Hey all,
Just wanted to do a quick update since I’ve been in Swaziland for a week and half now. So far, everything has been amazing. At the homestead my team is in, we have hot water, a good old fashioned toilet, a kitchen, and beds… praise Jesus! The grocery store also has chips, cereal, fruit, vegetables, pasta, rice, and plenty of other food I’m used to, so life has been good. We started our ministry on Tuesday with working at the care points. Care points are essentially the equivalent of a boys and girls club in America. The children are beautiful and crazy. They sometimes test my patience, but mostly they just overwhelm me with love and joy. Each day seemed harder as there were more kids and I grew more tired, but working with these kids has taught me so much. In the midst of struggling with a language barrier, trying to teach the children right from wrong, and attempting to offer my love to so many kids, I started to wonder if I was making a difference, why I was here, and if it was worth it. At some point during the second day at my care point, I thought that I couldn’t take it anymore. Then the Spirit reminded me of something I had taught in a lesson to the older girls just one day before. The lesson said to share an example of how I overcome discouragement. I told the girls that when I became weary, I remembered that Jesus was with me and that he too endured this world’s hardships. So as I carried on, I smiled at those children as much as I could and I let them crawl all over me and twist my fingers as they held my hands because I knew Jesus was standing right there beside me. I could hear him telling me that if the only thing I do in Africa is touch one child or show one kid that he or she is loved and seen, then that is enough. To do my best to show the unrelenting love of Christ is more than enough. So even when I am weak, God is strong. When I am tired, Jesus is with me—his Spirit guiding me and breathing into me the power to do the Father’s will.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God- Romans 8:14
