As a child, my Grandma Doris always told me, “The older you get the faster time goes by.” I never felt this during grade school and high school; it seemed as if the summer lasted forever. However, as I sit back and reflect on the past 7+ years serving at Project Canaan, it seems like only yesterday I arrived to a place and country that would literally steal my heart.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with my story and how God orchestrated my time in Eswatini, here is the shortened version. I went on my first international mission trip to Haiti in 2011 after some friends went to serve after the horrific earthquake the year previous. Viewing their photos and hearing their stores, I could not truly comprehend what I saw and heard, I had to see it for myself. Fast forward to 2014, where I spent an entire month serving in Haiti and while there, I kept thinking what does it look like to serve for more than just a week or two weeks? What impact does loving and serving others like Jesus have on the people you are serving? In 2015, I went on the World Race an 11-month, 11-country mission trip. I spent the entire month of September that year at Project Canaan working in the Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classrooms. One morning as we walked to the school, I told one of my teammates, “I feel as if I’m going to live here one day. I don’t know for how long, but I’ll be back.” It would be just a short 14 months before I boarded a plane with 2 suitcases and moved to Eswatini for what I thought would be a 2-year commitment. I moved into Emseni 2 with 40 rambunctious 3 & 4 year old boys not knowing what the future would hold, but God’s plans and timing are perfect and my time serving at Project Canaan is a testament this fact.
As I reflect on my time as the Program Director and Big Brother, my heart is filled with gratitude. Gratitude that I was able to live in the beautiful country of Eswatini, work with so many selfless and awesome people, and get to be involved in the lives of the children who call Project Canaan home. I never could have imagined 7+ years ago the impact and impression this place, these people, and these kids would have on my life. Words could never adequately express or describe the awesome experience it was to serve with Heart for Arica. Project Canaan really is a special place and I do not think there is another place like it anywhere in the world.
The role of Big Brother was by far the best part; living in the house and being involved in the daily highs, lows, and craziness of the boys lives. Countless hours spent watching movies, playing games, playing detective to see who ate the auntie’s food in the fridge, celebrating the accomplishments, or being a shoulder to cry on when things did not go their way- I LOVED IT ALL! It was an honor to watch them grow from young, mischievous boys into the youth and young men they are becoming.
I also enjoyed the role of Program Director, helping to organize the daily lives of the children and planning activities, trips, and outings to broaden their minds and worldview. Some of my favorite outings include: visiting Eswatini Rail for the kids to experience their first train ride; crossing the border into South Africa for a day visit and enjoying McDonalds, ice-skating and an arcade; visiting the local airport and watching kids take their first plane ride; or the numerous “life skills” outings to help the kids gain knowledge about the processes of life outside of Project Canaan.
One of my last outings was taking the Grade 6 & 7 (in 3 separate smaller groups) on a public bus to Manzini and spending the day exploring the different sights and sounds of town. Project Canaan has been blessed with our own bus and private transportation, but this is not the case for the majority of the population. Riding a public bus or quantum is something that many of the staff or their own children have been doing since 10 or 11 years old – its just a way of life. So off we went to town. The first stop was the busy, noisy, and overwhelming bus rank. We found a restaurant with a balcony, so the staff were able to explain and make some sort of order out of the chaos and share their own personal experiences of finding the correct bus to get home. We then stopped at an ATM to get money enough to eat lunch and for the return bus fare. Along the way to the town’s library, we discussed how to use crosswalks to cross the street safely. A tour of the library and information on the services of the library system was our next stop, before setting out to locate the different types of businesses and establishments in town. The police station, government offices, post office, banks, and more were on the “walking tour” led by the staff. A lunch of braaied (grilled) meat and quick trip to the local market was enjoyed before getting ice cream at KFC (a staple of any person’s trip to town) then locating the bus that would take us to Project Canaan’s nearest bus stop.
When asked about the experience, many of the kids commented that town was very busy, noisy and loud, and some mentioned being frightened by the large number of unfamiliar people, sights, and sounds. One boy said, “I need to work hard so I can buy my own car so I don’t have to wait on and take the bus every day.”
Project Canaan and the country of Eswatini will always be my second home. The children and staff will always be a part of my extended family and have a special place in my heart. I’m going to miss the daily hugs, high fives, the visits, the conversations, and all of the special moments that are a part of daily life on Project Canaan. Thank you to everyone who helped make this experience possible and for your selfless support and generosity. As I told the kids the day I left, this is not a ‘good-bye,’ it’s a ‘see you later.’ Whether it’s on a video screen or in person, we will see each other again.
Bryan Throgmorton, Longterm Volunteer, Program Director, Big Brother and Friend.