WEEK 1 in Swazi
10/8
FIRST DAY OF MINISTRY!
Today was our first day at our care point. At first when we got there it was just a couple babies and the gogo(a grandmother from the community that cooks the food and helps look after the children at the care point) and shepherd(the person in charge of the care point and in change of caring for the children while they are at the care point) but then around lunch the handful of preschoolers came. They didn’t speak english but there were 2 girls who definitely understood some but they just didn’t speak back to us. When they had lunch we went and ate our food in the closet. We played different things with them like hopscotch and drawing in the dirt and dancing. Around 2-3 the older kids finished school and came running around the corner. Most of them could understand and speak some english. We started out in a big circle just running in and out then we broke up into smaller groups. My group played a icecream game, teddy bear, and duck duck goose. Then it was time for them to eat so me, Meridyth and Megan were serving them. The “rice” is just in a giant pot and it is supper sticky and would stick to the spoon and to scoop it you had to bend into the pot once it got down towards the bottom. After we finished giving them all food(150+ kids) we had to leave because it was already past 3:30.
10/9
Today was such a great day! I stared the day under my favorite tree doing my quiet time. I am reading through Isaiah right now and two things that jumped out to me was ‘lean on the lord’ and ‘the lord is your strength.’ When we start the day at our care point we do a little devotional time. So today I gave it just about what i read this morning. Then we went and did house visits. I did not talk at any(4) of them but it was still such a great time. The kids were so great today and it was such a great time the morning was so peaceful and once the older kids got there it was so filled with joy but i still had so much peace. Once we got on the bus we also had a great time singing and dancing. We danced to swazi music and our driver taught us the dance to one song and when we got to the others teams place to pick them up to we all got out and did the dance for them. The drive took us like an extra 30 minutes to get to the other team cause we were all dancing and driving so slow.
10/10
Today was Friday so our last day of ministry for the week. We tended the garden at the care point for the first half of the day, we pulled a whole bunch of weeds. Then we went and ate our lunch then played with the little kids for a little bit before all the big kids got there. Today the kids braided my hair, there was like a whole circle around me braiding my hair but I only ended up with one braid because the rest of the kids all took their braids out. Today the kids were all really interested in how white I was and where turning my arms to the inside. They were saying my arms were so fresh. The kids sang songs today before they could get there food and the last one was in english it was something like ‘on your mark, get set, are you ready for jerusalem?’ Then we gave all the kids their food and left. We also left an hour early today because the kids get off early from school on Fridays. wWhen driving back to pick up the other group of girls from their care point we stopped at a stand on the side of the road and one of the guys that drives us got us ice pops, so basically popsicles but in a bag. They were so good. Then we picked up the other group and came back to base. I did my laundry, then we had team time then dinner, then we just hung out for a little, then i took a shower, and we hung out a little more before heading to bed. but yeah that was a wrap on ministry for the week.
10/11
Today was our adventure day so we went and ate lunch at a safari restaurant. Just us girls not the leaders. All 21 of us had to fit into one van which had 15 seats so some people were sitting on laps and on the floor. And it was really hot today so all of us were already sweating and now we were like sitting on top of each other. Me and Carlee split some fries and chicken strips and they were really yummy. Also I moved my bed from a top bunk in the front of the room to a floor bed in the back by Carlee. it was a really fun chill day.
WEEK 2
10/12
It was sabbath today and I literally slept the whole day and it was so nice and I did not know I needed it before but then after I realized just how tired I had been from the week and our 60 hours of travel to Swazi.
10/13
Today was ATL(ask the Lord) day so we started the day with a devotional with all the staff and shepherds and everyone then we stayed at the base the whole rest of the day beside the leaders and the couple girls who went shopping for groceries. We had a time of like a prayer wall type thing and we all did like different little drawings and verses and stuff. We also had one on ones with different girls so mine was with Caroline and it was so good and fun to be able to talk to her. It was a day filled with community but also so much rest. It was kind of like a sabbath together.
