapheveni (Mop-a-vein-ee) which is the one CarePoint furthest away in Swaziland, right next to the Mozambique, about a 2 hour drive. We had the other extreme there, it was a scorcher! We all started saying the rain had not been so bad. I had to make myself be conscious of my water intake as I felt a headache and the beginnings of heat exhaustion. We still had a fun day! Tuesday was the Mbabane (Bah-bawn) party, it was nice to be only 5 minutes from the field it was held on and the weather was hot but bearable with an occasional breeze. Worn out at the end was an understatement! It was loads of fun though.
Now what all occurred at the parties? Singing and performances, face painting, balloon animals, bouncing inflatables, relay races, soccer drills, tug-of-war, sack races, hot dogs, sodas and chips, Christmas play and songs and performances by di
fferent groups of children. At the end, every child got a little gift bag with goodies including a washcloth, toothbrush, juice, chips & of course candy. Each party the helpers started with a prayer of protection and that each of us would love on and show each kid the reason for the season and how much God loves them. The kids were so well behaved even when they had to wait in lines. I’m going to try to upload several photos but they might not get added until next week.Even though it won’t be a white Christmas here and Santa Claus did not visit the parties (they have no clue who he is). It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
12-13-07 (or in Swaziland 13-12-07)
I was at Mapheveni again today. This CarePoint is in the midst of sugar cane fields and has poor hired hands which remind me a lot of migrant farm workers in the states. The water supply is the river which is not only unhealthy but also dangerous. 6 months ago 2 children were killed in the river, one by an alligator and one by a hippo. Today, while we were there, we got word that a 2 year old boy had just drowned that morning. The mother was at the river doing laundry and the boy wandered off, when she found him, he had drowned. The mother was in shock and grief when the community leader went to check on the situation. The child was one that ate at the CarePoint. It is just was a reminder of how dangerous life is here. It is not uncommon for me to see small children walking along the sides of busy roads unaccompanied by any adult or older child. Children are left alone constantly to fend for themselves which is such a stark contrast to the rules I enforced for DFCS in the states. I have a much better appreciation for why many foreign families do not comprehend the urgency of child protection and guidelines in the states.
I want to briefly mention also that Tuesday night I went with Teresa (Children’s Cup staff nurse) and Rajne (a doctor staying with me for 3 weeks from Phoenix) to the government hospital. It was sad. Nurses there issue medication but family members are the care givers, they feed, bathe and give the patient the medicine. It is a step above living at home. There are numerous beds in a large rooms. At least 8 beds per room in the children's wards. Your belongings go on the one little metal night stand next to the bed or under the bed. Are Mangwaneni teacher, Precious was visiting her sister there. Her sister was skin and bones. She was confused and not able to communicate much, she did wave goodbye when we left. Things family had brought for her, extra clothing, wash basin, juice had disappeared and no one could find them.
We went to the children’s ward where there was varying illnesses and only basic care – medication, oxygen & some with IVs. One area had the residential severely mental or physically handicapped. This was their home. There were 3 children that had been abandoned. One with cerebral palsy, the other two with no apparent problems. (They are not open for international adoption, you must live here for at least a year.—I know you were thinking it. It crossed my mind too.)
If you are not sponsoring currently, please reconsider. The need is great and we are making differences! There were 3 families that night that we prayed over and asked for God to heal, give peace and comfort and give the doctors wisdom. The impact of just having someone, even a stranger, care was visually evident in these family members. There are children that by our efforts at the CarePoints are being kept from getting to the point of needing to go to the hospital. No telling how many lives have been saved by preventing an accident or catching an illness before it escalates. I just want to thank you for your generosity in supporting me and Oasis @ Swaziland. Merry Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment