More on Swazi

Hello to my sweet friends and family!

I’m writing this blog on a cold, rainy morning in eSwatini, which is reminding me just how long I’ve been here and that my time here is almost done. I have been here throughout their entire summer and the season is switching over to fall now. This means lots of rain— which is a win for all of the sweet Africans growing fruit and other crops to sell, but a big L for Kelly’s tan skin.

All jokes aside, the rain is a big answered prayer. My team had the opportunity to visit a home last week and meet a family who has been struggling. They spoke no English yet welcomed us the best they could— with loving arms, big smiles, and offering us a mat to sit on. This is a regular occurrence here in Africa. The people are so kind and welcoming. We sat with them, talked a bit (with the help of our ministry leader who translated), helped their kids pick guavas, unloaded groceries that we gifted to them, and went with 2 of the kids to fetch some water for the day.

Now let me tell you, I have never been so humbled in my life than when it was time to bring the water back to their home. Their water source was about 2 miles away, so we decided to take the car, only to find out we had to trudge through grass taller than me to get there. We hopped out and did what we had to do. Once we got there, we pumped the water into jugs and started the hike back to the car. I had the pleasure of trying to get a 30L jug back. I took turns putting it on both my shoulders and even had it on my head for a bit. After a while, I got to a point where I physically couldn’t do it anymore. One of the kids (who was probably 7 years old) ran over to help me and carried it on his own for a bit. I couldn’t help but feel defeated, while also amazed that this child could take over for me like it was nothing. We finally made it back and all I could think about was how they had to do this all over again tomorrow on their own. It was pretty surreal stepping into their shoes for the day and experiencing a taste of what it’s like without any running water. To say the least, I will never complain about getting out of bed to get a glass of water ever again. Yet above it all, even though 2 miles away, the Lord still provides this family a source of water— and that is enough for them to praise Him. Pretty dang cool if you ask me.

Before we left, we had the chance to pray over this sweet family. Their 4 prayer requests: a closer water source, money to have electricity in their home (they were telling us about how dark it gets at night), comfort as they had just had a son pass away, and for rain so that their fruit-selling business could prosper. I sat with these prayer requests and thought about how they compare with mine. I can’t help but feel a little bit of guilt. Here I am asking God to show me my husband and help me find a house, when there are people out there asking for things that I have and don’t even think twice about. While I know we can be bold in our requests to the Lord, I think we can be a little bit bolder in how we pray for others. This experience really inspired me to be less selfish with my prayers and more appreciative of all the things (big and small) that the Lord continues to bless me with.

Aside from a couple of home visits, my team and I have still spent the majority of our time at the care points. Like I said before, ministry has not been easy here. Upon our arrival on day 1, we had kids flicking our faces, pulling down our skirts, and putting knots in our hair with their dirty hands. Because of this, we used to absolutely dread going there. One month later, I can honestly say I am now dreading my goodbyes with them next week. The thing about it is, the kids haven’t changed. They were raised very differently from what we are used to in the states and have endured more than we can ever imagine. The only thing that changed is our hearts (with the help of the Holy Spirit). We really leaned into the Lord’s strength to get through the days, His guidance on how to care for these kids, and His grace to see the kids how He sees them. Going into ministry with the right heart posture has allowed me to fall in love with these kids. They have truly touched my heart and I cannot even put into words the kind of joy I get just from their presence. I am so thankful for the relationships I’ve been able to build with them.

In the mornings, we spend our time with the little preschoolers. It’s pretty rare to see me with less than 3 of them on my lap. Almost all of them speak little to no English and because of this, I don’t even know some of their names. Even with the language barrier, we still find ways to play with them, sing with them, and pray with them. Through my work at the autism center back home and at these African care points, I’ve learned my favorite form of communication is not through words but laughter and smiles. It’s been a big reminder that we are all children of God and He gives us the ability to connect with each and every one of them (just not always in the ways we are used to).

In the afternoons, most of the little ones head home and the older children come to the care points after school. They come to grab a meal and hang out. I have a group of primary students (think elementary) who love to color and read with me, and a group of secondary students (think high school) who enjoy engaging in conversations with me. One day, I had a 16-year-old named Nothando come up to me before leaving and ask if I could be her friend. After my obvious yes, she proceeded to give me the sweetest letter. It’s been fun getting to know her and her friends while encouraging them in any way that I can.

At the care points, I’ve seen a lot— kids throwing sand in other kids’ eyeballs, ringworm from head to toe, the same outfits being worn 5 days in a row, young children having to raise their siblings, and big hungry eyes as they wait in line for perhaps their only meal of the day. Although through it all, I know the Lord is kneeling beside each child as they endure these trials. Despite all the comforts of the world these children are missing, they are filled with so much joy. As my sweet teammate Anna says, what a true reminder that contentment doesn’t come from your circumstances but rather trusting that the Lord will provide anyways.

With all that, I have just one more week left in Africa! And a very happy early Easter to all! I’ll be eating my last PB&J for a while, getting covid tested, packing up, and rejoicing in the Lord’s resurrection with my squad.

I love you all and so does Jesus!