July 20 – August 11

Key:
Julia - roommate and job partner
Steve and Monica Allen - supervisors and next door neighbors
Lacey Allen - Steve and Monica's 3 year old daughter
Maria - language tutor and translator who lives on the property (I call her gogo which is like another word for grandma)


When I first arrived in Swaziland the conversation went a little like this. "Mbabane is only a few minutes from here." A few minutes later, "This is our road. Uh-oh, it looks like there's a fire. I think our phone lines are still on the ground. If those lines burn, it'll be 5-6 months before we have phone or internet again. "So, Julia and I rush to the house to get the fire extinguisher while my supervisor Steve set up sticks to serve as temporary phone poles. So, the first time I saw the house I would spend the next two years in was a blur. I gave Monica, Steve's wife, a quick hug and a "hi. How are ya? It's nice to finally meet you." and then hit the road to go save the phone line. Now, for all of you guys out there who thing that I'm just a young female overreacting, this fire was within feet of the grounded phone line and it was kind of big. Now, for all of my moms out there, the fire wasn't that big, it was not at all dangerous, and I am doing fine now. I have it on video if you don't believe me.

I love going to the Sabebe Bible study. It is a children's Bible study in a rural area. The location is like something out of a movie. We pull off the side of the road, walk down to a little creek that produces a near by 20ft waterfall, sit on the rocks there, and watch the children walk down hill from their small houses up the mountain and then cross a wooden plank bridge to come sing songs and learn about God. My translator/neighbor/language teacher/friend, Maria (I call her gogo), has run this Bible study for years. Really, I just help her. The first time I went Maria lead worship with the children, Julia and I introduced ourselves, and then Maria gave the story and prayed. The past two times were similar, however, I gave the lesson (Gogo translated) and taught them a new song at the end. I taught them a song I learned in Jamaica (the one that goes "I've got the Spirit in my hands and it's keepin' me alive"). They seemed to really like it; I think because you get to move around during it. It was so much fun. I will only teach at this bible study every once in a while though, because it is a study Maria has done for years and I need to find new studies to start.

Church leadership is not the same here as it is in the states. The churches are mostly made up of women and children, so there is no male leadership. Many churches are currently without pastors, so you can forget about things like music leaders and youth pastors. Therefore, there are not always events directed for the youth or children. Church on Sunday is not enough for them when they are growing up with so many temptations to engage in African traditional religion.

The children and youth are very well behaved. They are not like any other young people I've ever been around. They sit quietly during the lessons, raise their hands to answer questions, and all participate in singing, games, etc. That makes my job a lot easier. I am concerned that their responses may sometimes just be regurgitations of what they've already been told, but hopefully they will learn new things too. I remember having to chase the kids around in Jamaica to make sure they did not run off into the road or hit other kids with the jump rope or playground balls, and I am glad that I do not face those same challenges. I do, however, face new challenges. Language has got to be the biggest, then culture and the fact that no matter how hard I try to fit in, I will still be seen as an outsider. I will never be completely accepted.

I have recently finished my two weeks of language and culture training. Some parts of the language are easy, but some are really hard. For instance, it is pretty easy to read the language because the vowels make the same sounds as they do in Spanish. Also, anytime I see a "c" I make one type of click and any time I see a "ch" I make a different type of click. My mouth gets tired, but it's really not too difficult to make the sounds. On the other hand, the words are so long. The average length of an everyday word is probably 8 letters. Many are much longer than that. It's funny because I get excited that I was able to memorize and then correctly spit out 5 or 6 syllables, but then I've only said one word in a simple five word sentence. But I am still a beginner and I am happy that most people in Mbabane speak English too.

Now, on to driving. I'm getting pretty good. I never had to drive a standard vehicle back home, but I was able to practice on an old jeep the week before I left. Recently, I have made a few trips without stalling out once! Driving on the left side of the road isn't bad either. The hardest thing is driving with these crazy drivers, but it's better than all the other countries I've visited. Right now I share an older Toyota truck with Julia, but someday we're supposed to get a car too. That way we can split up and cover more ground.

All and all, I have been ok. I've struggled some, but God is really teaching me. It can be hard being away from everyone whom I am close too. I was thinking about all the changes that have happened for me lately and the excitement, yet struggles, that come along with adjusting to these changes. At home, God was my strength. He really was, because if He wasn't I would have fallen flat on my face. But, I also had you guys reading this. I had my family, friends, and other loved ones whom I have grown up knowing. Now, I don't have you here. I am forced to lean on only God. I was blessed with having you before, but I can grow so much more now, now that God is the only one here to keep me standing.