Mission Issues

Richard Rooney recently reported on the effects that malnutrition are having on children in Swaziland. According to his information, four children out of ten in Swaziland are so malnourished that their growth has been permanently stunted. It’s not only with children that we see the effects of malnourishment. Many of the people we work with in our home-based caring program have been convinced to go for HIV testing and if found to be positive, they then went for blood tests to determine their CD4 count and if found to be less than 200 cells per cubic millimetre, they then become eligible for anti-retroviral therapy (ARV). The problem is, without healthy food, the ARV therapy may add on a few years to a person’s life (which is certainly better than nothing), but combining healthy eating habits with ARVs could often add on ten years or more to a person’s life.
Richard writes that in the past year about 600,000 out of Swaziland’s total population of less than one million people have received donor food aid. But apparently this assistance is now being reduced. Obviously the food given to these people were really very basic. But even so, at least it was something. But what is going to happen if this food is further reduced?
Although all our care-givers working in the home-based caring project are working voluntarily, since February this year we have been able to give each of these care-givers a food parcel once every two months. We don’t know for how long we will be able to do this, but we undertook to continue doing this until the money runs out - which should have happened in April! But we seem to be experiencing something of the widow’s jug - a miracle for which we are extremely thankful! In any case, the reason for giving them the food is two-fold: On the one hand we feel that this is a small sign of appreciation for what they do. But on the other hand we know that healthy food will increase their capability of caring for others. Keep in mind that many of our care-givers themselves are HIV-positive. Included in the food packet is a bag of rice. But we have been warned that the price of rice will probably double in the near future! We also feed a group of orphans daily at our church. I trust that we will be able to continue with this, regardless of the price of food. But what about the thousands upon thousands of orphans who do not have access to feeding schemes?
What happens in a country where 67% of the population earn less than 45 US cents per day (not even enough to buy half a loaf of bread), if the price of basic foodstuffs start doubling?
I don’t yet know what is going to happen. I do know that we as family complain about the price of groceries, and I really don’t think that we follow a lavish lifestyle. But if you hardly have any money to buy food and the prices increase by 100%? Then you’re in deep trouble. And I can foresee that Swaziland (as many other African countries) is going to be in a real food crisis very soon.

This is a question which all missionaries working in poor countries will have to answer. And the answer is not as simple as we sometimes try to make it.
I was recently reminded about this issue while watching a DVD of an international missionary organisation working in Swaziland. We all realise that DVDs or pamphlets or whatever other medium is used, are made in order to convince people to donate money towards the cause. The DVD starts with a shot of a number of school children, singing and dancing with Bibles in their hands. The caption reads: “Swazi kids excited about their new English and SiSwati Bibles.” These Bibles had been handed out to them with the help of donations received from overseas. Who’s heart won’t soften when seeing children in darkest Africa dancing with joy because of receiving a Bible?
Many people however feel that it is wrong to hand out Bibles free of charge. The logic behind this conviction is that something is only appreciated if it is paid for.
And now the question: Who is correct? Should Bibles be sold or handed out? And the answer, as I said earlier, is not as simple as saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’. When I arrived in Swaziland in 1985 we used to receive boxes full of tracts, some in English, others in siZulu (closely related to siSwati) and when visiting schools I handed out these tracts by the thousand. But there came a time when I became convinced that I’m not doing the right thing. I did realise that the children were merely grabbing the tracts, not because they were really interested in reading them (although I believe that many did read them), but because it was something given to them free of charge. After making this decision I planned the distribution of literature in a much more disciplined way. The fact is that I became convinced that I could distribute Jehovah’s Witness literature or even Muslim literature free of charge and that the children would still grab as much as possible.
