Got some more sad news today. Another baby has died. This time it was a four month old little girl. Her mama passed away a little over a month ago from full blown AIDS and the baby died from AIDS complications and respiratory illness. Another brand new little person is gone. I just have to keep reminding myself that she is in heaven now. I’m almost a little bit thankful that she left so young. At least now she doesn’t have to deal with the pain that living with AIDS in Africa causes.
The governor is in town today and work has been cancelled. Only two more days after this until we leave for Pemba! Wow! THE OCEAN! I am hoping I can find the last of my little gifts for people back home when I get there. I have a couple more things that I need to pick up. I’m going to sit and watch a movie with B and try to spend the rest of my day out at the village with the kiddos. Since there is no work today, we don’t have school, but I want to spend as much time with my little friends as I can before I leave.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Countdown Begins
Holy moly. My last Sunday in Balama. I am amazed at how quickly the month went by. I am beyond ready to get home. I mostly can’t wait to get back and tie up all of the loose ends. There is a lot in my life right now that is up in the air. School, a job, and my home. I need to get back and get my life into some sort of order.
We got news today that a baby has died. She was one month old. I’m not entirely sure what happened, but apparently she had been sick for a week and her little body couldn’t take it anymore. What is even harder for me is that my little girls’ twin brother has severe malaria. His mom brought him to us this afternoon. He was whimpering and totally lethargic. B gave him medication and we prayed for him and sent them home. I can only pray that we wake up tomorrow to a baby and not needs for a funeral. Scary stuff.
Church was amazing today! Not only did everyone dance and sing as usual, but they had a little ceremony for me! Different people came up to praise the Lord for my good heart and hard work. It was really lovely. Everyone came up for hugs and kisses and we all laughed and cried! It is so nice to be a part of such a transparent group of people! Everyone back home teases me for being too easily excited or quick to cry, but here everyone is like me! YIPPEE! I fit in somewhere!
Three people asked to have the Lord in their lives today. They stood up in church on their own and walked to the front and stated their testimonies. One was really intense. He had been raised Muslim and had been practicing his entire life. 23 years ago, he acquired rheumatoid arthritis and was unable to work. Less than one week ago, he had a dream that told him to go to the nearest church. He found out where Fred lived and requested to go to church with him on Sunday. Following his conversation with Fred, he awoke the next day with no pain! He had been healed! I know it sounds incredulous, but I talked to him myself. He came to the front of the church and told everyone in the room about how amazing he felt and how he knows it’s because he has Jesus in his life! WOW! I myself have never truly understood or believed in His healing power, but this is as much proof as any.
I’ve been very emotional all day today and I’m not really sure why. I have a ton of mixed feelings right now. I miss everyone terribly, but I don’t want to leave. I need to get home to start putting my life together, but none of that really matters if I’m not where I’m supposed to be. I am just feeling very unsettled. Time to pray.
We got news today that a baby has died. She was one month old. I’m not entirely sure what happened, but apparently she had been sick for a week and her little body couldn’t take it anymore. What is even harder for me is that my little girls’ twin brother has severe malaria. His mom brought him to us this afternoon. He was whimpering and totally lethargic. B gave him medication and we prayed for him and sent them home. I can only pray that we wake up tomorrow to a baby and not needs for a funeral. Scary stuff.
Church was amazing today! Not only did everyone dance and sing as usual, but they had a little ceremony for me! Different people came up to praise the Lord for my good heart and hard work. It was really lovely. Everyone came up for hugs and kisses and we all laughed and cried! It is so nice to be a part of such a transparent group of people! Everyone back home teases me for being too easily excited or quick to cry, but here everyone is like me! YIPPEE! I fit in somewhere!
Three people asked to have the Lord in their lives today. They stood up in church on their own and walked to the front and stated their testimonies. One was really intense. He had been raised Muslim and had been practicing his entire life. 23 years ago, he acquired rheumatoid arthritis and was unable to work. Less than one week ago, he had a dream that told him to go to the nearest church. He found out where Fred lived and requested to go to church with him on Sunday. Following his conversation with Fred, he awoke the next day with no pain! He had been healed! I know it sounds incredulous, but I talked to him myself. He came to the front of the church and told everyone in the room about how amazing he felt and how he knows it’s because he has Jesus in his life! WOW! I myself have never truly understood or believed in His healing power, but this is as much proof as any.