10/14
I started my day with my quiet time under the tree as normal and a whole bunch of cows came and were on the other side of the fence and two big black bulls came up and were standing right at the fence and staring at me so I moved back to sit against the building instead. Then when I finished my quiet time I took a walk around base as normal and I could hear a whole bunch of kids screaming in the distance and God was just reminding me to have peace even in the chaos. My team made breakfast this morning, we made oatmeal and I cut up a whole bunch of apples. At our care point we had a student shepherd with us today and she is 19 and so sweet and fun, I love her. We did 3 house visits this morning then we went to the garden and picked a whole bunch of lettuce and kale and washed it all. We ate lunch in our closet, peanut butter and jelly sandwichs and a orange and some nik naks(basically like cheetos). Then we went and just held the little kids and played with them then the big kids got there and we played a game where we got a partner and sang a little song that was something like ‘i love you you love me this is how it is meant to be’ then we danced around and did it again. Then we dished up for the kids, me and Meridyth(Mer) scooped the food together so it went pretty fast. Then me and Mer helped wash the pot. and we did a little model walk with the student shepherd. We had a little dance party in the van like normal. Today was a very tiring and good day. I took a cool shower right when we got back and it was so nice. We had taco bowls for dinner and they were so yummy. I got to talk with Zoey and Caroline as Zoey did her laundry and I loved it and it was really sweet. then we had team time which is always good. And now I am in bed and going to be so yeah good night!
10/15
Today was a really chill slow day. We were for some reason all really tired today. We cut all the kale and spinach and cooked it with onions from the garden and oil. We tried it after and it was honestly pretty good. That’s all we really did in the morning. When the kids got there we had a bible lesson from Luke 11 about being the light. And we taught the kids this little light of mine. Then Liv played praise on her speaker and all the kids and us were dancing and it turned into a mini mosh pit. Then we dished up for them and then left for the day.
10/16
Today was a great day! We had crapes for breakfast and when I was making my sandwich for lunch I decided to only put jelly on it and not peanut butter and it was so good. We timed how long it took us to get from base to our care point and it took us an hour. When driving I was just looking outside and I was like wow even though we drive the same road everyday there were still so many things I was seeing for the first time. And this is like our relationship with God. No matter how long we are in relationship with God there is always more things for us to find out about him. We did house visits today and at the second house we stayed for a long time because we cleaned up her yard. We picked up all the trash and burned it and it took us an hour+. When we were burning the trash you could hear the glass popping every once in a while from the heat and it reminded me that even when we go though tough times and trials we come out more refined then before. With the kids today we just played and we taught them jingle bells. Then we gave them there food and left for the day. Our team made hamburgers and fries for dinner tonight and I had my one on one with Megan. Then we did a campus clean up and cleaned our room and bathroom really good because tomorrow a semesters team is coming to join us, so today was our last day of just us.
10/17
Today was Tema’s(the student shepard) last day with us at the care point with us. We started the morning with a devo and I led it this time is talked about how peace doesn’t come from everything around us being calm, it comes from trusting the One who never changes, even when everything else does. Isaiah 26:3 reminds us that God Himself keeps us in peace when our minds stay fixed on Him. Chaos may come and uncertainty may too, but when we our hearts rest in who God is faithful, sovereign, and good. Perfect peace isn’t the absence of trouble, it’s the presence of trust. Then we cleaned up the yard of the care point. We had to weed the yard, pick up trash, and nourish the trees. Me and Ellie tended to the trees. We had to pick all the weeds around the trees and water them. At first when we started we were overwhelmed by the amount of weeds and we couldn’t even see the ground but then weed by weed that we pulled up we saw the fruit of our labor. Ellie had to use a shovel to cut out thorn bushes so that we could get to the weeds and there were a tone of ants and it seemed that with every weed we pulled more ants came, but they never bit us. Then we had lunch. The kids came and me and Liv played with them while everyone else taught a group of kids a lesson for a grief class. Then when they were done we gave the kids food then left for the day. I was playing with a group of kids then I picked up one of the babies and his shoes were dirty so it was getting my skirt dirty and the boys I was playing with got so concerned that I was getting dirty and it was so sweet how concerned they were. When we got back home I washed all my laundry. And semesters got here today so we helped them unload their stuff. Then we had dinner. My team cleaned up so I dried all the dishes. When we finished we had team time, we had did feedback tonight. I was told that I am so joyful and that my joy of the lord spreads and especially to our bus drivers and also I was called higher to share more at house visits. Then we just hung out for little and I played monopoly deal and now I am going to bed.
10/18
Today was our adventure day but we didn’t go anywhere. I wrote some blogs yesterday so I can post them once I get service and took a nap. Me, Carlee, and Ella walked around base a couple times and just talked and after dinner a group of us where acting out how each other are going to meet their future spouses then it turned into just doing impressions of people from our squad. Then me and Carlee watched a movie.
