Two weeks back, and my heart is still in Swaziland.
So here it is, 2 weeks since I've arrived back in the good ole USA. I miss Swaziland more than ever but I know that even though I am not there, God is doing AMAZING things. Coming back home was tough, really tough. We had talked about reverse culture shock in debriefing but experiencing it was a whole different level. When I arrived home, I felt sad, lonely, maybe a little depressed because I felt that Swaziland was my home and I had left it to go to some foreign land. One of the hardest things I had to deal with was to process the fact that the world kept moving for the two months I was gone. Things changed, people changed, some for the better and some for the worse. I missed everything about Swaziland: the people, our house, the culture...everything. It was what I had grown to know and love. Here I am 2 weeks later and I am still dealing with all of these issues. The great thing is God is using my experience to further my walk with Him and also to spread the word about Swaziland to others.
Since I've been home, I had the chance to speak at two different churches about my trip. What an amazing privilege to have. The more I talked about my trip, the easier it was to realize what an awesome experience it was. After telling my story to the first church, I had a youth comment on my facebook and say " Reh, your story about your trip was very life changing! I can't wait to go on mission trip! Again you did a great job=)"....thats amazing to hear. To hear that a youth is thinking about doing missions work after hearing about my summer. Thats God working right there. I ask that you pray for everyone who heard about my summer and pray that God sends more workers to the harvest.
We had another debriefing once we got back to the states. All of the BCM summer missionaries were asked to attend. It was awesome to get to see my team again, even though it had been a week since we left each other. Honestly I feel like they are my family. I would do anything for them. Once you experience what we did for that long together, theres a bond created that can't be undone. Words can't do it justice.
Honestly, it feels like I left a piece of my heart in Swaziland. I heard it said that Africa will do that to you, but now I know. I hope to go back. I pray that God will always put a burden on my heart for those who are in need. Jesus doesn't ask us to care for the widowed and the fatherless, He commands us too. The Bible also says if we love Him, we will follow His commands...so put two and two together.
The one question I've gotten alot was, "What has God taught you from being Africa?" It's a question thats hard to answer, and I'm sure my other teammates can attest to that. I would have to say that one of the bigger things I learned was not to be afraid to tell others of Jesus. It seems like lately, some big name evangelical preachers are leaning towards a "No-Hell" view. I can tell you theres a Hell and theres millions of people going there everyday. I can tell you this because I felt the presence of demons while we were in Africa, and they have to come from somewhere. So really, how much do you have to hate someone to not tell them about the One and Only God who loves them beyond belief. Some will want to listen to what you have to say, some won't. Even if it offends them, sometimes thats what it takes. Show them the love of God and do that however the Spirit leads you.
They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is in Swaziland. I pray that God will lead me back there one day, but I know they are in good hands if He has other plans. My heart hurts when I think about Swaziland, but I know with time and prayer it will heal.
Egamani la Jesu Khristu
-Thulani.
Since I've been home, I had the chance to speak at two different churches about my trip. What an amazing privilege to have. The more I talked about my trip, the easier it was to realize what an awesome experience it was. After telling my story to the first church, I had a youth comment on my facebook and say " Reh, your story about your trip was very life changing! I can't wait to go on mission trip! Again you did a great job=)"....thats amazing to hear. To hear that a youth is thinking about doing missions work after hearing about my summer. Thats God working right there. I ask that you pray for everyone who heard about my summer and pray that God sends more workers to the harvest.
We had another debriefing once we got back to the states. All of the BCM summer missionaries were asked to attend. It was awesome to get to see my team again, even though it had been a week since we left each other. Honestly I feel like they are my family. I would do anything for them. Once you experience what we did for that long together, theres a bond created that can't be undone. Words can't do it justice.
Honestly, it feels like I left a piece of my heart in Swaziland. I heard it said that Africa will do that to you, but now I know. I hope to go back. I pray that God will always put a burden on my heart for those who are in need. Jesus doesn't ask us to care for the widowed and the fatherless, He commands us too. The Bible also says if we love Him, we will follow His commands...so put two and two together.
The one question I've gotten alot was, "What has God taught you from being Africa?" It's a question thats hard to answer, and I'm sure my other teammates can attest to that. I would have to say that one of the bigger things I learned was not to be afraid to tell others of Jesus. It seems like lately, some big name evangelical preachers are leaning towards a "No-Hell" view. I can tell you theres a Hell and theres millions of people going there everyday. I can tell you this because I felt the presence of demons while we were in Africa, and they have to come from somewhere. So really, how much do you have to hate someone to not tell them about the One and Only God who loves them beyond belief. Some will want to listen to what you have to say, some won't. Even if it offends them, sometimes thats what it takes. Show them the love of God and do that however the Spirit leads you.
They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is in Swaziland. I pray that God will lead me back there one day, but I know they are in good hands if He has other plans. My heart hurts when I think about Swaziland, but I know with time and prayer it will heal.
Egamani la Jesu Khristu
-Thulani.
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