“Sawubona” in Siswati is a greeting like our “hello.” When someone tells you “sawubona,” you respond with “yebo,” which means yes. I was confused by this at first, because I didn’t understand why someone would respond to hello with yes. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that I realized the reason for this is that their “hello” is really not a hello at all. It’s a question. And the direct translation of the word Sawubona is actually “Do you see me?”
Do you see me.
A question we all long for a “yebo” to in response, whether we realize it or not. What I have seen here, more than hunger or poverty, more than disease, is a people who are longing to be seen, known, and loved.
I think we often look at third world countries, places like Nsoko, Swaziland, and we only see the tangible needs. We try to feed the hungry or cure the sickness. And these are all great things- after all, Swaziland has the highest percentage of HIV in the continent of Africa. I don’t want you to think I’m saying we shouldn’t help in tangible ways, because I 100% believe we should.
But we must not overlook the needs that can’t be met by a donation or a sponsorship. Of course, feeding people and helping provide the things they need should be a natural way our love overflows from us. But we must remember that there’s more than food and clothes and health in this life- there is a need for hope. People just need a friend. People need to know that they are being sought after and that they matter.
Some days at the Care Point, ministry would feel mundane and I found myself wondering if I really flew to Africa just to play with little kids all day. Then it hit me- even if all I do is play with kids the whole time I’m here, it is so beyond worth it. Children you’ve never met cling to you and don’t want to be let go, begging for the attention and affection they aren’t receiving at home. Even as little ones, that desire is so heavily engrained in our souls. I get to befriend these amazing kids who know that I flew around the world and raised a bunch of money just to hang out with them. Just to love on them and make them feel special. Just to be their friend and have a relationship with them. I get to look like Jesus in the conversations I have with them and the laughter we share. I get to be a part of their journey in finding the love of Christ, which won’t just change their earthy lives, but will change eternity for them. By being a friend and loving them, I do more than feeding them for a day or putting a shirt on their back. And I think when the day comes that they meet Jesus, they’ll be much more thankful for that love than any amount of food they received.
I never see any statistics on how many people are desperately longing to be known and loved, but I think it’s pretty significant when even your hello is a matter of being seen. Sometimes we don’t realize that we are longing for those things because we’ve spent so much time filling ourselves up with business, food, or any worldly comfort that can satisfy us for a short while. In reality, we are just as hungry as those in poverty. And that longing can only be filled by true and pure love; God’s love.
Things that are tangible aren’t always a Kingdom priority. Matters of the heart are what Jesus stressed most during his ministry. And he sure knew what he was talking about. Before God ever told us to give to the poor or heal the sick, he desired that we would love one another. This, I believe, is our ultimate calling as followers of Christ. Sometimes people need friends more than they need food. I encourage us all to love first and let everything else we do be a natural response of that.
So I want to leave you with two things:
Do you know that you are seen, known, and loved? And how can you be intentional to do more to make others answer YEBO to that question?
