Our main topic in our squad this last week was how fast the time has gone. It’s a bittersweet feeling to be here with our team, enjoying the ministry, but then also excited to go home and see all the people we miss. The days still felt slow, but before you knew it, the week was over. Every day this week was a “this is the last time we will be doing this day.”
On Monday we started on our last Ask the Lord day. We were dropped off in Manzini at 9:00 am and were there until 1:00 pm. My small team went to the two other teams for this day so I was with a different group than usual. We went to some of their regular places and said goodbye to the friends that they had made during their time on Mondays. We also got to meet some new people and pray over them. My highlight of the day was going to the market to say goodbye to our friend Wesley. We went there every Monday to say hi and talk to him and we told him why we were here and he even invited us to his church! So we got to say goodbye and asked if we could pray for him before we went. He was so happy to see us and said that if we are ever back in Eswatini we need to make sure to come see him☺️
This week I got to do something different every week which was really interesting. On Tuesday a few of us went to help our ministry host organize things and package clothes for the cooks and kids that go to the care points. That was fulfilling and a great day! Wednesday we were at our Care Points and tried to soak up all the time we had left with the kids. We hosted another Beauty for Ashes event which is a way to show women that we see and care about them. We hosted two of these days while we were here in Eswatini and they were for the cooks at the carepoint and some women that help out. There was food, worship, teaching, prayer, and just a hangout time to get to know them and show them that not only do we love them but God loves them so much more. So our whole squad was at one care point that day when we were usually split in two. We had everyone there so there were plenty of people for the event and also to play with the kids.
On Thursday we had our last care point day. It was such a good day but the worst part was when we had to say goodbye. Even with the language barrier I have gotten so close to these kids and was so sad to tell them goodbye when some of them didn’t understand that we weren’t coming back next week.
On Friday we went to another care point and helped them cook for their Christmas party! We cooked and served over 200 kids and were there most of the day.! We finished out Friday with our last squad worship and had a fun time around a bonfire. 
On Saturday we went to this tourist attraction called Swazi candle which was something very awesome to see. We then went to our ministry host house for lunch and dinner and got to hang out with them and have a relaxing Saturday!
This week was such a full week of so many bittersweet moments. As this trip comes to an end the key thing that has been on my mind is God’s faithfulness. Throughout this whole trip through every day, he has been so faithful and provided every step of the way. I am encouraged and a piece of me will always be here in Eswatini with the people that I grew close to. We weren’t here to change every kid’s situation or fix anything but just to simply love. When giving love we received that back and so much more. Kindness, joy, acceptance, and encouragement are what we receive as well as a heart change that you aren’t always prepared for. A heart to take more time for those around you, listen more, love deeper, and live truly in fellowship with God. After living in another country for over two months I am very excited to head home but I also know I will miss the moments here with these people that I have grown so close to🫶🏼
