In Swaziland, people have a typical greeting that they say to one another:
1: Sawubona.
2: Yebo.
1: Unjani?
2: Ngiyaphila.
In English:
1: Hello. (Literally: Do you see me?)
2: Yes.
1: How are you?
2: I am fine.
I love that greeting. It’s quick, but the realness of asking someone if they truly see you, and them replying ‘yes’ makes it great for me.
I’m not sure if there’s a word that I can use to accurately describe my first week in Swazi. It’s been good, weird, dirty, fun, and heart-warming all in one. I love it and I love the people here.
Here are some things I’ve learned during my first week here:
There are so many kids. So many sweet little kids that love to run with us, sit with us, and play with us.
The people here are so kind and welcoming – both the AIM staff and the locals.
Fifty-one people living in the same area = never a dull moment.
Making meals for fifty-one people = crazy, but good. God bless my squad mates that took charge of that.
Dust storms are kind of scary. And very loud.
Salt and sugar are BLESSINGS.
Some of the chairs here break really easily – and I just so happened to be sitting in one when it collapsed below me.
Digging trenches around a playground is a good time – even though the guys on my team, along with our care point shepherd, Lwazie, did most of the work. Props to them.
Church in Swaziland is so fun and so great and so real.
My Swazi friends have such beautiful singing voices.
Riding in the back of a small truck with ten other people is fun. Also dirty, painful, and not actually that fun.
While I’m here, I will never not have dirt caked to the tops and bottoms of my feet.
I love my team and my squad. They are so great, and worship with them is BOMB.
I’m able to see so many characteristics of God in the children and adults here, and that brings me so much joy. I love it.
So yeah, Nsoko has been great. It’s quickly become ‘home’ to me and my squad mates. While we are here, we are only doing two weeks of ministry, which is kind of sad, but it’ll be good. On the weekdays, each team goes to a different care point. My team has been digging trenches around the playground for the past two days. Soon, we are going to put tires in them to make a sort of boundary/fence. Besides that, we have been spending a lot of time playing and talking with all the kids that are at the care point. They are some of the cutest kids I’ve even met. Literally, if I could take them all with me when we leave, I would.
I’m excited for what the Lord has for my squad in the remaining time we have here. Whatever it is, I’m ready for it, and I know it will be so, so good.
Thanks for reading, friends. If you feel a pull on your heart to donate to my trip, please do. I’m not fully funded yet, so it would be such an incredible blessing if you would help me get there! Love you all. Thanks for being great.
Love,
Megan
