There are so many stories from our time in Nsoko, Eswatini, but I’ll just be sharing a few highlights & then what the Father has been sharing with me in this season. It’s been beautiful witnessing the faith of the Swazi believers. The majority have heard of Jesus but they have little access to Bibles or sound Biblical teaching. What they do know, they passionately cling to and carry out in their lives. While we were visiting with a family, their daughter requested my Bible. She came up to me and asked, “Please, can I have your Bible?” I wasn’t expecting this at all and was strangely taken aback at the boldness of her request. Immediately, my mind was bombarded with every question plausible about the situation and the girl making this request of me. We had just met. She didn’t know me. Did she know how to read English? Would she actually read my Bible? Although I’d like to say I’m a generous person, my gut instinct was to refuse. This particular Bible had been gifted to me several years prior, after I was baptized. I’ve carried it with me on all of my travels. Until that very moment, I was unaware of how much it really meant to me. She began showing the Bible to the women around her and they began searching for their favorite passages. It was literal gold to them. Long story short, that Bible now belongs to her and her homestead. I have access to Bibles pretty much any day in the States. Bibles are practically inaccessible in certain regions of Eswatini & the majority of the Swazi people may never afford to purchase a personal one.
Hi family & friends,
Here’s another window to the last month or so of stories and memories. Yesterday was our first day here in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa & we begin ministry here on the fourth. It looks as though our ministry this month will consist of tutoring the children here in their academics as well as assisting with agricultural projects! More on that to come in a later blog.
The last couple of days have been busy ones. We concluded our ministry in Nsoko, Eswatini (if anyone wants to look that up on a map) & took a bus ride to Kruger National Park in South Africa where we stayed at a Chalet with hot water & experienced our very first Safari. As my team likes to say, hot water is a privilege!! Our perception of the African heat wasn’t completely accurate. The weather has ranged from 38 degrees Fahrenheit to about 80. From Kruger, we drove to Johannesburg and from there, flew into Port Elizabeth, South Africa. From Port Elizabeth, we took about an hour bus ride to Jeffrey’s Bay where we are currently enjoying a gorgeous display of ocean, green rolling hills & mountains.
I’m continuously reminded of how missions is a communal act. In giving, we also receive. There were so many occasions where the Swazis communicated their profound gratitude that we had sought them out and shared a word or a meal. It honestly felt unreal & unjustified. Our mere presence impacted them heavily & theirs impacted ours. When I think about it, that’s the way the Lord views us. He is not unmoved by His creation. We are His highly valued masterpiece. May I always remember that & look at all humanity through His lens of love, no exceptions.
My first week in Eswatini, a little girl by the name of Sharon found me. She was 9 years old and in the 4th grade.I first met her at her Elementary school’s track meet where she sat on my lap for five hours. After leaving the school that day, I didn’t know if I’d see her again. Several days later, she hopped off her school bus at the carepoint we’d been serving at. A carepoint is a location that kids can come to after school and receive food, medical attention etc… It was a teary-eyed moment as she recognized me and ran to give me a hug.The remainder of that day, she led me by hand around the carepoint. She unpacked her homework & a grapefruit that she pointed at for me to peel. She would bring her little friends over to me and request, in Siswati (her native language), that they hold my hand too. We ended up spending several afternoons together & by the end, it was very difficult saying goodbye. It’s sweet moments like this one that I know will stick with me for a lifetime.
Thank you for your continued prayers as we begin our next month of ministry here in Jeffrey’s Bay.
-Steph
