Traveling around the world is truly eye-opening. You are exposed to so many cultural differences and as our time in Swaziland is winding down I’m realizing this country is no exception.
Before I begin this story, if you’re reading don’t worry Mom, I am absolutely fine!! 😉
My teammate Sharon and I were coming back from a wonderful day spent with each other this past weekend having lunch in town and walking around enjoying the beautiful HOT African day. We were making our way up the dirt road back to the homestead where we are staying and a young gentleman happened to be walking along side us and got in discussion with Sharon. I was walking a little ahead and not paying much attention to conversation and lost in my own thoughts and focused on making it home and getting out of the heat!! Lol. All the sudden something brought me back to earth and I heard Sharon say “No, we marry for love and that’s how we do it back in America.” And instantly I think I knew what was going on. The conversation went on to something else and then we said goodbye to him.
I said “Sharon, what was that all about?” Come to find out, he was asking her how he could buy ME as his wife. Yes, unfortunately, you read correctly. This has happened more than once to various teammates of mine and it’s never done in a truly aggressive manner and we have never felt endangered or threatened. Just more taken back than anything as we are experiencing more and more layers of this culture every day.
I couldn’t even get mad, just very sad as I began to process and think about this more and more. You see, this is a cultural norm in this country. The King of Swaziland has multiple wives and many many children. Women in this country are not married for love but simply to give men children, specifically a son, to carry on the family name. If they have a daughter they leave them and their wife and move on to the next woman in hopes of getting a son, and the cycle continues. Men are learning and being taught that this is acceptable and okay, and it’s become a generational thing.
It’s simply not.
Like.At.All
Women are viewed as something to be bought and have little to no value here. The Bible says:
Proverbs 31:10
“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.”
This story is more about the women of Swazi than me. I will leave here and go to the next country, and eventually back to the states and it won’t even be a thing for me. But here, this is the reality for these women and of the mindset of the men. How it must grieve the heart of God.
It just brings about even more urgency to make a kingdom impact. You know the saying “Be the change you want to see in the world”….. I might not be able to solve all the world’s problems; but God has sent me out to be a beacon of hope in a fallen world.
This is just one example of the brokenness I’ve seen as I’m traveling. My prayer is that light will always shatter the darkness I experience while on the mission field. In each country, I always can see the move of God; but on the flip side of that I can ALWAYS see the needs and remain prayerful that greater things are yet to be done.
Would you be praying with me?
Much love to you all!
