Thursday July 23, 2009
Day 8 “Sweets”

“The sound of the student’s voices was amazing; it penetrated my soul and lifted my spirit.”

We had an incredible day today. We visited the Ngwenya Central Primary School and two of our team members got to share their testimonies. Every school day the 600+ students of the Ngwenya Central School gather for an outdoor assembly. Today they had some very special guests, some pale skinned Americans from Washington State.

Shawn and Aimee both shared the stories of how they came to Faith with the children. Stories have a way of connecting people regardless of their backgrounds. The Swazi children that heard Shawn’s story today likely know little about the conflict that injured Shawn and ultimately led to him putting his complete trust in Christ. None the less, the children hung on his every word.

Aimee shared her testimony as well with the same result. Students and teachers alike listened carefully and were attentive as she shared. Watching Shawn and Aimee was so cool; they shared their Faith with confidence and without fear.

I had the privilege of tying the two testimonies together and giving a brief Gospel presentation. I felt a little out of sorts as it was difficult for me to communicate through the translator. I chalk it up to a lesson learned; one that will prepare me for sharing more effectively at the soccer tournament on Saturday. Despite not feeling great about how I communicated with the students, I know sharing God’s word never returns void.

After we ministered to the students the students turned the tables and ministered to us. They broke into song right there while standing outside. It was like their way of thanking us for coming. The sound of the student’s voices was amazing; it penetrated my soul and lifted my spirit. I absolutely loved it and felt as if they had done for me in that brief moment more than I could do in an entire week of service here. The song symbolized hope, faith, and strength; given the situation most of them live in, those things can only be found when depending solely in Jesus.

Following the assembly we had a chance to walk through each classroom and offer “sweets” to every student. The students were great, if not a little sneaky. They would place the sucker they were given in their pocket and then hold out their hands with puppy dog eyes hoping to get another. It worked on me a few times, but truthfully I don’t mind a bit.

Our day closed with our team huddled around a campfire (yes, in Africa) making a traditional Swazi dessert… S’mores. They were a perfect cap to a nearly perfect day.