Letter writing is an important part of sending messages of encouragement, love and hope to each child at the Ludlati Carepoint. Children’s HopeChest makes it quite convenient for sponsors to write to their children. You can directly type your letter and include a picture on their website at the following link:
Please follow the guidelines provided on the website for the recommended frequency and suggested “Do’s and Don’ts”. For children who are able and wish to reply, they will have the opportunity to respond to your letters one or two times a year.
We can all be encouraged by a testimony for the type of work we feel God is doing through sponsors who write letters and people who visit and work in Swaziland with our Ludlati Neighbor Kids. The following video shows how God used a sponsor’s letter to impact one man’s life. He was a child in Kenya sponsored by a young man through Compassion International.
GREAT NEWS!!
We are excited to report that some really big giving has been going on and the kitchen and fence at Ludlati are now fully funded. We are amazed at the giving of a few families who have stepped up and made a difference. Thank you! We know each of you gave in Jesus name, and we give God the glory!
This video was made by some of those who work with AIM (Adventures in Missions) and CHC (Children’s Hope Chest) in SWAZILAND. They remarked that this video, unlike ones they have made in the past, was able to show the hope alive there!
During this video you can see a glimpse of our Ludlati Carepoint from 2:25 to 2:28. The tree and some of the Go-gos and kids faces are familiar. You can also see our Ludlati Go-gos at 3:53 to 3:54 standing near the tree at the carepoint holding a box of the food our support helps provide.
“If there were no Carepoint I think my whole family would be dead…I pray for God to help me live a good life and my future be like a miracle.”—Quote from a Swaziland Teenager shared by Tom Davis, CEO of Children’s Hopechest on his facebook page. This quote provides a real word picture for the life giving hope we plan to give to Ludlati. A Ludlati Development Plan is set up to intervene in the lives of Ludlati orphans and at-risk children by helping them come to know Christ, provide support needed to thrive physically, and teach the skills needed to sustain themselves and their family as they mature. A critical aspect of the development plan provides support to native Swaziland community leaders and mentors who already show a commitment to help these children, but lack the resources to do it. This promotes in-country growth and sufficiency for long term development and sustainability.
Ludlati Development Plan:
1. Obtain land from the village leadership, typically available as an empty plot. - DONE
2. Provide food, water, and basic preventive medical care to orphans and at-risk children in the area using the land as a gathering place. Funded through monthly contributions. - IN PROGRESS
3. Develop facilities: Fence, kitchen and a well (if possible at this location). Funded through capital project contributions. - IN PROGRESS
4. Provide support for school fees and on-site schooling for all children at Ludlati Carepoint. Funded through monthly contributions at 100% monthly funding level.
5. Develop facilities: Build a building for school, training, and discipleship activities. Also used as temporary shelter on the grounds. Funded through capital project contributions.
6. Deliver ongoing care and education to provide immediate and long-term hope. Funded through monthly contributions at 100% monthly funding level.
7. Move beyond orphan care into the community to develop micro-enterprises that provide a means to earn both income and dignity. Funding plans for this stage will be developed at a later date with the goal of long term self sufficiency.
We are excited to be started on working through the development plan steps, and are currently in the midst of Step 2 and 3 above. 50% of the monthly support needed is raised for Step 2. We are thankful for each family and individual who has committed to give! But there is 50% more to go…help spread the word. Step 3 is a capital project to build a kitchen and fence around the carepoint grounds. We were given a quote from Children’s Hopechest of $15,000 to build the kitchen and fence. We are so thankful and blessed to have $12,500 raised for this project before wide spread publishing of the need for Ludlati capital funds! If you will help us close the funding gap, we want to raise the remaining $2500 in the next two to four weeks. Pick this link to learn how to give by mail or on-line to the Ludlati Capital Project.
Please understand how a Carepoint effects the life of children in Swaziland from another true story given by a boy in Swaziland named Musa (from Children’s HopeChest):
“My name is Musa. I am five. My mother and father are dead from AIDS. Now my sister Zodwa is taking care of me. She’s 12. After my parents died, we ate grass for food, but now that is changed. Every day the go-gos cook food for us at the carepoint. At the carepoint, Zodwa and I eat two meals each day. I no longer think about food so much. Now I dream of school. Thank you for making this place for me and Zodwa. Please do not ever forget us. I do not want to be hungry again.”
A story from Children’s HopeChest shows how the Lord called a poor pastor in Swaziland, Pastor Walter, to give out of his pocket. Pastor Walter describes how his heart was so moved to obeyed God’s word and call in James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress….
