Hello everyone!

It’s so bittersweet to say that I’m headed home. In just about four days, we’ll be leaving Eswatini, and I wanted to share one final blog to wrap up this incredible season. After about three days of travel, we’ll head to Georgia for a week of debrief with other squads to decompress, reconnect, and begin preparing our hearts and minds for stepping back into life in America. Overall, I am ready to come home, but our last few days of ministry are very sad, and I’m going to miss my squad and Africa so much!

Like I’ve talked about before, our main ministry in Eswatini was going to a care point to feed, play, and teach the children. There were a few specific girls who I connected with deeply, but as we were leaving I was wondering to some extent how much of a difference we had made. However, we really saw the impact we had made on the kids' lives on our last day! The leader of the care point and the children prepared traditional dances and songs for us as a little farewell gift. Then, for about two hours we were swarmed with goodbye letters, hugs, tears, kisses, last conversations, exchanging numbers, etc! It was so sweet and somber all at the same time! There are two girls in particular that were teased for being my “tail” because they always followed me around. One of them came up to me to give me a hug, and cried for at least 30 minutes on my shoulder. It truly broke my heart; she said she just didn’t want us to go. I prayed with her, encouraged her, sat with her, and heard her heart! It was such a tender moment realizing our time there truly was not in vain, that we had for a time given the children the love that they needed. Then, right before we got on the bus to leave, we told all the kids how much we loved them, but ultimately that our time there was so that they would see how much God loves them, that He loves them so much more than we could ever love them, and encouraged them to continue seeking Him in their lives! I’ll never forget the whole day, so full of tears from all the kids and us, but also so full of peace and joy after a wonderful season!

Another extremely hard part of saying goodbye has been realizing that my time with my squad will reach its end after debrief. These girls have been my constant companions and dear friends for the past 4 months, and I’m sad to say they all live in states far from me. While I do hope to visit some of them in the future, I will really miss their joy, laughing with them day in and day out, and sharing life together! I’ve made some of my sweetest friends on this trip!

I will, of course, miss Africa so much. There are definitely things that I am ready to leave, the bugs, getting stared at for being white woman, etc. But, Eswatini is by far the most beautiful place I’ve ever been: the people are incredibly kind and welcoming, and I’ve grown to appreciate the laid-back lifestyle we’ve been invited into, along with so many other things!

Overall, I would say that this trip has made me advocate that everyone should go on at least a short-term mission trip at least once in their life if possible! I’ve grown spiritually in ways I really did not anticipate, built life long relationships, and gained a new perspective on myself, culture and people in general! One main perspective change I’ve gained from this time is what living a selfless lifestyle looks like. I’m not saying that I or anyone else will ever be perfectly selfless, however, when you spend most days out of your week sharing the Gospel, loving people, and caring for them, you gain a sense of what is truly important in life! When you see poverty, sickness, hopelessness, and despair, your problems and your own pride decrease. I’ve been convicted over and over by my thoughts and the way I spend my time, often realizing how much of it is wasted when it could be used to serve others. However, all that to say, I have also grown in gratitude for America and my home. Often, people complain about and point out America’s task-oriented culture. And while it’s true that we, as a nation, could benefit from slowing down and taking a breath, I’ve also come to see that our efficiency, productivity, and determination aren’t inherently bad. God calls us to stewardship, and in many ways, our nation has reflected that by building systems of government and care that serve people, support those in need, and help maintain a society that is relatively clean, safe, and full of opportunity. While we have encouraged people here not to idolize or obsess over America, since every nation is far from perfect, we are also extremely blessed to live in such a unique place. It’s important to recognize that blessing and to let go of any sense of entitlement or grumbling.

There is so much more I could say to wrap up this season, but thankfully I will be back soon to talk more in person with some of you! I praise God for the beautiful journey that this has been, and that the call to live a life on mission does not end here, it reaches into each believer's life always, bringing peace and intimacy with the Father! I love you so very much, and I want to thank you all of your prayers, support, and love over the past year of preparing and going on this wonderful adventure! You made it possible for me to come to Africa, and it truly changed my life and many others, thank you! And thank you for reading these blogs as well, I have truly loved writing them, and staying in contact with you all! 

I’ll end this final blog with one of my family's favorite verses: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” - Numbers 6: 24-26

Love, 

Abigail