So what is my solution? In the good old days I was able to get 30% discount from the Bible Society if we bought Bible directly from them. Bibles were fairly cheap (around $2) and after the 30% discount they were still affordable for most people. We literally sold thousands of Bibles. But at the same time we were open to hand out Bibles to people who we felt would put the Bible to good use and who could not afford to pay for it. I’ve received many things free of charge which I deeply appreciate and I sincerely believe that many people receiving a Bible free of charge would also appreciate it. Which means that we used both systems of giving and selling Bibles, but always selling it without profit.
Things have changed. The Bible Society refuse to give churches discount. Discount is now only given to stores and prices have gone through the roof. The cheapest siSwati Bible available in stores would probably be around $12 - this in a country where 70% of the population live on less than 45 US cent per day! Money received for Bible distribution is now used to buy Bibles at shelf price, but then we sell them at about a quarter of the price at which we buy them. And then we still have an understanding that Bibles may be handed out free of charge or sold at an even lower price if the recipient can really not afford to buy it.
We don’t have much singing and dancing with Bibles in the hand using this system. But I’ve seen many people sitting with their Bibles, reading it and when I look at the congregation on a Sunday as they follow the Scripture reading in their own Bibles, I see Bibles with pen marks, showing signs that they have been used. For me this means more than the singing and dancing.

Yesterday was pretty hectic. A team from Luke Commission came to visit a school virtually across the road from our church at Dwaleni. We had invited them to come as part of our service to the community, taking care of the sick at their homes.
But I have to be honest that there were times yesterday when I had more questions than answers. After 24 years in Swaziland, I haven’t seen any real improvement in the health system of the country. This was a mobile clinic which we were part of and more than 800 people were attended to. Children were inspected for scabies and other diseases often found in children. Adults’ blood pressure was taken and recorded and those over fifty were also tested for diabetes, a disease which is becoming very common in Africa. All adults were also invited to be tested for HIV. The majority of those who were tested, tested negative. Although this sounds like extremely good news, the reason is most probably that those who are living promiscuously did not consent to be tested. Some of our home-based caregivers then counselled both those who tested negative as well as those who tested positive. Those who tested positive also had blood drawn in order to determine their CD4 count, which will indicate whether they are eligible to receive anti-retroviral medicine from the government. Many of those who had come also had their eyes tested and from tens of thousands pairs of glasses donated, and with the help of a really nifty machine and a huge database, all of those who needed glasses could be helped. On a lighter note, some of those who received glasses looked really strange as many of the frames had been worn in the USA as part of a fashion outfit. But in the end, to be able to see, is what really counts.
Two patients really touched me. One was a young woman with severe chest pains. In fact, she was crying most of the time because of the pain. The doctor told me that she was HIV-positive and they suspected that it might be TB which is causing the pain (one of the main diseases often associated with AIDS.) The sad news was that she had been to the health centre in Nhlangano, one of the main towns in Swaziland and they had given her pain killers and sent her back home. Then she went to Hlatikhulu, where one of Swaziland’s main hospitals are situated and they did the same. And then she came to us, in the hope that we could help her. But the doctor could do nothing for her without first seeing an X-ray. I eventually spoke to the girl’s father and told him to take his daughter to the clinic and insist that they do an X-ray to try and determine what is causing the pain. And then he told me that he could not take her, because he had no bus fare! Eventually I gave them bus fare and hope that they would have gone to the hospital today.
And then a schoolboy turned up. He was probably about thirteen or fourteen. During a football game he had broken his leg above the knee, about four weeks ago. He had gone for surgery and a metal rod was inserted to help with the healing of the bone. He came to us yesterday and his mother told us that almost since the operation he has been suffering from extreme pain. They had gone back to the clinic, but it does not seem as if much was done. The doctor then removed the bandage and we found that the metal rod was sticking at least three inches out of his leg! His body was busy rejecting the rod. His knee was swollen to at least twice its normal size and from the smell it was clear that there was extreme infection in the bone. I cannot even start to imagine the pain the poor boy had to go through.
Fortunately, the doctor could arrange for him to be admitted to a hospital where he is now on intravenous antibiotics. Whether it will be possible to save the leg remains to be seen.
