Hey friends, today I thought it would be fun to give you all a look into our month 7! We spent our month in ESwatini, formerly known as Swaziland. Here we got to work at an AIM base, serving in so many different areas! This was by far one of the most well done ministries I have ever seen. They have done such a beautiful job at involving the community and making themselves sustainable! It was such a joy to spend our month here in this stunning land, so I’m so glad to take you along with me!
Where did we sleep?
We finally got to live our best tenting lives! This was probably more fun than it should have been! When we arrived, I got to set up my cozy little home, hang my chandelier (my camping lantern),and put my sleeping pad to good use, until it popped, that is… I got to name our neighborhoods, I started out on Flood Lane, you really never knew when the waters would rise down that little hill. But shortly after I moved myself over to Windy Way, don’t worry my tent didn’t blow away, but it came close one day!
What did we eat?
This month we cooked for ourselves. This always makes us a little sad because we love trying the local food. But, we were blessed with the most amazing ministry partners and they made it happen! On our drives to and from ministry, we alway made it a point to stop at the roadside stands an get a fat cake. These are fried balls of sweet dough that taste like heaven! We were all obsessed, but we had to be careful because the name is for surly a warning.
Our hosts were also kind to make sure we got to experience an African Braii. When you think of a braii, think of a barbecue back in the states. Lots and lots of meat, this is the star of the show. Then for a side we had some pop, which is thick cornmeal, and choco-laca, think beans, veggies and a spicy tomato sauce. In this meal you don’t use any silverware. Your hands, along with the cornmeal work as your spoon to pick up the beans and sauce. This has become one of my favorite meals on the race, it’s so delicious!!
What did ministry look like?
The Ministry was ever changing here. We got put into groups this month, not by teams, but by ministry points. Some spent their months working on admin stuff, some worked at the farm, some wrote curriculum, some did manual labor, and some at the care points.
My team for the month consisted of Dana, Steph, and myself! We had the most fun, the best conversation, and the greatest ministry partners this month.
The first week here I actually got to work with our host behind the scenes with our host Morgan. Each day we would come to her house, or accompany her on errands throughout the city. We put together 210 school packets, worked on the website, and played with her sweet little boy. We also got to hear the heart behind the ministry, which was probably my favorite!
Our second and third week in eSwatini we got to join a care point! Here we had the most fun playing with the preschoolers in the mornings, helping the cooks, doing admin work, serving the kids food after school, and painting our hearts out! We made the most incredible connections here. Two weeks really isn’t very much time, but there we’re definitely tears shed leaving the last day!
What is something unexpected that happened?
I went in expecting this to be an amazing ministry month and it was!! But, what I didn’t expect was the amazing unity the Lord grew on our squads. My friend and teammate Carl (Caroline) and I decided to do a little something for Valentine’s Day. Our visions started very small at first, but as we prayed the Lord really just began to move. We had a galentines night with a movie, homemade valentines boxes and cards one night. Then the next night we dove a bit deeper into scripture and really began to talk about the Lords love and how that gets to transform us to loving others. We ended up going completely off route and having the best conversation about loving one another well, which led into a time of repentance and action. This then led into a beautiful time of foot washing and worship.
This was truly a night of humility towards one another, and was one of the first times I’ve seen unity in the spirit to this degree. Holy Spirit came and shifted hearts to make a good things great!
What was a high and low of the month?
My high is just about everything! From the sunrises, the late night conversation, the kids, our care point staff, our host, all of the above! This was one of my most favorite places!
As far as my low goes, there really isn’t much to complain about. But if I had to pick something, it would probably have to be the stomach bug that ran it’s way though our squad. Each day you just waiting to see who was going to be down for the count. That was no fun, but I’m sure we’re stronger for it now, right?
What did God teach me this month?
Wow, the Lord taught me SO MUCH this month!
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The Lord taught me the power of prayer! Going into everything this month the Lord reminded me to pray and rely on him. As I began to pray, seek him, and let go of control He began to move in crazy ways! I don’t think I’ve ever seen the power of prayer so visibly before!
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The Lord connected so many dots about walking in authority! You guys, we have the actual power of the the Holy Spirit living inside of us guiding us and allowing us to walk in freedom. If the freedom and authority of the Lord isn’t something you’ve experienced, ask the Lord to lead you though this. He has so much for us!
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The last lesson im going to name, though there are many more is that I don’t have to fix it. It’s not my job to fix relationships, the problems of others, or anything really. But instead I get to listen, and then stand in the gap though intersession. This is actually the most powerful thing we can do!
Well there you have it friends, that’s a little look into our month! There is so much more I could have shared, but I hope this gave you some idea on what our month looked like. Thank you all so much for partnering with me on this adventure!
Until next time,
Ken
It is so good to see your beaming face smiling straight into the camera, Ken. I can see God working in and through you. Praise God for all you are and how God is using you so mightily!
Kendall,
It is always such a joy to read your updates. Praying for you and your team. You are such a strong, amazing woman. Blesings.
Love how much you loved it there, it really was a great place. And I LOVE hearing what you learned!
I’m so glad you had such an incredibly positive experience in eSwatini & learned so many powerful lessons! It was a treat to get to join your group for ministry day! I really enjoyed getting a taste of serving like a Racer! Looking forward to seeing you at the reunion!