Definition: A dwelling house; the house or place in which one resides
“Welcome home” is how we were welcomed by our ministry host as we walked back into the base from debrief… and Home this has become. I now refer to our Swazi base as home, and the people around me family. We have now been in Swaziland for more than a month, and it has been incredible. Never would I have expected it to be this rewarding, hard, and revealing. I have learned so, so, so much about myself and so much more about our incredible Father. I just love how this small community we live in is becoming home now. I have made awesome relationships with people who work at savemore (the gas station near us), and with some of the Kumbi drivers (taxi drivers) and with many other people. I love walking down the street and having people walk up to us and greet us by our names. I. Love. Swaziland. Now about our week
Tuesday: This was the day we left South Africa to come home. The bus ride was about 5 hours (not bad at all), and the scenery was beautiful. We didn’t experience any trouble until we got to the border. So when we got to the border, everyone was supposed to have their passport out and ready to go… which most people did I thought. Once we got through them stamping them I was pulled aside by one the leaders and was told that someone couldn’t find their passport. So then the LC’s (Logistics coordinator) got together with the SQL’s (Squad Leaders) and started to figure out a plan. Overall this took almost 2 hours to figure out a plan and figure out if there was any way we could get this person through without her passport. After 2 hours we decided that some of us had to go back to the hostel and look for the passport and then stay another night there. RIGHT before they left to go back to the hostel, the person found their passport in their coat jacket. So all was good… funny memory.
Wednesday – Friday: We jumped right back into our ministry when we got back. The girls went to their care points, and the guys went to go evangelize at savemore. We were very exited to build relationships here because even though we weren’t assigned to be here in the future, we go to savemore every week. So if we build rapport with them now, we can have a lasting relationship in the next month! So in these days, we talked and hung out with lots of people, but we really connected with the mechanics who work there. They have a little garage on the other side of savemore, and they’re always sitting there playing cards, or just standing around, so we decided to introduce ourselves and see what card game they were playing. At first they were a little quiet but as time went on and after I bought them apples, they opened up and talked to us! They started to teach us the card game (Casino), and we started to learn who they were. On the other days (Thursday and Friday), we went back to their shop and did the same thing… then by Friday we knew completely how to play the game, and now we are practicing back at home so we can beat them. haha. Very happy that we have these friends at the gas station, and I can’t wait to see where and how our relationships grow.
Prayer Request: I have a couple prayer requests…
1) Please pray for comfort and clarity for my phone/communication detox. It is much, much harder than I thought and its only been one week. But like I said in my last blog, saying yes to God is hard because I’m saying no to other things. I trust him, I trust that this is the right thing…It’s just hard. So if you could pray for me during this that would great… thank ya
2) Please pray for my team and squad. There’s nothing wrong with us but just pray for this continual peace and smoothness.
3) Pray for Swaziland. This beautiful country is going through a lot spiritually, and physically. So just pray that God shows up to these people in incredible ways, and pray for the land. Thankfully we have been getting a couple days of rain and clouds (Swaziland has had a drought for a while now).
Thank you guys so much for the prayers and for reading my blogs, it really does mean a lot.
Thank you for sharing! I am so glad you feel at home in Swaziland and with your squad. I love the relationships you are building and how God’s abundant love pours out of you. I will be praying for you and this media fast, the squad, and for Swaziland.
Home… !
A personal place/space…. hoME! 🙂
Thank you for writing this… I can picture the interactions with the guys at the station … the cards …the apples… the heated competition! 🙂
I love how God has overflowed your boundaries and you have experienced how much He is deeper still!
So after reading your blog… the word that comes to mind is … “flexible”
All these are opportunities to be flexible…
Flexible … with others when in stressful urgent situations…..with creativity and interacting with the local people(apples) …with yourself… with God and giving Him total control and voice.
May the Lord richly bless you and your obedience!
Hugs, W
Parker, I am so glad you are “home”. Only God can give that to you and how awesome it must feel. Continue to love the people you encounter and those around you, you do it well!! I love you and am so proud of you!!
You are a wonderful writer, Parker. Thank you for sharing all your experiences with us. Thank you especially for sharing your heart. I know the Lord is using you in mighty ways!
10-4 Parker
Parker! It is great to hear that things are going well for you and your team. I have been praying for you all daily. I am sure that God will bless you all.
I love how you guys are building relationships with those men! PRaying for you guys!
I love that you are at home in Swazi. Thanks for all you and the other logistics people do. Keep loving well. Love you!
Thank you, Parker, for being intentional with people and feeding into their lives and into The Kingdom! And thank you for saying ‘yes’ to hard things!
I am encouraged and inspired by you and your intentionality, perspective, and courage Parker. Keep pressing on!
Developing relationships with the lost is such an important component of the process of witnessing. You are doing exactly right by learning that card game in order to develop those relationships. Your message of Christ will often be more readily received if you have taken the time to first build those relationships. Great work! Praying for you!
That is awesome man, making those relationships so that you can keep on diving in even though you wont be assigned there. Also nice job handling the whole passport situation I’m sure that was stressful, but like you said, it’ll be funny to look back on. And i’ll be praying for you and your team.