This one month in Swaziland, the men of C Squad came together for the month to have one of the manliest of MANistry months ever known since the beginning of MANistry.
This one time in Swaziland, we lived on top of a mountain surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscape that I’ve ever seen and were witness to incredible sunsets over the mountains every single evening.
Every Sunday in Swaziland, we had the privilege of listening to the El Shaddai Girls Choir, made up of girls seventh grade and below. It was like listening to a choir of angels singing each Sunday.
This one time in Swaziland, we harvested an entire field of corn by hand, picking and shucking it so that it could all be ground into maize.
This month in Swaziland and saw and learned firsthand what it looks like to live a life in abundance and not to live a life driven by poverty.
This one time in Swaziland, we all got a huge dose of reality and understanding that life can end in the blink of an eye. Three of my squadmates were hit by a drunk driver when they were returning from a trip into town. They were all okay minus some cuts and bruises, however the driver of the other vehicle did not survive the crash. Angels were watching over my friends that day.
Each day in Swaziland we spent time with some of the most joy, dream, and spirit filled youth I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life. After our last night together in chapel, we were later told that many of them spent the night in bed crying because we were leaving. That was hard to do.
One day in Swaziland, we played arsonist and firefighter all at the same time, burning dry and dead plants around the house because the area was entering a time when wildfires were at their worst. We might have had a moment when we thought we were not in control of the fire, but in the end, we only burned what we planned on burning.
A few times in Swaziland, we played some epic games of volleyball with the local teachers at the school just outside of El Shaddai Ministries. Swaziland would take a few games and America would win a few. At the end of the day it just made for good memories.
This one time in Swaziland, our contact Charmain decided that all of the men needed to take a trip to Kruger Park to see the animals. Lots of giraffes, rhinos, elephants, water buffalo, baboons, and so many other things.
One time in Swaziland, Toms Shoes came to the school to give each student a brand new pair of Toms Shoes. They have thicker soles for more walking and could be used as part of their uniform. From now on, each child will receive another pair every 6 months until they reach the age of 18. It was pretty awesome to be a part of one of these types of events.
This month in Swaziland, I became friends with a wonderful 6th grader named Ruthie. She became one of my best friends at El Shaddai, is incredibly smart, and always managed to bring a smile to my face. On my last day at ESM, I recieved a note from thanking me for visiting, for playing games, hanging out, and asking God to just watch over me as I continue on with the rest of my trip. She also spelled my name as "Same," but it was one of the sweetest things I've ever received.
This one time, the Men of C Squad decided to build a new gate and pillars for our contact from scratch. With only three days left of ministry, we concreted and dug and hammered and drilled and pick axed and did other manly things and by golly we got that new gate completed on our final day.
Everyday in Swaziland we ended up having to chase a herd of cows out of the cornfields. That got old after awhile and one of the reasons why we built said above gate.
This month in Swaziland included waterproofing roofs, moving bricks, building gateways, scrapping paint, havesting fields of corn by hand, creating fire breaks, loving on children, and so much more. Probably my favorite month to date.
This one time in Swaziland, Ben, Michael, and myself climbed up to the top of the highest mountain in the area to catch the sunset and pray over Swaziland. Witch doctors in the area go up to these peaks and working to claim land for whatever deity they worship, so it was decided that we needed to do the same in the name of Jesus, pray for the people, the land, and ESM. It was one of my most memorable experiences from Swaziland. Once we were down, we climbed down the mountain in the dark. I only rolled each ankle once. Maybe not the smartest thing.
This one time in Swaziland, during our debrief I went out on a zip line course back and forth across this beautiful canyon.
This one time in Swaziland, Team Monarch received 2 new teammates by the names of Katie and Stephanie. They will join us for our month in Cape Town South Africa because they are interested in doing the Race in the future, but aren't quite old enough for it yet. We are thrilled to have some new friends with us and are going into what will be an incredible month working with the youth of Cape Town. Stories and updates from Cape Town to follow soon!
God Bless!
