(PS: I wrote this blog on Septemer 14th but am posting it now because no wifi here in Swazi- check my next post for another update (: )
Insight to our travel days to Swazi:
Monday: We hopped on a bus in Atlanta at 5 A.M. Drove 13 hours to Virginia. Shuttles to our hotel over the span of 2 hours
Tuesday: Woke up, took shuttles to the airport Boarded a 12 and a half hour flight to Qatar at 8:30 PM
Wednesday: Landed in Qatar Our airplane provided a hotel for us because of our long layover Got to tour the market and see some of the city Went back to the airport, boarded a 8 hour flight to Johannesburg
Thursday: Landed in Johannesburg South Africa Hopped in vans for a 3 hour drive to the border Crossed the border to Swaziland Drove 2 hours to our home for the next few weeks!
The past 4 days have been spent in 4 different countries. We’ve been on busses and flights and more busses and more flights. I’m loving it. New cities are fun, having a 10 hour layover in a country you’ve never been too in the Middle East is fun. Learning about my team and the people on my squad is really sweet. We haven’t even arrived at where we are supposed to be, but I’m already learning a lot. I’m learning to always be flexible and accept changes as quickly as they come (they always come). I’m learning to be bold, always. I’m tangibly learning that ministry is everywhere.
Before we started our days of travel, we spent a a few days in Atlanta preparing with training and sessions. I was walking back to my hotel room after a training session and I came across a Pizza Hut delivery woman. She was super confused and getting frustrated about where the room was that she was delivering pizza too. I offered to carry the pizzas for her and help her find the room, even though I didn’t really have a clue where I was either. I started asking questions and she started to tell me about her life. She told me how she lives with her best friend and her best friends sister. She told me how although she doesn’t have kids of her own, she helps take care of the 6 kids that she lives with. She works long hours just to provide for children that aren’t even hers.
After we finally delivered the pizzas, she tried to tip me a ten dollar bill. I told her no way. I explained how I was about to embark on a mission trip to serve people and that I wanted to serve her too. She was in shock that I didn’t take the money, and was incredibly grateful. To me this was just a easy act of 10 minutes of my time and a little kindness, but to her it meant the world. She let me pray for her and her family. I prayed for the Lord to provide financially for her and that she can bring joy with the pizzas she delivers.
Loving people doesn’t have to be overseas. It can be right in front of you. I haven’t even left Atlanta and I’m already experiencing that.
(Ps: mom, fam, and sweet friends who are probably worried why I haven’t called- I’m just getting wifi for the first time, calling and blogging more soon!)