Watch how God has blessed and continues to bless Pastor Walter’s obedience and work…
During my visit to Swaziland in October 2009, I met Pastor Walter and his wife, saw the carepoints he started and are now supported by people through Children’s HopeChest. The video below shows progress made toward Pastor Walter’s vision by October 2009 as the walls are built onto the Church building at Bhalekane. It is not shown in this video, but a primary school is also added to the grounds, and a field on the grounds was freshly plowed to grow cash crops. More importantly, there is a noticeable improvement in the countenance of the children at Bhalekane carepoint relative to children of Ludlati carepoint who did not have this level of care and resource. We are so happy to get started with Ludlati, and we look forward to watching love turn into hope and joy.
Though we are not “pastors”, all followers of Christ are instructed by Jesus to obey God’s commands to love one another and care for the needy, and we are blessed with joy when we obey. We can share in some joy now by reading a young swazi boy’s perspective how his life is changed through the support of a carepoint…
Story from a boy in Swaziland named Musa (from Children’s HopeChest):
“My name is Musa. I am five. My mother and father are dead from AIDS. Now my sister Zodwa is taking care of me. She’s 12. After my parents died, we ate grass for food, but now that is changed. Every day the go-gos cook food for us at the carepoint. At the carepoint, Zodwa and I eat two meals each day. I no longer think about food so much. Now I dream of school. Thank you for making this place for me and Zodwa. Please do not ever forget us. I do not want to be hungry again.”
We thank God and we thank everyone who has joined in providing financial support to the children of Ludlati in Swaziland Africa. We have 50% of the carepoint monthly financial support raised. More importantly, we have 35 of the 70 children who have an individual or a family committed to send letters that show individual children that someone from far away knows and cares about them. It may be easy to dismiss the value received from a gift of a few simple letters. Try to understand, it is the difference between life and death. A great gift of hope in a child’s distress.
It has been proven many times over that people who have hope in difficult or impossible situations are much more likely to get through than someone who does not have it. I know a true story how a touch on the shoulder and a simple statement of “See you in the morning.” made the difference between giving one’s life up, and fighting to live on to the next day. Another story about a man who was in a bad car accident and the doctors projected the need to amputate his leg due to decreasing blood flow and gang-green. In his pain and weakness he had given in to the inevitable loss until a volunteer advocate came along side this man. Through simple visits and encouragement, this man was able to find hope. Over time this man’s leg was saved, and he was able to walk again. He said the visits and simple acts of kindness made the difference for him to have hope. Without this hope, he would have lost his leg.
Do you remember your own excitement as a child receiving a letter in the mail? If not, I can tell as a child I loved it, and my own children receive mail with great excitement. They treasure the letters and cards. Now imagine a child who has nothing but a few tattered clothes, maybe some worn shoes, and lives each day wondering if he/she will eat. When this child receives a letter in the mail, the value to them is extremely high. I have been there, and seen the excitement from a simple handshake greeting, playing together and many hugs. Much hope is drawn by these children from these encounters. The letters are equally valued, and will be kept as a treasure. We call the children of Ludlati our “Neighbor Kids” because we know if Ludlati was our neighbor hood, we all would reach out to help the many orphans and at-risk children. If you visit your “Neighbor Kid” someday as I plan to do this September, you will find this child values your letters and care, and you will never forget the true joy you share together.
I encourage one or two more people to decide today to become an advocate for an orphan or at-risk child in Ludlati. We have two children taken from the front and back of our list featured today.
Sethu is a girl who is turning 5 years old this year. Sethu’s current home is a 30 minute walk to the Ludlati CarePoint where she lives with her Grandmother who is unemployed and lives with six other children. Both of her parents are living, however they are both unemployed. The unemployment rate in Swaziland is 60%. Even if someone has employment, jobs often pay $3 per day for more than 8 hours of work, and the cost of living is the same as here in the midwest of the United States. Sethu needs an advocate to give her hope along with the meals, school support, health training and discipleship to give her a chance to grow and live.
Thabo is a boy who is turning 13 years old this year. Thabo’s current home is a 25 minute walk to the Ludlati CarePoint. Thabo currently lives with his Uncle who is employed. Both of his parents are deceased. Thabo lives with four other children on his Uncle’s homestead. Thabo receives an education at Joy Primary School and is in the third grade. He is one of the 45% of the children who are able to go to school in Swaziland. They do not have a public or government system to provide education. Fees must be paid in order for children to go to school.
