Well, it has been awhile… I know that Melissa is probably very, very busy with her wonderful new baby, but if you’re reading this Melis – I can totally say that I feel exactly the way you said you did in the villages – I’ll go from wanting to give almost everything away to thinking about souvenirs and what I would want to eat when I get home. It doesn’t help that we have a 5-star resort across the road on the beach and that they’ve now allowed the base’s school students (us) to visit and dine and relax on their clean, crowd-free beach with volleyball net… I actually felt physically sick when I went there to sit and read yesterday – it’s not that I think that enjoying something clean and peaceful is wrong but, I thought: why us and not them? I guess another question would be whether the people who are not used to that or perhaps may not know how to appreciate it in a way that would not upset the owners even want to go there; perhaps things like that are not the important parts of life, perhaps these things only give momentary pleasure. I have been visiting local houses, tiny mud and bamboo and grass-roof houses, and the ones I’ve been to are well-kept and appreciated by their owners, and there is joy and peace there. They have found community and family regardless of what their surroundings may look like.
I wish I could take pictures of the surrounding places we have visited but it isn’t really safe to carry a camera in the villages. One place I previously mentioned, Artur’s house, has an amazing view and is in an area with less traffic along it’s tiny trails (they’re all enclosed by bamboo fences). It is very peaceful. We have been there 3 times now and every time, very unexpectedly, they feed us. I worry that this leaves others in the family unfed for that meal, and we (the visitors) have usually already had lunch or a recent meal at the base, but to refuse would be extremely rude – the Mozambicans take much pride in their hospitality, and they should because it is very wonderful. I did get into trouble though the first time we ate there because I ate with my left hand; I tried to explain that this wasn’t a problem in Canada and we eat with both of our hands – I don’t know if that made the situation better or worse, they probably think Canadians are disgusting for using both hands! (for sanitary reasons). The issue passed though and they have invited us back…. One exciting thing that happened last week is that we visited a cook’s house (Jordyn and I have been working in the kitchen 3 times a week and have built friendship with some national workers). On our visit the cook asked us to pray for his heartburn, which we did, and he said it was “normale” afterwards. We then got asked to pray for his sister-in-law, auntie, and sister. His sister had a stomach problem – I just kept saying to God “prove the witchdoctor wrong” – she said that is was cured afterwards. A few days later we talked to the cook again, and he said his chest was still better but that he had a headache that day – we prayed for it 3 times and then he said it was gone. Soon after, back at our house, we were talking to a housemate who mentioned offhand that her head ached so we jumped on it and prayed – it took awhile, 10 minutes or so, but it went away completely! This REALLY excited me because I know that I can trust her word and I don’t always know with the nationals – they don’t really show how they feel on their face (it is cultural) and sometimes I don’t know if they just ask for prayer because they want a blessing (which is just fine, God can bless away!) , and also the language barrier makes communication hard.
Last Thursday we also visited the city’s hospital (one of four, I believe) – it didn’t shock me like I thought it might. It was clean, a little crowded, with 8-10 simple beds in a room that would hold 4-6 in our hospitals. There is absolutely no electronic equipment here. We were in the children’s ward handing out fruit and juice and offering prayer. Many family members visit and sit with the patients; the ones we saw were all 2 years old and under. A few didn’t want prayer because they were Muslim, and some had to receive translation from another visitor as our translator/leader only spoke Portuguese and not the local tribal dialect. Most accepted prayer fairly readily – you have to understand that there were almost no Christian churches in this area before the organization I am with right now came here 4 and a half years ago. Now there are over 700 churches, so the spread of prayer and hope and Jesus has been very fast. Back to the hospital, one baby we prayed for I thought felt feverish as it had malaria and after praying she felt like a normal temperature to the touch. I was like “Oh God, let that be a miracle and that the malaria is gone!” - there is a very high death rate here for children under 5 years of age.
One thing I am struggling with is how to love the very difficult to love. The village children who visit daily can be very hard to deal with – one of them who is probably 14 years of age thought it would be funny to tell me that it is good to hit me with a rock and then proceeded to attempt to do so. It then went to hitting me with a small stick and then later threatening me with a stick that had a nail driven through it. While it wasn’t severe or injuring, those actions were NOT okay – that was the first time I have raised my voice and spoke firmly. I tried to explain that he was a good boy but that those actions were not good, I want to impress a positive belief into his self worth instead of the anger and punishment he always sees. Sometimes it is hard to deal with and you just want to run away from it all.
