My Summer Swaziland Trip
Summer, 2007

My name is Hunter Johnson, and I am an 18-year-old sophomore at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.  This summer, I went on my third trip to Swaziland, Africa.  This trip was completely different than the other two I had taken in 2002 and 2005 for more than one reason.  I went for five weeks instead of two; I went alone instead of with a group from my church; and I lived with a missionary family, Steve, Monica, and Lacie Allen, instead of staying in guest houses.  However, the biggest difference for me was the amount of time that I was able to pour into rekindling past relationships with the Swazi people and creating new friendships.  This time, I stayed in a different region of Swaziland, so at first I was afraid that I would not be able to spend time with my friends I knew from other regions.  To my joy and amazement, this was far from true. 

While I was there, I spoke at a Youth Leaders’ Retreat, where I was able to be reconnected with many of my friends that I had met on past trips when my church and I had helped to lead the National Youth Camp.  I was also able to spend time with three of my best friends in the world, Simanga, Jane, and Sandile, since they were translators for a team from the states that the Allens hosted.  I have known these youth leaders since 2005 and have been able to keep in contact with Simanga through letters.  However, it was during this trip that I was able to sit around a camp fire or around the house and simply learn about their lives.  Simanga and Sandile, who call themselves my bobhuti, or brothers, eagerly shared many aspects of their culture and day to day lives in Swaziland.  At the end of my trip, after spending hours with my bobhuti and my sisi, Jane, it was hard to imagine ever leaving them. 
Since coming home, I have written letters to both of my Swazi brothers and many more Swazis, including another amazing friend of mine, Mavayi.  I have been friends with Mavayi since 2002 and have been exchanging letters with her since 2005.  Mavayi calls herself my twin sister, which is exactly how I see her.  Just when it seems like we have nothing in common, the fact that we have a Christ-centered friendship brings us back to being twins.  While I was in Swaziland this summer, I was able to spend the night at Mavayi’s home.  I had to travel about two hours on public transportation to get there, and even though I was the only American for miles and miles, I never felt unsafe.  My brother, Simanga, and other Swazi friends were there with me and deemed themselves as my body guards.  Spending the weekend in a Swazi home, with Swazi food, and the language flowing all around me, I knew without any doubt in my mind that I was home.  It is very hard to explain how I felt at home without any of the comforts of home, but I did. 

God has been speaking to me since my trip in 2005 about spending more time in Swaziland.  A part of me thought that the longer trip this summer may be that time He was telling me about, but now I know that He is calling me to my second home, in Swaziland.  God taught me so much this summer and a lot of it I learned through my Swazi brothers and sisters.  When I asked them how our church is different than other churches, I was simply told, “You come back.”  Returning to Swaziland and continuing these relationships is what my life is currently based around.  I know I will return to Swaziland, because God has shown me that part of His plan, and He showed me through Sandile.  One of the last nights I was there, Sandile told me that God had showed Him a verse to share with me and encourage me about my return.  He opened the Bible to Genesis 28:15 which says, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised.”  My brother encouraged me so much by showing me this verse, and it continues to encourage me here in North Carolina, over 8,000 miles away from my other home. 

The last thing I would like to share is something Julia Tarr, a current Journeyman in Swaziland, said during the Swazi Youth Leaders’ Retreat.  Julia told us, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”  I was able to see this over and over during my time in Swaziland.  Before going, I had never led a Bible Study by myself, never taught in a classroom, never presented the message of True Love Waits, never visited in a homestead with only one other person, never stayed in a homestead, and I knew absolutely zero SiSwati.  However, God spoke through me and allowed me to present His message and do all of these things, including learning SiSwati.  I learned that all that I needed was a love for God, a servant heart, and a love for the people there.  I am so thankful that I am able to write and receive letters from them and even call a few of them on their cell phones.  God has blessed me with a heart for these people, and now, I am just waiting until I hear His voice tell me when it is the right time to return.