Sep 26: We left Zimbabwe yesterday and got to Manzini, Swaziland about an hour ago. The people with parents coming (PVTers) broke off and went to their hostel and the rest of us came here to the Adventures in Mission house. We have this joke that we’re the orphans (no parents and no teams), so I guess that makes this the orphan house. It was absolutely downpouring tonight, which I didn’t think was usual for Swaziland, and it’s a bit chilly. It’s weird to think that I left while it was snowing in CO, and I’ll come back to snow, too. It’s late, so I’m gonna turn in.
Sep 28: I had no idea that Children’s Hope Chest and Adventures in Missions were partnered together here… I have some old friends from CSCS who are long-time supporters of CHC’s work in Swaziland. It’s such a small world. We also did some ATL (Ask the Lord) today. My group prayed for a bunch of boys who recently accepted Jesus as a CHC soccer tournament, and then we helped stuff CDs that they recorded with the children singing. They have a regular CD and a Christmas CD now.
Oct 1: Today was one of those days that reminds me of everything I’ll miss about the Race. A few of us listened to a podcast instead of going to church and then hung out and went and got Indian food. After lunch, I went and got a really cool skirt, and we’ve just been here at the house ever since. But tonight, we all got together and made Mexican food for dinner. We got these huge avocadoes (I like comparing them to shotputs) for like 70 cents and made an actual large tub full of guacamole, and made rice and beans and chicken for everyone. Sure, we’re on the Race and we haven’t had alone time in about 10 months, and sure community living is annoying and it’s a real struggle only having two backrooms for 22 people and there’s no introvert time whatsoever, but I’m really going to miss this. I love being around people who for sure love me and care for me and who I for sure love and care for. I often find myself praying for trust and faith to combat the fears of going home. And nights like this become so for me and for my heart. It’s so awesome to be with all of these beautiful people in this beautiful place and just be fully, completely in it, regardless of an expiration date.
Oct 3: We got to our care point in Nsoko yesterday, and let’s just say that this month will be pushing us outside of our comfort zones. We came up with a new game today: Lizard Punch. When you’re doing laundry behind the “cloth wall” and you see a lizard on the other side of the cloth/curtain/whatever that is, you punch the lizard and see how far out it’ll fly. We think the lizards like it, though, because they always run back up the cloth to where we punched them last time and wait for us to punch them again. I had some good talks with people today, which were really filling for my heart.
Oct 4: We went to our team’s care point today, but they were out of water so they couldn’t cook for the kids, and they don’t like making the kids hang around if they can’t feed them. The care point has about 180 kids, which is 100 more than most of the other care points, and they have zero money, which blows my mind: no money to paint, no money to fix the swings, no money to buy supplies, nothing. Being one of the biggest care points in Nsoko, I just automatically figured that they would get a decent amount of money (or at least enough money to provide for themselves), but I guess not. We came back earlier than all the other teams and watched The Bachelorette, which was fun. It’s such a blessing to be on a team where we all enjoy hanging out with each other “just because”.
Oct 6: I took a shower today! Small victories, right? Our shower is a hole in the ground that occasionally backs up with black sewer water from the kitchen, but if you straddle the corner of the shower, you manage not to fall into the puddle. I heated up water from the kettle in the kitchen to use, and although it was a bucket shower, it was a warm bucket shower, which I didn’t experience the entire time we were in Zimbabwe, so I consider it a win. It feels great to be clean!
Oct 11: As we were driving back from Manzini to Nsoko, yesterday I realized just how sick I was. I ended up staying home from church on Sunday just so I could try to get some rest. Our power and water also went out on Sunday night (either one or the other usually goes out for about a day every other day. I still hate being sick while I’m away from home; I’ve realized this year just how much it meant to have mom always put me up on the couch and feed me soup and popsicles and take care of me. I’m praying that I’ll start feeling better soon.
Oct 12: We went to the care point today, but there was no lesson, so the kids just ate and left. We have 39 days left on the field as of today, which is crazy, but I think I’m ok with it. Jesus is good, and I have full confidence that He’ll take care of me, even if (aka when) it doesn’t look or feel how I think it should. I’m still dealing with this gnarly cough, which is annoying, but I’m just thankful that my throat doesn’t hurt anymore. That’s about it for tonight.
Oct 16: We did some laundry today, and all in all, it took us about an hour and a half to do about half a load. I don’t think I’ll ever take washing machines for granted again. I took a shower after laundry, and I think I just perpetually stink. Hopefully none of this comes off as complaining; I genuinely don’t feel like I have anything to complain about these days; I eat three meals a day, I have clothes on my back, I’m surrounded by people who I love to death, and Jesus has been so incredibly sweet to me recently. The other things, like the mice and the showers and the lack of electricity, just make me smile… laugh even. This is so completely normal now, and this life is much more entertaining than any life I feel like I’ve lived before now. I’ve been really nostalgic lately; maybe it’s the impending return date, or maybe it’s just the quiet power-less afternoons that have left ample space for reflection.
Oct 17: We’re waiting with fingers crossed for the impending storm that’s going to hit soon. Today was insanely windy (to the point that it was hard to open our eyes on our walk home), and it’s been so hot lately, so we’re just praying that the rain settles some of this dirt. I’m not sure if you were ever in villages like this, but we’re in the land of red dirt, red dirt, and more red dirt. But in exciting news, we get to pass out TOMS to some of the kids at the care point! It’s been so cool to see big names like TOMS and Feed My Starving Children; when we’re in America and so far removed from what these organizations say they’re doing, I think it can be easy for us to either doubt that they’re actually doing what they say they will or be so far removed from the process that we forget there’s even another side to it all. It’s getting hard feeling like we’re not interacting with anyone who we can actually form relationships with. But hey, fulfilling this aspect of our spiritual responsibility is important and I’m so glad we get to be here loving on these little ones… we may be the only source of love and hugs they get in a day, which makes it more than worth it!
Oct 18: I was thinking about how weird it will be to see people again after a year and be in an environment that’s used to the “Hi, how are you, good, good” type thing. Here, when someone asks you how you are and you say “good,” they ask how you really are, and it usually results in discussing what’s really, truly on your heart. I love being in a community of people where you know you are truly, fully known and truly, fully loved, to know someone just by their voice or their laugh, and to be able to look around and know you’re with your best friends in the entire world. But now I’m just getting sappy. I’m gonna run back in and play some more cards with the girls.
Oct 19: We begin traveling back to America in ONE MONTH from today… absolutely insane! But even crazier than that is what happened at ministry today; THIRTY (30) CHILDREN AND TEENS accepted the Lord! I’m absolutely blown away! Our ministry host wanted us to give the kids at the care point one last word of encouragement since we leave them tomorrow, and Abby got up and presented the Gospel. Then, we asked anyone who may want to accept Jesus into their hearts to stay behind before they went and got their food and THIRTY kids stayed and accepted the Lord! My heart is literally so full right now. I can’t believe how good Jesus is, and how He continues time and time again to blow all our expectations of Him out of the water. What an incredible note to end our time in Swaziland on! Jesus is the freaking best.
