Hopeful. Humbling. Heartbreaking. Joyful. Impactful. Motivating. These are only a few of the words our team used to describe our time in Eswatini. It was an experience filled with connection, gratitude, love, and a completely new perspective—one that will continue shaping how we live, serve, and see the world.

 

Before arriving, many of us believed this trip would primarily be about what we could give. We traveled to serve, support Project Canaan, and share God’s love with the children, staff, and surrounding community. Instead, we returned home realizing how much we had received. The people we met shared their stories, culture, faith, resilience, joy, and love with us. Their generosity of spirit changed our hearts in ways that are difficult to explain.

 

Project Canaan is much more than a children’s home. It is a community where children are known, loved, educated, celebrated, and given opportunities to thrive. The staff members are dedicated, joyful, selfless, and fully present. They work tirelessly to make Project Canaan feel like a true home. Every child is cared for as a whole person, and every part of the ministry—from education and healthcare to farming, employment, food distribution, and community outreach—works together to provide hope and create lasting change.

 

The impact reaches far beyond the children living on campus. Project Canaan supports families, churches, and communities throughout Eswatini by providing food, resources, employment, education, and practical care. Donations do not simply disappear into an organization; they directly affect children, staff members, families, and surrounding communities. Every gift helps provide hope, care, education, nourishment, safety, and opportunity.

 

We also learned about the heartbreaking reality that Project Canaan has had to pause accepting babies because of funding limitations. Knowing there are children who need a safe place while space and care are limited was difficult for us to process. It reminded us that the need is ongoing and that continued prayer, financial support, sponsorship, and advocacy truly matter.

 

Of all our experiences, the homestead visits affected us most deeply.

 

As we traveled through the countryside, we saw people washing their clothes in the river because it was their only option. We watched people walk long distances carrying heavy containers of water. We saw homes constructed from sticks and mud and met families doing everything possible to care for one another with extremely limited resources.

 

Visiting the families inside their homes made these realities personal. We saw where they slept, learned how far they traveled for water and school, and heard about the challenges they faced each day. Their circumstances were heartbreaking, but we were equally struck by the love shared within their families and the strength with which they faced each morning.

 

What we will remember most, however, is their joy.

 

We will never forget the excitement on a teenage boy’s face when he saw the new soccer ball we had brought. We will never forget children chasing bubbles, laughing together, and celebrating small gifts with overwhelming gratitude. We will never forget the grandmother’s eyes as we delivered food—eyes that carried both hardship and thankfulness.

 

Something as simple as a soccer ball brought immeasurable happiness. Food that we might consider ordinary could help sustain a family for weeks. Those moments changed our hearts and our perspectives forever.

 

They reminded us that joy can exist in any situation. The children, staff members, and people throughout the community often had far less materially than we do, yet they radiated happiness, gratitude, and hope. Their lives challenged our assumptions about where true happiness comes from. Joy is not found simply in possessions; it is found in love, faith, belonging, hope, and relationships.

 

Our visits to local churches were equally powerful. Project Canaan helps provide meals to children from surrounding communities, many of whom arrive carrying whatever dish or container they can find. We watched children wait patiently for food, receive it with gratitude, and carefully wash their dishes afterward. We saw older children naturally caring for younger ones with remarkable maturity and compassion.

 

Then they sang.

 

Hearing children sing familiar songs such as “Jesus Loves Me” reminded us how small the world truly is. We may live on opposite sides of the globe and speak different languages, but we worship the same God. Their singing, Bible verses, smiles, and faith connected us in ways that required no explanation.

 

The children welcomed us warmly wherever we went. Some of the youngest children were initially afraid of us and cried when we approached. Instead of forcing interaction, we sat near them and allowed them time to become comfortable. Eventually, fear turned into smiles, wagon rides, laughter, and little hands reaching toward us. That transformation reminded us of the importance of patience, presence, and meeting people where they are.

 

One of the greatest lessons we learned is that meaningful service does not always require a grand gesture. Sometimes ministry looks like sitting on the floor with a hesitant toddler. Sometimes it is playing basketball, coloring, teaching a card game, painting fingernails, blowing bubbles, creating a personalized sticker, or holding a child’s hand.

 

These activities may seem small, but they tell a child, “You are seen. You matter. You are worth my time.”

 

The relationships formed between our team and the children became one of the most meaningful parts of the journey. Language barriers disappeared through laughter, music, games, creativity, hugs, and simple moments together. Our team brought a variety of strengths—kindness, creativity, energy, curiosity, playfulness, helpfulness, encouragement, and support. Those differences allowed each person to connect and serve in a unique way.

 

Our experiences also left us asking what comes next.

 

Some of us feel called to sponsor a child or provide ongoing financial support. Others feel called to continue praying, share Project Canaan’s story, return to Eswatini, or encourage others to become involved. We want to support the mission from home, live with greater gratitude, become more aware of needs within our own communities, and use our voices to advocate for people facing poverty and injustice.

 

We do not want this trip to become only a collection of photographs and stories from something we once did. We want it to influence how we live now.

 

We want to notice people who are often overlooked.

 

We want to respond when we learn there is a need.

 

We want to be more generous with our time and resources.

 

We want to share what we witnessed so others might also feel called to pray, support, sponsor, serve, or act.

 

We want to remember that our neighbors include not only those living nearby but also families and children across the world.

 

As we reflect, there are countless moments we will never forget: children welcoming us with warmth, toddlers slowly learning to trust us, the sounds of worship filling a room, the strength of families at the homesteads, the joy created by a soccer ball, and the gratitude in a grandmother’s eyes as food was delivered.

 

We will remember children who were joyful, hopeful, curious, and full of love.

 

We will remember staff members who were selfless, dedicated, present, and committed to making Project Canaan feel like home.

 

We will remember a team made special by its diversity, creativity, energy, kindness, playfulness, and willingness to support one another.

 

We will remember that we arrived expecting to give but left having received far more than we could have imagined.

 

To everyone who supported this journey through prayers, donations, encouragement, fundraising, and generosity—thank you. You were part of every meal delivered, every gift shared, every game played, every relationship formed, and every moment of hope experienced.

 

We returned home changed. Our prayer is that this change does not fade with time but continues to shape our choices, priorities, generosity, faith, and willingness to serve.

 

A piece of our hearts will always remain in Eswatini.

 

Thank you to the children, families, and staff who welcomed us so generously.

 

Thank you, Project Canaan, for showing us what hope looks like in action.

 

Thank you, Eswatini, for sharing your beauty, resilience, culture, faith, and joy with us.

 

And above all, thank you, God, for reminding us that sometimes the greatest transformation happens not in the people we travel across the world to serve, but within our own hearts.