Food Glorious Food

Andy spent most of his time in the container...HOT!

                                                     Some of the notes written on the boxes.

Amy with Dr. Beauty and Evelyn Shongwe in front of the container.

While working in Swaziland we have come to know and respect many organizations. Many organizations we have heard of, but to experience being a part of their work is life changing.  A few weeks ago we were informed by NCM Swaziland that a container was coming full of food.  We were not sure what to expect, but we told them we would be there to help unload.

Finally the container arrived two weeks after it was scheduled. The day it arrived we spent three hours waiting as the truck driver attempted to back the container into the unloading area. We all decided it was too late to unload and that we would reconvene in the morning.

The next morning we arrived and opened the container.  The container was full! 1356 boxes of food!  Each box had 33 packages of food. Each package could be a meal for an entire family. Imagine how many people this will feed!!! That is roughly 45,000 meals.

As we touched each box we noticed that the boxes had been packaged by children in America.  Many of the boxes had drawings and words of encouragement directed towards the receivers of the food. Come to find out the children in America packaged everything!

We spent two long mornings distributing the food to the four districts, NCM, and the task force. Even though we were all aching and hot, we all were excited about how many hungry stomachs we were helping to feed. Thanks 'Kids Against Hunger' for helping our Swaziland! Check our these two organizations that help feed Swaziland:  www.kidsagainsthunger.org and  Feed My Starving Children: http://www.fmsc.org/.   It is an honor to work with them!

Simple and Sweet

                               Our friend Thabiso, Mary, Sandziso, and Amy at the eye doctor.

            I (Amy) met Sandziso at Gigi's back in the July. Gigi's is the care point for orphan and vulnerable children that we spend a lot of time at. Children play games all the time. One day when I was there I noticed a little boy not playing in the games. I soon noticed that something was wrong with one of his eyes. It did not take long for me to fall in love with him. Visit after visit he would smile at me and come sit on my lap. Little did I know that this simple friendship would change my life.
After a chain of events we were able to take him to the only eye doctor in Swaziland. Our friend Thabiso came with us to translate. We were unsure of what to expect. Come to find out Sandziso's mother passed away two years ago. His step-mom Mary came with us to the doctor. Mary and her husband (Sandziso's dad) are both unemployed and live in an unsafe area, this is why he is called a vulnerable child.
The first of three visit was very emotional. I spent a lot of time fighting tears as I was being blessed experiencing numerous gifts. Precious gifts of watching Sandziso being brave during the eye exams, singing and coloring with him, building a relationship with Mary, hurdling over language barriers, experiencing Thabiso love on a fellow Swazi...the list could go on. A fun moment was after the the doctor when we went for ice cream. We explained that in America a lot of children get ice cream for being so brave. We all got milkshakes! The look on his face was priceless. He did not come up for air until the entire milkshake was gone.

After three visits our relationships grew and we learned that his eye never fully developed. He has very little vision in his weak eye and strong vision in the other. There is nothing that can be done. Cosmetic surgery could take place, but it would eventually return to its original condition. A good thing is this does not effect people socially in Swaziland as it would in America.

The last few times I've gone to Gigi's I've seen Sandziso playing in the games. I think it was rare the day I saw him sitting out. Maybe it happened that way so our relationship could build. He is a happy child and I am happier for knowing him!