Working here in Swaziland has been a great experience. This month has so far been a time to get to know the kids and also grow as an individual along the way. Last month things seemed to be so much more get up and go, that before I knew it it was time to go to bed. The change from my day being so structured scheduled and doing something every minute to having a few hours of alone time each day here in Swaziland is great, and I'm very thankful for it.
Last night (02/22) the woman on my team and from the other team (Rooted Waters) decided to put on a girls night for the older girls here at our location. It started off with a little bible study about how God sees us as woman and what that means, then after we had some music on while some of us were dancing and others were getting their nails painted. It was a great time and I think all of the girls here enjoyed it as well.
Yesterday was the first day I really began to realize why it was that we are here. I couldn't really grasp it right away because of last month being different than what this month is. After putting a lot of thought into it all I have come to the conclusion that God just wants us to love others, no matter what situation they are in.
We as Christians are called to LOVE. I have known this for a long time now, but I have never really acted out in it with everyone I see. If I was having a bad day, or whatever the case may be I didn't show love to everyone. For example, when walking around Wal-Mart trying to get all my groceries at times I wouldn't even take the time to notice those around me because I was so caught up in getting what I needed and leaving. Just smiling and saying a friendly hello can make someones day. Yes, while I have known all of this and didn't always show in my actions I now know that making a friendly gesture just by saying hello can also make my day better. Jesus never walked with his head down passing by many people, he walked with his head up acknowledging everyone he passed by.
The two greatest commandments are mentioned in Mark 12. The first is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second commandment is to love you neighbor as yourself.
Moving back to last night (02/22), one thing we taught the girls when we had the bible study is that they can all make a difference. Everyone can make a difference no matter where they are. You don't have to be on a mission trip to show love and compassion to people, we can do it in everyday life at home. Go out and love like Jesus would, be the one that sticks out because it could be that people will notice and some will wonder, why is this person so joyful, and think I want what they have.
In conclusion, as many people on my squad would say GO LOVE! 🙂
