So the biggest question I get when telling people I want to spend a month of summer in Swaziland is, “Why?” Frankly, it’s a good question. Why would I want to spend a month in a strange place? Why would I want to leave friends and family? Why would I go serve another country instead of doing an internship or having a job?
Well, the simple answer is because it is what Jesus did, and it is what He tells us what to do. Jesus challenged his disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Jesus challenges us as His followers to go to all nations and share the good news. However, if I am honest that isn’t my primary reason.
I say this isn’t my primary reason because every nation is under “all nations.” I think Jesus meant to go to the ends of the earth to share His love, and that includes our nation; however, I do feel lead to go to another nation at some point in my life for an extended period of time. I am not sure where God has called me to, but earlier this year I had a very vivid dream leading me to Africa. I am very excited to witness the culture and believe God to speak and to show up in and through my life.
I am expected to learn and grow to be made more like Jesus, but I also expect to impact peoples lives. I am expecting to be used to help the people we come in contact with. I want to love the people fearlessly just like Christ did for us.
My hope is that my time in Africa will help prepare me and give me an idea of what life would look like as a teaching missionary.
I’ve had the blessing of being on two other mission trips in my life. This past summer I was able to travel to Honduras, and I didn’t even realize how much it impacted me until later. It took me a long time to express how I felt, but this past month I wrote a song for a girl I met.
Daysi.
Daysi was a 14-year-old girl who was a student at the night school. She didn’t have the resources to go to school, so she came with the other girls staying at the orphanage twice a week to go to school. I had the blessing of tutoring her for two days. She was learning 1st-grade math. I later found out that Daysi had a one and a half-year-old son. I also found out her son was the product of her father raping her. It was a heartbreaking story and I felt like I couldn’t offer much because I was about to leave. But a couple days later we threw a party for all the students to say, “good job.” At the party, we set up a photo booth for the kids to take polaroids of themselves. They crowded around because they had never had a picture of themselves. Daysi brought her son to the party and we took a picture together. I still sometimes struggle with the idea of what I wish I would have told her. So in response to that, I wrote a song called Dear Daysi. This song motivates me to really share with the people around me how much value they have. The Why Behind the What is always and forever will be peple like Daysi.
Dear Daysi
It’s almost been a year since I met you.
And I think about if you still sit in that room
With a million girls and your boy surrounding you
And I think to myself what am I to do
But I know we only met for a day
And you probably don’t remember my name
But here’s a list of what I want to share with you
You have purpose; you have drive
You give joy, and you give life
You have changed my life for the better, yes it’s true.
You’re the reason I am here
Why I’ve chosen my career
It’s simply cause of who you are to me
All that means is you are being who you are meant to be
Daysi
Ever since that hot day
I think about what you do to play
Do you play with your son
Do you get a chance to run
There’s a million things I wish that we could do
But I know in my heart one day I will be with you
And I know we only met for a day
And you probably don’t remember my name
But here’s a list of what I want to share with you
You have purpose; you have drive
You give joy, and you give life
You have changed my life for the better, yes it’s true.
You’re the reason I am here
Why I’ve chosen my career
It’s simply cause of who you are to me
All that means is you are being who you are meant to be
Daysi
I wish I could take back all the hurt and lies
And I know it’s not fair how you are hurting inside
I’m really at a loss of words of what to do
All I know if my heart breaks when I think of you
So I’ll give my life to serve the lives of people just like you
I know we only met for a day
And you probably don’t remember my name
But here’s a list of what I want to share with you
You have purpose; you have drive
You give joy, and you give life
You have changed my life for the better, yes it’s true.
You’re the reason I am here
Why I’ve chosen my career
It’s simply cause of who you are to me
All that means is you are being who you are meant to be
Daysi
Sincerly, me
