Sunday, December 28, 2008
Noise
"God wasn't in the wind. God wasn't in the earthquake. God wasn't in the fire. God was in the silence." I love that line and over and over again it has been playing in my heart and mind.
For the past two months I have been craving silence; time alone with God to just listen. Agendas, to-do lists, relationships, commitments, and every-day stresses have been keeping me away from taking this time away that I have so desperately needed. Not today though. Today I took a day to be silent and to just listen.
At first, I find silence to be a little bit difficult. I'm okay with no music, TV, or Internet. I'm even okay with not talking to others around me. But it is the voices in my head that keep going loud and strong, even when I have long-since stopped. Then, about an hour or two into it, I realize that I have been chatting to God about the same things over and over and I have been too busy making noise to listen! So I shut up. Only once in my life can I say that I have heard a clear, audible voice from God so I don't want to be misleading and say that's how God communicates with me. I wish He would sometimes! It's more that still silence that Rob talks about - within my heart - that I know is the Holy Spirit guiding and shaping me. Sometimes it's not a "yes" or "no" answer but just a peace knowing that He is right there and that He has everything in control. That's what today was.
Being silent before God was a discipline I learned a lot about and practiced quite often in Rwanda. Whether it was my morning runs, walks to and from work, or while doing my quiet time (there's probably a reason it's called that) on the back porch there were times throughout my daily life that allowed me to be still and silent before my Creator. My life now is so full of noise - both audio and visual - and as a part of the goals I want to accomplish in 2009, building in time for silence is near the very top of the list. I have a friend who went on a silent retreat for 5 days. 5 days! The longest I have ever gone is 3 and I thought that was never-ending! But how amazing!
How about you? Would you be willing to be silent and just listen? For how long? What would your expectations be? Would you be willing to let go of those expectations for what God wants to do instead?
*This video is a part of Rob Bell's Nooma series. The name of the video is Noise. This is not the entirety of the video and for more information on where you can purchase Noomas, visit Nooma.com
Friday, December 5, 2008
Hello?
I don't know if anyone even checks this anymore... I didn't even check it for quite a while there!
But regardless, I want to resume my off-again, on-again relationship with my blog. If people read, great. If not, it's okay - it's simply my way of getting these oh-so-crowding thoughts out of my head.
I have been home from Rwanda for just over a month and half now and to say that it feels like a lifetime ago is an understatement. It truly has been only in the past couple of days that I have wanted to delve back into my memories, into the lessons that I learned, and fully live as the person that I was becoming while I was there. There will be more on this, I promise. As exciting as that is, there has also been some challenges - not necessarily bad, but challenges nonetheless. Things have not been what I have expected them to be since I have been home. I have had unmet expectations and exceeded expectations. I have laughed until my cheeks hurt and cried until I couldn't breathe (both of them today, actually). I don't know what God is doing. At all. I'm scared out of my mind and, at times, feel extremely lonely in this journey of putting all the pieces into their proper place. I have not the slightest doubt that He is working together something - just what, I'm not so sure!
But regardless, I want to resume my off-again, on-again relationship with my blog. If people read, great. If not, it's okay - it's simply my way of getting these oh-so-crowding thoughts out of my head.
I have been home from Rwanda for just over a month and half now and to say that it feels like a lifetime ago is an understatement. It truly has been only in the past couple of days that I have wanted to delve back into my memories, into the lessons that I learned, and fully live as the person that I was becoming while I was there. There will be more on this, I promise. As exciting as that is, there has also been some challenges - not necessarily bad, but challenges nonetheless. Things have not been what I have expected them to be since I have been home. I have had unmet expectations and exceeded expectations. I have laughed until my cheeks hurt and cried until I couldn't breathe (both of them today, actually). I don't know what God is doing. At all. I'm scared out of my mind and, at times, feel extremely lonely in this journey of putting all the pieces into their proper place. I have not the slightest doubt that He is working together something - just what, I'm not so sure!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Akagara National Park
This weekend I had the AWESOME opportunity to travel up to Akagara National Park in order to see some of the wild-life that makes it home here in Rwanda. Myal was a great host and arranged the entire trip as a Goodbye and Thank-you gift (so completely generous - I was so humbled!) and we were joined by Mike (country director for Living Water) and Audrey.