Actually, that (what I just said) would be my only prayer request – I’m not at the end but I do feel very tired, so prayer for energy would be great. And prayer for that boy, his name is Seleman. He comes here daily for a reason, and I think the reason goes beyond having physical needs met. I want him to know love, God’s love in a realistic way through friendship.
Our teams have been set up for the extended outreach, for which I have been accepted. My team will be going to the province of Nampula, only a 5-6 hour drive away (the other teams have 11-19 hr drives so I am thankful!). We will be in tents the majority of the time and visiting villages, moving every one to two days. We’ve been told we will take every 3rd or 4th night off to keep our stamina up. The dates are August 10-24 so I won’t be contactable during that time. Please pray for us as we’re leaving the open heaven over the base and venturing into territory that is not our own=).
Well, that’s it for now! I hope everyone is doing really well, that my sister is taking care of my place and not keeping the family upstairs awake late into the night=) – or that my living room will be painted flaming pink on my return; actually flaming pink would be kind of fun, clashing but fun. I need to find out if the Schaitel’s now have an addition to their family!!!!! I miss you all!!!!!
Love.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
A bunch of things
Hmmm… what to say after so many days? I wish I kept a daily journal so that everything could be recorded, so that I could remember it all. I don’t really have the time and discipline for that though. Sunday a friend of mine and I visited a student pastor’s house – he lived not far away. The view (on a hill) from the house – and the houses are all very close together with bamboo fences and tiny paths in the village which were steep because of the incline – the view was amazing, the place was surrounded (in the distance) by sea on three sides, and the water here is so blue it is just beautiful. Jordyn and I ended up missing church because of this visit… we left before so that we could invite the pastor’s mother to church, but she was at the market when we arrived so we waited for her return, which ended up being late morning. Artur (the 4th yr student pastor) and his brother (who is a 2nd yr student pastor) are 19 and 14 yrs old. Do any of you know any 14 year old pastors?!?! Their other siblings were waiting at home when we arrived – one girl and two boys. As we waited for their mother we communicated through broken Portuguese and English, and Artur taught us some Makua, the local tribal language, as well as the Mocambique hino nacional (national anthem). I found out it takes 1-2 months to build a Mozambican house (which is made of bamboo, mud, and has a grass roof); 1 day to weave and rope a Mozambican bed onto its frame; and 2-3 days to weave a basket that they sift beans and rice in. They have a papaya tree, a coconut tree, and bean vines. The babies have cords around their waists which I’m told are witchdoctor fetishes. The baby’s rattle – a ring of keys (at least not rusty ones – one of the older children (3 or 4?) kept putting dry beans into the baby’s hand [choking hazard?] – hey, there isn’t that kind of concern here, it’s like the children are born streetwise or something – when we were on outreach I saw a baby playing one foot away from an open cooking fire, with the mother right beside preparing the meal,… I digress). We plan on visiting again Wednesday, which is tomorrow.
This is the Makua I have down: Salama (Hello/How are you); Mohavo (How are you); Quihavo (I’m good); E Tu Eomana (Nice to meet you); Oquilevelele (I’m sorry).
I really shouldn’t start a third language when I don’t have the second one down yet….. (my first being English and I do believe that one is at least fluent=)).
When we returned from the village to the base for the lunch meal I lent my Portuguese-English phrasebook to Artur. Jordyn and I stopped in the kitchen after lunch and ended up washing 400+ places while they fed everyone (there is open invitation for lunch on Sundays for anyone who comes). Let’s just say we were rewashing and rewashing those plates=), well, some of them. I guess we didn’t wash fast enough, because they were only giving us half to wash and were just reusing the other dirty plates. We kind of felt like our washing them was pointless. Dinner that night was in our own home, by choice, we fried up plantains and carrots with salt and some with sugar (plantains with ketchup taste just like French fries!), and we also had popcorn and watched a movie on a laptop – the first movie that wasn’t curriculum since I’ve been here: Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Oh, to let you know, I started Malaria meds 6 days ago and have gotten better so one can only suppose that is what my sickness all these weeks has been, though a very low grade malaria because I wasn’t out of it like you’d think I would have been (I did get a blood test but it was negative, though they say the test isn’t very reliable).