I don’t have an answer to Swaziland (and the same can be said about most African countries’) health situation. I’m just wondering how many lives can be saved if the health system could improve.

Do a Google search on “Threat of world Aids pandemic among heterosexuals is over, report admits”, and you’ll be surprised to see how many articles refer to a report, written by the World Health Organisation (WHO), in which it is said that, apart from Africa, “there will be no generalised epidemic of Aids in the heterosexual population.” More details can be found here.
My son was speaking to some kind of medical professor from the USA some time ago and she told him, after he had told her what we are doing in Swaziland, that, as far as she is concerned, AIDS is under control in the USA. With the progress made in research and the development of ARVs, I can believe that this may be the truth. AIDS, I always say, is treatable but not curable. With the right medicine and more or less ideal circumstances, most HIV+ people would be able to live long and productive lives.
The fact is that Africa does not provide the ideal circumstances within which to fight a disease such as AIDS. ARVs are expensive. The cheapest tablets that I could find in a pharmacy in Swaziland costs around $50 per month. Where 70% of the population receive less than 45 US cents per day, it is clear that for the most people it is not an option to buy ARVs. Government hospitals supply ARVs, but the choice is limited. The privilege of adapting the treatment with different drugs to find the correct combination for a specific person, does not exist for the majority of the population.
Another problem is that ARV treatment is usually started too late. Last week one of our care supporters told me of someone who’s CD4 count had been determined. It was under 20. Treatment with ARVs in Swaziland should be started when the CD4 count falls below 200. But even that is too late. I spoke to a medical doctor some time ago who specialises in treating people with HIV and he told me that tuberculosis (TB) starts when the CD4 count falls below 350. According to him, if ARVs could be administered when the CD4 count is still above 350, the chances that a patient could live a fairly long life could be hugely increased, as many people who are HIV+ actually die because of TB. But where would Swaziland find the money for these drugs?
Furthermore, ARVs without healthy eating habits also does not give the required results. And this is another problem we have to cope with. Fruit and vegetables are expensive. We have seen, time and again, how people start using ARVs, but because they don’t eat balanced meals they seem to become stronger for a while and then their condition suddenly starts deteriorating and they die.
I can understand why the WHO says that the AIDS pandemic is over in many countries outside Africa. Although, I think in countries like India and Russia we are just starting to see the tip of the iceberg. But if the pandemic could be brought under control in the USA and Europe, then it means that we have to do even more to bring it under control in the rest of the world which is still severely affected by this disease.

I’m still in Russia. This morning it started snowing, whereas, since we had come, it had been fairly warm. It cooled off during the night and when I woke up this morning the landscape had been transformed into a beautiful fairytale scene, with snow covering the trees and the ground and millions of snowflakes falling to the ground.
I had been in a discussion yesterday with a woman who is busy with a certain ministry here in Samara in Russia. What really touched me, was to see the passion and enthusiasm she has for this ministry. It is clear that she absolutely loves doing this work. I can honestly say that I have the same feeling towards my work in Swaziland. A few months ago someone was telling me that he needs to take a break from his ministry on regular occasions in order to energise himself to continue with the work. Granted: We are all created differently. Some people need breaks more regularly than others.
What I do realise however is that in the countries where the most missionaries are working and which are usually also the poorest countries, like those in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, the local people do not have any understanding for our Western need to “take a break” in order to energise ourselves again. I am given six weeks leave every year. Two weeks are used each year when I visit Russia to teach at this Bible centre. The other four weeks I usually take during December when I try and spend some special time with my family. All the other paid workers in our church in Swaziland have the same privilege. Yet I have never found anyone of them ever asking for official leave. It’s not as if they are working day and night. On the contrary, all of them are working at a much slower rate than I am used to (which probably also explains partly why they don’t easily get heart attacks,) but what I do notice - and this is the point I’m trying to make - is that they seem to be energised through the work that they are doing and not through other things which take their mind off the work.
