Swaziland life: This is AFRICA

Hi friends!

I just wanted to update you on how I’m doing on this practicum side of G42.

Sorry I’ve been MIA for the past month! It has been a little hectic with limited time or access to WiFi.

So, at the end of May, I packed up and left Spain, missing the last week of graduation festivities with our senior class. A group of 5 of us from G42 flew to Georgia at the AIM base. We had leader training for our Semester trips and then a mini training camp with our Semester racers. We were in Gainesville, GA for a week. The Semesters mission trips are for college-age students and are 1-3 months in length. I’m leading a one month trip with a group of 7 racers in Swaziland. My group is smaller so we bonded really quickly and even came in second place in a dance off. My team is awesome!! I’m not prejudiced; it’s fine 🙂

So, we took 3 days to travel to Africa. I was supposed to go with my team but wasn’t able to get on the same flight itinerary so they flew solo and some of them had never been out of the country! They rocked it and beat me to the African airport, just barely. We eventually met up with the other Swazi team and traveled together to Swaziland from the South African airport. It was neat because one of my senior girls from G42 flew in to the airport and I got to reunite with her and her host and the other Semesters leader so we had 4 generations of G42 members in one airport! So much love and joy!

We’re staying on a homestead (piece of land with chickens, goats, cows, and dogs) in a little house with bunk beds, a kitchen, living room, bathroom with western toilet, running drinkable water, and electricity. We have a stove you light with matches and a toaster oven and we make our own meals. So, honestly, we have it pretty good. Hand washing our clothes and sharing a bath with mildly warm-cold water among 8 people but all in all, such an amazing living situation. And very safe with a gate that they lock religiously.

So, for the first 3 days, we did life coach sports ministry training and became friends with some Swazis who were in the training with us and it was a blast. We learned the heart behind their sports ministry and some games and soccer drills. We even played a soccer game and boy, am I out of shape! Their vision is to build relationships with children through soccer and then be able to speak into their lives, encourage them, and share Jesus’ love with them. Soccer is the sport over here and provides access into their lives that they normally wouldn’t grant to strangers. It’s brilliant, really.

The second week, we split into pairs and started working at 4 different care points in the area. Care points are centers located in various villages where preschool-aged children attend all day and have class with a teacher for half the day and then play games and run around for the rest of the day. The children get fed 2 nutritious meals throughout the day.  The school-aged kids come in the afternoon for a couple hours, get fed a nutritious meal, and play games, do activities, and soccer drills. The services, meals, daycare, and teaching is free. There are teachers, cooks that prepare the food all day, and a Shepherd over the care point. The preschool children wouldn’t have access to school otherwise. And many of the kids wouldn’t get enough meals at home. The staff try to pour into and encourage the children as their home lives are usually not the best.

We help the teachers in class, play with and love on the kids, and lead activities and games in the afternoon. It’s overwhelming and exhausting at times but such a privilege to be able to love these children for the time we have with them. A lot of them are starving for attention and affection and someone to believe in them. They are constantly fighting for our attention, to hold our hand, or touch us. So, I’m learning patience when I feel like I’m being smothered or they don’t listen when I correct them. They know little English so there’s a language barrier. But, I’m reminded how many other ways one can communicate such as with a smile, your tone of voice, or a warm embrace.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m making any difference but I know God has us here for a reason and I’m learning as much from the children and my team as they are from me. This month is stretching me in ways I don’t even fully grasp yet. I’m learning patience, perseverance, boldness, flexibility, and love. It’s a joy to lead my team and they get along well and are growing so much. They give me life and we truly are a family. It seems like we’ve known each other a lot longer than 2.5 weeks and I’m so grateful for each one of them! They are so fun, wise, bold, and kind. Honestly, I was so nervous to lead a team by myself but I love it and am already mourning the end of their trip. My team is a GIFT truly and the Lord is so faithful. Love y’all!