We left on Friday afternoon and made the 2.5 hour drive up north. After we arrived we set up our campsite and got to work collecting firewood, building the fire, and making dinner. It was a perfect evening as we had delicous food, an amazing view, good music, and plenty of stories to keep us laughing. We didn't get much sleep (mine was because of the fear of the snorting that was taking place in the bushes behind us by some unknown animal!) but it wasn't hard to get out of bed the next morning when we saw the sunrise. Breakfast and clean-up were quick as we wanted to get out and see the animals as they were collecting water before the heat of day. The entire day was spent driving around different parts of the park and with the help of a guide we finally found the animals that we were looking for. I kept telling Myal that he would know how thankful I was by how much I squealed when we saw the animals. Finally, we had gotten to the giraffes, our last animals for the day, and there were still no squeals so he asked me about it. I was in too much awe to squeal - my silence and awe was saying so much more than a squeal ever could! Everything was so beautiful and peaceful - there is no way that my words can do it justice.
Here are some of the pictures that I took. Enjoy!
We left on Friday afternoon and made the 2.5 hour drive up north. After we arrived we set up our campsite and got to work collecting firewood, building the fire, and making dinner. It was a perfect evening as we had delicous food, an amazing view, good music, and plenty of stories to keep us laughing. We didn't get much sleep (mine was because of the fear of the snorting that was taking place in the bushes behind us by some unknown animal!) but it wasn't hard to get out of bed the next morning when we saw the sunrise. Breakfast and clean-up were quick as we wanted to get out and see the animals as they were collecting water before the heat of day. The entire day was spent driving around different parts of the park and with the help of a guide we finally found the animals that we were looking for. I kept telling Myal that he would know how thankful I was by how much I squealed when we saw the animals. Finally, we had gotten to the giraffes, our last animals for the day, and there were still no squeals so he asked me about it. I was in too much awe to squeal - my silence and awe was saying so much more than a squeal ever could! Everything was so beautiful and peaceful - there is no way that my words can do it justice.
Here are some of the pictures that I took. Enjoy!
 |
| Akagara National Park |
Friday, October 10, 2008
Possible Next Steps
No, sorry, I don't have the pictures yet! I am actually waiting to get some from Myal and once I do, they will be up in a flash. Let's keep our fingers crossed for this weekend!
Anyway, that's not my point of this blog...
What I really wanted to write about and ask for your prayers for is my "next step". As most of you know, I will be coming home on the 19th (just over a week away!) and with that comes a lot of uncertainty about what I am going to do as far as a job, school, etc. I currently have my application in to George Washington University for their graduate program in International Education. Long story short, this masters is focused on development through education and I would be focusing on marginalized people groups. The minute I first heard about this program my heart leaped and I knew that this is where I wanted and needed to be. My application is currently in the Dean's office for final review and I should know shortly whether or not I have been accepted. I began my degree in Curriculum and Instruction at McDaniel College so I can transfer some credits and go to school part time, hopefully in the evenings.
Now, as if waiting for school acceptance isn't enough, I have to add looking for a job as well! Obviously I want to be involved in something that has to do with development and education but will also afford for me to go to school. I have about 7 applications out right now and have a few more that are ready to be sent. I have never really had to look or wait for a job before! This is a new adventure.
I know that, without a shadow of a doubt, that God is going to provide - I just have to wait to see what it is. As my grandma always says, "He's never early, Lauren, and He is certainly never late." I'm not really sure what direction my life is going in - what I have been called to do as the big picture and as much as that is a challenge for this Planner, I am so content in Today. I know that He is guiding me somewhere - that all of the gifts, talents, and experiences He has provided will be used for something. Then again, I'm learning that it's not all about Arriving...
Anyway, that's not my point of this blog...
