Hey everybody,
So last time I talked about how I was loving talking in front of all the kids on Thursdays. Well this week is a little bit of a different story.
On Mondays and Thursdays I go to a primary school in Manzini. It is one of the nicest private schools in all of Swazi. Walking into that school often feels like walking into a different world. The children in this school come from well of families. One day they will be the leaders of Swaziland. It’s kind of funny when I sit and think about it. The kids in this school learn 4 languages, take ballroom class, and many speak English better than me. These children are the pride of Swazi, and I get to teach them. On Mondays I work with Grade 2 and Grade 4, but on Fridays I get the big boys. I teach a Life Skills class to the Grade 7 boys.
I t is here that the contrast to the world around me becomes so apparent. I was teaching a lesson on respecting others when I got the usual, ‘Well teecha what if this…. or what if that’. I was ready for that. That’s what seventh graders do. But I wasn’t ready for what came out.
‘Teacher what if I was in a time of desperation?’
‘Well, give me an example’
‘ Well teecha, one time my mother wouldn’t buy me a new sim card, so I stole money out of her purse.’
Yup… that’s my boys definition of desperation. There were at least 3 more examples just like this one. It was hilarious at the time, but it’s also sad that these kids have no concept of what’s going on right next to them. I go to the care points and see kids the exact same age as these boys that have no shoes, and get one guaranteed meal a day. My boys are in ‘desperation’ after a day without their sim card. I was really discouraged at first. But the more I think about it, the more I see what an opportunity I have to impact these guys. Maybe I can beat some awareness and compassion into them.
Story 2
Okay, so this is a much better story. I go to the hospital on Thursdays. Usually I like to spend my time in the men’s ward praying over guys and talking with them. But this time there weren’t as many men as usual, so I ended up in the children’s ward. I don’t usually like the children’s ward as much, which I wouldn’t have expected before going. But when I go in there, all of the kids have family members with them and they just stare at you. It’s kinda awkward; or at least I make it awkward. But anyway, i was in the children’s ward just standing in the middle of the room, bible in hand, with 20ish people staring at me. That’s pretty much the definition of awkward.
So I went into quick pray mode and was like, ‘DEAR GOD, save me from this stupid awkwardness. Give me direction now.’ Bam. I took a left turn down the rows and there he was, standing in the middle of the isle. A little boy was just standing there, staring at me. I started to walk toward him and he pointed at me and smiled. Kinda creepy when I think about it. So I walked over to him. His name was something in the range of Sonenkhile. He was around 5ish and was there with his Mother and 1 year old brother who was in the hospital with TB. When he brought me to his mom I saw how worn out she was. Sonen would wear anyone out.
So it was really amazing because, not only did I get to pray for his lil bro Asandi and their family, but I also got to bring Sonen out into the play area for about an hour and a half. I felt like I was actually of some use. That was an hour and a half that his mother had off to rest. It was just an awesome example of how when I go straight to God with any circumstance, He answers.
‘Life is beautiful. We don’t need to understand.’ – Vega4
I love you guys -Niya Gutansa