All of the children who come to Ludlati carepoint are children at-risk. The development plan for Ludlati carepoint includes providing basic food needs, education and support of school fees so children can be educated, health training to teach children about AIDS, and discipleship training by young men and women Swaziland mentors and role models who show the kids how they grew and changed through tough circumstances, how to love God, love each other, and find hope for improving their families and community.
I believe if many of you met either one of these children in person and saw the living conditions they have to deal with everyday, you would be moved to act on your compassion. It’s as if one of these children showed up at your house in their dirty tattered clothes seeking just one meal. Let your heart and mind be moved to action as other KnownToMe members have been to give hope to a Ludlati child. The development plans we have in cooperation with Children’s HopeChest rescues children from starvation, and provides support through native Swaziland workers and role models committed to lead children toward self sufficiency through education, health and AIDS training, and discipleship. I have seen the work personally in Swaziland. I have met the devoutly committed people on the ground in Swaziland, visited carepoints where kids are getting care, met the ladies cooking the food and teaching the children, seen the inspiration given by the young men and women discipleship trainers, and I have been to carepoints just getting started where starvation, neglect and dangers are still a heartbreaking reality. I am looking forward to visiting our and hopefully your Ludlati Neighbor Kids in September this year. Please start now by picking this link to select Sethu, Thabo or another available child on our list. I know you will find joy added to your life as we have through this act of giving.
“Khisimusi lomuhle” (sounds like: giseemoosee lahmoolah) is how to say “Merry Christmas” in the language of Swaziland, Siswati. On October 24, 2009 in Swaziland, our team traveled to Mahlabaneni Carepoint to participate in a Christmas party with nearly 200 kids. I want to share with you a group of young boys I met around the ages of 10-12 years old.
Several of them spoke English well enough to carry on conversation with me. I felt a real connection with them, and it seemed they had the same with me. I was able to encourage them with actions and words. They were so open and eager to allow me to do that.
In this picture, you can see my hand on one of the boy’s chest in a gesture of acknowledgment and reassurance that I think he is alright! At the same time, he is holding my hand in a gesture of acceptance and appreciation which touched me in return.
I met these boys as I was standing on the outer edge of the shade provided by the open shelter where the Discipleship team was giving a Christmas program for the children and adults in attendance. They came up to me with smiles and a chair which I accepted. Then they gathered around my chair, and we began to get to know each other. We shared about our families, and I learned about some of their needs and struggles.
The young man in the yellow shirt is named, Siyabonga. He seemed to be the leader of this group of boys, but also seemed to have the biggest needs. He did not have shoes like the others and his shirt has several holes and tears. He mentioned that he would like to have a pair of soccer shoes size 6. He also mentioned he would prefer to have shoes so he could go to school without feeling uncomfortable. He has to live with his grandmother during the week so he can walk to school. During the weekends he goes home to be with his father. I asked him if I could pray for him and his needs, and he agreed. We thanked God for the day, that He is the provider, and that He knows Siyabonga’s needs and requests. I told him I have seen God answer prayers, and I believe God answers his prayers. I hope I get to hear how this young boy’s needs and requests are met. I wanted to run and get him what he requested, but logistically could not get this done on the trip. On this Christmas Day, Siyabonga’s requests are still on my heart. I hope he has what he needs today, but I hope to find out his status through letters. And I just want to get to know him and his friends better.
My wife and I love this video. Please listen to this young man of 11 years (in the olive green collar shirt) sing verses from the well known 23rd Psalm. He wanted to show me he could sing well, and chose this song. Of course some of his friends joined in and added some great supporting musical lines. I feel these words have significant meaning considering the poverty in Swaziland in this region near Big Bend.
I would like to say “Khisimusi lomuhle” to you young men. I know you can’t hear me or most likely read this post, but I really enjoyed meeting all of you. You have a place in my heart, and I pray for you. I know life is too hard for you, and I hope to see conditions improve. It was a special time for me to hang out, shake hands, put arms around each others shoulders, share troubles, pray, sing and have fun together. I hope I can see you on my next trip.
Don is downloading the profiles now. We will be preparing them and getting them out to you! More details to come.
The children range in age from 2-16 years. We cannot wait to meet them on paper (and in person).
Speaking of that, REMINDER, we will have a Swaziland travel meeting Tuesday night December 22nd at First Christian Church from 6:30-8:00pm near the Play Area. Please come if you would like to hear more about travel to Swaziland anytime in the future! A trip is being planned for fall 2010. Plus, we just might have some of these profiles prepared by tomorrow night’s meeting.
