An Adventure a Day

       Since our last meeting I have been busy in the Kingdom of Swaziland.  Well as busy as we can get living here as a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer).  I was able to teach a few life skills classes with the students at the high school, conduct interviews and surveys to learn more about my community, completed our IST (In-Service Training), and started the planning stages of some projects to introduce in my community and the schools.  There has been a pig roast, farewell party at the high school with lots of dancing and singing, playing card games with my bhuti “brother” that I don’t understand, and the private screening of Frozen in my hut with my bobhuti “brother’s” and sisi “sister”.  Everyday is an adventure, everyday is something new and everyday is a learning experience.

         The relationships continue to grow in my community and I am feeling more comfortable with my work, my family and the community.  I think the more you accept that in-order to live and learn, we need to be uncomfortable, this creates more of a sense of comfort for us at the end of the day.  I never know what to expect when I wake up each day, but I know that God prepares the way for me and that whatever I set out to do he has prepared that path for me.  It can be from the days I just ask Him for smooth and safe travels to Manzini, that the bus arrives that day, to the days when I walk to the school and ask Him to bring me just one person today.  Sometimes He decides though that someone is going to teach me something that day, the young child running by me saying “Hello Celimbilo” as the bell rings at the school, or my Babe “father” yelling outside my door just to ask me how I am at 8pm at night.  I enjoy every moment of it and have to just thank God everyday that this is real life.

         It has been almost 5 months now that I have left home to start this adventure here in the Kingdom of Swaziland (maybe a little history lesson and culture lesson is in store for Swaziland in the next blog), time has been flying by and sometimes I don’t know if 2 years is enough time.  A little bit on some things we are working on with the schools and my community are boys and girls clubs, getting a library together, income generating projects with my family and the community, and good hygiene practices.  That could all change tomorrow though so I just continue to ride this ride.  You cannot force something and do things the way we Americans think things should be done, it also takes 100 times longer to get something done here, it’s just the Swazi way.  I kind of like it, “if it can be done today, it usually can be done tomorrow.”  It holds some truth to it. 

         On the PCV side of things we celebrated our 1^st successful Halloween here in Swaziland, the people here don’t understand this holiday, but neither do we really.  It was held at a local backpackers lodge near Mbabane (the country capital) with almost all 100 of us volunteers who are in country right now.  Our first and only hopefully IST (In-Service Training) was completed and was a good way to get re-motivated to go back to our communities “guns blazing” typical American style…that didn’t last long.  Nonetheless, it was all great information for us to help in our communities.  Thanksgiving planning has begun and will be hosted by our CD (Country Director) at his house with all the volunteers.  Christmas is in the works currently and spending the holidays together as a volunteer community and family.  New Years is going to be spent sitting on the beach looking out into the Indian Ocean in Durban, South Africa…doesn’t get much better than that.  January the schools will be starting up again and hopefully all the planning and learning about projects can be put into action.

         The process though is not over, there is no really set plan for a volunteer and it is a constant planning, evaluating and learning process for the next 2 years.  The most important thing is to learn how to listen, observe and just be available.  Some projects may be a great success, but others will fail and it is learning what happened, re-evaluating and trying again.  Relationships are essential in successful integration and success of projects, starting those is the difficult thing sometimes, but nurturing the relationship we make is what makes it rewarding.  Seeing others grow along with you, sharing cross culture experiences, ideas and lessons, ultimately improving both of us in one way or another.  The stories continue, friendships made, adventures had, and living each day as a blessing from God, just walking this path of life.

Students participating in traditional dance

The Daily Grind

          It truly is a new adventure each day here in the Kingdom of Swaziland.  I wake up each day unknowing what it brings, but prepared to take whatever may come my way.  Isn’t that really every day of our lives though no matter where we are?  I figured I should add a little humor to my blog in this entry, after all this is the Peace Corps.  I mean that in a good way.  My days here I try to create some sort of routine to help me stay balanced and sane at times.  There are moments that I really cannot expect what will happen, that is usually when I step out of my hut.  Then again, adventures can happen without me stepping outside.  It is all part of life and the Peace Corps experience.

