Feb. 21
Ok, not quite a creative title, but this is exactly what happened. So, let me give you a little background.
Every morning, my team and another team take a sprinter (public van transportation) into the town of Manzini where we go to a facility called The Hope House. It is a facility where terminally ill patients can stay in their own individual small houses with their caregivers as they are getting help to get better. We have been there in the mornings for two weeks now visiting the patients. The official business language of Swaziland is English, but the local heart language is Siswati.
Most of the patients know enough English, but some only know Siswati. As we are learning the language a bit( I am finding learning languages FASCINATING), we are finding other creative ways to connect with the patients. We sing to them, dance for them, draw them pictuers and paint their nails. Whatever we can do to connect with them without always having to speak.
Last Tuesday, we put on a worship service for all of the patients. We planned songs to sing for them, a song that one of my teammates danced to and testimonies/messages. It was a very nice program planned.
Right before we started to put on the service, one of my teammates started singing "Marching in the light of God" a simple children's song. Well, as they started singing it, one of my squadmates told me that one of the patients taught them how to sing it in Siswati.
I thought that was pretty cool, but I had no idea what was coming next. Then one of my patients heard us singing it and she starts singing it in Siswati.
GUESS WHAT!??? I learned those lyrics in middle school choir class! I don't know how to spell it, but the Siswati lyrics are "Siyahamba Cucenyene Cuencos" I was in shock. I kept asking them for sure if that was Siswati!
I knew that I had learned that song in an African language, but never did I expect to use it 12 years later!
What makes it even better is that I had my ukulele with me because I was going to play a few songs with it. I literally just picked up my ukulele this past week and learned more chords on it and just by coincidence could play a few worship songs for the service. Well, before the race the only songs I knew how to play on the ukulele were a few children's songs for a preschool bible group I taught in the fall. And guess what one of the songs was??? "Marching in the light of God"! So I was able to play that song on my ukulele at the end of the service and everyone jumped in and sang and danced along as they were able. It was such a cool moment.
God knew that 12 years ago I would learn that song and then use it for His glory 12 years later to connect with Swaziland natives. He does this for all of us. He is preparing things for us right now that we will need in the future. He will allow us to experience those things and see those connections when it is best for Him. I love seeing the way God is connecting me and my skills with the local people here.
Check back later in the next weeks(when I have free, wireless internet) to see the video of this moment
