For about a month out of every year, “peace on earth, good will to men” escapes our lips and our wallets with an almost unconscious ease. Christmas and New Year charity resolutions. It’s just what we do. The New Year’s resolution may lead us to open doors, to pay for the guy behind us at Starbucks, to hand a sandwich to the lady on the corner that we pass catatonically by every other day of the year. The truth of what we’re actually doing when we “help” is often overshadowed by the vague and superficial feeling of “helping.” It’s easy to forget that we’re changing life stories, that we’re ever doing something real.

I want to give you an opportunity to not only “help” someone this year, but to completely rewrite their story. I want to give you the chance to see this year’s giving for what it is – it is tangible love that turns real people’s worlds 180 degrees closer to knowing the love of God with us.

JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING MABANTENENI CAREPOINT HERE: The Kids of Mabanteneni

In the African nation of Swaziland, there is a community called Mabanteneni, a Children’s HopeChest CarePoint that I help sponsor. The need in Swaziland is almost paralyzing. It’s a nation if 150,000 orphans, 69,000 of those due to AIDS. As a child born in Swaziland, one can expect to die around the age of 46. Poverty, disease, despair…these things follow the children of Swaziland through their short lives, speaking all the wrong messages and giving no hope. Then HopeChest steps in, and takes authorship back from the enemy.  God rewrites the stories of children otherwise resigned to defeat. You can be a part of that! [Read more...]

Some of you will know that Jesus Creed supports the orphaned children in Swaziland at Mabanteneni Carepoint. We would encourage you to begin 2012 thinking about if maybe you might be prompted to help these poor children. The following post is written by the good folks at HopeChest … and we thank them for administrating care for those in need. If you are interested, here is the place to submit your interest.

It is a great privilege and honor to serve the orphaned and vulnerable children in Swaziland. As we live among them, love on them, and share the truth of Jesus Christ with them, we often wonder if they know the treasure that is within each one of them? Will these precious little ones realize the potential and promise that their Father in heaven has placed on their lives? Will they grow in their understanding that the same Lord of all creation who gave the gift of His only Son also cherishes them with a love that knows no limits? That is truly our hope and prayer and is the reason we join together in this work of ministering to the beautiful people of Swaziland!

CAREPOINT UPDATE

The children at the CarePoint were blessed with a Christmas party! Our ministry partners (the six Swazi young people with whom we partner) helped to plan and to organize a very fun and festive day for the kids! There was singing and dancing. The exciting games included a dress up relay and “donut on a string,” where three kids raced to see who could devour a delicious donut dangling from a string the fastest…without using their hands! The Christmas story was told through a narration and a skit, acted out by our ministry partners and a visiting AIM Real Life team. The children also surprised us with a Christmas pageant of their own! A few of the kids acted out the Christmas story, and they shared some special music they had prepared. The bomake/gogos also shared a special song they were happy to perform for us!  A special meal was served: stewed beef, vegetables, potato salad, and rice.  The meal was topped off with some sweets and a refreshing ice lolly (Swazi popsicle). [Read more...]