Hi everyone!! I just wanted to share about the ministry we have been involved in while we have been in Nsoko, Swaziland. But I wanted to share using pictures, explaining the events that happened surrounding the picture, or the characteristics of the children we have the privilege of meeting.
The squad I have traveled to Swaziland consists of a little over 40 people. Out of that we have smaller groups that we call teams and they consist of 5-8 people per team. With that, we each go to a different carepoint here for ministry. A carepoint is a meeting place were kids go when they are done with school to be poured into and eat a free meal. My team specifically walks an hour to get to our carepoint. One day we started walking to our carepoint just as the kids were getting out of school. This ended up with me meeting these two boys. They held my hands as we talked about chickens wearing sunglasses and dancing in front of the tv. They even sweetly offered to give me a chicken if they are birthed while I am still around. Soooo if you see me with a chicken named Frank, you’ll know where I got it from!! 😉
This is Gracelyn, one of my beautiful teammates. The one who so intentionally walks in conversation with everyone she comes in contact with. This is her listening to Sindiswa. I loved this image of her just because it encompasses how deeply she cares about being in relationship with others. I may or may not have eavesdropped on a couple of her conversations… but it comes so natural to her! All month it has inspired me to ask questions and want to get to know others on a deeper level. I just wanted to share a sweet little piece of her.
This is our sweet girl, Anale. She’s such a precious preschooler here in Mahageni (the name of our carepoint). She has very limited english, but if you look at her, she’ll grin. If you ask her a question, she’ll grin. If you hold her hand, she’ll grin. She is a crowd favorite in our team. Just holding her feels like a privilege. When I was taking these pictures of her, she was straight modeling. Oooh she’s just one of those kids that one looks forward to seeing everyday.
This little girl is the most independent child I have ever come across. She can pull herself up onto the playground equipment, which doesn’t seem like a big deal… but the first step is literally taller than she is. She takes herself to the bathroom, she gets water from the well with ease, and she put herself to sleep without throwing a tantrum. She doesn’t speak a lick of english, but she also admires being held… something I enjoy very much in following through with.
This is the well at Mahageni. Excellent for a cold dunk on a bright, sunny day, an excellent conversation spot, or a place you could be pumping for half an hour so all the kids can wash their hands, get a sip of water, and fill multiple jugs. Honestly when we got there, I did not think there was going to be a well. Not only does water flow from it… but it ABUNDANTLY flows from it.
The boy on the right, his name is Sibonkhosi and has a special place in my heart… really all of our hearts. He is so genuine and kind. He made us all friendship bracelets that match his necklace and we wear them with pride. His friend is also so very sweet. The bois have been teaching us to dance and pose for EVERY picture, like in this picture haha!
This is my dear friend Lauren and her girl, Ivy. The friendship that bonded these two together, brought the whole team in celebration of another daughter in Christ to share community with. She the most genuine soul I have ever met. She greets us by name every time she sees us followed by the biggest hug. This day was the “last” day we would see her before she left to South Africa for boarding school. Little did she know, we were planning a little surprise going away party the next day. Tears filled her eyes as we greeted her. She was overwhelmed with the thought of anyone throwing her a party… she had never been surprised that that before. Her spunkiness kept days alive and her sweet words from the Lord filled our souls. We miss her lots… but are hoping she comes and visits home so we can see her!! The Lord really blessed us with getting to know her.
Okay and this is my girl, my sweet sweet Sinokwethu. From the first day of ministry we were inseparable. We spend hours together playing touch (the African name for tag), making our laps from sitting by the classroom, going to the well, then the playground and back to sitting, and drawing in the dirt. She fills my love bucket everyday as she opens up more and more to me. As I sit and wait for her to come to the carepoint, twiddling my thumbs, I look up and there she is running toward me with the biggest smile on her face.
Then this day, changed my view. Sinokwethu came to the carepoint one day, not in uniform and without shoes. As we were making our rounds, I could tell she was limping. She had a splinter in her foot… deep. She picked a sharp needle from the closest Acadia tree and started to dig at it, hoping to get it out. Our Shepard, the woman who takes care of the kids, even tried to help. Once it started to bleed… it was lost. I decided to carry her from place to place, just to ease the pain. She was the lightest 6 year old I have ever carried.
This then led to a string of thoughts.
She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She didn’t have shoes. When she ate, I have never seen someone put down that much food. The whites of her eyes were yellow, when I asked Chloe (the one who could 100% become a Cardio Thorasic Surgeon… you know medical stuff) and she told me it was because she was malnourished. Then on top of that, our Shepard, Bongiwe, tells me that her mother passed and her dad wasn’t around… she was living with her grandmother.
I couldn’t speak… my heart was in deep sorrow.
She only had a roof over her head.
But just as I was sitting in this brokenness, I heard something sweet and pure. The laughter from Sinokwethu filled the whole carepoint.
The Lord brings joy. The Lord brings joy in every season. This girl has EVERY right to not smile, to not laugh, but that is not at all who she is. The Lord beams through her, she envelopes joy. The Lord is using Sinokwethu, a 6 year old, to teach me to not blame my circumstance. To love the Lord and to walk in the fruit He gives. Dang Lord, thank you!!!!
I just wanted to share a piece of what we are doing here. It has been an honor to love on these kids. The Lord brings me to thanksgiving in each moment every day. I can’t help but praise Him with every child I get to hold, every game I get to play, and every dance move I get to learn.
Thank you for reading and looking through these pictures of kiddos and thoughts. AND thank you all for supporting me in getting me here. I am truly grateful.
Blessings,
Lillian 🙂
