Jane’s News from Swaziland March 11
Hi there!
Well it is always difficult to know what to include in the newsletter and what to
leave out. This has been a month of supporting individuals through tough
times. Many thanks for all your prayers – especially for the little lad from
Noah’s Ark with Achondroplasia. We took him for physiotherapy assessment
and they said there was nothing they could do as the problem was in the bone
and not the joint. So we took him to Manzini and got some x-rays done. These
will then be sent to America for review by an orthopaedic surgeon to see if the
twisted femur can be fixed. What we didn’t realise at the time was the boy’s
Mother was going through family hardships and was considering suicide. This
unexpected love shown to her last born son has really helped her to get some
new perspective in life. Please pray that she will start attending church to get
further counselling and support at Noah’s Ark.
Please pray for legs.
Before operation
After Operation
Another child helped this month is from Zamani. This is a community high up
in the hills of Hawane and is often cut off during the rains. Once a month we
hold a clinic at the school where 109 children attend. The vast majority of
illnesses seen there are poverty related. This child came to the clinic
complaining of intestinal worms. I asked about his eyes and he said he had
had very itchy and runny eyes all of his life. As you can see the eyes have
actually changed shape, the conjunctiva is brown not white due to blood being
underneath from constant rubbing and there is swelling of the eyelids. This is
caused by a mould in damp housing and sets off an allergic reaction. The child
is living with his Grandma who can not really afford to care for him let alone
send him to the hospital for treatment so illnesses like this just get worse and
worse. Thankfully, we were able to send him for an eye operation paid for by
Ralph and Alan who were volunteering on the farm. The second photo was
taken while he was in hospital just after the procedure. His family have now
started to attend church due to the love and care shown to their son.
During the clinic held at the school three school teachers became Christians and
they have invited us to do some health promotion at the school in April. Please
pray for us as we prepare the material to help this community be transformed
by health and hygiene. Pray too that these links will strengthen so that a
church plant can be started in this area as it is too far for the community to
walk to Hawane to attend church there.
The lists of people changed by this ministry can go on and on. However, there
are so many that can not be helped due to lack of time, resources, finances or
cultural reasons. There was a four year old child who had been sexually
abused. The only thing we could do was to refer the family to social welfare.
Sometimes it just doesn’t feel like enough but we can only do what we can do.
The following photograph is of a child at Zamani who doesn’t know he is HIV+.
His mouth was so sore he couldn’t even speak. I have no idea how the child is
able to eat and drink. All we could do was dispense medication to help ease
the pain and to pray for him and his family.
Although my main role is nursing, I am using my job as a vehicle for the gospel
to show the love of God to others. I am so challenged by what I see every day
but it is unrealistic to expect to help everybody. Your prayers for wisdom and
guidance are much appreciated.
Please pray that this child will start ARVs to help manage his illness.
My church, Potter’s Wheel, had a “work on Saturday” project. Thirty people
came to help paint the inside of Imphilo House, the clinic at Hawane Farm. It
was such a blessing to see so many people wanting to help out. It was a great
time of fellowship too. Please continue to pray though for finances to help pay
for maintenance to the roof and some of the walls that are crumbling.
Many thanks for all your support both prayer and financially.
God bless
Jane
Contact Details:
Jane Bradshaw, PO Box 1141, Mbabane, Kingdom of Swaziland.
Landline – 00268 4424432. Mobile – 00268 76539747. (Before 7pm GMT
please!) Donations: Please write cheques to “Elim International Missions” but mark it
for Jane Bradshaw and state whether the money is for personal or ministry use. Send to
Elim International Missions, De Walden Rd, West Malvern, WR14 4DF. Thankyou.
Charity numbers 251549 / SC037754.