Sawubona!
(Another journal entry from my trip to South Africa/Zambia)
JUNE 16th - SOUTH AFRICA
As I finished washing my hands in the airport bathroom shortly after arriving in Johannesburg, I turned to see one of the custodians finishing her cleaning duty. She sheepishly smiled at me and nodded as I dried my hands. "Sawubona!", I said smiling and extending my hand to her. Her eyes lit up as she responded back "Yebo!", with much enthusiasm in her voice. We continued to greet each other in Zulu and as I proceeded to tell her my name, she reached out to give me a hug! "Ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga!!"(thank you, thank you!), she said holding me tight. I was shocked that a complete stranger was so touched just by a foreigner like me acknowledging and greeting her in her native language.
I could not really converse with her any further as my Zulu is limited, but I left her with saying "uNkulunkulu uyakuthanda" (God loves you) to which she smiled and shook my hand one last time. I came out of that bathroom in tears realizing that God can move through a simple "hello" or "sawubona" as they say here. I don't know if she was having a bad day or if anyone ever even takes the time to make her feel loved or important, but I do know that God somehow used me touch her heart in the middle of an airport bathroom in Johannesburg. And I know that His love for her is greater than both she or I could ever comprehend. God is going to do great things this month.
Amazed by His Great Love,
Olivia Thabisa Cartwright.
JUNE 16th - SOUTH AFRICA
As I finished washing my hands in the airport bathroom shortly after arriving in Johannesburg, I turned to see one of the custodians finishing her cleaning duty. She sheepishly smiled at me and nodded as I dried my hands. "Sawubona!", I said smiling and extending my hand to her. Her eyes lit up as she responded back "Yebo!", with much enthusiasm in her voice. We continued to greet each other in Zulu and as I proceeded to tell her my name, she reached out to give me a hug! "Ngiyabonga, ngiyabonga!!"(thank you, thank you!), she said holding me tight. I was shocked that a complete stranger was so touched just by a foreigner like me acknowledging and greeting her in her native language.
I could not really converse with her any further as my Zulu is limited, but I left her with saying "uNkulunkulu uyakuthanda" (God loves you) to which she smiled and shook my hand one last time. I came out of that bathroom in tears realizing that God can move through a simple "hello" or "sawubona" as they say here. I don't know if she was having a bad day or if anyone ever even takes the time to make her feel loved or important, but I do know that God somehow used me touch her heart in the middle of an airport bathroom in Johannesburg. And I know that His love for her is greater than both she or I could ever comprehend. God is going to do great things this month.
Amazed by His Great Love,
Olivia Thabisa Cartwright.
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