Wednesday

Day 4 March Trip!


Sorry for the delay  - the internet was out last night... We're headed to Malindza to perform clinics all day! But first, here's the blog from yesterday....

We’ve loved and trusted Mrs Shongwe for many years, who was the previous deputy teacher at eLangeni Primary.  Now she is the head teacher (principal) at Hhelehhele Primary.  We performed a needs assessment at the school today and learned that the kids are as destitute as the children in Malindza.  Mostly orphaned, entirely impoverished and somewhat hopeless.  The toilets are overflowing, they do not have a single picture book, and they have a dilapidated school that rains on the inside when it rains on the outside.  We’re brainstorming ways we can help these 465 children succeed!

After dropping off medical supplies at Baylor (thanks Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach), we went hiking with our sponsored student Sizo and our friend Sthembiso.  The views from the top were glorious, but the sound of Sizo singing “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran and Sthembiso choreographing a contemporary dance to it with the mountains behind them was too much.  Tonight Anika stayed awake to contribute her blog post… see below.   


Anika:
(Who is awake today and decided to blog):
Today we went to the beautiful Mountain View. It’s a mountainous area in the outskirts of Mbabane, Swaziland, full of beautiful large boulders surrounded by calm green grasslands where sheepherders push along grazing cows. It reminds me of the Swazi children we have encountered on this trip. They have so much beauty inside and even though all around you’ll find these hard rocks and dangerous terrain, once you’re inside it’s pure beauty. And that’s what I’ve found here. Pure beauty from children far beyond their years, that are surrounded by danger. Pure beauty from orphaned children, who against all odds, still find a reason to hope and just smile.  And that makes me smile…

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