Africa, a place where many people long to go their entire lives. They have many images and ideas in their minds of what it looks like, smells like and feels like. It’s something that people look at in National Geographic magazines and on T.V, but they never think they could actually be there one day. Well I was not one of these people. Don’t get me wrong, I always thought Africa was beautiful and admired it when I saw it in magazines and such, but I never thought to myself that it was somewhere I longed to be one day. Since the beginning of the Race Africa seemed to be so far into the future I didn’t really think much about it-as opposed to some of my teammates that couldn’t wait until we got here. Even in our travels here I never got this rush of excitement going into Africa. The first few days here were okay. There was nothing too spectacular, except that there was no denying how breathtakingly beautiful it is!
But then all my feelings changed in one moment. The day I went to the Hope House.
As I walked over to the Hope House with a few of my teammates I didn’t even know what it was. They explained to me that it was a clinic/housing place for people that are suffering from HIV and Aids. So we were going to do house visits to some of the patience there. I couldn’t help but think this was another time to go in and out of these peoples homes and pray for them in 2 minutes then leave with out making any sort of relationship, but I kept walking towards this place. Praying that God would change my attitude. The first home we came to there was this little body laying in a bed, and a girl my age sitting in a chair. We introduced ourselves, and the woman laying in the bed her name was Sapeiwea. The first thing she says to us with a huge smile, “Praise Jesus!” Then I felt a huge smile come across my face. This was just the beginning of how this woman has become the face of Swaziland, Africa for me.
Spiwe has three beautiful daughters—she had four but she passed away from HIV, and left behind a teenage daughter. There is also another girl that is there everyday that has grown up with the family. I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know all these amazing women. When we first started to visit her she wasn’t eating well and she couldn’t walk. For the first two days we prayed over her for healing, and now she is eating and walking just fine!!! PRAISE THE LORD!! I have gone back to the Hope House to visit Spiwe everyday. The first thing she wants us to do when we get there is pray and the last thing she wants us to do before we leave is pray. She sings songs and praises the Lord all day. Every time I see her she has her Bible in her hand. She always tells me how beautiful Jesus is to her, and that He is taking care of her. She says that He comes to her late at night and early in the morning—I believe that she does see Him. She says that she isn’t scared, and she knows Jesus loves her. She is sick and she knows it, but she has more joy in the Lord that anyone I have ever seen or met in my entire life. Her smile literally lights up a room, because you can see Jesus shine right through it. All she wants to do is talk about Jesus and praise Him all day. For me Sapeiwea is the face of hope and strength for Swaziland. She has risen up three beautiful daughters to know Christ, and has shown them how to have a growing relationship with Him, and to trust in Him when trials come. She has shown me that nothing is too big for God, and He takes care of us in our weaknesses. His joy is my strength. She represents God’s love, faithfulness, strength, joy, peace, healing power, and grace that He has for all of us.