What I really wanted to write about and ask for your prayers for is my "next step". As most of you know, I will be coming home on the 19th (just over a week away!) and with that comes a lot of uncertainty about what I am going to do as far as a job, school, etc. I currently have my application in to George Washington University for their graduate program in International Education. Long story short, this masters is focused on development through education and I would be focusing on marginalized people groups. The minute I first heard about this program my heart leaped and I knew that this is where I wanted and needed to be. My application is currently in the Dean's office for final review and I should know shortly whether or not I have been accepted. I began my degree in Curriculum and Instruction at McDaniel College so I can transfer some credits and go to school part time, hopefully in the evenings.
Now, as if waiting for school acceptance isn't enough, I have to add looking for a job as well! Obviously I want to be involved in something that has to do with development and education but will also afford for me to go to school. I have about 7 applications out right now and have a few more that are ready to be sent. I have never really had to look or wait for a job before! This is a new adventure.
I know that, without a shadow of a doubt, that God is going to provide - I just have to wait to see what it is. As my grandma always says, "He's never early, Lauren, and He is certainly never late." I'm not really sure what direction my life is going in - what I have been called to do as the big picture and as much as that is a challenge for this Planner, I am so content in Today. I know that He is guiding me somewhere - that all of the gifts, talents, and experiences He has provided will be used for something. Then again, I'm learning that it's not all about Arriving...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Mars Hill Water Team
Before I begin I want to give a huge SHOUTOUT to everyone who ran the Army Ten Miler this morning. Way to go! As I write this I realize that most of you have already crossed the finish line and I am so jealous! I have been praying that it wasn't so hot this year (could anything be worse than last year?) and that you broke some personal records! Can't wait to hear how you did!
Okay, now for the team...
For three weeks over the course of September World Relief Rwanda was blessed to have a team from Mars Hill Church come and serve alongside of the Child Development Program (CDP). The CDP, located in Masaka, about half-hour outside of Kigali, teaches young children sanitary and hygiene lessons and began realizing there was a gap in their program because they were emphasizing the importance of clean water but clean water was not at all accessible to the community. That is where Mars Hill came in. A team, led by Bob and Macky Johnson, came in to the Masaka area and helped install three rain water harvesting systems and seventeen biosand (slow) filters.
What are water harvesting systems? Well, basically speaking, they are gutter systems put on to large buildings (in this case, three churches - one in Masaka center, one in Rusheshe, and one in Imbebe) that funnel into a large tank (10,000 liters - I could basically live in the tank it's so big!) These tanks take only 3 days to fill once the rainy season comes!
And the biosand (slow) fiters? These are 150 liter tanks that have layers of rock, course sand, and fine sand in them that were placed in the three churches and at local schools. Water is poured through the top of the filter and out comes clean water! The way it works is that after about 3 weeks of use (5 gallons, twice a day) a bio-layer builds up in the sand and this good bacteria eats the bad bacteria in the water. It takes about 20 minutes for a jerrycan of water (40 liters - 5 gallons - about 40 pounds to carry!) to go through the filter and when it does, it is completely drinkable - even by Muzungus like myself. Just think of how this could help save the lives of children; no more treating dehydration due to diarrhea by the water that made you sick in the first place! And the best part is that this filters, once they are made, require very little maintenance and can be used for a lifetime.
The locals can buy the water from the big filters for half of what they would buy it for at the local pumps and then the use of the filters is free. The money collected from the sale of the water will go back to the interfaith committees and be used for various things such as building more filters (to put in the homes of the most vulnerable), paying the school fees for children, and much more. Each interfaith committee signed an agreement that help-held the financial and up-keep requirements of the filters.
Making these filters was no small task! Getting to Masaka alone each day was a challenge as the rainy season showed it's early signs and the narrow, deeply trenched roads, became extremely muddy at times. Many hands were also needed and we had a crew of about 30, including the team members from the States, four masons, six locals who were trained in how to construct the filters, CDP staff, WRR staff, drivers, runners, and the pastors of the churches. Each of the masons and the filter-makers were members of their local interfaith committees and were nominated by their peers to participate in this project. They were paid a salary for their work and were given certificates, recognized by the local government, stating that they were the "authorities" given the responsibility and resources to continue this project in the future. Lots of work was also ahead of time by Bob and Macky who were here a week before the team. They spent long days going throughout the city buying all of the supplies that were needed. I'll be honest, it would have been a lot easier if 1)the streets of Kigali had names and 2)companies had websites! It worked out though and by the end of the week we had filters, wood, rocks, sand, and more delivered to each of the work sites. Meals were also an adventure and I can not tell you how thankful I was for Novotel Hotel and their ham sandwiches (and to know me is to know that I can't stand ham and mayo - however, these tasted SO good).
