Singing with the kids at Tabitha the first day we were there.

On Thursday, we served with Tabitha ministry. Tabitha was started 15 years ago by a woman named Gail. Yesterday, I met her husband who is a very special man. He was looking around the orphanage and just said, "Can you believe all this started with one woman's prayers?" Tabitha has an orphanage in the city of Pietermaritzburg that houses 33 kids. Actually, on Tuesday they will be getting a two month old little boy who's mother is a 16 year old orphan herself. Tabitha also serves in the community of Sweetwaters. Sweetwaters is a community nearby Pietermaritzburg that encompasses a mountain and a valley. Between 60,000-100,000 people live in this area. I've heard both numbers, so I'll just put the range. They recently did a census in this area so they should have more accurate numbers soon. This land was originally tribal land and I believe during apartheid the black people were zoned to live there. It's a very poor community that has no job opportunities. It's estimated that 50% of the population is HIV positive or has full blown AIDS. One other ministry Tabitha offers is a care giver/hospice ministry. They have 29 women they've trained to go out into the community and walk miles to check on the very sick and dying. They also check on households that just have children as the head of the house b/c they've lost both parents. Many times, these children are vulnerable of being taken advantage of by neighbors who know they are alone. Sweetwaters is divided into ten areas and currently Tabitha ministers in the four worse parts.

In recent weeks, the average death rate in a week has been 189 people dying in these four areas. At times it is as high as 300 a week. The caregivers walk out into the community (rain or shine) five days a week and the only thing they get for pay is a small parcel of food. These women are amazing. They are so joyful. They are so loving. They are the only face some of these dying people see. So, on Thursday, we went with some of the caregivers to do home visits. I had mixed feelings about this. It was sprinkling that day and I was very thankful we were able to drive the two ladies we were with so that they didn't have to take the bus and then do all the walking they usually do. I was also thankful we were able to carry the heavy parcels they take to the homebound. It was an honor to carry those packages for these women who tirelessly care for those who are suffering. We went there in support of the caregivers and to pray over the sick, but part of me felt like it was imposing. I didn't want these very ill people to look at us as rich Americans coming in to take a tour of what poor, dying people look like. We were in very intimate settings, in very small homes and part of me felt like it was an invasion of their privacy. On the other hand, I was thinking that if I was terminally ill in the hospital, I would have visitors from the area who I didn't know. It would feel awkward, but I would appreciate it. I honestly believe the people did appreciate it. I'm not sure what is bothering me about it. My heart was sincere in wanting to pray with them. I guess it just feels strange to see someone I don't know in such a vulnerable situation. We visited five homes and all of them were HIV positive. The first lady was an elderly woman who had suffered from a stroke a couple years ago. She was precious. She was so happy to see us. She reminded me of my grandmother. I had the privilege of praying over her. One of the homes we visited belonged to a mother with a teenage son and a smaller son. She is very ill, but was able to get out of bed. She has terrible sores all over her legs and is in quite a bit of pain. When we left I asked the caregiver if she was the boys' grandmother. She answered, "No, she is their mother." I couldn't believe it. Because of the severity of her illness, I really thought she was in her seventies. She looked so ill. The caregiver told me she is 36, the same age as me. Two of the homes we visited had very sick mothers with young boys at home. In both cases, you could tell the teenage sons took care of the household. It made me think of times when I'm sick and have to be in bed and can't take care of my responsibilities. I always long to be helping my family even if I'm only out of commission for a day. It was heart breaking to know these mother's must feel so helpless b/c they can't take care of their family. It was heart breaking to know that probably soon those boys will be orphans.

After we returned from the home visits it was time to do food distribution. Once a week, Tabitha distributes a food parcel to child headed households that live in the four areas. This means there are no adults living in the house. Children are the head of the house to care for younger siblings. They walk, some for miles to get a small parcel of food that will have to feed them for a month. Zanele, the head of the caregivers said it's not enough, but it's all they have. She said if the children didn't get this they would have no food. The caregivers give the children tickets on Monday and once a month they come to get their food. On this day, I watched 270 children line up to get food. Some couldn't have been more than four years old. It really was almost too much to fathom that these little ones were carrying this food back to their home. Some walking miles to share with their siblings. To know that they had no adult guiding, protecting, helping them. It made me very thankful for these caregivers that walk miles, some over tough terrain to check on these little lives. Tabitha also has a safe house in the community. Right now they have 39 children living there. These children have been brought here b/c they were found to be in unsafe situations. They were abused, most girls raped. They are now safe. They now have a caregiver looking over them. My friend Brandy and her husband have started a non-profit organization that helps ministries like Tabitha and Ithemba. Click here to find out more: Restoration Hope

She also wrote some great blog posts on Sweetwaters last year. Find them Here. And Here.

One of the homes across from one of the homes we visited.

The view from the top of the mountain. The caregivers have to walk crazy, mountainous terrain to get to some of the homes.

Heading down a steep incline after one of the home visits.

Pretty was one of the caregivers we were honored to walk beside.

Me and Zanele. She's a legend in my book. This woman is out in the trenches everyday showing the love of Jesus.

Tabitha has finished phase one of their community center. They are waiting on funds to complete phase two. This is the "Moses Box" It has doors that open so girls/women in the community can place their baby in here instead of just abandoning them behind the gate on the ground. When finished, a bell will ring when the baby is placed so they will know their is a child in there. I love that they call it the "Moses Box" b/c Moses mother was trying to save him when she put him in the river. These mothers must feel so helpless to have to abandon their babies. Tabitha is trying to save them.