Melanie's Thoughts On Swaziland

I'm in contact with people in Africa to determine how to best move forward toward helping with the great needs there. The note below was written by my wife, Melanie. As you can see, her heart was stirred deeply by our experiences there.




I am a mother. I’ve been a mother now for over 32 years and have been a grandmother for almost 10 years. I have enjoyed all the benefits and trials that come along with being a mother and a grandmother, and it has been the joy of my life. I have seen to the needs of my family as best I could. They have had my unfailing love.

I have kissed away thousands of hurts and have soothed countless fevered brows. I have cooked their favorite foods. We’ve had birthday parties and wonderful family holiday time. I have bought their clothes and coached them in their studies. I have been their advocate and supporter. I saw to it that they had a decent place to live that was clean and healthy, a place where they could grow into maturity. I gave them a sanctuary where they would always be loved and always be safe.In June, this mother visited South Africa and Swaziland and I will never be the same. I looked into the faces of hungry children and I knew that these were my children too. I touched their faces and smiled into their eyes and inwardly promised that they would know that love was more than words.
In Swaziland, we visited the village of Mafutsini. With only a few hours notice, they were able to bring to us over 300 children who are orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.

Swaziland has the highest concentration of HIV/ AIDS in the world. 42% of the whole country has been infected with HIV and 20,000 a year dying because of AIDS, and that number is rapidly growing. The hospitals there are only equipped to handle about 2000 of those. The rest are left to deal with their illnesses alone without any medical help to ease their pain and journey toward death. The life expectancy now stands at 32 years old.

I looked into the eyes of these babies and wondered, “Will this one survive?” “Will this one live long enough to see adulthood?” As I hugged them to me, I couldn’t help but think, “If they do grow up, how long will they live. What will be their quality of life?” It is estimated that 60% of these children are infected with HIV. Already, many of the children, 12 and 13 years old, have assumed adult roles in caring for the needs of their siblings since losing both of their parents to AIDS.

God has given me the gift of motherhood. The thing that I see now is that there is a world of orphans out there who need someone to care for them. They, too need food and shelter. They need education. They need someone to care enough that their needs will be met. They need someone to care enough to offer them the chance to have a future.

I have felt compassion in the past. I have been moved by the needs of others when I have seen programs on television, but not enough to become fully involved. Through this trip to Swaziland, my family has been expanded. I can be a mother to hurting children. I can offer medical aid to children who are already dying because of AIDS, through no fault of their own. For others, I can offer them an education. I can clothe them and feed them. In short, I can offer them a chance in life. A person cannot see what I have seen and remain idle and uninvolved. I want these children to know the love of our heavenly Father but it is my opinion that they will begin to know His love by seeing mine.

I want to involve my whole family in this. I want to involve you in this. We, who are so blessed, have the opportunity to share our love, our Father’s love, in action. I don’t want to simply have warm fuzzy feelings. I don’t want to send out prayers that these children will “be warmed and filled.” I want to put love and faith into action. I have been there. I have seen their faces. I have kissed them. I have touched them. They have touched me. I am their mother … and so are you.