With the holidays approaching, its safe to say most racers miss home a little more than usual. Christmas is right around the corner and I cant help but think of the winter Im missing at home. Sweating while I just sit to write this blog isnt what I typically think of as Christmas weather.
This year I know I wont have a white Christmas. I wont even dream of one (or dread itif you know me, you know I hate snow). Headlamps flashing white and red are the closest thing I will get to Christmas lights. And finding good Wi-Fi is the most exciting gift I can imagine.
But amidst all that is different this year, God sent me a little taste of home. On my second day of ministry in Swaziland, I rode out to a farm to harvest vegetables with some of my team and Smanga, a man on staff with AIM Swaziland. After wed filled the van with cabbage, corn, beets, and a slew of other vegetables, we headed out to deliver the goods to the care points we are serving this month. Adventures In Missions works with ten care points across one of the 55 chiefdoms in Swaziland. The vegetables we harvest help to feed the kids who rely on these care points for the only meals they may get each day.
Covered in mud because this typically drought stricken country experienced quite the downpour the night before, we prepared to leave the garden. Then it happenedwe got stuck.
I heard the wheels spinning and felt the van begin to fishtail. I couldnt help but exclaim that it felt like I was home, stuck in the snow, to which Smanga replied, This is Swazi snow!
As he maneuvered his way out of the mud and got us on our way again, I smiled to myself, feeling oddly comforted. On a day when I was seeking to be the hands and feet of Jesus, God ministered to my heart instead. He gave me a small reminder of home in a time that I was missing it the most.
It seems silly, especially given the fact that I hate to drive in the snow, but the dirt roads, turned muddy messes, make me feel a little more at home.
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Since that day, the dirt roads have held significance for my stay in Nsoko. They have led me to the simple life I craved when I left for the Race.
Theyve led me to days with spotty electricity and real community while were without access to Internet and our relationships outside of this place.
The dirt roads connect my team to the care points where we get to teach about who Jesus is and show them how much God loves them through our own open arms.
They take us to visit Gogos (grandmothers) who are sick or lonely or just in need of an encouraging word.
The dirt roads lead me back to the 19 women Im living with this month and our tiny palace at the end of each day.
They let me lose myself in thought on afternoon runs, where Im more likely to see a cow than a car.
And they give way to a life without all of the things that so often distract me.
The dirt roads are helping me to see just what is important; what is a necessary each day and the joy that comes from setting aside luxuries and living the simple life.
A life where the most important thing I take with me each morning is Jesus and the rest is just details.