I’ve been very emotional all day today and I’m not really sure why. I have a ton of mixed feelings right now. I miss everyone terribly, but I don’t want to leave. I need to get home to start putting my life together, but none of that really matters if I’m not where I’m supposed to be. I am just feeling very unsettled. Time to pray.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Batik!
Went to the market today and bought 4 kaplanas (swatches of fabric that are 4 meters long and used to make clothing). They are BATIK! Real batik, with wax still on them! They have zebras and giraffes on them! My two favorite African animals! Yay! Looks like mom will be making a quilt with African fabric when I get home. She is too good to me. :)
Ale made me a bush pizza for dinner tonight. It was easily the best pizza I have ever had. It was my farewell treat. We even had cold yogurt for dessert along with our usual papaya and banana! Tasty!
Got really bad heat exhaustion today. I need to remember not to pile all of my hair on top of my head because as soon as I took it down and put it into braids I felt worlds better.
Ale made me a bush pizza for dinner tonight. It was easily the best pizza I have ever had. It was my farewell treat. We even had cold yogurt for dessert along with our usual papaya and banana! Tasty!
Got really bad heat exhaustion today. I need to remember not to pile all of my hair on top of my head because as soon as I took it down and put it into braids I felt worlds better.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
6 days til Pemba. 8 days til Jo’burg. 19 days til Paris. 24 days til Vegas.
Wow. Time flies when you are enjoying yourself beyond all reason! Woke up at 5am to head to Mavala for distribution today. I feel so blessed to have been at two Mavala distributions in my time here. It is an amazing process to be a part of. I rode out with the workers. I had a blast! They all love me and we just took a bunch of silly photos and laughed! I even tried to put a 70kg bag of beans on my head! Augusto thought I was going to die! It was way too heavy for me to hold on my own!
There were quite a few more people at distribution today than there was last time. Some came by foot from five hours away. It is truly humbling when I think about how close I live to food and healthcare. I could crawl on my hands and knees to Market Center over 500 times in the hours it takes for some of these families to walk to Mavala. Pastor Pintos’ house is almost complete and then he can start to preach at the Mavala church. The village can hardly wait. Any chance they get to hear the word of God and their voices go silent. It’s powerful.
I met a baby today and fell in love. Surprised? He was there with his parents and his paternal grandmother. His mom was one of OU’s original orphans. She and her three siblings were orphaned several years ago when their parents were murdered in Maputo. They were brought back to Balama to live with OU until an aunt stepped forward to help. Now she lives with her husband, two children and her siblings. Typical story, luckily a fairly happy one.
Went to Pastor Fred’s wedding today! Africans really know how to party! The pastor who married them rode in on a dirt bike and led their truck around town. The bed of the truck was filled with teenagers singing at the tops of their lungs! It was great! The ceremony wasn’t much different than one from back home. The only real difference was the fact that Fred and his wife were not smiling. Apparently, they have to appear solemn to display that they are entering into marriage seriously. It was SO HOT. No AC and over 90 degrees in a room of 75 people. The room was no bigger than a 10x10ft storage room! It was hot and smelly! When we finally left the court, we followed the wedding truck by foot. There was a group of woman that S and I joined in singing and dancing down the street. Quite the scene!
Wow. Time flies when you are enjoying yourself beyond all reason! Woke up at 5am to head to Mavala for distribution today. I feel so blessed to have been at two Mavala distributions in my time here. It is an amazing process to be a part of. I rode out with the workers. I had a blast! They all love me and we just took a bunch of silly photos and laughed! I even tried to put a 70kg bag of beans on my head! Augusto thought I was going to die! It was way too heavy for me to hold on my own!
There were quite a few more people at distribution today than there was last time. Some came by foot from five hours away. It is truly humbling when I think about how close I live to food and healthcare. I could crawl on my hands and knees to Market Center over 500 times in the hours it takes for some of these families to walk to Mavala. Pastor Pintos’ house is almost complete and then he can start to preach at the Mavala church. The village can hardly wait. Any chance they get to hear the word of God and their voices go silent. It’s powerful.