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27
Visiting orphans and widows in their distress. What must a visit be like for those orphans and at-risk children? For me, the only thing that I can think of that could possibly compare is my memories of summer time visits of my California cousins. Our mundane summer days were exchanged for full days of cousin fun. So refreshing. This was my experience as a child who was never alone, never at-risk. Imagine what a visit could mean to a child who is alone and very much at-risk in her society. Could it be the joy of what visitors mean that causes the squeals of delight from the kids when a team arrives at the established care points in Swaziland?
If you have watched the kids approach the Ludlati carepoint,
you can see that these kids aren’t all together certain what these kind of visits are like. The more established care points are the places where the kids know the joy of interacting with new friends. The Ludlati kids have yet to experience the days of games and loving attention. None of them have received letters and pictures from someone far away who cares about them, followed by the chance to meet them face to face at last. Do not underestimate the value of hope and self worth this communicates to the kids! What a change is in store for all of us! What hope will be realized in this community here and there! If you are interested in supporting a child, please click here for the application instructions.
In the fall of 2010, a trip is being planned to visit our Ludlati neighbor kids! We will get to spend time with our Ludlati kids, possibly do some home visits in their area, and visit some other care points as well. Depending upon the timing of the trip, there could be other projects for us as well. This is the first of what we hope to be semi-annual or at the very least annual trips. I am not sure we are going to be able to keep Don away from Swaziland any longer than that! Warning to all who travel. You may want to go more than once!! The kids will definitely want you to come back!
Let’s get together and talk about travel. Tuesday, December 22 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at First Christian Church (in the Playground area) we will have an important planning meeting about the fall trip and travel in general. We will share information, discuss plans and answer questions. While we have yet to have our official launch of the Ludlati Carepoint, it is never too soon to discuss the upcoming trip. If you want to know more about the trip, are considering travel this year or another year, or want to support others travels, this meeting is for you.
We want the meeting to be as efficient as possible so we encourage you to send any questions you already have ahead of time. Click here to go to the forum thread available for posting questions for the trip meeting (you must be a KTM member to post in the forum) or you can post them in the comments section after this post. You can also send them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
On the second day of my trip to Swaziland, we visited a total of four carepoints. This is a lot considering it takes several hours just to say ‘Hi’ to the many many kids at one carepoint. Below are four kids I met that had a personal impact on me from two carepoints visited that day, Thembini and Mpholi.
This little girl from Thembini in the white sweater was shy for about 15 seconds. She warmed up to me very quickly, and was sitting in my lap in no time. When I got up to move around, she wanted me to hold her. So I did. My arms were in shape since I am often carrying one (or two) of my own children. And when it was time for me to leave she did NOT want me to put her down. So she would fully pull her legs up such that I had to place her on the ground. Her tactic worked a few times, because it was difficult to put her down knowing that the holding time she received that day is some of the few moments of holding she would receive in her life. Plus I enjoy holding the kids. I am glad this carepoint is fully supported by a church in the United States, and has visitors come a couple times a year to spend time with the children and people at this carepoint.
The next child is an older girl who was hanging out at the carepoint. I was able to say hello to her, and she responded with a shy reply. There were a few other kids her age at the carepoint, but this girl was isolated. She seemed lonely and sad. Maybe on a warmer, brighter day with more kids around she has some others to interact with. But my heart went out to her because she seemed like one of those kids who gets isolated because they are different in some way. I am glad she has access to a really good carepoint.
The picture below is the first child I met at our carepoint, Ludlati. Evidence of his adventurous spirit is marked in scars and dirt on his face and legs. He loved to climb the dirt hill and run down. He was happy to shake hands and give a smile. You can see him in the Ludlati video showing more expressive clapping and stomping while the kids where singing. He was a fun little boy.
We really like this second picture of him taken by Hannah Leman. To us this picture is an artistic expression of hope for children climbing out of the dirt reaching for a brighter future. I look forward to seeing him again on our next trip to visit our carepoint. I hope some of you will make plans to come along on the next trip to meet him as well.
