We visited the Nhelengo project. The name of the project means “Standing together against a common enemy.” The first sound that greeted us when we disembarked from the bus was the melodious singing of about 45 women. They are called Caregivers.
We had an opportunity to talk with them, travel with them, see them work and hear their story. I am convinced that these ladies are doing the ministry of Jesus here on earth.
They told us how they walk for hours from their homes to visit individuals in the village stricken with HIV/Aids, TB and malaria. They work from 8 am till past 6 pm. The people that they work with have almost been abandoned by their families, their community, by the world. These caregivers step in and provide the care they need.
If I were to share everything we learned from them, this blog could go on for days but I'll share just a few lessons.
1. The people they serve have become more than clients to them. They are family to them. Sometimes their clients ask them for food and even in their poverty (they are given a small stipend for their services) they give what they can. Children who are orphaned in the community come to them for clothes and other necessities at times and they do all they can to help them. Kyrinda Richardson, one of our group, witnessed an interaction with one of our caregivers named Ruth and a resident who lived next to one of her clients.
The person was hungry and asked her for food. She replied that she was suffering too. Then she said the most amazing thing. Ruth told our group that she doesn't have much but she gives them love. She said she prayers everyday that God would give her love.
2. The caregivers live a life of prayer and dependence on God. We asked a group of caregivers how they keep going. How they gain the energy to walk long distances? Audrey, a dear lady, replied "We pray, always. We pray when we wake up, we pray as we go throughout the day." In fact they sing a song about that called NJalo (pronounced - Jah-lo). It means always. In it they say we pray, we give, we praise always.
I thought to myself, these ladies don't have much but they are all the people in that village have.
When we got back to the center which is led out by Papa and Mama Mawela, we enjoyed the singing and dancing from the caregivers. Their joy was so abounding. It just flowed out. Stephen Williams remarked, "how is it that those with so little are thankful for so much and those with so much are thankful for so little."
We then had a chance to meet the orphans of Nhlengelo. I have to comment on them on another blog. I want the ministry of the caregivers to be the focus of this blog.
Ray Tetz, says that the thing they carry in their bag is love. They don't have much of what is needed by those they serve but they have love. They have joy. And that's what they give away so freely. You see they have learned to connect to the source. So they can give love and joy away because they pray always. NJalo!
Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians. - 2 Corinthians 8:1-4
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