Swaziland Mission Trip!

Scott Docherty, a deacon at Berean Bible Church , participated in aiding the people of Swaziland , Africa through a mission trip April 23rd to May 2nd. For Scott it was not a matter of whether he had the skills to help on this mission field, it was a matter of following the Lord’s direction. One Saturday he went to listen to several speakers throughout the day as they spoke on the topic of family by way of a live satellite feed from CCN. He had no idea someone would be speaking for just a few short minutes on a mission project slated for Swaziland . He recalls, after listening to that speaker, Bruce Wilkinson, “I know God was speaking to me.” He made the phone call later that afternoon to enquire about getting on the list of people from the United States to go to Swaziland. This group would be the first to do this! They planted one garden for each 5-6 people in a household. The gardens consisted of cabbage, spinach, peppers, and onions.

Scott came back with amazing experiences to share and some interesting facts pertaining to Swaziland. Here are a few:

40% of the population is infected with HIV
Life expectancy is 37 years old.
Less than 4% of the population is 65 or older.
2/3 of the population lives on less than $1.00/day.

This information lends to the fact that there is practically an entire generation missing, the parents of the children left behind. The older children of many families are raising their younger siblings. HIV has taken the lives of their parents.

Never-Ending Gardens

The following is an excerpt from the originator of the concept of Never-Ending Gardens, Bruce Wilkinson. It can be found on his web site, brucewilkinson.com, along with other information related to this concept.

“A Never-Ending Garden (NEG) is a proven method for the families of Africa to produce their own food in spite of the poor economy, unpredictable weather, and the escalating crisis of AIDS. Each family who elects to be a part of the NEG movement joins a community-wide organization that trains them to plant and harvest their gardens and oversees their progress twice a week throughout the year to ensure success.

The NEG approach is to increase the number of plants that a family grows each season according to the degree that they are responsible. Each family begins with two mini-gardens the size of a front door and can continue to increase the number of mini-gardens every four months. Within one year, the average family will harvest five mini-gardens every season.

The name “The Never-Ending Garden” was selected for three primary reasons:

First, the NEG enables individuals and families to become fully self-sufficient in growing their own food supply. By planting the mini-gardens on a rotating basis and harvesting 3 or 4 times a year, the family can enjoy food on a never-ending basis.

Second, the NEG grows certain highly productive vegetables that permit the family to peel off the outside leaves of certain plants (such as spinach, lettuce, and cabbage) for three to nine months before having to replant.

Third, the NEG follows the original method for producing a sustainable food supply for the entire human race as recorded in Genesis 1:29: “See, I have given you every herb that yields seeds which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.”

Just click on the thumbnail photo below to see a larger rendition.

Our mission is to lead people to Christ and help them grow as His followers.

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Scott arrives!	The processing point.	Scott was a member of the Zebra group.	A rare, beautiful home.
Preparing the seedlings for transport to the villages.	Local children.		The local scenery.	Very warm, appreciative people.
	Everyone pitches in to help.
			Making friends.	Asking a blessing for the new garden.
Average home in the area.				A family near their new garden.
	This is what it's all about.	The ladies from Home Based Care often helped.
Some boys insisted on helping Scott carry materials.	A digital camera replaces the lack of mirrors.	A local store.		A nice group with a beautiful backdrop.
				Working side-by-side.
			Making baskets.
	Interesting game.	The younger ones enjoyed helping out.		The very young helped, too.