Welcome to AFRICA. I can successfully say that after a 16 hour plane ride to south africa and a 5 hour van ride across the border to the Kingdom of Swaziland, we are finally here! This blog post is going to consist mainly of the experience we’ve seen so far since it’s only been about 2 full days. The village we are staying at is called Timbutini and it is quintessential Africa. Women walk on the side of the road with baskets on their heads and babies on their backs, kids laughing as they pump water from the well as they walk home from school in their school uniforms. We were greeted at our homestead by the biggest , most perfect, red, African Sunset. Thank you Jesus! Best surprise ever. The land around us is sandy with cabana trees and cactus and rolling hills as far as your eyes can see. The village is spread out, with homes that have enough land for their goats and farming, etc. The homestead were staying at seems like a paradise to me. We sleep in a big, round hut with a straw roof. There’s chickens, goats, cows, and the skinniest looking dogs i’ve ever seen. Our bathrooms are “squatty potties”, which should speak for themself…no showers or running water anywhere. The homestead belongs to our contact Le-Lo and his wife, baby, and grandmother (which is called a “Go-Go” in Swaziland). They are so wonderful and helpful, even though Go-Go only speaks Saswati. But she loves to pray! Days here are most likely going to consist of working at the carepoints with the kids, homevisits, working at the hospital, etc. Yesterday was our first full day and was full of greatness! One of my teammates Emily, and I have been cooking breakfast in the bright morning sun. We woke up today and ran during the sunrise and it was absolutely stunning! People in the village wave and say hello as we run by- they get so excited! We went to the church which is where one of the carepoints is and the kids swarmed. they LOVED us and all they wanted was to be held, hugged, and spun. A lot of our days will consist of loving on these kids, many of whom probably have AIDS or are affected by the disease in some way. A few of the girls and I went on a prayer walk and passed an old Go-Go pushing an extremely heavy wheel-barrow full of water jugs back from the well. We decided to help her out and she was so sweet- she didn’t speak english but i’m pretty sure her smiles and laughter said enough. It’s crazy that 80 yr olds pushing water miles homes from the well is reality here. Culture here is so beautiful. Tradition is so important to these people and if nobody told me what decade we were in I’d have no idea. The air smells like fire and the stars light up the giant black sky like diamonds, and it reminds me of camping back home in Colorado, just with a different contellation. Our time here has been short so far and consists mainly of sights, sounds, and smells. Our ministry starts next week and I can’t wait to see how the Lord is going to stir our hearts and make his mark here. I’m so thankful to be on this beautiful continent. I can just tell that the Lord is going to make this place sparkle with His Grace. ROCK THIS KINGDOM JESUS! I can’t wait for this adventure He has started.