I’m doing well and enjoying it all!
Also, if you’d like to see photos of our time here in Pemba my friends have a website with pics www.liquidmyrrh.org
I also wanted to write about something said in class since I keep saying I will…. One of the truths that has hit me since being here and hearing speakers (just a side: Stacey Campbell has been here the last few days and we’ve had her teaching, which has been really awesome; it’s more fun to hear her in Africa because… its Africa!) okay back to what I was saying, the truth that has hit me has to do with the freedom that I’ve always thought should have been within Christianity but never felt it was said. Let me explain. That you can only love when you know love, you don’t work to make yourself love someone – it’s called falling in love because that is the amount of effort it takes. And it is the same with you and Jesus. Next truth, that he is the perfect Savior. That means that if I am lacking in anything he will save me, he will give it to me. I don’t have to work really hard to muster up faith, that is a gift he will give me. He perfectly saves if we let him do the saving and wait for it with trust.
Also good to hear was another teacher’s talk about Hinduism; Hindus see so much supernatural – walking on water, levitation, and their response is: so what? To them, the action has to have a purpose otherwise it is pointless, and what is so great about that mindset (to me) is that it puts the supernatural – ‘the tricks that awe’- on the back burner to what God should and is really about: love. It is love that Jesus came and did what he did, it is love that he even gives miracles, or anything else. Rolland says it takes as much miraculous power to give someone the faith to believe as it does to raise a dead person to life. It is as much of a miracle. And as much of a gift. Faith isn’t something we ‘drum up’, it is given by God, we just ask for it. Sometimes we don’t even ask – surprise gifts are always the really fun ones to receive anyways=).
This, THIS, is what I really wanted the most in life, these truths – these confirmations, it is what I came looking for, truth that actually sets one free. I’m free, and I’m crying.
This is the Makua I have down: Salama (Hello/How are you); Mohavo (How are you); Quihavo (I’m good); E Tu Eomana (Nice to meet you); Oquilevelele (I’m sorry).
I really shouldn’t start a third language when I don’t have the second one down yet….. (my first being English and I do believe that one is at least fluent=)).
When we returned from the village to the base for the lunch meal I lent my Portuguese-English phrasebook to Artur. Jordyn and I stopped in the kitchen after lunch and ended up washing 400+ places while they fed everyone (there is open invitation for lunch on Sundays for anyone who comes). Let’s just say we were rewashing and rewashing those plates=), well, some of them. I guess we didn’t wash fast enough, because they were only giving us half to wash and were just reusing the other dirty plates. We kind of felt like our washing them was pointless. Dinner that night was in our own home, by choice, we fried up plantains and carrots with salt and some with sugar (plantains with ketchup taste just like French fries!), and we also had popcorn and watched a movie on a laptop – the first movie that wasn’t curriculum since I’ve been here: Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Oh, to let you know, I started Malaria meds 6 days ago and have gotten better so one can only suppose that is what my sickness all these weeks has been, though a very low grade malaria because I wasn’t out of it like you’d think I would have been (I did get a blood test but it was negative, though they say the test isn’t very reliable).
I’m doing well and enjoying it all!
Also, if you’d like to see photos of our time here in Pemba my friends have a website with pics www.liquidmyrrh.org
I also wanted to write about something said in class since I keep saying I will…. One of the truths that has hit me since being here and hearing speakers (just a side: Stacey Campbell has been here the last few days and we’ve had her teaching, which has been really awesome; it’s more fun to hear her in Africa because… its Africa!) okay back to what I was saying, the truth that has hit me has to do with the freedom that I’ve always thought should have been within Christianity but never felt it was said. Let me explain. That you can only love when you know love, you don’t work to make yourself love someone – it’s called falling in love because that is the amount of effort it takes. And it is the same with you and Jesus. Next truth, that he is the perfect Savior. That means that if I am lacking in anything he will save me, he will give it to me. I don’t have to work really hard to muster up faith, that is a gift he will give me. He perfectly saves if we let him do the saving and wait for it with trust.