And this made me think how important it is to enjoy the ministry to which God has called us. Obviously there are times when things are not always going well. Obviously there are times when one will get despondent. And surely there is a need to “take a break” from time to time, even if the main reason would be to spend more quality time with our families. But looking yesterday at the way in which this young woman radiates her passion for the ministry she is in, made me realise that, ultimately, we need to get our strength and energy for mission, not through things that take our mind away from our mission, but from the work itself that we are doing.

Within 24 hours, if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be on my way to Russia again. Since 2001 I’ve had the opportunity, once a year, to visit Samara, a city about 600 miles south-east from Moscow. After the Iron Curtain fell in Russia, many church organisations from various places in the world flocked to this country to preach the gospel. In 1999 God also called a young, unmarried, female science teacher from South Africa to start a Bible School. In 2001, after she visited South Africa, I received an invitation to go to Samara, at that time to assist in training people in evangelism and then, since 2003, to teach on the topics of eschatology as well as the book of Revelations. And now this will be the eighth time that I go to Samara.
Despite Russia being open to religion, Protestant Christians are not always popular. During that first year, while we were busy spending time in the parks (it was during summer), speaking to people about the Christian faith, one old woman made the remark that, when she was a little girl of about five, a soldier ripped a crucifix from her neck, threw it on the ground and stamped on it with his heave boot, telling her that God was dead. For more than seventy years she believed what he had said. Suddenly we appear on the scene telling her that God is not dead! One can understand how difficult it is to believe this.
Many missionaries in Russia are making serious mistakes, being focussed more on their own ideals of rapid church growth rather than being there to serve the people. In many ways mission in Russia is the same as in Africa. It takes a long time for people to really trust the missionary and this trust will have to be deserved, not through money or good sermons, but by the way in which the local people are respected and served.
I will be spending two days in Cairo with some local Christians and then on Saturday I will be flying to Moscow and then to Samara.
For those who diligently follow this blog. I will be posting the next few days. This is the miracle of blogging sites where posts can even be scheduled for the future. Tomorrow I will be posting something on A Multifaceted Gospel and on Thursday I will post something on the “Sinner’s Prayer”. If time allows, I still want to write something on tithing which I will post on Friday. I will hopefully be “on the air” again on Sunday and will probably share something of my experiences in Russia this year.

The situation in Southern Africa at present made me think once again about the importance of leaders being called to serve. The political situation in Zimbabwe, South Africa’s northern neighbour, is extremely tense as Robert Mugabe still refuses to disclose the outcome of the presidential election in that country. Swaziland’s newspaper today reported that Zimbabweans fleeing from their own country are now starting to find refuge in Swaziland. At the same time the struggle for a true democracy in Swaziland also continues, with many people feeling that the system of an absolute monarchy, as we have it in Swaziland, is not beneficial for the country and the citizens anymore.
Last Thursday, as we were having our “handing out of the towels” ceremony at Mantambe, which you can read about here, I made some remarks about leadership. Present at the ceremony were a number of politicians, local leaders as well as the member of parliament for that area. I told the new caregivers that the world has dictated to us what a leader looks like. We do certain personality tests in which a person’s dominance is determined or people are placed in a certain situation where they need to display their leadership abilities. In the political sphere people have to make speeches as well and the person who can speak the best and has the greatest ability to persuade someone to accept his or her viewpoint, is considered to be the best leader. (The people really enjoyed that remark!) I’m not all that clued up with American politics, but I have an idea that this is exactly what is happening in the USA today as they prepare themselves for their presidential election. (OK, I know that things are much more complex than this, but the point I was trying to make is that the world has certain ideas about leadership and the church seems to have adopted those same principles.)
One thing which I have always found lacking in our church in Swaziland is people with real leadership potential. Some of them have come forward, but they tend to follow the example of the televangelists, shouting and running around and claiming all kinds of miracles and thinking that they have then become leaders. One of the greatest perks of our home-based caring projects was that people from whom I never expected it in the past, suddenly revealed tremendous leadership potential. We never did personality tests on them. They did not make speeches to convince others to choose them. It happened, I believe, because these people revealed the leadership abilities which Jesus spoke about, which is the ability to serve others.
