When I was asked to transfer from Kenya and Uganda to South Africa and Eswatini, I didn’t really know what ti expect. I didn’t have any clue what ministry would be like or the trip as a whole. When I found out in Swazi that we were doing kids ministry, I was ecstatic. If you don’t know, kids are quite literally my favorite people. There’s so much to learn from them, their honesty, their resiliency, their joy. And boy did I learn from these kids in Swazi. We got to work at local carepoints which is pretty much a save haven for kids in each community to go, play, eat food, and feel loved. My team worked at the Lesibovu care point. We met over a hundred kids there. Day in and day out we got to welcome these kids in and hold them, play with them, and love on them. I mentioned how you can learn resiliency from them and resilient they were. Our first day there, I watched a group of 3 and 4 year olds walk themselves through the brush and dirt roads to the carepoint. Some of them traveled as far as a 30 minute walk to get there. I watched their tiny legs come marching through the grass with their bowls in hand to receive food. The littlest one held a stick, which our shepherd later revealed to me was his way of contributing firewood to the carepoint. None of these little children spoke English but we didn’t need it to communicate with them. We learned how to welcome them in Siswati and looked forward to welcoming them every morning. Later in the afternoon was when the school children would arrive, also having walked far distances to get there. The carepoint would be flooded with children at that point. This is where I met one girl in particular who stuck out to me. A 12 year old girl holding a baby. Turns out, she was the aunt to 3 little children and it was her responsibility to bring them to the carepoint every day for food. This 12 year old girl was tired, stressed, and hungry. I watched as she focused more on the three children than her friends. I watched her leave the space to care for a hungry and upset baby. Over the course of the next 6 weeks, it was my mission to let this child be a child. She entrusted me with her nieces and nephew while she played 4 square, hand games, and ran around with friends. I also had many long conversations with her to hear about her life and ways she had fun. A few weeks in, I was given the privilege of doing a house visit to her house. This girl and I were overjoyed because we had now become best friends. When we got there, there was not a single adult present. Just 7 children, the younger ones being cared for by the older ones. Their sister in law was the one living with them, but when she worked, the kids were on their own. It’s broke my heart but man were those kids resilient. Throughout the 6 weeks there, I watched this girl open up, laugh, play, cry, and feel human. I watched the way the Lord was holding her together. I watched the Lord transform this girl slowly. I watched her feel loved and acknowledged for the first time and she finally knew what it meant to be heard. This girl is just one of over a hundred kids at that care point. The Lord pointed her out to me for a reason. He knew we needed each other. From that moment on, the Lord pointed out mothers and babies the remainder of the trip. I felt called to them everywhere. These single mothers or caregivers simply need someone to see them and listen to them. Many times they did all the talking. They wanted someone to show them and their child love. In Swazi especially, women don’t have much of a voice. Their lives simply are their children. The Lord got to point out every one of them that needed love or simply someone to hold their child so their arms and back could get a break even for 5 minutes. I felt so beyond blessed to sit with these women and children and hear their stories. I believe the Lord stirred a new calling in my heart this way. So to all of you single mothers out there or mothers simply in need of the title of “human”, the Lord sees you and he loves you. He wants to offer you a break and extend his offer of rest daily to you. You and your children are so deeply loved. Sit in that love today.
So yeah, the Lord is pretty cool. I thought I was going in for kids ministry and I was, but it turns out I was also going in for mothers too. The Lord has bigger plans than you could ever realize and if it took me going to Africa to learn where he has my heart than his plan is good. I am so thankful for my time in Swazi and the time spent with these children. Missing you already Lesibovu!
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