WEEK 3
10/19
We went to a swazi church today. It was like a 15 minute walk to get there. The pastor spoke in english the whole time so that we could understand and then it was also translated into swati for everyone else to understand. It was about a 2 hour service. Then we had lunch when we got back(pbnj and ramen) I was trying to change out of carlee’s skirt that I wear to church and into jeans but the bow in the skirt wouldn’t come out and so Carlee and Mercy both had to help for awhile trying to get it off. We watched Star Stuck and started Tangled. We had kitchen floor night, me, Karen, and Ella then Carlee and Naomi joined and we just talked about hearing Gods voice and the gifts of the spirit.
10/20
Monday devotion day. We started the day by going down to the care point here on base and doing a devo with the shepherds and staff. Then after that we went to the store because we had to pull out money for a safari we are gonna do this weekend. My card wouldn’t work so Avery pulled out money for me. We pulled out 550 ran for the safari which is about $30 and then I got a little extra to pay our driver and just to have. When we got back me and Mer finished washing the dishes from breakfast that morning it took us 3 times to get the dishes done because we kept having to leave for things. Then ate lunch and me and Mercy washed all the towels from the kitchen. Then we had team time and we just played chameleon the whole time. Oh and we also had worship before team time. Then after dinner i took a shower and went to bed.
10/21
I having been waking up at like 6 everyday but I have just been going back to sleep until like 7 but today I actually got up and it was the best quiet time with God that I have had here. I was on His timing and didn’t have to rush to get done and I could just sit and talk to Him. And also like everyday the verse of the day has related to what i am going though or to what I am talking or asking God about. And today I have been asking God to let me know Him more and for the Holy Spirit to be upon me and for the gifts of the Spirit and the verse of the day is 1 Corinthians 14:21 “So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.” But yeah literally every day since being here the verse of the day has been like spot on and it just makes me smile and laugh cause God is just like here you go I hear you.
We had a late start today we didn’t leave base till pass 10 so we didn’t get to the care point till 11 something. Cbo(the guy who is in the van with us but not the driver, he like opens the door) was not there today because apparently he is in the hospital because he got in a fight. But Mfununtinie was with us today and another care point coordinator but I don’t know his name. We did one house visit and the people were just so happy and had such joy. Then we went back and ate our lunch, we took like and hour lunch today which was really nice. Then we played with the little kids for a minute climbing on the water towers in the back of the care point and then there was a swazi man who drove by and stopped and was telling me, Liv, and Ellie some American history like us winning our freedom and how we beat the russians to the moon. Once the kids got off school I was with some of the older girls and they were putting flowers in my hair. Then we were singing jingle bells with them again. After singing it several times we went and washed our hands then dished up for the kids. And that was it for today and we left. Team time was great Liv shared her testimony today. After me, Carlee, Marissa, and Ella made popcorn and then me, Carlee, Ella, and Liv just talked about like questions from the bible and just talked.
10/22
Today we made breakfast we made eggs and toast. I made myself cinnamon sugar toast and it was so good. Mer’s pan kept on catching on fire while she was toasting the bread. We then ate breakfast and made our sandwich’s and i peeled my apple for lunch. Today we had a different driver because Madoo(our driver) had to do something today. I led the morning devo again today, I talked about how God can speak though anything and how we just need to listen. At the care point we were cutting down the thorn bushes/trees. We were using machetes to cut them. It took us so long to cut down just like one little one. But Makegee(our shepard) could cut them so easily. Then we took like a 2 hour lunch break and also talked about the christmas skit we are gonna do for the kids at their christmas party. Then we went out with just the little kids for a little bit. I built some little rock towers with Megan so that the little kids could knock them down. Then the big kids got there and we played some games then washed our hands and served food to the kids. When we were done I talked to a group of boys as they were trying to teach me some english. And then headed back to pick up the other team and head back to base. We had team time before dinner tonight so like a 20 min break when we got back and then into team time. It was bible study night so we are going through James so we finished chapter one today. We were sitting outside for team time and like around 6 so many bats came out and were flying around. For dinner we had a traditional meal called pop chocalata and then also had leftovers. The pop is maize meal, water, and salt, and the chocalata is some bean something. After dinner I make some cinnamon sugar popcorn and then did my notes for the lesson we get to teach the kids tomorrow.
