Ben’s Life in Eswatini

Life in Eswatini

This week has been pretty consistent. We usually all get up around the same time (8am), unless you are apart of making breakfast crew, which is usually corn flakes, apples, or oatmeal.

Over the week we went to two different care points to strengthen/build our relationships with the kids there. The kids range from 3-16. It takes a lot to have one kid on your back laughing, giggling and having fun, to then switch gears to slow down and talk with a kid who is older and going through different things and doesn’t want to be on your back but wants to get out of the situation he’s in. Some want to just play soccer and forget and some just want to sit and watch. The range of emotions I go through in a day has been challenging but I understand that nothing is like the hardships the kids that come here for food and play, everyday, go through. The “gogo’s” or grandmas are tough, hardworking, loyal women that cook the boxes of rice sent to the different care points every month. They show up every day to make sure the kids are fed. When I see them eating the same thing every day I either try to not think about it or feel bad. Knowing back home I eat different foods every day and I’m here looking at the same kids eat the same thing every day and it’s usually the only thing they eat that day. It gets to me. I know I’m here for a reason and I have to look past the differences in order to connect on a level that will leave them and me with the memories and feelings needed to inspire growth. Each day is different in how I feel even though on the outside I need to show Christ. If I’m not preaching, teaching or speaking the gospel then I need my actions to show Christ.

Other than care points I had the opportunity to go on more house visits. What a house visit entails is greeting those who live there which is usually just one because the others are at work. We spend time learning about their daily life and hoping to connect with them on a personal level enough to again, let them remember us as they would Christ. We then read scripture, pray for something they have asked to pray for or just prayed to God for whatever we observe and feel they might need in their daily life. Sometimes we spend 10 min sometimes we spend 30-45min. Everyone we have met here is very welcoming to us. The tears in some of their eyes when we pray for them and talk to about God with them is something I will never forget.

The temperature here is the best I could have asked for. Cool 70-80 degrees in the day and a cooler 40-50 degrees at night. I just saw my first real-life giraffe. Actually 6 of them in total and one was no less than 50 yards away! It was super cool. I’ve also seen goats, donkey’s, cattle, pigs, and almost every house has chickens.

What came to me while writing this post is the slowness of time here. In America something is always on my mind or something stimulating always has my attention. Here I have had the great chance to slow down and be bored, read a lot more and bond with my team to a level I never would’ve expected. I’ve laughed more than I have in a long time. I’ve been given personal feedback on myself that has really drawn me closer to my team and God. I’ve grown to see love and feel love in a new way than I would’ve been able to back home. I’ve been taking cold showers (I mean really cold) every day and had to adapt to my team mate Peter who snores every night (that has started to become rather soothing). It has all made me look up instead of to how I feel. I ask God to help the shower not feel so cold and even though it might still be cold he brings my thoughts to something other than the present moment I’m in. I ask God to help me go to sleep before Peter starts snoring and even if he doesn’t let that happen I always get to bed without getting aggravated or annoyed at the situation that would normally make me aggravated or annoyed. He watches me, comforts me and allows me to depend on him when situations that I wouldn’t be caught dead in back home, start to happen here in Eswatini. I have been lucky enough to have a bunk bed to sleep on, a sleeping bag to stay warm in and new friends that make me smile everyday.

All in all this week has been slower than the first. Tomorrow we go to the local church again and get the chance to sing and dance and worship in a different way than we are used to. I’ve really cultivated some lasting friendships here and ask that everyone at home try to make a new friend this week. Whether that be someone at work, at the grocery store or a neighbor. Go make a new friend. See what God can show you. Say a quick prayer and open up the space to be Christ centered and see how God moves! I might be asking for a lot but I encourage you to watch God move!!

Talk to y’all soon:)

-Benjamin

Prayer requests:

Hayden: to know and stay reminded of why he is here.

Peter: hope for the future

Sarah: continued boldness and uncomfortableness

Cory: continued opportunities to serve the youth of the communities. They’ve been a blessing on my heart and I feel a real calling to love and play with them.

Angie: to keep us safe and healthy, and for us and Swazi people to know the Lord deeper! It is also her birthday today!:) Happy 20th Angie!

Coryn: continued self-sacrifice.

Stephanie: for continued good health for everyone on our team.

Me: to pray more than I do now.