I met a baby today and fell in love. Surprised? He was there with his parents and his paternal grandmother. His mom was one of OU’s original orphans. She and her three siblings were orphaned several years ago when their parents were murdered in Maputo. They were brought back to Balama to live with OU until an aunt stepped forward to help. Now she lives with her husband, two children and her siblings. Typical story, luckily a fairly happy one.
Went to Pastor Fred’s wedding today! Africans really know how to party! The pastor who married them rode in on a dirt bike and led their truck around town. The bed of the truck was filled with teenagers singing at the tops of their lungs! It was great! The ceremony wasn’t much different than one from back home. The only real difference was the fact that Fred and his wife were not smiling. Apparently, they have to appear solemn to display that they are entering into marriage seriously. It was SO HOT. No AC and over 90 degrees in a room of 75 people. The room was no bigger than a 10x10ft storage room! It was hot and smelly! When we finally left the court, we followed the wedding truck by foot. There was a group of woman that S and I joined in singing and dancing down the street. Quite the scene!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Last baby day
My best friend Joshua’s grandma passed away. My poor Joshua Giraffe. Naz was an amazing woman, one of the wittiest, stubborn and most charismatic people I’ve ever met. My heart is hurting for Joshua and his family, but I am thankful that Naz is no longer in any type of pain or under any stress. I’m sure that her heaven is full of birds, live ones that look like the glass ones that covered her shelves and tables!
Baby day was the BEST! It got to give a billion kisses and took some AWESOME photos! I can’t believe that this is really my last one until next fall! I’ll miss them all so much. I just pray that they will all be happy and healthy toddlers when I get back. Aminat sat on my lap and napped for a little while this morning. It’s moments like those that make me all the more confidant that I am to be a mother one day. My heart was at total peace holding her little body and rocking her back and forth. I even taught her a song! ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes!’ It was pretty amazing.
I got notice today that my younger sister wants to come spend some time with me once she graduates in December. This is GREAT news! I left home when she was still so young, so I haven’t gotten to spend much quality time with her in the past 5 years. Now we have that opportunity! She is so smart and funny. And so responsible. I’m incredibly proud of her. Babysitter for hire!
It’s mid afternoon and well over 90 degrees. Luckily I got to go to the pond today and put my toes in the water. Simple pleasures.
Baby day was the BEST! It got to give a billion kisses and took some AWESOME photos! I can’t believe that this is really my last one until next fall! I’ll miss them all so much. I just pray that they will all be happy and healthy toddlers when I get back. Aminat sat on my lap and napped for a little while this morning. It’s moments like those that make me all the more confidant that I am to be a mother one day. My heart was at total peace holding her little body and rocking her back and forth. I even taught her a song! ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes!’ It was pretty amazing.
I got notice today that my younger sister wants to come spend some time with me once she graduates in December. This is GREAT news! I left home when she was still so young, so I haven’t gotten to spend much quality time with her in the past 5 years. Now we have that opportunity! She is so smart and funny. And so responsible. I’m incredibly proud of her. Babysitter for hire!
It’s mid afternoon and well over 90 degrees. Luckily I got to go to the pond today and put my toes in the water. Simple pleasures.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Cure for Anything
One week from tomorrow and I will be on the ocean. What is it about the water that affects me so deeply? It’s like I can just think about putting my toes in the salt water or bobbing along in a boat and my heart swells as though I am reminiscing about the first time I fell in love! A wise woman once told me to never love anything that couldn’t love you back. I think we were talking about my coffee table, right L? :) Anyway, I honestly believe that the ocean loves me back! The way it embraces each and every part of me and how it supplies my family with sustenance… That has to be love! I know that He created the heavens and earth and land and water, but I think He had me in mind with the ocean. Or maybe He had the ocean in mind when He created me. He wanted me to be someone who could really appreciate all that He gave us with the water. Well I’m here and I’m appreciating!
