The morning after returning from Project Canaan and I sat and wrote in the stillness. Through the weepy, burning unfocused eyes, I sat in silent reflection. And in a way that only God could, I was washed over again by his peace and calm assurance, one that has become familiar, one that I call home. God is at work. Before I knew about Project Canaan God was there. Before I knew God would entrust Amelia to me, God knew.
Amelia is my daughter. She was blessed with the opportunity to become involved with Heart for Africa (Canada), and again I was blessed to be her mom and to learn from her. So Amelia and I signed up to go along on a trip to Eswatini and Project Canaan in June of 2025. In preparation for the trip, I read the book, “Hope Lives Here,” watched the YouTube videos, started following Heart for Africa on Instagram, and went to a fundraising dinner in Vancouver. However, during our trip I still was shocked by the scope and span of the work at Project Canaan. In such an incredible way the Maxwell’s and many others have responded to the call God had for them. The way that God is working there, and the passion and response is inspiring. Upon returning, I still cannot do it justice. From the feeding program that addresses the hunger in the country, to the 460+ children, to the farming and agriculture endeavours, artisans, uncles, aunties, all the employees at project Canaan (the list goes on), to the school that is going above and beyond the local standards! It is AWESOME!
What could never be under emphasized is 450+ children from 0-15 years old.
What lingers and prompts me to prayer, the same way it has in my own family, is this next stage the oldest children are entering, teenage years! It is a new challenge and it is something! In my experience, you can multiply the prayer, the emotions and the food by an undeterminable amount, and by an undeterminable timeline and you may be able to do some rough estimation of the challenges that people at Project Canaan have to weather. As I ponder teenage years and the complexities of adoption, I know there are many challenging feelings, but what adoption represents is so meaningful. Adoption is produced by love, and offers security, intimacy and assurance, it changes your identity.
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son…And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything on heaven and earth. Furthermore because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God” (Eph. 1:5-6,10-11a).
So in watching God work, with his children both at Project Canaan and mine here, I know that God has been, and will be able to do so much more than I ever limited him too (this is my humanity causing the weepy eyes). I have been richly blessed by visiting Project Canaan, and all because of my teenager, Amelia. Again I am humbled by the way he brought Amelia into my life and in so doing multiplied the blessing by 450+ children I know that he plans to work in and through. He will multiply the 450+ by what He has determined by His timeline to His intended outcome in His redeeming story. Thank you Heart for Africa (Canada) for living into a calling that was placed on your heart! Praise God.
Sarah Pruim, Heart for Africa (Canada) 2025 Trip Volunteer