Wow. How convicted I feel this morning. As I asked for people to give, I told them they would be a part of my Kingdom journey. They faithfully lived up to their end of the deal, but i failed to live up to mine. For that, I apologize. I apologize to every person that has financially donated and all who have prayed for me. I will keep y’all in the loop more!
Blogging is a lot more difficult than I anticipated. I read others blogs/stories and I find myself playing the comparison game and deem my stories unworthy to be heard.
Month two we were in Nsoko, Swaziland! (https://youtu.be/i1sZsVl3A5E check out this video!)
In Swaziland we played a lot of soccer! We went to care points, which are located all over Swazi and they feed the children and get discipled. Some times the meals the children eat are the only meal they eat each day. Our time at the care point was spent helping the teacher (our specific care point had a pre school), singing songs, teaching Bible stories, cooking with the gogos (the women who cooked the meals each day), playing outside, and holding lots of little ones! In the afternoon the older kids would get out of school and we would serve them the food! Other ministries included doing work around the site we were staying at (moving bricks, moving dirt, etc.) and also we did ATL’s. ATL means ask the Lord. On these days we would ask the Lord what He wanted us to do that day.
One day while we were doing an ATL we met a girl named B* (I changed her name for privacy) at the taxi stop. We had waited for about 50 minutes and as she walked up we knew she was who we were suppose to pray for. She told us she was sick and headed to the doctor. We asked the Lord to heal B’s sore throat.. As we got on the taxi I had the chance to get to know B and her story. She lived only a short walk from where we were staying. Throughout the month I got to know B more and got to spend time with her almost every day before dinner. The last Sunday before we left B told me some things she had been struggling with. She told me that she had been praying for a friend that she could confide in and the Lord gave her me. I was able to point her to the Lord and I got the opportunity to speak life and truth into her situation.
Although B wasn’t healed that day the Lord had something better in store. Some times we don’t understand God’s ways, and I was confused why He would lead us to pray for her if He wasn’t planning on healing her, but I now realize He had a different, but still good, plan for this day!
Two Saturdays we had a soccer tournament! It was so fun getting to pour into and hang out with the older guys from our care point. These days were fun getting to watch them do what they love! One of my favorite guys name is Sumkgala. He only got to play in one game because he hurt his foot. (most of them don’t wear shoes while they are playing soccer.) When I met him his foot was so swollen his shoe barely fit. He didn’t complain much, but my heart broke knowing he had to walk home (a mile and a half) with a hurt foot. He was so full of joy and love. After praying for his foot and sending him on his way I could not shake the uneasy feeling I had. It wasn’t until the next Thursday that he came to the care point and I found out his food was 100 percent better! Sometimes I worry myself sick about situations I cant control or do anything, but I am learning to trust the Lord. There is no way his foot was not seriously hurt (I don’t want to say broken because Im no doctor) that day at the tournament, and every part of me believes the Lord healed his foot!!
Swaziland was a month for personal growth for me. Although I went on the World Race to help people, these people are helping me. I am learning as we intentionally seek the Lord everyday, everything, every breath is about him and his kingdom. Ministry is everywhere. Ministry is a way of life. I am thankful for Swaziland and all of its challenges. I am thankful for growth and personal victories. I am thankful for the uncomfortableness of Swaziland because I was able to lean into the Lord more.
Love you guys!
Thanks for loving a supporting me. Each one of y’all is appreciated.
ps. I know some people are curious about the living conditions and such so here in the run down on Swaziland. 21 of us slept on a church floor, on our sleeping pads (which mine got a hole in it, but God is good because in South Africa there is a store that has a sleeping pad), we used bucket showers, and African long drops (a big hole with a toilet over it) for our restrooms. We ate 1 hard boiled egg, a banana, and oatmeal for breakfast. Luckily I got to eat my squad mate’s egg every morning and she ate my oatmeal (I don’t eat oatmeal…yet). For lunch we had PB&J, chips, and an apple. Dinner we ate a well balanced meal. Although the physical conditions seem hard, it is so worth it.
