Today was another wonderful, blessed day in Swaziland! Again, we started off waking up at about 6-6:15 to be at breakfast and head out to our church at about 7:45.
When we were pulling up at the church, all the village children came running down the hill to meet us. Man, I love that sight. All these children running to meet and greet people they just met two days ago, and probably the only white people they have ever seen. The joy, the love, the openness they all have... I LOVE AFRICA!
Anyways, today was our last day at our church. I kept repeating to myself, "Take it ALLL in. This could quite possibly be the last time you EVER see these precious kids that you have fallen in love with in two short days... don't miss a wink." Needless to say, today was a day that I will never forget. And I don't think I can, either, because I have about 800 pictures from the day; each picture with its own background story and beautiful memory.
Our days have consisted mostly of bonding. Bonding with the moms, teenagers, toddlers, babies, gogo's, and all the community people. Bonding is most important, creating relationships with the people in our village, even if nothing else gets done, is all that matters. And bonding is definitely what we did. We did build and plant them a garden and teach Bible School to the children, but most of our time was consumed in making relationships... which made it so much harder to say goodbye.
My heart is just so overwhelmed here. There is so much to take in during the day; so much that I store in my journal in my heart and hope to never forget; so much, that I just wish I could have had a camera crew to follow every step of the way so that not a single breath could be forgotten. From the looks in the children's eyes, the deep sadness dwelling in them cutting a hole right through me, to the times of joy where I feel I could fall on the ground and laugh for hours with these new friends while they make fun of me because I can't say a word right, for the 20th time, to hearing them worship, in that tiny, stick church building. There were so many times today that I just wanted to freeze time and sit there forever. so many memories that flood to my mind when I close my eyes... in just 3 days I have done more and learned more and lived more than I ever have, and just thinking about it and reflecting on my time at the small 33' X 33' stick church makes me wants to cry. The ugly cry.
I just have to pray that God come speak to me. That He come sort out all my feelings of sadness, anger, longing, love, confusion, and joy. I am so angry that I had to leave these people. I could have stayed for the rest of the summer, no lie. I am angry at the circumstances they live in. The poverty, the death, the disease, the hunger... it just doesn't make sense to the human eye. But what is even more confusing is their joy and their faithfulness. When they praise God, they sing whole-heartedly, holding nothing back. When they talk and live, they have so much joy. And I find myself thinking, "Joy from what? These people, from the world's eyes, appear to have nothing, yet they have EVERYTHING. How can I get some of this joy?" I have yet to find out... for I am NOT finished, I am not letting go. I will not forget them, and I know the Lord has plans, great plans, for them as they continue to live with such joy and faithfulness.
Back to the goodbyes. We started the morning off by hanging out with the children for a while, the boys played soccer, I taught the teenage girls how to play volleyball (which they thought was the COOLEST game in the whole wide world), and Mrs. Burns and the garden team finished up the last of the planting of the garden. After that, we handed out clothes to the children, moms, and grandmothers. That went very smoothly, and everyone was so grateful for their new treasures: underwear for child, an article of clothing for child, bar of soap, article of clothing for mother/grandmother, underwear for mother/grandmother. Since when have I been so ecstatic about a used shirt or underwear or soap? Lots of evaluating the life I live has been done and is being done.
After we got finished with handing out our goodies, we bonded again... at least I did. That is pretty much ALL I did the WHOLE time. We shared lunch with all the people there, which they were also grateful for.
In the afternoon, two groups headed out into the community to pray and visit the sick. Very hard. Very heart-wrenching. No words can describe what it is like to walk into a room with a person dying of AIDS. They don't understand what AIDS is and what it can do... but we do, and my heart aches for them.
There is more about today, some praise-the-Lord only-God-can-do things, but it is past midnight, so that will have to wait.
