A Day In The Life

It’s been amazing to me how quickly I readjusted to life here in Swaziland. At times, it seemed like the transition from the US to Africa was easier than the transition from urban to rural! I wish I could upload pictures to walk you through the day, but words will have to do.
Usually a few minutes before my alarm goes off, I wake up to the sound of roosters and donkeys outside. I get up & get dressed, and head outside to open the gate and then burn the trash out back before the preschoolers start arriving. School aged kids in uniforms are walking to school, tractors & buses are passing by, and uniformed preschoolers start coming onto the center’s property....and it’s now about 6:45. There are some mornings where there isn’t water so I have to go over and flip the switch on the pump to fill the storage tank. I sit & drink coffee & have my quiet time with the door open while the preschoolers walk by, waving and saying hello.
About 9:15 all of the ministry partners arrive & we have our prayer & meeting time to talk about what ministry looks like for that day. It would be great to plan ahead, but nearly impossible because of all of the things going on! Mornings are usually spent at a care point or two, where they cook & feed many children, teach a preschool lesson, and a Bible lesson. We come back to the center for lunch, followed by afternoon work on projects, doing kids club, or doing home visits. Throughout the day, it’s not unusual to chase goats away from the garden & donkeys off the property (and sometimes chickens out of the team house). After school, many people come to the center - to play soccer, volleyball, or to hang out. A couple of the girls have come over to hang out and start teaching me some Siswati (which is entertaining for all of us!) Usually a couple of the high school students (ranging in age up into their mid 20’s) come by to get help with their school work, stretching my memory and my math skills to remember back to what I learned in 8th grade. As it gets dark, we herd the donkeys out one last time (or else they will be the alarm clock again in the morning), lock the gate & shut the windows before the bugs start coming in toward the lights.