I get on a plane one day in May to go on a missions trip with the elevate guys and girls. We pack up, hit numerous connections and eventually touch down the next day in Manzini, Swaziland Africa. The atmosphere was something I wasn’t use to. 2,000 feet above sea level, just walking was a challenge for me over all these hills.
Mbabane (Ba-ban) was a booming city where we stayed. We were right outside the city in a place called
Emafeni. It was a natural spring turned into a retreat center. We would drive into the city every day to do various things for the church. We were mainly there to work on the Children’s Cup care points. Some of what we did was the most inspiring things I’ve ever witnessed.
We came to Swaziland on a Thursday night and started first off that Friday morning. This was the first time the Swaziland campus had ever done an outreach as a church was that morning. They all put on there serve shirts, and we cooked for the complex we were in. They did what was called a “bri.” That’s basically a barbeque in Si-swati.
Also that first day we went to a park in the middle of Mbabane. It was one of the only parks that most people walk through when they are leaving the park. This was an interesting area because I never knew what was in this park until I got there.
I pull up to the park and started playing with the kids there. It was great. We played soccer and got to have a blast with everyone. Then I asked one of the guys Jordan that is an intern with the church about something I saw in the distance. “Hey what is that thing?” He replied, “Oh yeah, that is a mini ramp.” I was confused. “A mini ramp? I thought people didn’t skate in this city.”
I walk over to the ramp and I look in it. It is a mini ramp in the middle of Swaziland Africa. I heard from Jordan that it was a eye-soar to most people and many just don’t know what you use it for. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.
The ramp was about 6 feet tall. It seemed to be made of cinder blocks and concrete. The mud in the bottom of the ramp was built up at least a foot thick. I heard it’s about 1 year old and it would seem like that is the last time it was used by how dirty it was.
I walked away from that park realizing something. I was sent to a city that doesn’t skate, to see the most awsome site in the world. A ramp that could be used to start conversations and relationships of the many kids who skate there. It made me realize that no matter where were from, we have a common ground that can be shared anywhere in the world. God has blessed me with this gift, I must share it with the world. This is a ramp that has no name yet. 
