Well, I've finally made it to the blogging realm. Better late than never! The
whole point of maintaining this kind of site is four-fold: 1. To connect with friends near and far 2. To share our lives together 3. To discuss the life of publishing and to talk about what it's like to write a book 4. Continue to share the needs of orphans around the world and find ways for others to help in practical ways.
So on that note, Hayden (who is now 9) and I just returned from Swaziland and South Africa. An amazing place filled with overwhelming sorrow. I loved the country, a beautiful place. But the reality of death there is too much to bear. In Swaziland, the HIV infection rate is over 60%. There were 20 of us on the trip, and it was extremely difficult for all of us to think that over half of the people we were meeting would be dead in 5-7 years. Here's a small part of what I wrote in my journal,
"From a natural standpoint there are no answers. There is no hope. Darkness pervades, and though the light of the sun breaks across the horizon, this place dwells in darkness. In many ways it is darkness. It is heavy, sobering, unreal. I want to run, to hide, and never come back. I want to pretend like I never came to this place. I don’t want to face the reality of what this side of the world faces every single day." Have you ever felt this way? Maybe even about your own life?
The truth is that God has called me there and I must face the challenges in that part of the world with faith. The strange thing about being in Africa is that I felt so much hope. Hope that God would, and is, doing something miraculous and incredible. That Children's HopeChest gets to begin ministry in this place that has such great need. There is no answer but God, and I'm glad to be right smack in the middle of it! By the way, I'll be doing another trip in March if you're interested. More to come...
