Friends & Family,
It’s hard to put into words how amazing it was to be on the ground again in eSwatini. It had been 4 years since we were able to make the trip because of Covid and the unrest in Africa. Needless to say, there were a lot of changes. Some good, but many sad. Hearing that people and children we love and care about have passed away was pretty heart wrenching for us. We spent a lot of time assessing the needs of the orphan homes and church locations. When operating a ministry, especially overseas, there is a lot of trial and error. We see changes that need to be made, and our desire is to continue to grow the ministry to reach the people of Swaziland. Seeing so many needs was an overwhelming part of the trip, but it was great to brainstorm as a family on things that can be done to help make the ministry better and take care of our friends that we have invested in for so long.
The orphan home is in dire need of painting and many windows need replaced. Repairing the broken windows in the home will cost $225.00. We put out a plea for new mattresses, and that was met very quickly by a church here in the states. We are so grateful, and the children are extremely thrilled! These new mattresses are going to last much longer. We took mattress covers and sheet sets over with us, and we purchased new pillows for the kids while there. Taking in a few new children, we also had to order beds to be made.
If the Lord places these kids on your heart, please pray about a monthly sponsorship to support the orphan home. Any monthly amount would be a huge help!
While there, we went shopping to buy essential toiletries for all the kids, and they were ecstatic to receive simple things like deodorant and hair products. Some months when we are short on funds, these are the first things to be cut out of the budget and we don’t want to have to do that any longer. We purchased the larger children’s home a new ironing board and iron while there as well. Each month, we have been struggling to have enough funds for the orphan home so repairing windows and painting the property has been placed on the back burner.
We would also like to purchase a wood burning stove which would be more cost effective for cooking, but it will run about $700 US.
Our hope is to take two team trips in 2024 where we can do some repair work and painting to make the orphan home and churches look better. Pray about a missions trip to Africa!
Currently, our most pressing need is to build a home for the pastor at our Mhlangeni location. The pastor does not live near the church so people in the area have vandalized the property on numerous occasions. Building him a small home that will be an addition to the church will help with transportation costs, security, and most importantly reaching the community. This small home will cost around $5000 US.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
In His Service,
Chad, Wendy, Brie & Caden
E127.org (Loving Africa)
e127.org 