I have been in Swaziland just under 2 months and I love living here. It’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, but things in Africa don’t always go at a speed I am used to. For example, if I want to go to the bank to exchange money. I must wait in line outside the bank for one person at a time to enter the bank, I assume this is for security reasons, but more than once I have rushed past the line and tried to enter the building alongside another person, only to be pulled back by the next person in line and told that I have to get to the back of the line. Upon entry into the bank I must then stand in a line to get to the enquiry desk, so I will know which line I am suppose to stand in to get my money exchanged. All in all I would say the bank experience here is equivalent of the DMV experience in CT.
All that to say that I have finally, officially and fully begun the ministry that I have come to Swaziland to do 🙂 Last week I began teaching 44 girls at 2 different carepoints about the importance of abstinence for their physical well-being and more importantly for their spiritual well-being. It’s been great to see that all the girls that I offered the Bible study to have accepted and wanted to learn about a better way than what their culture teaches them.
The first week was just an introduction week, getting to know who each girl is and her age. It turns out that I have girls from 10-18 years old. For teaching time I break them into 2 groups by age and at the moment I have a few Swazi young adult women helping me with translation and how to be relevant in the Swazi culture. So 2 girls take the older group and one girl and I take the younger group. This first week we incorporated into our lesson washing each girl’s feet to show that we are servant leaders and not just there to tell them what to do, but to show that they can trust us and open up to us. This act of service for them is a great ice -breaker because before we do it, the girls kinda just stare at us and listen but are too shy to speak. After we wash their feet, it’s like the floodgates open up and they are willing to answer questions and participate in group discussions. We also stress that nothing leaves the room (or group) since we are talking about a sensitive subject.
This week we are teaching the girls the importance of who they are in Christ. Culturally a girl is no-one until she becomes married and then she is a wife, children and single woman have very little or no value. A girl must do what she is told and she is brought up that way from a very young age. So sadly when a man tell a girl she must “be with him” she feels like she must say yes. Lot’s of abuses happen this way and then the girls are ashamed. We are teaching them that it’s ok to say no to those kids of things. I don’t want to change culture so we have all disobedient children, but if something is ungodly then I want the girls to know it’s ok to say no to that and it’s not disobedience but rather protecting themselves from harm. I am speaking very general because of the range of my readers, but I am sure if you are old enough to know what I mean, then you do.
Please pray for these girls to have the courage to follow God’s word and to say no to people they should be able to trust in these sticky situations. Pray that I will be able to know how to counsel and deal with those who have already been through these things and feel ashamed. Pray for the older girls who have made bad decisions that they will change their ways and choose a new way, the way of righteousness. Pray for the women helping me with teaching and translation that we would be a unified group and seeking God’s will for each step of this Bible study, down to the little details that easily entangle us and cause divisions. Praise God that I work with these Swazi women who have chosen to be examples to the youth with their teaching and their lives.
