Swaziland, Africa.
Everything we thought it would be, yet nothing we thought it would be.
It’s amazing what happens when we follow God’s plan instead of our own. God
had chosen each of us specifically to go on this trip to Swaziland. Honestly, we
were a little unsure and hesitant at the beginning of our trip. Without a leader
from the US and there only being 3 of us, we were sceptical of how much work
we could truly do as a small team. We learned throughout the week that God had
a greater plan to reignite the fire in our hearts and allow us to grow spiritually at
an exponential rate. Through our small team, we were able to create extremely
close knit relationships with not only the children but also with our teammates
and the women at the Bheveni Carepoint. At the Bheveni Carepoint we were able
to assist in the preschool class by teaching songs and other learning tools. We
painted and created a world map on the wall. We also helped to clear the bush
around the carepoint gates and started to dig at the site for new bathroom
facilities. We were in charge of leading a daily devotion for the women at the
carepoint, which none of us felt prepared for spiritually and emotionally. But of
course, God is faithful and was able to use us in a special way to reach the
women. We were also given the eye opening opportunity to do home visits with
the caregivers of the kids at Bheveni Carepoint. God used us to send encouraging
words of hope and love to the families. Then there’s the children. Oh, the
children. These children impacted all three of us in such a wonderful way. They
are so full of joy and life and love. We left with full and happy hearts every single
day.
Besides the huge impact the children had on us, we were also greatly impacted
by the living testimony of the shepherds. We worked alongside Lindo, Bhutana
and Maseko throughout the week. We wish we could clone all of the shepherds
that we met and place them in every community and city around the world.
They have such big hearts and are living examples of Christ for the children at
the carepoints. Their dedication and passion they have for Christ and for the
children is inspiring. We also appreciate Xolani and his wife, Sandy so much for
stepping up as our team leaders. They have been helping us every step of the
way.
We left a piece of our hearts in Swaziland. It’s not a matter of “if” we come back,
but “when” God allows us to come back.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways awknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Love,
Ashley, Katie and Mallory
