Dirty Fingernails: Journals from the Field - Liz Higgins

We are home from Swaziland, changed forever by our trip. We fell in love with the kind Swazi people, the breathtaking landscape and the precious children of the El Shaddai Orphanage.

God first put Swaziland on our hearts last year as we helped my father prepare to travel with Heart for Africa. We loved learning about Swaziland and praying for the people he would meet. When he returned, he brought stories and pictures and a real love for this special place.

Mike and I had always hoped that we would be able to take our children on mission trips someday. We figured it would be in the future, when they were older. When we discovered that we could join my dad and take Jacob and Andrew (who are six and four years old) on this trip to El Shaddai, we were thrilled and began immediately to pray for God’s permission and blessing. It was a long road, we faced fundraising obstacles and opposition from some of our family. But it strengthened us in following the Lord and trusting Him completely. Before we knew it, He had cleared the way and our adventure was beginning.

Our first day in Africa, I was overjoyed to be there. I was awed by the beauty, warmed by the friendly people and eager to begin our work. But by the end of the next day, I was heartbroken. Of course I had known about the hardships in Swaziland, but to be there was different. I felt completely overwhelmed. I wondered how we could begin to help solve the problems that Swaziland was facing.

Again, God showed me that I only needed to bring everything to Him. Yes, the problems in Swaziland are overwhelming. But God is there.

Throughout the week, He refreshed my hope. He did it through the fellowship of our wonderful team, through Lad’s uplifting messages each night, through meeting Jabulani and seeing his love for God, and through witnessing Kallie and Charmain’s obedience and faithfulness. It was a special joy to serve alongside my family. Our family will be strengthened by all that we experienced together. I was proud to see my husband and my father working so hard and caring so much for the people at El Shaddai. Jacob and Andrew were so eager to pitch in and help. Our team was amazing. Twenty-four people who love the Lord and His children, ready to do whatever needed to be done. We cleaned, painted, sorted, installed and built. And while it felt good to be productive and complete our tasks, the real joy was in interacting with the children! They were so sweet! They are being taught about Jesus and they love Him so much. I dearly loved watching Jacob and Andrew play with their new friends. They are already asking when we can go back again.

We would love to go back to Swaziland, if that is God's plan for us. It was an honor to serve Him with Heart for Africa. In the meantime, He has put it on our hearts to pray for the children of Swaziland. The hope of Swaziland is in the children and the hope of these children is in the Lord. "Bambelela Ku Jesu," it says on the roof of the church at El Shaddai. "Hold onto Jesus."