Also good to hear was another teacher’s talk about Hinduism; Hindus see so much supernatural – walking on water, levitation, and their response is: so what? To them, the action has to have a purpose otherwise it is pointless, and what is so great about that mindset (to me) is that it puts the supernatural – ‘the tricks that awe’- on the back burner to what God should and is really about: love. It is love that Jesus came and did what he did, it is love that he even gives miracles, or anything else. Rolland says it takes as much miraculous power to give someone the faith to believe as it does to raise a dead person to life. It is as much of a miracle. And as much of a gift. Faith isn’t something we ‘drum up’, it is given by God, we just ask for it. Sometimes we don’t even ask – surprise gifts are always the really fun ones to receive anyways=).
This, THIS, is what I really wanted the most in life, these truths – these confirmations, it is what I came looking for, truth that actually sets one free. I’m free, and I’m crying.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Ok, so the title option on my blog is not working for me right now, oh well, here's the little thing I have to say anyways:
The solution to pollution is dilution. I did a wound care workshop yesterday and discovered that antiseptics are actually very damaging to healing tissue. The doctor said that the best thing is .9% saline solution and washing the wound once & very thoroughly (and then covering for two days minimum – longer in a dirty environment). .9% is about 2 tsp of salt in a litre of water. Just thought I should let you all know in case you’re on the street and need to bandage some one’s skin wound!
Cheers.
The solution to pollution is dilution. I did a wound care workshop yesterday and discovered that antiseptics are actually very damaging to healing tissue. The doctor said that the best thing is .9% saline solution and washing the wound once & very thoroughly (and then covering for two days minimum – longer in a dirty environment). .9% is about 2 tsp of salt in a litre of water. Just thought I should let you all know in case you’re on the street and need to bandage some one’s skin wound!
Cheers.
Hello All.
So much has happened in the past week I almost don’t know where to begin!!!=) There was a wedding this past Saturday (07.07.07) which had a lot of significance – two long-term workers at the organization got married and have a nice 6 month leave to start their marriage off. I spent Friday morning voluntarily decorating the 3 wedding cakes and a birthday cake with another girl, that was very fun! We even had an icing gun and I did take pictures; mom you would have been proud=). We spent the morning of the wedding hunting down some beautiful tropical flowers to decorate the beach where the ceremony would be. After almost burning my back and getting a bit of sunstroke, I headed down to watch the ceremony. The feast afterwards was for 2,000-3,000 people (no one ever really knows the exact number around here!) from the surrounding area, they had handed out invitations everywhere, and though the food did run out and they had a mini-riot, it actually went pretty smoothly according to those who have orchestrated prior large events here. As far as what we’ve been doing on weekdays, it’s been a lot of class time, which is soon to change so that we can have afternoons free to go into the villages and visit friends, or do hospital visits, and they’ve just received permission for jail visits that they may organize. I do want to post some things that I’ve been learning but haven’t brought my notes with me today so will have to wait on that. Last night we watched a documentary on Mother Teresa and there has been a catholic nun visiting the base for a few weeks. The nun spoke after the film, which was very insightful and very gentle and very full of love – it is beautiful to sense the love and peace and other fruit from a life so devoted to ones God, and her purity of heart and purpose humbles me. When I first was looking into humanitarian aid work I first thought of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries for Charity in Calcutta and wondered if I could join their work in some way without becoming a nun (the nun part was the only thing I didn’t really want to do=)). I really enjoyed the evening because of the interest I had already had in it all. By the way, the way that we watch movies here is outside – a small white screen is hung on the porch of one of the compound houses and a couple in my house brought a projector (by request) so we set up outside in the dark on mats and lawn chairs. Dan, think “The Blessing” but in more of a camping mode…=).
Today one of our teachers is leaving, she is going to Russia next to speak at a similar school there (it is short-term as well). They gave her many many gifts to symbolize her life and what they see and want to bless in her life. A boat – that she needs a team to row it with her; candlesticks – to be a light and give leadership; a wall hanging of a painted village – that the village she leaves (Pemba) goes with her; a cane – a sign of authority and long life. It was very cool. We also washed the pastor’s school students (200 people) feet today and prayed for them, it was wonderful to bless them – and this is definitely a place in the world where daily foot washing is an actual necessity!!