If you have followed our blog entries about the trip, you have seen this young lady carrying her baby sister on her back. She is actually one of the older children watching a younger sibling. I heard and read about these circumstances, and felt sad, and wanted to do something to help. When I meet this circumstance face to face, yes I felt sad, but I was impacted in my mind, heart and gut. This girl and her baby sister’s cry are permanently marked in my soul. Now these kids are my neighbors. Now I really really want to do the right things to help, and I am thankful you are along since I can not do what is needed by myself. It’s one thing for a child to learn to care for a younger sibling, but it’s too much for a child to be the provider and protector of their siblings. This young girl does what she has to do (I hope it is not the worst of things) to take care of her sister. Thankfully she has Mpholi carepoint as a life saving resource and support for her. I look forward to seeing our collective support, letters, visits and actions of love sent to Ludlati in the near future.
There are many more children I want to share in future posts…
Go-go is the Siswati word in Swaziland for Grandma. We love the Go-gos who feed and teach our Ludlati children, but we are not talking about them right now. It is finally time to START! Many of you have communicated your desire to give one or more child contributions to our Ludlati Carepoint children. Pick the following button link to learn how to apply after you read the rest of this post of course
You will see three options for completing the two step application process. Please feel free to contact us by phone, email or forum posts with questions or comments.
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Or call or write Childrens HopeChest directly with questions: Teresa Hansen - Accounts Receivable Manager
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We are EXCITED to get started with support for our Ludlati neighbor kids. Over the next couple of months, Childrens HopeChest staff will collect detailed profile information on each orphan or at-risk child that consistently comes to Ludlati Carepoint. The current estimate is about 100 children come to Ludlati each day. Once profiles are completed, members of our community will be given a profile for your child (or children) to correspond with through letters [click here for a sample profile]. The contributions we make are based on a per child cost, and the finances benefits all our Ludlati Carepoint children. In order to provide two meals per day, schooling and discipleship, we need to reach 80-100% funding level. Operating at a lower funding level cuts into the budget for these basic things. In addition to the profiles, Childrens HopeChest will write a three year development plan specific to Ludlati Carepoint. We will share this information with the community as soon as it is available. This may take several months to complete, but will include infrastructure items needed such as a fence, kitchen and well. A more detailed description of our vision and relationship with our Ludlati Carepoint are described at the following link:
Community > Swaziland > Connect Community
With regard to your giving, multiple forms of payment are accepted to assist you as the payee. Please select the method you prefer. But please note automatic debit payments from checking accounts (i.e. Electronic Funds Transfer or EFT) reduces overhead costs for Childrens HopeChest which means more funds go to benefit our Ludlati children. Quarterly or yearly payments also help to save payment processing costs.
Thank you for your love and commitment to our Ludlati Carepoint children. I look forward to working and relating together with you and our carepoint children. Spread the word!
At the various carepoints visited during the Swaziland trip we saw over 700 children. If it had not been for one day of rainy weather and another day of school exams, the number would have been over 1000. I have a handful of children I met that made a distinct impression on me, or that I found myself overcome with compassion.
This first little man has a very bright smile. I remember him, because this is the first little face that I saw when I came out of the van.
In fact, I could hardly get out of the van because this little guy was standing right in front of the door with his head tilted back and smiling face beaming up at me. As I gently worked myself into a space next to him on the ground, this little guy reached for my hand, and walked with me toward the community building at Balekane. I will never forget the warm welcome he gave to me.
The next child is a little girl who you may see in many pictures of the members of our team. I wish I could remember her name, because she walked up to me and said in English, “My name is ____, I am six years old, I am a girl.” as she gracefully placed her hand on her chest while she spoke.
She is a precious little girl. She loved to be held, or sit next to us. She was one of the last children to leave Balekane carepoint. The kids have to get to their homes before dark. As she walked away on her bare feet, it was hard to imagine if she had a parent or no one waiting for her at home.
The last child I interacted with at Balekane is this nine year old boy. His name had a Siswati click sound in it. He really impressed me with his ability to communicate in English. His mother is one of the people who helps at Balekane carepoint. At first he asked me to help him find his backpack. I pointed him to one laying near the soccer field. He came back to talk some more, and it was time for me to leave or be left. I was impressed by his last two remarks. He did not ask me if we could be friends or if I would like to be his friend. He simply said, “I want you to be my friend.”
He was quite sure about it. No reservations or insecurity of thought. Frankly, it made me feel good like I was in second grade again, and had someone make me his friend as soon as I walked in the room as the new kid. I said I was glad to be friends with him. Then he asked, “When are you coming back?” I could not give him a definite answer, but I told him I would be back sometime in the next several months. As I mentioned, I had to jump into the van or be left, and I felt a drag on my heart as we drove away, and I waved goodbye to my new friend. The desire to stay and visit longer was strong.
