It is Thursday afternoon in Swaziland and we have had two days with a great team taking a look at currently sponsored Carepoints in the region along with emerging locations that desperately desire to be sponsored.  Before I dive in to provide existing sponsors updates, I first want to reiterate what anyone who preceeded already knows which is that the staff on the ground is top notch.  We have spent the last two days with Jumbo, Kriek, Scott and the D-Team.  Three words come to mind – Committed, Capable and Joyful.

We arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon and made the drive to Swaziland, arriving around lunch on Wednesday.  Our first stop was the Balekane Carepoint sponsored by Vanguard church in Colorado Springs.  The progress over the past three years includes well over 100 children being fed and discipled daily, a kitchen, loads of picnic tables, clean water, an agriculture based microenterprise, a set of fruit trees, a church plant and school through 4th grade with 5th grade being added in January.  It is a pleasure to see the incredible commitment and sense of urgency by our friends at Vanguard.  You guys walk the walk.

Our first stop this morning was Thembeni, which is sponsored by our friends at Capo Beach Calvary Church.  Again, an incredible picture of hope, commitment and progress.  In addition to also feeding and discipling over 100 children each day they have a pre-school and what has to be the most impressive playground in Swaziland.  I will add some photos as soon as I get a sufficient internet connection.  They have a large multipurpose building, a storage depot and two smaller multi-purpose buildings.  The children at both of these Carepoints have a springboard to a future with possibilities rather than despair.

It was critical that the team was able to see these progressive locations first as our next visit was to Ludlati.  Ludlati is a field in a remote area serviced by roads that run through dry creeks.  It was started approximately one year ago by a compassionate mother serving children from her home.  It quickly outgrew her capacity and she has secured a large field that I would estimate at approximately 30 acres from the local chief.  A large tree in the field is currently the only protection from the elements and marks the spot for a daily fire started in bush wood collected by the group of 4 women who assist her.  There were no children in the field when we arrived but as soon as smoke from the fire became evident they walked through the thick covering of trees and bushes.  In no time nearly 30 children arrived.  They shared that there are a number of children 3 and below that walk up to 2 miles each day to come to the feeding.  The most important element is in place, a Christ follower who wants to serve the children of her community and it is going to be another success story, I feel certain. 

In all, we will visit 5 new targeted Carepoint locations and I am confident that this vision team will not rest until we are able to develop the base of support needed to have each of them sponsored.  A number of these will be ‘Connect Communities’ which will provide YOU the opportunity to become a part of the solution.  Be back in touch soon.