It was a great time - lots of hard work - but a great team, great fellowship, and an amazing community. I was so blessed to be a part of their team.
I am going to try to post pictures tomorrow so you can see the actual project. If I don't get them tomorrow, definitely by the end of the week.
Let me know if you have any questions - sometimes I forget what I take for granted that everyone knows!
Okay, now for the team...
For three weeks over the course of September World Relief Rwanda was blessed to have a team from Mars Hill Church come and serve alongside of the Child Development Program (CDP). The CDP, located in Masaka, about half-hour outside of Kigali, teaches young children sanitary and hygiene lessons and began realizing there was a gap in their program because they were emphasizing the importance of clean water but clean water was not at all accessible to the community. That is where Mars Hill came in. A team, led by Bob and Macky Johnson, came in to the Masaka area and helped install three rain water harvesting systems and seventeen biosand (slow) filters.
What are water harvesting systems? Well, basically speaking, they are gutter systems put on to large buildings (in this case, three churches - one in Masaka center, one in Rusheshe, and one in Imbebe) that funnel into a large tank (10,000 liters - I could basically live in the tank it's so big!) These tanks take only 3 days to fill once the rainy season comes!
And the biosand (slow) fiters? These are 150 liter tanks that have layers of rock, course sand, and fine sand in them that were placed in the three churches and at local schools. Water is poured through the top of the filter and out comes clean water! The way it works is that after about 3 weeks of use (5 gallons, twice a day) a bio-layer builds up in the sand and this good bacteria eats the bad bacteria in the water. It takes about 20 minutes for a jerrycan of water (40 liters - 5 gallons - about 40 pounds to carry!) to go through the filter and when it does, it is completely drinkable - even by Muzungus like myself. Just think of how this could help save the lives of children; no more treating dehydration due to diarrhea by the water that made you sick in the first place! And the best part is that this filters, once they are made, require very little maintenance and can be used for a lifetime.
The locals can buy the water from the big filters for half of what they would buy it for at the local pumps and then the use of the filters is free. The money collected from the sale of the water will go back to the interfaith committees and be used for various things such as building more filters (to put in the homes of the most vulnerable), paying the school fees for children, and much more. Each interfaith committee signed an agreement that help-held the financial and up-keep requirements of the filters.
Making these filters was no small task! Getting to Masaka alone each day was a challenge as the rainy season showed it's early signs and the narrow, deeply trenched roads, became extremely muddy at times. Many hands were also needed and we had a crew of about 30, including the team members from the States, four masons, six locals who were trained in how to construct the filters, CDP staff, WRR staff, drivers, runners, and the pastors of the churches. Each of the masons and the filter-makers were members of their local interfaith committees and were nominated by their peers to participate in this project. They were paid a salary for their work and were given certificates, recognized by the local government, stating that they were the "authorities" given the responsibility and resources to continue this project in the future. Lots of work was also ahead of time by Bob and Macky who were here a week before the team. They spent long days going throughout the city buying all of the supplies that were needed. I'll be honest, it would have been a lot easier if 1)the streets of Kigali had names and 2)companies had websites! It worked out though and by the end of the week we had filters, wood, rocks, sand, and more delivered to each of the work sites. Meals were also an adventure and I can not tell you how thankful I was for Novotel Hotel and their ham sandwiches (and to know me is to know that I can't stand ham and mayo - however, these tasted SO good).
It was a great time - lots of hard work - but a great team, great fellowship, and an amazing community. I was so blessed to be a part of their team.
