Update: A day in the life
I awake to the morning sunrise over the mountain in my outdoor bedroom consisting of my hammock and 5 of my friends in theirs as well. The children are already playing on the playground right outside at 6am, some peering in to see the Americans sleeping like some sort of zoo animal. They giggle and run around, women and children drawing water out of the water pump on the site of the Anchor Center to carry back home. The African heat is already apparent as I get up to make some tea in the team kitchen and absorb some quiet time before the day begins. 19 other women start to gather in the community room as they roll out of bed and the morning starts to fill up with life.
My team and 2 other teams are here in Nsoko, Swaziland which is about an hour and a half south east of the capitol, Manzini. We are in a very rural village, pretty much what the bush of Africa might look like to the commoner. Goats, donkeys, chickens, and pigs cross in front of our door early in the morning, along with the children that run past to get to the care-point here on site.
At 11:30 we walk to our care-point which is about a 15-minute walk off the main road. A care-point is a center set up by Adventures in Missions (the organization I am a part of with the World Race), that provides for children’s physical needs, as well as their spiritual needs. The kids age from 3-17 years old and come to get a meal consisting of rice and beans after school every day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays (the days we go), they also participate in a lesson about the Lord, along with songs and games. This week’s lesson was on the Father’s love for us. On Monday’s and Wednesday’s, we have alternative ministry where we do administrative work, teach preschool, or do manual labor.
As we approach our care-point, the toddlers who are there first run out to greet us with smiles bigger than I’ve ever seen. They laugh and reach up their arms, begging to be picked up. We greet the Gogos (grandmothers and other women) who volunteer at the site by cooking the food and caring for the children. They greet us back with “Sawubona!” (hello) and a handshake. The next 3-4 hours or so consist of chasing, tickling, cuddling, laughing, holding hands, and just smiling with the kids who are here. The come from a long day of school, and some will fall asleep or simply just want to be held. I’m convinced that the Lord has blessed them with the most beautiful smiles and teeth I’ve ever seen! They love us well, and in return just yearn to be loved.
At around 3:30-4, we walk back home where we relax until dinner. During this time, I read, paint, watch the beautiful sunset, and laugh with my teammates. Dinner is one giant family dinner, consisting of all 20 of us eating on the floor or the large room, talking and playing cards.
Our night ends with team time, where my team spends time talking about our days, what the Lord is teaching us, laughing or playing games, and simply just living in community together.
This life is slow at times, sometimes I wonder if we really are making a difference. Sometimes it feels like we do more waiting than actual ministry. But then I am reminded that it is not about all that we do. It is about who we ARE. We are human BEINGS, and not human DOINGs. Simply loving on people the best we can makes more of a difference than we will ever realize. The Father’s love moves in ways beyond our human capability. For we are simply vessels of his love, and we love because HE first loved US.