Meeting the children made me understand how important just being there is. It gives great hope and communicates that they are valued. I did not go to receive anything in return, but I did. I felt honored and humbled to be known by them for a little while. By their desire to just be with me and relate. I hope everyone gets a chance to go. Being there allows you to know what may be difficult to fully describe. I really can’t I guess because each person is effected in a personal way.
I look forward to getting our letters started with the children of our Ludlati Carepoint. And I can hardly wait to meet them face to face. I also look forward to sharing more kids and stories from my trip over the next few posts.
On the second day of the carepoint visits we went more rural and off-road outside of Manzini, Swaziland. The prior day we traveled mostly good roads to visit Bhalekane which is the most developed carepoint just outside Manzini. After three years of support and capital projects, they have a fence, kitchen, community building, school, a water well, a freshly plowed field for planting rose geraniums, and lots of children with hope. On our way to Ludlati, we bumped through some rough roads and a dry water way up to the top of a hill. It was described as “The Tree Carepoint” because a nice shade tree was the cooking and gathering place. In a bit of perfect timing by our hosts, we arrived seconds before the women who cook the food for the children. We saw the ladies walking down a dirt path carrying large iron kettles, containers of water, a box of food on one’s head, cooking utensils and some bowls. I am guessing these women walked a fair distance, but even a short distance becomes an event when it is done everyday. They chopped some wood from the brush with a machete, started a fire and began cooking. Our entire team was impacted by the conditions at Ludlati.
Some homes could be seen in the valley in the distance, but nothing was close. There were three young children waiting near the tree when we arrived. After the women started cooking, more kids began wandering out of the brush on worn trails. Many are bare foot, and most had tattered clothes. Watching the children slowly walking in spread out lines had significant impact on the team. Everyone was filled with compassion, and some even angered that children have to live and survive such conditions. We wondered which ones live in child lead households, which ones had a parent dieing of AIDS. Maybe they have extended family, but no food and nurturing. Without one meal per day provided at this carepoint, these kids would be starving.
This carepoint was started by a woman who lives in the area. Because of the AIDS pandemic, children are orphaned at an alarming rate. Children began wandering around looking for food, and she began about one year ago by feeding them at her home. Keep in mind her limited resources and living conditions. She would go around to neighbors in her community asking for help with food. The number quickly grew to around 100 kids, and they would not even fit on her property. So she talked to the Chief and said “We have to do something for these children, there are so many”. He gave her a sizable piece of land on top of the hill she could use as a carepoint. I also later learned that she makes school uniforms for some of the children so they can go to school.
There are several ladies who help cook food. Our support will flow to these ladies working on the ground too. They are provided with food for their families, and they can work on a purse and bag making project that gives them an opportunity to earn money from the sales. While we were there one lady provided some preschool activities for the kids while they wait. In addition to providing two meals per day, education will be more formalized with our support as preschool, school, health care education and discipleship training. You can hear some examples of preschool songs, counting, and English training in the video. She also began standing them in front of me one at a time asking them to say their name and age in English. Most of the kids were still pretty shy. But now that our community is starting to provide support, we will get to be part of an awesome transformation. Maybe it will take three years to be like Bhalekane, or maybe we will be able to develop this carepoint faster. It starts with God’s desire for these orphans planted in us. But action and support flows from Him through us. Over the next six to eight weeks, Children’s Hopechest will collect profile information on each child consistently coming to the carepoint. Since I have already met some of our Ludlati children, it makes me feel like we have added 100 children to our families. I look forward to letter correspondence from our community members to build relationships with each child. And I am eager to go on return trips to our Connect Community Carepoint together where we can meet face to face and hug, laugh, cry, and play with these children and their carepoint care takers.
First, a round of applause for Don and Barbra. Sometimes I worry that I’ll be perceived as putting the most into KTM because I do so much of the writing. But that’s just because I’m a loudmouth (at least when I write) and I like to do it. Don and Barbra have made this happen – the website would not even exist without many late nights from Don, and that doesn’t even begin to address the Swaziland trip and everything else they do. Thanks guys.
We’ve given answers on WHAT and WHERE in previous posts, although we will be continually expanding on those topics. Also, if you’re new or if you still have questions on WHAT and WHERE, comment on this post or contact us. Please… we want you to know what we’re all about and get to know you. We can do both if you ask questions.
HOW?
