Before I arrived, when I pictured Swaziland I thought of the antithesis to the West—absolute poverty, disease, and hopelessness. In the few weeks I have been here this is exactly what I have encountered. In the West we have areas that are home to those with less economic means, referred to as ghettos, slums, etc. Now picture an entire country completely saturated in poverty. Then consider what a slum in this third world country would look like. The squatter camp our team ministers at on Tuesdays and Thursdays is what one would consider a slum of Swaziland.
Allow me to illustrate what my senses perceive when I enter this area. The squatter camp is situated literally across from the town dump. Just imagine the pungent smells that hit my nose once I exit our vehicle. These people live with it. My eyes take in the many concrete “shacks” closely placed together. As I walk around I am constantly trying to step around the scattered waste and the little muddy river of who knows what running through the camp. As I try not to let these far from pleasant surroundings make me gag, I am severely convicted on my ability to be “-content in any and every situation”. (Philippians 4:12)
Despite my less than pleasurable encounters with the physical attributes of the camp, what I hear and feel when I arrive erases all. I hear laughter and I feel love. This is the laughter of children who run/charge when they see our team. When we first went to the camp, though they had never seen us, they looked up at us with their radiant faces and lifted their arms for us to hold them. These are children we have to pry off when we say good-bye. These are children who live in a literal dump. These are children surrounded by hopeless adults who get drunk all day. These are children who the majority of which are being sexually and physically abused. These are children who despite these horrific circumstances love with every fiber of their little beings.
My initial reaction to these beautiful, beautiful, creations of the Lord was sadness and anger. Why would God allow such awful things to the most pure and innocent of hearts? How could he care and bless me when I am so not pure and innocent, with a life marked with mistakes? Being the wonderful and awesome God that he is, He has helped me to have faith in his inherent goodness. Some of the First Year Missionaries in Swaziland pointed out that the fact our team was coming each week to love and minister is evidence of God’s hand on the squatter camp. He is growing me to not only have faith in Him but to truly believe he reigns. The Lord not only reigns over me, but he reigns over these precious children whom he loves even more than I do!
