Orphans. Every country has them. They may not always be visible, but if you look hard enough, you will find them. You can go to the obvious places, schools, orphanages, hospitals, and the streets, and you'll find them. And sometimes, they are looking for you.
Swaziland, the red dot located in South Africa, is home to some of the largest numbers of orphans in the world. UNICEF counted around 70,000 orphans in 2006 and was projecting over 120,000 by 2010. As of right now, they are still working through the numbers because it seems like it will be much higher than previously estimated. For a country of around 1.2 million people, that means that over 25% of their children under the age of 18, don't have parents!
Here's a blog from a member of the fall 2010 Swazi Team. Let it resonate in your heart for a bit. Despite that this is in Swaziland, this can be an anthem for all orphans, worldwide.
On the other hand I can only imagine your life. I met you at a place that is not your home that you come to to be fed, and from that fact I can gather that your family does not have enough food to feed you at home. Do you even have parents or someone to take care of you? What do you do at night when there's no food? Is there anyone to hold you? Who calms you when you are scared and you have bad dreams? Who helps you bathe or do you even get to bathe? Do you have any toys? Or are all of your toys made out of sticks and plastic bags? Do you even know what a toy truck or a baby doll is?So I will leave you with a question, why would (will) they be looking for you? What do you have to offer them that they would not receive anywhere else?
From my own experience, the orphans I spent time with were just looking for someone to love on them. Do ya’ll ever think of how many times your parents just sat on the couch and loved on you, or simply just came up behind you and gave you a hug? I had always taken that for granted until I met those kids and realized they’ve never had moments like that. God made us to want to be loved and there is nothing more amazing than letting a sweet little kid cuddle with you in a plastic chair in a grass hut 🙂 I think what I would offer to an orphan would be the chance to show them God’s REAL love for them through me, to get them excited about His unconditional love… to be the literal hands and feet of God’s love is ridiculously humbling and to share that with a child that has no family is an amazing feeling!
Hello to anyone reading this, I was just added to this Real life team going to Africa this July two weeks ago and was trying to catch up on some reading when I found this post. My heart is stirred even more than ever about going and loving on these children!!! I lost both of my parents to cancer before age 15, and I know personally the feeling of being lost and lonely. Even though I don’t know the terrible poverty and suffering of the people of Swaziland, I do know the pain of losing a family. God has equipped my heart to love these kids unconditionally and without reserve, I am So excited!