Sanibonani! (sah-nee-boh-nah-nee) Hello!
SWAZILAND
Welcome to one of the most beautiful places on earth! As I gaze out from the place we are staying, I see gorgeous, lush green mountains full of life and plants under the bluest sky I’ve ever seen. The beauty can’t be captured in a picture. Beautiful flowers abound everywhere all around me. Yesterday, at 5:30am as I watched the sun peak out from behind the mountains I could do nothing but sit in awe of God’s amazing creation.
Let me tell you a little about this beautiful country that the picture above doesn’t show. Swaziland currently has the Guiness World Record for the highest death rate by AIDS. AIDS is killing off the Swazi people faster than they can reproduce. Last year the population of Swaziland was 1.1 million and this year it is down to 900,000. One thing I’m realizing is that anyone can train and teach the Swazi people how to save themselves and ways to prevent AIDS, but only the Swazi’s can save the Swazi people. People don’t talk about the problem and usually attribute the sickness or death to symptoms the disease causes, and not to AIDS itself. Random facts about the country include that it is geographically placed on the east side of South Africa and is only 17,000 square km. They also drive on the left side of the road.
This first week in Swaziland we’ve had morning and evening meetings, some ministry opportunities in between, time to just spend with God, one-on-one debriefs, and team check-ins. The people here have been very nice and welcoming. Our hosts and speakers have been AMAZING!
Out of all the things we’ve done this week, spending time with God has captured my heart the most. The most important thing in life is my relationship with my Savior, my Creator, my lover. If that’s not right on, nothing else in my life is either. Spending time in the presence of the Lord has blown me away these past few days. My heart can’t help but cry out in joy to the God who created all this beauty, the God who pursues me, the God who loves me so much He doesn’t leave me where I’m at. He gives me opportunities to grow and is patient with me. The Holy Spirit works in me and shows me great things that I haven’t seen before. I’ve always asked the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” and I’ve struggled to know the answer, but as one of the speakers said, I AM God’s will for my life. I just live in Him every step of everyday and live for Him each moment and that is His will. The rest of the details will fall into place. Living in the presence of God is the best!
I’ve been camping out in Psalm 8 this whole past week:
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
2From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
“Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song…” ~Psalm 95:2
This next week each of our teams will be heading to different locations within Africa. Team Beloved One will be heading to Cape Town, South Africa for a few weeks, spending time praying, in solitude, building relationships, and helping those in need around us. I don’t know many details right now, but will post as we find out. Thank you for your prayers!
*Check out Caitlin’s blog for a story on an experience four of us had several days ago
