Meaningful Ministry (My Overall Swaziland Experience)

How would I describe my overall experience in Swaziland?

Upon reflecting over my experience of serving in Swazi, which generally consisted of four days per week care point ministry, I have had the overarching feeling that my work was not very meaningful.

This feeling comes from the fact that aside from the couple of trips away from the care point in Nsoko, all of my days blur together. With slight alterations, each day consisted of morning team time, going to help in the care points’ preschool and playing on the playground for the rest of the day as numerous children came from school and then went home.

I have heartily enjoyed these repetitive days! They are filled with teaching the preschoolers numbers, colors, shapes and fruits. They are cram full with hair styling from the elementary kids! The days are also busy with rehearsing the Christmas songs and the Nativity skit with even the middle and high schoolers.

Still, the similarity of the days makes it difficult to point out where my team and I made a difference. The majority of difference that we might have made isn’t likely to be evident for some time. It may be years down the road that the children are able to express any impact we might have made on their lives.

Matthew 18:4 and 5 remind me why care point ministry is so important.

It says, “Whosoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whosoever receives one such little child in my name receives me.”

Over the last five weeks, I have had the daily opportunity to openly and freely received 120 of the Lord‘s most treasured and beautiful children. My arms got tired, my face got grimy, my hair got pulled and my clothes got muddy, snotty and forever stained from all of my receiving. Through all this receiving, I have received the Lord so many times that I cannot even tell one day in ministry from another.

(P.S. Everyone who calls the Lord their good Father is one of His most treasured and beautiful children!!)

It turns out that it was not the moments that made care point ministry meaningful, it was the people and our relationships with them that made it so. It was nurturing Dumsile (our care point Shepherd/coordinator) and her bashful son Simo. It was my good friend Coffee and my other sweet little companion, Xolelwa. It was mischievous Innocent and solitary Qiniso. It was comical Prodigy, reserved Sinenhlanhla, kind hearted Emihle and jovial Silindile. It was even the preschoolers: Junior, Omphile, Emihle, Samgelo and all the others.

The confused conglomeration of small moments created each beautiful and meaningful relationship with these wonderful children of the Lord.

For the younger children, I hope that even if they forget our names and faces, they will remember the friendly smiles, the warm touch of holding our hands and the willing arms which scooped them up time and time again to hold or to help across the monkey bars.

(I will never forget the way they called us, “My freind-eee!”)

For the older kids, I hope that our conversations and generous hugs will remind him that all love sources from Jesus and his greater love for us.

Coffee, who was likely my best friend in the care point wrote a note for me which, along with other sweet affirmations says,

“Thank you for being the best and true friend,” and “Jesu Uyakuthanda,”

In Siswati, that means “Jesus loves you”.

If those words are not a testament to meaningful ministry, I truly do not know what is.

So, how would I describe my overall experience in Swaziland?

I would describe each of the Lord’s beautiful African children who I have had the privilege to call “My friends”.

Please thank the Lord for:

• The relationships God has blessed me with to enjoy and cherish during ministry.
• The ability the Lord gave me to keep pouring out energy and love to the adults and children at the care point. (Even when it is difficult and tiring!)

Your friend,

Lia.