I am going to try to post pictures tomorrow so you can see the actual project. If I don't get them tomorrow, definitely by the end of the week.
Let me know if you have any questions - sometimes I forget what I take for granted that everyone knows!
Yes, I'm still alive...
Embarrassingly so, I would like to begin this blog like the last one that I posted...a month ago. I have absolutely horrible about posting and for that, I am very sorry! My goal is to post about every other day from here on out. It might be a bit tricky this week as I am at a workshop from Monday through Thursday morning but I will do my best!
So where was I over the course of September? Well, with teams. Non-stop. From September 1-19th we had a team from Mars Hill Church (Grand Rapids, Michigan) who were here to create water harvesting and filtration systems. This was an awesome project and hopefully I will be able to post more about that tomorrow. Then, from the 20th to the 30th we had a team here from McLean Bible Church who were conducting workshops with pastors focusing on mobilizing their congregations in order to take care of the most vulnerable in their communities. Although the month of September was incredibly busy, it was full of laughter, lessons, things to think about, and challenges. I hope to chronicle them little by little.
It is hard to believe that I only have 2 more weeks here in Rwanda. Each day seems like a year long but as I sit here writing right now it feels like it has flown by! It is a strange mix between time racing by and feeling like my commissioning was a lifetime ago. By no means am I wishing for this time to be over - I really do love it here - but I am excited too for what the future holds.
Oh, I could go on writing forever...but then there would be no other blogs to look forward to!
I miss you and think of you often.
So where was I over the course of September? Well, with teams. Non-stop. From September 1-19th we had a team from Mars Hill Church (Grand Rapids, Michigan) who were here to create water harvesting and filtration systems. This was an awesome project and hopefully I will be able to post more about that tomorrow. Then, from the 20th to the 30th we had a team here from McLean Bible Church who were conducting workshops with pastors focusing on mobilizing their congregations in order to take care of the most vulnerable in their communities. Although the month of September was incredibly busy, it was full of laughter, lessons, things to think about, and challenges. I hope to chronicle them little by little.
It is hard to believe that I only have 2 more weeks here in Rwanda. Each day seems like a year long but as I sit here writing right now it feels like it has flown by! It is a strange mix between time racing by and feeling like my commissioning was a lifetime ago. By no means am I wishing for this time to be over - I really do love it here - but I am excited too for what the future holds.
Oh, I could go on writing forever...but then there would be no other blogs to look forward to!
I miss you and think of you often.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Long Overdue
My friends, I am so sorry that I have not been updating my blog! I could give you a million excuses - the unreliable Internet that we experienced for a while, being on the field, having work to get done, being lazy - but none of them truly excuse it. I apologize. Even though I have so much to share with you - lessons learned, questions, adventures - I thought this one would be a bit more lighthearted and focus on some of the highlight stories that I have experienced in the past two weeks.
Story #1 - The Nacumatt Experience
How many of you know what Nacumatt is? Carrefour? Anyone?
Think European SuperWalmart.
The first Nacumatt came to Kigali last weekend and of course we had to go see it. AWESOME. You can buy your electronics, toiletries, cereal, and furniture all in one stop. As you can imagine, this is a really big deal for all of the expats here. Not only are items such as lotion and familiar brands hard to find but they are expensive once you do find them (think $14 for lotion). Nacumatt has come to save the day. You can find so many products there (including Cadbury chocolate) and the prices aren't as bad as they are in other places. I'll be honest, we spent about 45 minutes just walking around the store and as we were leaving I thought, "Wow, with this here now, I could live here..."
Story #2 - Nobody puts Baby in the corner
Trivia Question: In "Dirty Dancing" what was Baby going to study when she went off to school?
Answer: Economics of Developing Countries - so she could join the PeaceCorp.