10/23
Today was a great day we still didn’t have our driver but he should be back on Tuesday. But the driver we had today and yesterday seems so nice and sweet although I didn’t talk to him. Today we picked up Magechee from her home but before getting to the care point we stopped and did two house visits. The first one was the best house visit we have had in my opinion. It was a gogo(grandmother) and a mother, the homestead was just the one building and that’s it there were no animals or anything. They had the least of all the houses i have seem but they were so filled with joy and so sweet. Gods presence was so evident there and I just felt so comfortable and seen. That was the first house visit I have talked at and I didn’t say much but it was something. All i said was that they were beautiful and I asked how they were. But still that’s a start. Then we did another house visit and it was a total different vibe. We walked up and it was definitely a nicer homestead. And they were all just cutting buckets of weed. It was interesting but they were nice and welcoming but it didn’t seem like they really cared what we had to say. Then we went to the care point and did a short devo and then took a long lunch break and also did our team time. Then we got to go out and play with and just love on the little kids. We played a lot of hopscotch. I got to hold and play with a couple of the little girls and it was just such a sweet time. Then the older kids got there and we did a bible lesson. My group this time was all younger boys that didn’t understand english much but there was one older boy who was trying to translate but none of them really understood. But then i just got to draw with some of the kids and play with them. I played with Prudence(like a 12 year old girl at the care point) for awhile and then went and helped dish up. After we still had a little extra time so I got to play with the kids a little longer and yeah. We had steak for dinner and I think it was the best thing I have ever eaten, it was so good! Then we had cleanup so I dried dishes and then me and Liv washed the rags. While we were washing the rags a guard walked right in front of us but it was dark so we couldn’t see him and we didn’t hear him till he was right in front of us it was literally so scary. Me, Carlee, and Jayden watched Top Gun Maverick and is always so good no matter how many times you watch it. Today was a great day!
10/24
Today we didn’t go to the care point instead we went to Manzenee(the city where the biys of our squad are staying) for a day of prayer. We had to leave at 7am. We split up into different groups to pray at different places and do different things. One group was at the park doing a prayer drive through so basically anyone who wanted prayer could go ask for prayer from them. The other groups walked around and had meaningful conversations with people, and then still other groups which I was a part of was doing a prayer walk. My group was me, Carlee, Elizabeth and then 4 swazis. The first like 10-20 mins we actually prayed for people and one lady said that she had a dream last night that people prayed over her and her tumor that she had on the stomach went away and I got to pray for her so that was really cool. But then like after that we literally just went and sat down the rest of the time. But i got to talk with Elizabeth and just pray over people walking by and stuff. Then we went back to the church that we met in and had lunch. Lunch was literally like a whole chicken for each person, pop, spinach, and salad. The chicken and pop I ate was good but I couldn’t eat very much of it. Then some people shared testimonies from the day. Next we went to the store to get groceries for the week and then to the boys base and got to go the little shop that the gogos make and sell stuff at on their base. I bought a little elephant ornament. Something really sweet was that while we were in town walking around for prayer we saw some of the other groups and then we were at the base someone said i looked different and in town today i was like glowing but yeah that made my day. Then we had bus ride back home and then we had to put all the groceries away, eat dinner, and then had to clean up. But now i am going to bed because we have an early morning tomorrow.
10/25
Today started early. I woke up at 5am and we had to be ready and at the gate by 6. We got to go to the safari today! On the way there it was like a 1 1/2 drive. Just while driving there we saw monkeys, warthogs, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, giraffes, ostriches, and baboons. At the safari place we were split up into 4 different safari vans because it was the girls and guys from our squad and G squad(semesters). The safari was 2 1/2 hours long. We saw a tone of elephants, 2 lions, giraffes, warthogs, gazelles, wildebeest, and a monitor lizard. It was really fun but honestly kind of disappointing because I feel like I saw the same amount of animals just on the drive there. At the gift shop i bought a little pink elephant for me. On the drive back it was so hot and we literally all fell asleep. But when we were almost back one of the windows of the bus flew off and we had to back up the road to find it. When we got back I ate a pbnj and then did my laundry. After I went and took a cold shower and then laid on my bed and did some more of my scrap book. At dinner I sat outside and ate with karen. Me, Ella, Karen, and Caroline sat outside for a little and talked about parts of the spiritual body and spiritual gifts.
WEEK 4
10/26
Sabbath: today we had the option of going to swazi church or not and I decided not to. I felt that it would not really benefit me today and it would just feel like a task I had to check off my list. So instead I watched the church service from Gateway. I watched the most I could before the phone service stopped working so I still had like 15 minutes I didn’t get to finish. I did a little of my laundry. And also took a little nap. me and Carlee watched Mission Impossible 3 and then it was time for dinner. We had worship after for an hour and then we are doing a prayer burn tonight. So that means that someone is up every hour of the night praying.