Please pray for my body – I have not shaken the sickness I got three days into the school, it goes in bouts and I do generally feel well except for a cough and a sinus thing that comes and goes. The doctor thought it was bronchitis but after 5 days of antibiotics I haven’t seen improvement so I’m going to look into it again. I also woke up yesterday with a problem in my neck, I’ve lost some mobility in it and it is very painful to move about especially lying down, I can’t turn over or really move without a lot of pain. There is a massage therapist here and she has worked on it once so far. I have been sensing things a lot more spiritually and am wondering if that might be why I am also being hit with more health problems, so any prayer would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Well, that’s all for now. I was supposed to go on an outreach last weekend but it was cancelled, I don’t have much other news though, other than all is well and moving along. I can’t believe that we only have 4 more weeks left (before the extended outreach where we travel for two weeks straight). I find out tomorrow if I’ve been accepted for that, if you’d like to pray for that as well.
So much has happened in the past week I almost don’t know where to begin!!!=) There was a wedding this past Saturday (07.07.07) which had a lot of significance – two long-term workers at the organization got married and have a nice 6 month leave to start their marriage off. I spent Friday morning voluntarily decorating the 3 wedding cakes and a birthday cake with another girl, that was very fun! We even had an icing gun and I did take pictures; mom you would have been proud=). We spent the morning of the wedding hunting down some beautiful tropical flowers to decorate the beach where the ceremony would be. After almost burning my back and getting a bit of sunstroke, I headed down to watch the ceremony. The feast afterwards was for 2,000-3,000 people (no one ever really knows the exact number around here!) from the surrounding area, they had handed out invitations everywhere, and though the food did run out and they had a mini-riot, it actually went pretty smoothly according to those who have orchestrated prior large events here. As far as what we’ve been doing on weekdays, it’s been a lot of class time, which is soon to change so that we can have afternoons free to go into the villages and visit friends, or do hospital visits, and they’ve just received permission for jail visits that they may organize. I do want to post some things that I’ve been learning but haven’t brought my notes with me today so will have to wait on that. Last night we watched a documentary on Mother Teresa and there has been a catholic nun visiting the base for a few weeks. The nun spoke after the film, which was very insightful and very gentle and very full of love – it is beautiful to sense the love and peace and other fruit from a life so devoted to ones God, and her purity of heart and purpose humbles me. When I first was looking into humanitarian aid work I first thought of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries for Charity in Calcutta and wondered if I could join their work in some way without becoming a nun (the nun part was the only thing I didn’t really want to do=)). I really enjoyed the evening because of the interest I had already had in it all. By the way, the way that we watch movies here is outside – a small white screen is hung on the porch of one of the compound houses and a couple in my house brought a projector (by request) so we set up outside in the dark on mats and lawn chairs. Dan, think “The Blessing” but in more of a camping mode…=).
Today one of our teachers is leaving, she is going to Russia next to speak at a similar school there (it is short-term as well). They gave her many many gifts to symbolize her life and what they see and want to bless in her life. A boat – that she needs a team to row it with her; candlesticks – to be a light and give leadership; a wall hanging of a painted village – that the village she leaves (Pemba) goes with her; a cane – a sign of authority and long life. It was very cool. We also washed the pastor’s school students (200 people) feet today and prayed for them, it was wonderful to bless them – and this is definitely a place in the world where daily foot washing is an actual necessity!!
Please pray for my body – I have not shaken the sickness I got three days into the school, it goes in bouts and I do generally feel well except for a cough and a sinus thing that comes and goes. The doctor thought it was bronchitis but after 5 days of antibiotics I haven’t seen improvement so I’m going to look into it again. I also woke up yesterday with a problem in my neck, I’ve lost some mobility in it and it is very painful to move about especially lying down, I can’t turn over or really move without a lot of pain. There is a massage therapist here and she has worked on it once so far. I have been sensing things a lot more spiritually and am wondering if that might be why I am also being hit with more health problems, so any prayer would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Well, that’s all for now. I was supposed to go on an outreach last weekend but it was cancelled, I don’t have much other news though, other than all is well and moving along. I can’t believe that we only have 4 more weeks left (before the extended outreach where we travel for two weeks straight). I find out tomorrow if I’ve been accepted for that, if you’d like to pray for that as well.
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