This would obviously make sense in any Christian project focussed on serving the community. But the longer I’m part of the established church, the more I believe that this is true for the church in general. The church is in need of servant leaders. (And if I look at the situation in Zimbabwe and Swaziland, then I am convinced that if this Biblical principle should be applied by politicians, that the normal people would also benefit from such leaders!)

Bob Roberts recently asked a question on his blog: What does a masculine church look like? He was asking this question because it seems that churches are not really focussed on men, and, as he correctly says: “Just having men in leadership roles doesn’t guarantee that at all.”
Up to now there has been 14 comments on this post (two from myself). In my first response I wrote: “This is arguably our biggest need in Swaziland (as probably in most of Africa) - if we can really reach the men and present Christ as an answer to them, I believe that Africa will change. But most churches have 90% (or more) women and children and church is seen as a feminine thing - for those who are not strong enough to care for themselves.”
In the rest of the comments nothing was said about this problem in Africa. If Africa is seen (as many do believe) as the place where the new revival is going to start and from where the world will be reached, then this problem will have to be acknowledged and addressed. After some further comments on the topic, I wrote the following: “The last three responses may be true in a Western culture but is not necessarily true in an African culture where, to be a Christian, has definite implication for one’s beliefs in cultural practices. We’re not speaking about church attendance only. We’re also speaking about a new life in Christ which means having to break with certain things of the past - and for most men the price seems to be too high to pay.”
Once again: No response.
In the Western world people are struggling to find ways to make church more attractive for men through the way of worship, the type of messages brought to them, the people (eg sports heroes) used in the church. In Africa the problem is hugely different. How do you convince men that they will be better off if they leave their old life and start a new life in obedience to Christ?
As far as I know this is a universal problem all over Africa. Where men come to true repentance, the family often follows them. But if men are not willing to dedicate their lives fully to God, the church in Africa will remain something for women and children.

I’ve had a pretty hectic week. On Wednesday I made a trip up to the north of Swaziland, to the capital, Mbabane, where we have now started the official process of getting our home-based caring group registered as an NGO. From time to time we have people, churches or other groups wanting to donate clothes, medical supplies or food to assist us with the work we are doing and although the customs officials at the border are VERY friendly and lenient, always allowing us to take the products through, we also realise that the correct way in which to do this is to be registered as an NGO and then to get a tax and customs exemption form from the department of customs and excise. Because we have obtained a lot of credibility with the local people as well as their representatives in parliament, we are fortunately also receiving a lot of assistance to speed up the process, which can, in Swaziland, take up to a few years to complete! From Mbabane I drove to the eastern side of the country, drove all the way down the eastern border to the south, then turned west again to see how things were going on with the training of the people at Matsanjeni, focussing on traumatised children before returning home - a round trip of about 330 miles in extreme heat. (Air conditioning isn’t a luxury - it;s a necessity!) Along the way I came across four American girls stuck with their vehicle after they had a flat (or a puncture, as we know it). They are also working in Swaziland for some mission organisation. I stopped to assist them with the tyre. Fortunately, before the hard work started of loosening the studs on the wheel, help arrived from their mission organisation (how did we survive without cell phones?) and I could continue on my way. So, if any of the mothers of these girls are reading this, I’m pleased to report: your daughter is safe!
As I was making the trip I just kept on marvelling at the beauty of this country. Swaziland is often called “Little Switzerland” and a trip like I had on Wednesday makes it clear where Swaziland got this nickname.
