We are mid-way through Month 9 in Swaziland. I began the month as a participant in the Parent Vision Trip with 12 other squad mates. We had the opportunity to see our parents and serve alongside them for a week. It was an absolute blessing to have both my mom and my dad with me in Africa for a period of time to share a part of this journey in a tangible way. Love you both!
Once the PVT ended (it absolutely flew by), we re-entered the Race. That sounds crazy but it’s true. Team Chasing Jubilee (I seriously love our team name) is housing with Team Team Team. I didn’t mistype their name. We are Chasing Jubilee and they are Team Team. Team Mosaic is also with us but they are living at a separate location. The other half of our squad is living on a mountain working at El Shaddai, another AIM influence. Our accommodations are in a homestay with 3 bedrooms, 2 outhouses (the structure of an outhouse just covering holes in the ground), and 1 bucket shower. There is a family who owns the land that we are staying on and they live in a different building on the property. Add a handful of chickens, roosters, and goats, and you’ve got quite the party. Our team is on sleeping mats with about 6 inches in-between, but we all love it. This month has brought a greater sense of simplicity in the best way possible. We go to bed around 9:00 PM and many of us are awake for the sunrise at 5:45 AM. It’s gorgeous and there is nothing like the African sky whether it be sunrise, sunset, or the stars. Chasing Jubilee will be moving to a hut this weekend and we shall see what that looks like!
Ministry looks different for all of us. Some members are doing administrative work at the AIM base office in Manzini, some are at care points helping with orphans, some are doing agricultural things like planting, many of us have visited the hospital and Hope House to pray for patients (many are HIV positive), and there is sports ministry. I’m pleased to say that I get the chance to be a part of the sports ministry. Our contact, Xoloni, has a vision to help bring change in Swaziland through sports. Many children grow up without fathers and he wants to couple sports with discipleship through life coaches to begin filling that void. Our job is to help train some of these coaches in CPR as well as volleyball skills. It should be awesome.
There are some countries that I’ve found feel like coming home and Swaziland is definitely one of them. My spirit is calm here, unlike some of the countries in Asia. The people are laid back, friendly, and funny. I’m so grateful that AIM has a base here because the HIV/AIDS epidemic is alive and well. The country is supposed to die off roughly around the year 2050 if things do not change. Fortunately, there are many people working to make that be just a sad prediction rather than a reality. Please keep praying for our squad as we continue our work here in Africa, especially to finish this journey strong. Thank you for all of your support!