We got an emergency call to the bush, or further into it that we already are anyway, to pick up a pregnant woman who was having complications due to malaria. We drove back to get her and she was literally in the bushes. With only one week until her due date, she was feverish, vomiting and everything else that goes along with those nasty amoebas. I had serious empathy for her. I know how awful I felt last week and I can hardly imagine the fear that would go along with being pregnant as well. We prayed for her and dropped her off at the clinic. We will know in a few days how things turn out.
We drove from the clinic to a very remote village that is interested in getting a church. Within fifteen minutes, B had bought the land! Looks like we have some fundraising to do, friends! The team will need as many donations as possible to cover the cost of construction and the $75 a month to house and feed the pastor and his family. It’s very exciting!
Today at lunch was another episode of Westside Story: War at the Watering Hole! I know I haven’t mentioned it before, but every afternoon around 1pm there is an epic battle between the mongooses and the crows. The crows are like mafia hit men! They aren’t like our crows back home. They have on little tuxedos. They’re smaller than our crows too, but just as obnoxious! They don’t let ANYONE get to the water! Not even the smaller birds. The mongooses, though totally outnumbered, put up quite a fight. It’s good ol’ bush entertainment!
Tomorrow is the best day of the week! Baby day! And it’s my last one here until next year.
We got an emergency call to the bush, or further into it that we already are anyway, to pick up a pregnant woman who was having complications due to malaria. We drove back to get her and she was literally in the bushes. With only one week until her due date, she was feverish, vomiting and everything else that goes along with those nasty amoebas. I had serious empathy for her. I know how awful I felt last week and I can hardly imagine the fear that would go along with being pregnant as well. We prayed for her and dropped her off at the clinic. We will know in a few days how things turn out.
We drove from the clinic to a very remote village that is interested in getting a church. Within fifteen minutes, B had bought the land! Looks like we have some fundraising to do, friends! The team will need as many donations as possible to cover the cost of construction and the $75 a month to house and feed the pastor and his family. It’s very exciting!
Today at lunch was another episode of Westside Story: War at the Watering Hole! I know I haven’t mentioned it before, but every afternoon around 1pm there is an epic battle between the mongooses and the crows. The crows are like mafia hit men! They aren’t like our crows back home. They have on little tuxedos. They’re smaller than our crows too, but just as obnoxious! They don’t let ANYONE get to the water! Not even the smaller birds. The mongooses, though totally outnumbered, put up quite a fight. It’s good ol’ bush entertainment!
Tomorrow is the best day of the week! Baby day! And it’s my last one here until next year.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Ocean!
I can’t for the life of me remember what I dreamed about last night, but it must have been great! I haven’t awoken with such peace in my heart since my arrival to Balama. I was literally giggling! Maybe I’m just going crazy. :)
In a little over a week, B and I will be departing for Pemba. I am so excited to see the ocean! The Indian Ocean! B said that it is really inexpensive to rent snorkel gear, so you’d better believe that I will be in that water and ready to explore! I wish I had one of those Baywatch propeller thingys to use. Haha. I can just see the look on everyone’s faces. ‘Silly American girl.’ THE OCEAN!
‘If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.’ Loren Eisley
I totally agree with this sentiment. Nothing calms my nerves or heals my heart as much as being in or on the ocean. I feel so blessed that following such an incredible month here in Balama, I get to spend TWO DAYS on the water. It’s like a reward for working hard!
The next nine days will undoubtedly fly by. I am looking forward to whatever adventures they are sure to bring.
In a little over a week, B and I will be departing for Pemba. I am so excited to see the ocean! The Indian Ocean! B said that it is really inexpensive to rent snorkel gear, so you’d better believe that I will be in that water and ready to explore! I wish I had one of those Baywatch propeller thingys to use. Haha. I can just see the look on everyone’s faces. ‘Silly American girl.’ THE OCEAN!
‘If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.’ Loren Eisley
I totally agree with this sentiment. Nothing calms my nerves or heals my heart as much as being in or on the ocean. I feel so blessed that following such an incredible month here in Balama, I get to spend TWO DAYS on the water. It’s like a reward for working hard!
The next nine days will undoubtedly fly by. I am looking forward to whatever adventures they are sure to bring.
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