The Latest Statistics

We’ve had our first real blast of winter in Swaziland. I heard there was 5 inches of snow in Johannesburg a couple weeks ago, and people were scraping frost off their windshields in Swaziland’s capital city, Mbabane. We’re at a little bit lower elevation, in Manzini, so no frost for us, but we’ve definitely been making use of our fire place. My flip-flop sandals, which I tend to live in most of the year, are getting a much needed break, and I’ve been digging out my warmer shoes…making sure no insects or rodents have set up camp inside of them while they sat unused in the closet for many months.

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Our busy summer/winter season is underway. Teams and other visitors seem to be arriving daily. I’m excited about a few visitors from my home church who will be landing here in June. This can be a busy time of year, but it’s always nice to see some new faces, and there’s a bit of excitement that comes from large numbers of people ministering together. 
 

I’ve had a blog entry brewing in my head for the last few days… 
 

There was a small article in the Swazi paper last week with some recent stats put out by the World Health Organization. The article stated that women in Swaziland have the lowest life expectancy rate in the world, tied with Sierre Leone, at age 37. I haven’t been able to get that statistic out of my head since I read it. Today is my 35^th birthday. It’s so strange to think that many Swazi women won’t live to even be as old as I am. If I was a typical Swazi woman, I would probably be entering my last years of life.
What happens to a nation facing statistics like that?
What does that say about the hardships in the lives of women here? The latest figure for men is 38 years.
Can you imagine a nation whose population will soon be predominately 40 years and under? Many of the women I work with are in their 20s and 30s
. How many of them will die in the coming years?

It’s weird…you can walk around  the city I live in and see modern clothes, stores, cars, etc and you would never think that about half of the people you see are infected with a deadly virus.
I’ve heard a million statistics on Swaziland and the horrible effects HIV/AIDS has had on this part of the world, and I’ve seen quite a bit first hand, so I’m not necessarily surprised anymore by what I read, but every once in a while you hear a new figure at the right time, and it makes you realize all over again the tragic state this country is in.

It can be depressing, and daunting, and a bit overwhelming, but at the same time I do see signs of hope and change in the small corner of Swaziland I run around in… 
 

>>Pastor Walter Malaza, the main pastor we partner with here, is full of vision for his nation…he’s gotten 8 feeding centers up and running, and is now dreaming of building a school offering free education. He’s outside my office right now explaining to our director his vision for creating jobs and producing food for his community through raising hogs and chickens. 
 

>>I’m continually inspired by the women I work with and the work they do for their community. They put faces on the statistics stated above. The money they are making from bag sales is helping to keep them out of bad relationships that can provide much needed support for them and their children, but more than likely also lead to HIV infection.
 

>>We’ve recently brought 3 Swazi young adults on staff to help do discipleship with the children at the feeding centers we work at. While many of their peers are making bad decisions and becoming another statistic, Musa, Ncobile and Zodwa are making a difference in the lives of orphans and needy children in their community. They are role models for children that would otherwise have none. They are teaching them about the deep love of the Father for their little lives. Seeing them at work is one of the clearest pictures of hope for Swaziland I’ve seen lately.
 

So those are some of the thoughts that have been swimming around in my head the last few days. Keep praying for Swaziland!