Hi! Hello Everyone!
I’m in Swaziland! Actually I’ve been here for a couple weeks… I just had another “this is my life” moment the other day. I realized all over again that I’m in Africa and on the World Race. I hope that never stops happening, not even when I get home.
Okay, let me catch you up: Team changes
We had a few days to rest between Lesotho and Swaziland during which all the teams were switched up. I’m the only one from my old team who’s on my new team. The last four months have been pretty intense and we all learned a ton. The cool thing about this change is we all get the opportunity to take responsibility for the things we’ve learned and carry them into our new teams. Also, I’m going to get to know five other girls really well. I’m especially excited about that part because I already know they’re super cool. One of them has an involuntary singing thing I’m really looking forward to in the months to come.
A little on Swaziland:
Swaziland’s HIV infection rate is about 28%. That’s the highest in the world. The average person here is making the equivalent of $1.25 per day and on average every working person is supporting seven others. The people are very friendly and personable despite their circumstances. All it takes is one question to start a conversation. The other day, four of us had a long conversation in the park that started with “Can we take a picture with you?”
Ministry this month:
My team is mostly spending time helping at various care points in and near the city of Manzini. These are places where children from the area go to get what may be their one meal of the day and discipleship. I volunteered for “maintenance”. Yesterday that meant driving all over the place to pick up and drop off firewood and boxes of food for the care points. There’s really no way of knowing what other adventures my job will include in the weeks to come. I came into this month with no expectations and I’m thoroughly enjoying myself.
Personal revelations:
I am not a victim of circumstance. I had a moment during debrief (aka our break in between countries) where I found myself standing in the middle of a huge mostly empty room during worship. I was annoyed. I didn’t like standing in that particular spot for a variety of reasons, but I didn’t feel like I could move for a few more reasons. Then I caught myself mid thought and I fought back.
What’s your problem?! Who told you your legs were broken? What made you decide this was such a terrible place to stand?! Oh…. So then what would happen if you made a conscious decision to stand right where you are? Oo00oohh…. So I decided to stand there. I decided not to blame anyone or anything for where I was. And this is what happened: I stood up straighter. I stopped thinking about what was happening around me. I remembered what I was doing there in the first place. I remembered that it wasn’t actually about me or the people around me, but about turning my focus back to God. I’m still actively learning this lesson, but I know the repercussions have the potential to be innumerable. I am not limited to going with the flow of things. I am not limited to what anyone else thinks about me or how they’ve treated me in the past. I am not doomed to repeat my mistakes. I am free.
