We were driving to the hostel and I am pretty sure all of our jaws were to the floor while we cruised down streets lined with beautiful gated houses. There were sooo many trees. Nelspruit, South Africa is very different than Nsoko, Swaziland. or any part of Swaziland actually (that we saw at least). When we got to the hostel I am pretty sure that every single one of us said, “How is this my life?” at least 10 times. This place is that cool. For the first time since I left the states almost a month ago I felt at home. I felt cozy and comfortable. I had a real bed to sleep in and running hot water to shower in. This hostel is nestled in an adorable community that makes you feel like you’re in your own little secluded part of jungle in South Africa. There are patios and community areas that are decorated to feel cozy like home but are opened up so you can see the mountains and life outside that clearly is not home. It’s almost surreal. It’s a place where people can just come and relax and almost be in awe with the fact that this life. They also have “wifi here that’s always free, but sometimes slow” (the hostel’s motto) and that alone is a huge blessing. While our squad takes up a lot of the beds in this little hostel there are still other travelers here that we get to interact with. My room is connected to a kitchen and common room that we share with a group of people from South Africa. Another building, houses a different group of South Africans who are on a break from their 11-week trip to Mozambique to finish up Bible College. Basically this place is a big ole melting pot of culture and life and instead of being overwhelming instead it feels welcoming.
The other night we were worshiping outside on one of the patios. We can get pretty loud sometimes; there are 50 of us who all love to sing even though we may not be the prettiest sounding. Anyways, during worship I started hearing unfamiliar, beautiful voices. I turned around and some of the South Africans we shared our kitchen with and nearly all the bible college students were standing among us worshiping with us. I couldn’t help but smile and be in awe of how freaking cool God is. Here we are, people who are normally thousands of miles apart, people who have very different cultures, people who have different first languages all together in the same place worshiping the same God.
How. Freaking. Legit.
So. I’ve decided that when I grow up I want to own a hostel and I want it to be a place where people can go and no matter how far from home they are, it feels like home. Because sometimes when your heart is broken or you feel drained or you just feel overwhelmed with life, home seems like the only thing that can bring comfort. I want to own a hostel where people who may live thousands of miles away from each other can come together and realize that really we are all pretty similar and whether you’re a Christian or Buddhist or Islamic or whatever religion its okay because in the end we are all just people who want to be loved in one way or another. I want it to be a place where people are brought together and God moves through the conversation and the relationships built leave lasting impacts. I want it to welcome people in like this one has and help people feel the comfort and happiness I’ve felt here despite all the craziness going on.
I guess I don’t have to be a hostel owner when I grow up. I mean a hostel would be pretty neat but I think when I grow up I just want to live a life that welcomes people in despite of beliefs and differences and helps people feel at home and comforted when life may not be necessarily homey or comforting. I want to live a life that goes against the usual and invites strangers in because thats how God works. He invites the strangers in, brings people together, loves them in ways that are more intricate and deep than we can even imagine. He is comfort and He is a home even when we think our home is thousands miles away.