         My daily routine that I have began to develop consists of the following:

(Some days will vary depending on if I have an event or traveling to attend to)

7am – 9:30am 

      

-Wake up

(I have gotten better at ignoring the roosters)

-Make coffee or tea

(Depending on supply and how tired I am)

-Daily devotions and Bible reading

-Have breakfast

(This varies depending on motivation)

Options: Corn flakes with powder milk, Oats with sugar and honey, or hard-boiled eggs and bread

                          

-Make my bed

(Yes! I finally make my bed every day; I don’t want to find snakes or spiders in it later that night)

-Morning workout in hut

(30-day challenges, or P90x on “days off”)

-Take a shower in my makeshift bucket/solar shower

-Get dressed and tackle the day!

9:30am – 3pm

      

-Walk to either the Primary School or High School

(It is a rough 15-minute walk, and that’s if I am walking Swazi pace)

-I check in with the teachers and will meet with some of them or work on project ideas and help students with schoolwork.

-Visit the store next to the school for snacks or a cold soda (Varies on the supply they have that day, and temperatures)

-Eat lunch with the teachers

(Rice and beans, or other days it is “mystery” meat, once it was the insides of a cow, I just eat it…kind of)

-Some days I will just go on a walk around my community, the best way to met people, learn new things and explore.

3pm – 6pm 

            

-This is usually the time my family returns home.

(School, church, town, the tree down the road, garden, not really sure some days)

-Spend time with my bobhuti “brothers” and “sister”

(We will just talk about the day, learn new words in SiSwati, or play games)

-I will help with any schoolwork they have

-Talk with make “mother” and babe “father”

-Retire to my hut for the evening at dark

6pm – 9pm   

          

-Will start cooking for the evening

(Menu varies on motivation once again, and supplies)

Options: rice and beans, rice and beans with veggies, rice with veggies, beans with veggies, I try and mix it up with pasta, or some meat if I have any

(No fridge in my hut so I store it in my family’s fridge if I have any)

-Usually listen to “West Coast Radio” from Durban, SA

(They actually played FGL and Taylor Swift, along with TLC, Tina Turner, you never really know what to expect)

-During dinner I watch a movie or a TV episode

(Thank you Jesus for external hard drives!)

-Spend time journaling, writing, drawing, or reading

-Do dishes from the day

(All by hand in my dish basin)

-Refill my water filter for water the next day

-The evening lock of doors and bug check throughout my hut

-Crawl into bed and Thank Jesus and God for another safe, productive, and rewarding day, pray for a good nights sleep, new day and to bless all those in my life.

         My day’s can take some changes though and I can never really expect what will be next.  We are on a period called integration, which is for the first 3 months at our permanent sites we are expected to observe, meet with community members, explore and learn as much as we can about our community and the people we will be working with for the next 2 years.  It is a time of learning and building relationships with our host family, teachers, students and community members.  It might be one of the more difficult times of our service, there is not much direction and we need to get out there, expose ourselves, be uncomfortable and integrate into the Kingdom of Swaziland and our unique community.  I anticipate as projects develop, relationships are built, and time goes on daily schedules with change and new adventures will arise.

         In my next blog I can expand on this idea of a new adventure each day because it really is here in Swaziland.  I never know what to expect sometimes.  From the time I transported my bed on top of a public bus 3 hours, to killing and cooking a pig, to riding in the back of a military truck at midnight returning from a church service with my host family.  Yes, that all actually happened! #Swaziland Every day though is a unique gift from God.  I continually thank Him every day for this opportunity, trust Him and lay it all in His hands.  I look at the positives; take it each day at a time, and learn to rejoice in the small success stories while being a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Kingdom of Swaziland.