We will support our Ludlati carepoint in several ways:
Monthly financial support – We are seeking commitments of $34 or more per month to provide food, school fees for education, and regular visits from a team of Swazis who teach about God and his love.
Personal relationships – We will build one-on-one relationships with our kids at Ludlati - many of whom have no one to go home to (and no home for that matter) – through regular correspondence.
Capital projects – Delivery of meals, education, and training can be done without shelter and facilities… but not nearly as well as it can be done with them. A complete development plan is being prepared for Ludlati, but we already know that a well, kitchen, and fence are the first priorities. That will require $15,000 - $20,000, and we already have $10,000 pledged toward this effort. Additional capital projects in future years will probably require another $20,000. No problem. God is big enough. He will do His part. Which, in this case, is to multiply our loaves and fishes. Remember the widow’s mite. Her gift was the most significant to Jesus. Our first priority is to gather monthly commitments. However, if God puts it on your heart to do more, this is the next priority. If you can’t make an ongoing commitment, this is another option – no amount is too small (I’m going to digress on this point at the end).
Travel – We will travel to Ludlati 2-3 times every year. “We” does not mean Jim, Jen, Don, and/or Barbra. It means anyone and everyone from our group who feels led to go. If that’s you… now or any time in the future, contact us. God will make the way.
Ok, but HOW will we do the HOW?
Our financial support will go through Children’s Hope Chest (CHC), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (tax term there, can’t help myself). Delivery of food, discipleship, and coordination of travel will be a joint effort of CHC and Adventures in Missions (AIM), another nonprofit organization. Daily cooking and food distribution will be a volunteer effort of a handful of local Swazi women who are already giving of their own scarce resources to do what they can for these kids. Combined, our monthly support, capital projects, travel, and the efforts of compassionate volunteers and CHC/AIM staff will turn an undeveloped piece of land into a source of life and hope for kids who currently have, at best, a tenuous grasp on both.
Details regarding the actual execution of donations to our carepoint are currently being arranged with CHC. But we need to begin gathering our support now. If you want to help in any of the ways listed above, comment on this post or contact us. If not us, who? If not now, when?
I promised to digress (of course you know by now that I’ll do that even without a promise to do so). The widow’s mite. Consider that for a moment. Let me tell you a story. A true story about a family that does not have much money. A family with a lot of kids (I lost count a while ago). When we invited our KTM group to participate in the cost of Don’s trip, they had nothing to give. So these kids painted rocks, took them around their neighborhood, and sold them as paperweights. They gave all of that money for Don’s trip. Here’s the point: I don’t give a flying rip about the accounting measurement of what I have given compared to what they have given. Their gift is immeasurably greater than mine. From this day on, I will strive to live up to their example. They gave all they had – their time, their effort, and when they generated money, they considered $0 of it to be theirs and gave it all. I have given from my abundance, they gave their all. Seems like Jesus had something to say about that widow’s mite.
Now here’s the really good part. This is all joy. None of this is a guilt trip, none of this is arm-twisting. I spent 39 years searching, praying, fighting for the peace and joy that I knew should be part of my walk with God. Never got it. Maybe glimpses, but certainly not in full. It was always there, but I was standing to the side while the river flowed by. He will do His part. He was always yearning to do His part for me. All I had to do is step into the river to be washed over. Stepping into the river is only accomplished by doing our part. Not by standing outside His will and demanding that the river move to us. Perhaps my experience cannot be generalized to all of us. But read His Word critically, read the scriptures under “About” / “Perspectives” on the menu bar above. Maybe I’m right… maybe.
Look, I’m not going to pretend to have it all together. I don’t. That’s the beauty of this. You don’t have to do anything great, just take one significant step into the river, the joy you receive will draw you in as deep as you are supposed to go. He will do His part. In this case, part of that is our joy and part is multplying our loaves and fishes. If he is God, what is the difficulty?
I came home from Swaziland late last week. I appreciate your messages, prayers and those who supported my family while I was gone. Thanks so much to you all. It was great to return home from the Swaziland trip, and feel extremely blessed to be a husband and father that receives warm, exuberant hugs, peels of vocal excitement and sighs of relief at my return. The last few days of rest were used to recover from jet lag, share African gifts with my family, record additional thoughts in my journal, and put together some pictures and video to share with everyone. Over the coming weeks, I can share many more experiences and thoughts from the trip, but for the first report after I return home, I feel compelled to share a thought about giving and receiving.
