Eswatini

Wow, I’m amazed at what God did in Eswatini— after being in Africa for three months. As we’re leaving Africa today, my heart is heavy, and I’m leaving a piece of my heart in Africa. 

LITTLE TESTIMONY 

A year ago, I was praying for my future season and whatever that might look like. I was praying a lot for the Swazi kids who I was going to meet. I had no clue what their stories were or their names, but one thing I wanted them to feel was the love of Jesus when I saw them. I didn’t speak their language, and they barely knew some English, but that didn’t even matter. How can I share the love of Jesus without using my words? 

On January 27th, we finally reunited with our squad, and it was so bittersweet being together again after a month. Eswatini was filled with sleeping back in your tents, cold showers, hot weather, worship nights, cooking for your squad, prank wars, bible studies, going to the safari restaurant on the weekend, and eating a lot of chocolate together as a squad lol, getting attacked by bugs, watching sunsets with your best friends, talent show nights, staying up late to talk about the most random things, star gazing, hand washing your laundry, working out, car jam sessions after ministry, soccer games (realized you’re terrible at soccer), don’t have a care in the world if your shirt is stained with dirt a day after ministry, team time, so many mud cakes, dance parties, waking up super early in your tent because it’s so hot outside, squad game nights, sharing testimony’s, doing ministry, house visits, playing with so many kids on the playground, and so many kids getting in your lap falling asleep on you.

Our parents had the opportunity to come and do ministry with us for a week in Swazi, but sadly, my parents didn’t get to go to Eswatini. I was sad because I would have loved for them to come to Swazi to do ministry, but God was working on their hearts back home, and it was so beautiful to watch them being across the world. I have prayed for my family for years to get closer to the Lord. One by one, I have seen my family grow closer to the Lord, especially since I have been gone. I can remember I have never seen my dad read his bible on his own, BUT SINCE I have BEEN GONE, he has been reading his bible before he leaves for work. My mom and dad have been doing Bible study every morning before work. My family has been hosting bible studies all together. HOW GOOD IS GOD?

I was so happy seeing my squad, whose parents came, and seeing what the Lord did when they were here. If your parents didn’t come, you stayed at the base with the other people on your squad and did ministry together for the week. It was actually so sweet getting to do ministry together and spend time with each other. 

Our time in Swazi was coming to an end, and it was debrief time! It was so sweet looking back at what the Lord has done in Swazi in your life, but as a squad, the debrief lasted a week, and then it was AWAKENING TIME!

AWAKENING TESTIMONY

Honestly, I was not excited for awakening; I didn’t want to go. There were two squads there, L and W. I was having a lot of negative thoughts, thinking I was going to be alone since I didn’t talk to anyone else on the different squads, and I was having a lot of anxiety. Before we left, two of my friends prayed over me; it was so sweet. That same night, I texted my parents to ask if they would pray over me because I was having a lot of anxiety and feeling alone. I didn’t want this to steal my joy for what the Lord has for me this week.

The next day, I had so much joy, even the whole week. God truly changed me so much at awakening and opened my eyes to many things. I gained new friendships, and it was so sweet. The awakening ended, and we packed up to go to Malaysia. As I spend my time in Swaziland, I would not trade anything. God is so good and so faithful. I know I will be back again in Africa one day. Thank you, Jesus, for what you did in Swaziland.

Amen.