It has been a long day, we woke up at 7 o´clock and from 08.00-13.00 it was the confirmation service. We were also a part of the service when we held a short speech for the confirmands. The same confirmands we had held a Swedish confirmation class for two weeks earlier. After the service it was party after party after party. All of the confirmands were so happy to see us and wanted only to hang out with us while we were there. At the last party when we were about to leave one of the confirmands father tell me, with a little tear in his eye, “I don´t know where you came from, but you are sent from heaven”.
I don´t know how many times something similar has been said to me these months in South Africa. I don´t know how many times I´ve been speechless because of the beauty in the comments to Hlabirwa and me. I don´t know how many times I´ve wondered what can be so special about us. It´s not like we´ve taken some superpills to be some superhumans. I am more or less the same person as the one who left Sweden two months ago. Maybe I know a bit more Sepedi and a bit more local songs. But the big difference between you and me is almost none; the only difference is that I got the privilege of doing this journey.
We have just finished a service at the countryside in South Africa, more exactly Taffelkop in Limpopo province, we´ve taken the, nowadays, compulsory 25-30 photos with the congregants. One of the elderly people is more than happy when she can take photos with us; afterwards she thanks us and says, “You are the first miracle we experience at this place”. What do you respond to that?
Many times in life we affects a lot by people whom we don´t understand affects us and many times we affect others in the same way. And at some occasions it is very clear that we affect others, maybe when that person say it or when you can really see the difference in behaviour. That happens for Hlabirwa and me almost every day here. I think we´ve been in approximately 5000 photos, shaked hands with at least the triple and people treat us in an insane manner. At many places people think that we are missionaries who´re going to bless them from all evil. The mandate and power we have is therefore quite big.
At one hand it feels so silly that people react like this, we don´t deserve that love. But on the other hand, what gives me the right to complain about that we make people happy even though it´s clearly related to ethnical background? I believe that my task in this life is to make people happy and if I can show people here that a white person is exactly the same creature as a black person I think the world has taken a small step closer to a peaceful one.
I don´t like it when people likes me without deserving it, in the same way as I don´t enjoy money I´ve not earned by myself. But in this situation, I think that I need to see it from a different angle. Someone has sent me here to affect and be affected, I must not complain, but go with the flow and give the happiness I can give to as many as possible. Because If I ignore what people thinks about me and only see the happiness they get from me, I don´t have the right to issue there personal opinion of me. Because the bigger amount of happy people existing in this world, the more peace we´ll have.
With the amazing Youth league in Swarishanang
This guys have been to the initiation school for the tribe IsiNdebele which means that they have been surviving in the mountains for three months during winter with only one blanket and no clothes. If you not make it, they don´t help you. You die, as one guy did this year. Insane and interesting, Never been so close to a spartan….
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