First Week in Swaziland
My team and I are living in the town of Nsoko. It a very rural part of Swaziland, far out of the city, it’s all sugar cane farms and maize fields (like the Kentucky of the U.S). Nsoko is hottest place in the country, at least 20 degrees more than anywhere else, but that’s not a big deal except that there is a water shortage in the country. The rich white people from South Africa have monopolized the river which is the Swazi’s only source of clean water, but the Swazi’s of Nsoko can’t even use it because of the farmer’s greed. We have been living in the AIM Swazi base with Pastor Gift who is our ministry host out here. Basically it’s a building with a tin roof, two bed rooms with bunks and a kitchen, and working toilets and some time electricity! We are so blessed to be staying here; I was expecting to have a lot less things like this. The base is the center of the community, always there are kids and people from the community here because no one has jobs (because they can’t get one) and in Nsoko there is nothing to do because it is all farms and bush so all day everyone from the community is hanging out inside or at our house! Its great relationship building opportunities and I’ve already been ministering the older boys of the area and I feel a big push to teach these how to be men and to lead the other children. Its bitter sweet though because where we live is the only place besides they’re houses that they can go to have something to do. I ask the people, “What are you going to do today?” They just stare at me because they seriously have nothing to do! Or that is there mentality, that they can do nothing. I hate this mentality that the people have developed…”depend of the white people to give us what we need…” I want to teach people about hope that perseverance to change this mentality and to dream and dream big. I was teaching a guy who was 19 how to play guitar. He picked me out of the crowed he said because he knew I like “rocky music” by the way I look. He loved the guitar so I played some songs for him and then taught him how to play Smoke on the Water (the first song everyone learns on guitar), he absolutely loves the guitar and “rocky music.” He pleaded me to give mine to him, but what good would giving stuff away to people do for them? What will it do for his life? So I told him because he is one of the few who has a job (he’s a garden boy to white Dutch people) that if he really wants a guitar, then he needs to work really hard and save his money, and to come back to me at Christmas time and we’ll go pick out a guitar and I’ll cover what he can’t pay. I’m interested to see what happens…
I’ve been making so many friends, and picking up the language (siSwati) really fast. All the time kids are running up to us to hold our hands and climbing all over us, wanting to play and just wanting love. It’s great that we can show Jesus so easily these ways but it’s so hard to see how “clingy” they are when they receive any sort of love because they never get it, or when they do, that so called “love” leaves them after a while. They have been deprived of love they’re whole life. And yeah a lot of people have come through here and given lots of money and gifts and have done nice generous things, like playing and giving them clothes, etc, but if it’s not of Jesus IT WON’T LAST! And that kind love is just going to end up failing. I’m sick of these kids and the community having false hope and false joy, which is only gonna crash and burn if they don’t have it rooted in Jesus.
This week ministry has been slow because of the settling in process and as we got here a team who had been here 3 months previous was just leaving. So the focus was on them for a bit and we were settling and learning the area. Also some NFL player’s wives came in and the girls worked with them and ministered to them for a few days so us guys (Me, Jon , and Blair) were basically left to do whatever we wanted for few days without any form of transportation, besides public which is just people picking you up in a van! But we’ve have been playing soccer with a pro team that Pastor Gift coaches. This is the men’s ministry that he has started. The team is like a triple A baseball team, not major league but pro, get it? So it’s pretty gnarly we get to practice with these guys and possibly play, but that will never happen because they are just so good. I’ve scored though! After practice we share things to the guys about our lives and about Jesus. I’m stoked to see where this goes… In our down time this week us guys studied the bible a lot and talked for hours learning about it and how we can turn Jesus to these people and disciple them. And the team has been growing to such great heights and really starting to become authentic. You should read they’re blogs too- Lila Dillon, Katie Graves , Jessica Leonardi, and Jonathon Melo. The girls got to deliver a baby!