This weekend I’ll be visiting a church in South Africa in a town called Tzaneen, not too far from the Kruger National Park. This is a typical white, Afrikaans-speaking congregation (which is found all over South Africa) who had decided that they want to take hands with another congregation consisting entirely of black members speaking one of the indigenous African languages (I’m not sure what language - but I’ll find out on Saturday when I’ll be meeting up with them - probably Venda or Pedi.) Because the black communities are so large and also because of their culture where communities are much more closely linked with each other, they also experience the AIDS problem and the related deaths much more personally. They have now invited me to meet with the white congregation this evening (Friday) to inform them about the problem of HIV and AIDS and also to explain to them what we are doing as a church to help people. On Saturday I will meet the members from a number of black churches and discuss the situation with them to inform them of our work but also to try and plan with them how they can tackle the problem in their own communities. On Sunday morning I will be preaching in the white congregation and during the evening service we will try and have a question and answer session, aiming to find a way forward that these two groups can take hands to fight against this terrible disease. Neither of these groups can make a real difference on their own. Thye black churches have the man (woman) power and the white churches have the resources. If these groups can take hands, there is enormous potential within them.
I’m really looking forward to this. I believe that we have developed certain principles in Swaziland (with the help of other people who guided us in the right direction) that can be duplicated in other areas outside Swaziland. Obviously each area and each situation is unique, which is why I cannot merely implement our model in another place. But if the principles are applied, then a group of Christians can, within their unique circumstances, really make a huge difference in their communities, becoming - as we have formulated it in our vision - the hands and feet of Christ within the community.
Just an interesting remark: My good friend, Tim Deller from the USA who is helping us in Swaziland, will this evening be going to his first rugby match ever with some friends of mine from South Africa. He’s travelling up to Pretoria for this occasion. Oh boy - he’s really so excited!
Please also read Tim’s latest post which you can access here.  It will really open your eyes for what we experience on a daily base in Swaziland. He even has a few links to Youtube video clips that he posted if you want to experience Swaziland as he sees it.

In principle I’m a positive and hopeful person. But when I look at the children in Swaziland, there are times when I do find that I feel a bit hopeless. Of the 947,000 people in Swaziland (according to the latest census), 95,000 are orphans. That’s 10% of the entire population! These are children growing up without a mother to take care of them, doing all the normal stuff that mothers do for children. In most cases they also grow up without a father. In Swaziland, as in most of Africa, orphans are defined as children without a mother. If the father had died and the mother is still alive, then the child is not officially an orphan. If both parents are dead they refer to a double orphan.
I was speaking to one of my Swazi friends this afternoon and discussing the situation in the country with him. The question I asked him is what these children growing up without parents will turn out to be when they get into their late teens. Psychologists have long realised the effects that a parent’s death has on a child, especially in their early teens. Now we are confronted not with a few children losing a parent, but thousands of children losing not only one but often both parents, as well as their brothers and sisters, their in-laws, their grandparents, their neighbours, their friends….
Today we started with a course specifically aimed at teaching a number of our caregivers to determine whether children had been traumatised and then to teach them how to counsel these children. Although the Swazi people in general love their children, very few are capable to counsel children who had been traumatised. I’m surprised to see how difficult it is for people who have an advanced education to see that their own children had been traumatised. How much more difficult for people who very often had only had very basic school training? One of the methods used with small children to encourage them to speak about their feelings is by using a box filled with sand and then to supply a huge number of characters, vehicles, houses, animals and other items, all drawn on paper, cut out and glued onto twigs broken from trees. (It is essential that people are not brought under the impression that you need all kinds of special and expensive equipment before you can connect with a child.) The child is then encouraged to use any of the items to build something in the sand. Once they’re through, the caregiver will ask the child to explain what he or she had done. Things which may then come out for example are that there may be many child figures but no adults. A gentle conversation may then reveal why there are no adults. Sometimes they will include very flashy cars and in the conversation it may become clear that they believe that money will be the solution to all their problems.
The training is being done by specialised staff from the Petra College for Children’s Ministry in South Africa. If you are interested in more information about them or would like to contact them to find out what they can do to help you with a children’s ministry, click here.