10/27
Today was ATL day so we went to devo in the morning with the aim staff. Their singing is so beautiful. And then we did one on ones. Mine was with abby and it was really good and sweet. Then we had lunch and after we had worship where we wrote letters to people so I wrote one to Makegee and we did a prayer walk around base. Then we had free time for like 4 hours. After was dinner and then my team did our team time but it was just me, Ellie, and Liv for most of it because Mer and Mia were in meetings so we just played cards, I learned to play california speed. Then we all played body body together with G squad too.
10/28
Today I slept in some so till like 6:30 and normally I wake up at like 5 on ministry days. So I didn’t get to spend as much time with God but I think I needed the extra hour of sleep. We had oatmeal for breakfast which honestly I still do not like oatmeal at all but I need food so I eat it and kinda just don’t think about it. Mer didn’t come with us to ministry today because she is sick. Madoo(our driver) is back as our driver and we saw Cbo today to but only for a second because he was going back to the hospital. At the care point we pulled spinach from the garden washed it and cooked it. When I was sitting there as it was being cooked I had my eyes closed and I could hear a soft singing but as soon as I would open my eyes it was gone and I did this several times and I would look around to see who it was and there was always no one but it was so nice and peaceful. Then we ate our lunch and served the little kids their lunch. Some baby goats wandered into the care point yard so me and Ellie cot and held them. After we had nothing to do so we took a walk until the kids got off school. We came back and just sat with the little kids and they were braiding my hair. Then the big kids came and we played a little then sang jingle bells a couple times. We dished up for the kids and then left for the day. We made dinner tonight we had noodles with vegetables and ground beef. I cooked the meat. i think we redeemed ourselves with our cooking(most of the meals we have cooked haven’t been the best) and then we had team time and after a time of worship under the stars. Then we went back into the dinning deck and had icecream because it is Ella’s and Jordan’s birthdays today!
10/29
Today we got to the care point and did our morning devo. And today Mfununtinie and the other coordinator dude where with us. We opened a whole bunch of cans of sardines and then picked and chopped onions. With them we made a soup and the also rice for the kids. Madoo came back and he bought us chicken and pop and then Mfununtinie cooked it for us and it was so good. Once the big kids got there I got to just hold two of the girls for the majority of the time. And then we sang jingle bells with them and then dished up for them and left for the day. We had feedback today when we got back for our team time. I had my one on one with Megan tonight. And then we were on dinner clean up so I helped put up the leftovers and burn the trash. And then we had worship and prayer time from 8:30 to 9:30 and God just like showed me that he is always with me.
10/30
Today I woke up at 6 and got ready then did my quiet time and I feel like God was showing me how he is a lot like the wind. He is always present but you can feel him more at sometimes then others. And He is everywhere but you can’t see him with your physical eyes. But you know that he is there. And through out the whole day he was reminding me through the wind just how present He is. Cbo was back today! We did house visits this morning I can’t remember if we did 2 or three but yeah. And then we ate lunch and then after it was raining so after the preschool kids got their food most of them left so we got to just hold and love on the babies. But today we had to leave early so we left at 2pm so we did not get to see the older kids. we left early because we had to deep clean our base because we are leaving tomorrow for the weekend so we had to have it clean first. Then we had steak for dinner and it was not as good as last time. And then we had team time and I shared my testimony tonight. And then we had worship.
10/31
Today we did not have ministry because we are taking a mini vacation to the beach in South Africa because we have to renew our visas. The boys were picked up first from their base and then came and picked us up. It was about a 3 hour bus ride. Once we got here we immediately changed into swimsuits and then started walking to the beach. While we were walking we saw a warthog in the middle of the road and also monkeys by the sidewalk. It took us about 30 minutes to walk to the beach. The water was really rough and the waves would pull you under and I got toppled by the waves several times but it was a blast. Then we left about an hour and a half later and there was some people selling some handmade things on the beach so me and a bunch of the girls bought some patchwork pants. Then we headed back and the girls in my room split up and some of us went to the store to buy stuff to make brownies and other went to get pizza for dinner for the night. We have to be back at our rooms by 7pm because Hippos come out on the streets at night and they are very dangerous. We are going to bake our brownies and watch a movie or something tonight!
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