In reading and hearing others stories about similar trips, it is both wonderful and challenging to visit places where poverty and suffering are daily life for each person. Many of the children and people are so happy to meet us. The children are especially excited and crave much needed interaction and attention. As you see in the pictures, playing ball, holding hands, climbing on backs, and being held and hugged is great fun.
At the same time, there are some among the crowd with what my wife and I call “the fussy look”. These are the ones who’s hurts show on the outside, and require extra sensitivity and encouragement to open up and return a smile. There was one four or five year old girl that willingly let me hold her for about an hour, but never did yield a smile. I will pray for her whenever I remember her face.
It is wonderful to share in the fun and loving interaction, and it is challenging to see or listen to personal accounts of sickness, death, suffering, loss, hunger and loneliness. I had multiple heart pained and some tearful goodbyes because a heart felt bond was built quickly, or compassion welled up, or because a child was still “fussy” and I had to leave without a break through. But being there to interact, share a smile, give a hug, shake a hand, say a prayer, or have a short visit at a home is simple, important and greatly appreciated by those who can show it. It is humbling to be placed in such a seemingly honored position. In giving simple actions of love, so much was given back to me that I can almost imagine I am in danger of taking from the poor. I think Mother Teresa said it well, “Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them.”
If I did return home only to remember my experiences, and show off my passport stamps, a charge of theft might be warranted. This is an attempt at a clever way to say, “We are not doing that!”. The trip has developed the awareness we desired to select a carepoint, adopt it as our Connect Community, and begin building relationships with the children and workers on the ground there. I hope and believe each individual in both our connected communities will receive the riches of life from God through each other as we work together to give and share simple acts of love.
The movie below shows pictures and video from the entire trip. The movie is published in two parts and lasts a total of ~25 minutes. The pictures will scroll by without music. I believe the silence will allow the pictures to speak for themselves. There is music and audio included in the movie that was captured during recordings (be prepared to adjust your volume level for the first audio section). All the carepoints we visited are shown in the movie, but we will publish another movie on our selected carepoint with more pictures, video and information in the near future. Without further suspense or delay, I am happy to announce the 100 kids of Ludlati are now OUR KnownToMe kids! You can find some of the pictures and video from Ludlati in the movie below.
Yesterday afternoon we split our team into three groups and did one home visit each. Pastor Gift had a list of people he wanted to receive a visit. We also brought a two week supply of food with us to leave as a gift after the visit. We were given some basic instructions on how a Swazi visit would likely flow.
We had an interpreter named Neli. We met Frola at her home. She is 70 years old and has been a believer since she was young. She has lived in the area all her life.
Her home is humble (picture below). She lives in a 14x10ft home with nine of her grand children that range in age from 23 to 2. All seven of her children are dead, most likely from AIDS. Her mother is still alive, but she was raised by her Go-go.
She talked about how hard life is, that she suffers, and she prays to God to take her life. During our conversations, she laughed alot, and said some funny things. She was so excited for us to visit with her. We were honored to be with her too.
We prayed for the sickness to leave her body, and I felt words appropriate for her are her reward in heaven will be huge.
She had not seen the food we brought with us, so as we were leaving, we gave her the food, and she cried more, and praised God for answering her prayer as she had not eaten in three days.
God bless this lovely woman, first because you love her and because she takes wonderful care of her grandchildren.
Go-go Frola in the center, CW from left: Nelly (interpreter), Don, Josh, Joan, and four of Frola’s grandchildren.
We have begun to ask ourselves...What would we do if our neighbor was starving right before our eyes? Would we not help? Today, their plight is not hidden from us. It is known. We believe there is a clear mandate that we must care for societies most vulnerable members, the widow, the orphan, those in extreme poverty. If you are stirred to a similar belief, if you know there is more that you must do, Known To Me will make you aware of specific needs and opportunities to help.
She is actually one of the older children watching a younger sibling. I heard and read about these circumstances, and felt sad, and wanted to do something to help. When I meet this circumstance face to face, yes I felt sad, but I was impacted in my mind, heart and gut. This girl and her baby sister’s cry are permanently marked in my soul. Now these kids are my neighbors. Now I really really want to do the right things to help, and I am thankful you are along since I can not do what is needed by myself. It’s one thing for a child to learn to care for a younger sibling, but it’s too much for a child to be the provider and protector of their siblings. This young girl does what she has to do (I hope it is not the worst of things) to take care of her sister. Thankfully she has Mpholi carepoint as a life saving resource and support for her. I look forward to seeing our collective support, letters, visits and actions of love sent to Ludlati in the near future.
