The following blog was written by my lovely mother, Beth Roberts. I asked her to do a guest blog on her experience during PVT and here it is!
On September 9, 2014 we said “Good Bye” to Sydney. She had decided to give 11 months of her life to helping the needy, sick, poor and unpreached of the world. I thought I knew what she might encounter and experience. But little did I know….
On April 30, 2015 her dad and I got to join her in Swaziland Africa. She had invited us to join her on a PVT (Parent Vision Trip). It took us 4 planes and 3 days to get there. And I couldn’t wait to see her. We were in a group of 23 parents and met up with their racers at Legends Backpackers Lodge in Manzini, Swaziland. It was a hostel in a beautiful setting. We got to spend 5 days with this exceptional group of I Squad parents and racers. And on these 5 days I figured out why it is called a “Vision” trip. On this trip we got to “see” what Sydney’s life has been like for the past 9 months. I use the term “see” loosely. Because, what we saw was only a glimpse of the life, worship, ministry, struggles and community she has been involved with. When we finally got to be with our racers we got to “see” that they were OK and how they were doing. We got to “see” how they slept in tents and hammocks. (Not the parents,we had our own room with cots).
On our first day of ministry we were taken to Thulwane. A care point in rural Manzini about an hour away from our hostel. At this particular care point they serve meals to approximately 100 children a day. Many whom walk several miles to get there. We were greeted by hugs, smiles and lots of questions. And, in turn, we hugged, smiled and had lots of questions. It was a GTKY (Get To Know You) kind of day. We played games, sang songs and opened our hearts to these beautiful children. We got to “see” how these racers share the light of Christ with others. I made several friends and was eager to come back the following days. On the way back to the hostel, I shared with Sydney “What a wonderful day it was, but it may not be a good idea to bring me back to Thulwane. If I come back I might have to bring several of these children home with me!” Sydney’s response was “Welcome to the race”!
On the days we went back, it was wonderful to continue building on the friendships we had made. I brought a little book and a pen with me to write down names so I would know how to pronounce them and wouldn’t forget them. They enjoyed writing it down themselves, along with what their name meant. I will treasure this book forever! One girl that I felt especially drawn to was Nomfunbo. Her name means knowledge. And she is a sharp one. She is 15 years old and wants to go to school to be a nurse or a doctor. She is beautiful, loving and very patient with my use of their language. Then there was Simphewe, and Nonhle, and Bonakele, and Neliswa (Sydney’s buddy), and Shlele (Guy’s buddy). These names and face are so clear in my mind and my heart.
One of the days at Thulwane was “Fun Day”! A bouncy castle was brought in along with jump ropes, soccer balls and volley balls. We were all served a dish called “chicken dust” for lunch. This was grilled chicken served over maize cakes with some kind of sauce on top. At the end of the day we handed out snacks and cupcakes. Before each meal they all gather to sing a few songs (one of the highlights of my whole trip) and say the Lord’s Prayer. It was incredible to “see” these children praising God.
During the course of the week we got to “see” how the racers worship. And how beautiful it was to sing “How Great Is Our God” in Africa, with my daughter’s squad, with only a guitar as accompaniment and harmony that blows the mind!!! We shared testimonies and prayed. We got to “see” God as he worked through all of us.
One story comes to mind. A member at Fork Chapel United Methodist sent with me a bag of pre-pasted toothbrushes. Thinking I might be able to hand them out to the children. But this is strictly forbidden. If you don’t have enough for everyone, you are not allowed to give out anything! I offered the toothbrushes to Sydney when we got there. She didn’t know what she would do with them. Well….One evening the rest of I squad joined us for a meal and worship. They had not planned on staying the night. Turned out that they did get to stay the night. Knowing that they didn’t bring toothbrushes, Sydney told me to pass them out to her squad mates. Just as I had passed out the last toothbrush another racer came up to me and asked if there was any more. I offered my apologies, showed her my bag, and lo and behold, there was one more toothbrush in the bag. I kind of freaked out and turned white. Sydney’s response was “Welcome to the race”!
Our last day at Thulwane brought the same hugs, smiles, friends, songs and games. Leaving was not fun. I felt like I hadn’t done enough. There was more to do. When we left, I left a piece of my heart there. The children ran behind the van for a while waving and smiling. We got to “see” how hard it is for these racers to give a part of themselves to these children and then have to tell them “Good Bye”.
On May 9, 2015 we arrived back home. 4 planes and 2 days later. With memories I will cherish a lifetime. I thought I knew what Sydney’s life has been like the last nine months. But now I have a “glimpse” of what she has seen, what she has done and what God can do with a willing and open heart!
