A week and a half ago we traveled to Swaziland to help the new Ancient Paths coordinators. AP is just getting started there and it is an exciting time. Barry and Viki have passion and vision and are working hard at getting it going.
Swaziland is quite close to Maputo. It is a small country and it took just three hours to reach the capital city, Mbabane. I love the mountains and the rural feel of Swaziland.
Friday we were free during the day, so we went to visit the farm we've heard so much about. It is very remote. You can either choose to travel 30 kms on a dirt road or 5. We chose 5 although it was the longer way around.
Swaziland is quite close to Maputo. It is a small country and it took just three hours to reach the capital city, Mbabane. I love the mountains and the rural feel of Swaziland.
Friday we were free during the day, so we went to visit the farm we've heard so much about. It is very remote. You can either choose to travel 30 kms on a dirt road or 5. We chose 5 although it was the longer way around.
They have homes for orphans with one mother who makes a commitment to raise them to adulthood. It is not a typical orphanage! There are four homes and each is given space for a garden and laying hens. The idea is that each household will raise most of their food. They have a school that is also open to community children. Their website does a good job of describing their program.
Another big side project is moringa. To learn more about moringa, the "miracle tree" click here. They have turned this into a cottage industry by harvesting the leaves, drying and pounding them into a powder and selling it. A small plot of trees planted close together yields enough to buy a ton of corn per month (during the "hotter" weather). Swazi doesn't have much hot weather, at least compared to Moz because of the altitude. They also grow vegetables for sale, have pigs, sell eggs and seedlings. Steve was in his element and our time was too short.
Another big side project is moringa. To learn more about moringa, the "miracle tree" click here. They have turned this into a cottage industry by harvesting the leaves, drying and pounding them into a powder and selling it. A small plot of trees planted close together yields enough to buy a ton of corn per month (during the "hotter" weather). Swazi doesn't have much hot weather, at least compared to Moz because of the altitude. They also grow vegetables for sale, have pigs, sell eggs and seedlings. Steve was in his element and our time was too short.
We got back to the seminar where people were touched by God and healed of rejection and abandonment issues, lack of blessing and identity and other woundings. There were some deep, life-changing healings going on that we may not fully understand until eternity, but they are real.
Coming back we were blessed to find fresh produce along the road for half the price that we pay in Maputo - mangos, avocados, garlic, bananas, okra and more. We learned from a neighbor from Mississippi how to cook okra--slice it, dip in cornmeal and fry. Yummy!
