This past several weeks was the first time I have been immersed in a different culture. It has been challenging yet so rewarding to interact with the people here and serve the children at our CarePoint. During this time, I have been amazed at the similarities between the people here and the people in the States, but they also are very different. I was especially amazed with the children. I’m not sure what my expectation was, but they act so similarly to children back home. I’ve experienced their shenanigans, crying, stumbling over words, and running around laughing. They love being held, being swung around in circles, playing in the mud, playing games, and kicking around a soccer ball (which they are really good at, of course). They’re smart: most can speak English along with their native language, siSwati, and I met an 11-year-old boy who will finish high school in three years and wants to become a dentist. The adults are friendly and look out for each other. They know how to laugh and how to have fun. The whole community knows each other, and when they are driving around, they honk and wave at everybody, yelling and laughing out the window. It was also so cool to see how our faith united us across our cultural differences. Even though we spoke different languages, we were united as we sang out.
After interacting with the people here, especially their children, I have become incredibly pained to think that anyone could ever see people of different color as so different, let alone as less worthy. God made us all in the same image, and we all deserve the same respect and love from one another. We are all the same, yet so different in beautiful ways. I am so grateful to have met the Swazi people, and I know that I will always have more of an appreciation for people of different cultures after this trip.
Photos!
Travel!
Nsoko, Swaziland
Goats. They’re everywhere. And chickens.
Awesome Acacia tree.
Children lining up for their one meal a day at our CarePoint.
Lunch is ready!
Asleep.
We built this swing! The old ones had broken off the frame.
Lunch time for us.
Thanks for reading!
Luke
