One of the things that first caught me off-guard in Swaziland was the joy of the people there. They had so little and were so grateful for anything we gave to them. I love this photo of this orphan praying before the meal - which basically consisted of "pop" (a rice/potatoe grain) and beans. One meal a day.
The go-gos (grandmothers) would begin by gathering firewood, make a fire, and begin cooking the meal in the large black cauldrens. It would take them about 4 hours to do this. The children would then all line up single-file , give thanks and wait to be served their meal. These aren't just kids on some depressing TV commercial with flys crawling on thier face, these are real kids with real feelings. They would laugh when I'd tickle them, they'd cry when their bubbles spilled, and they simply wanted to play most of the time; just like my daughters.
I think this is what took them from some random kids in some third-world country that was so overwhelming I couldn't help to a small group of loving children whose lives I could make a difference in. Maybe not all the orphans, but these ones. I could help them. I knew I wouldn't be there very long, but they didn't know is that their joy made me want to come back. Kathy and I are still processing things from this trip, but one thing I hope for is that I'll get a chance to return.
> Sean
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