What an appropriate movie for us to watch! Last night we celebrated Sarah's (Director of Programs at WRR) birthday by eating chocolate ice cream (another reason to love Nacumatt) and watching "Dirty Dancing" projected on the wall. Sarah had never seen the movie before - she wasn't allowed as a little girl - and always wanted to see it for her birthday. It certainly proved that birthday wishes can come true! With 6 girls and 2 boys joining in on the celebration, we sang along, giggled, and were reminded why Sarah was probably not allowed to watch it (I wasn't either for a while...) It was sitting there last night that I was filled with so much joy that it brought a few tears to my eyes (to know me well is to know that isn't too big of a surprise). How often do we really stop and enjoy the simple pleasures? Do we really stop, rest, and recharge enough? I went to bed very content last night.
One of the best lines in the movie: "I have been thinking a lot about the Domino Effect lately. Do you think if Vietnam falls China will fall as well?" (remember, it was set in 1963)
Story #3 - I want one.
When Phil and Becca were out of town last week I had to come up with some means of transportation. Paying for a taxi all of the time gets a bit expensive so I decided that I was going to be adventurous and try one of the taxi motorcycles that I had seen zipping around town. I have been on the back of a bike before but this was different! The bikes are not that big (could they support both of us?), they dodge in and out of traffic like small gnats, and the road conditions here are less than favorable. I summed up the courage to finally get on one of the motos and... I LOVED IT. I rode them all day, all over town. Now, to be honest, during my first 3 minutes I told the driver to slow down about 86 times but once we got moving and I began to trust him, we really started moving and had such a good time. I am dead serious when I say that I want one and I look for opportunities now to ride. I get disappointed when a friend says they will give me a ride because it means that I won't be able to take my new favorite means of transportation.
Story #4 - Crisis Adverted
This actually comes from excerpts from a few emails that I sent out about a week ago.
I had been having this awful thumping in my ears and I was scared (thanks to WebMD) that I was 1)going deaf 2)had cancer or 3)had gotten a parasite - yes, in my ear, so I went to King Faisel Hospital, just down the road from World Relief. One of the receptionists there was very nice and she gave me all of my instructions in English. I filled out my paperwork and then went up to stand in line at the counter in order to check in. I was standing about 2 feet behind the person who was being helped and not 1, not 2, but 3! people cut in front of me. I have talked to some of my African friends here and there are varying opinions about it being just bad manners, I was not aggressive enough, people are not used to using the "queue"(not an original part of the culture), some think they are more important than others, etc. It didn't matter - I was not feeling well and I was going to be late - not a good combination. I FINALLY got up to the counter, put down my paperwork and smiled at the lady. She not only did not smile back, but proceeded to ignore me and do other work. I will admit, this is where I lost my culturally-savvy cool, grabbed my paper, mumbled "FINE" and went over to the other receptionist who was open. She got to see my smile and I was quickly processed for the small fee of $20 (yes, this is all my doctor's appointment cost - without insurance). I was then ushered to another receptionist in a different area and she took my paperwork and told me to have a seat. My appointment was at 3:40pm and it was now 3:45 (It was the unresponsive receptionist's fault - I was there at 3:15!). I sat there, and I sat there, and I sat there... 40 minutes after my appointment was supposed to have taken place I asked the previous receptionist, who was wearing a very pea-green blouse, when I could expect to be seen. I was extremely polite and non-confrontational. She responded, "After the person in front of you is finished." My bad. One hour and five minutes after my appointment was supposed to take place, I was seen by Dr. Jeffrey I-can't-pronounce-your-last-name, ENT. We hit it off famously! He checked my ears, nose, and throat and found nothing wrong. He said that it was probably just from all of the dust (darn dry season) and the irritation from being on the moto (trust me, this will not stop me from riding again). He prescribed some drops and said that I could use them if I felt like making sure my ears were totally cleaned out (I told him my mother would be proud to hear that I have dirty ears - although I don't, I clean them fanatically). He did check my throat to make sure that I did not have Thyroid Cancer as WebMD, as I said, had me convinced this was a valid option. He also took my blood pressure and he said that it was low. I asked him if I was dying to which he responded, no. PHEW. He did, however, say that women who are expecting can have a low blood pressure... I assured him this was not the case and, in fact, the words "Immaculate Conception" were used. He then sent me on my way and on my way I did go. I'll be honest, I still have no idea why my ears were bothering me. They are absolutely fine now. Maybe I just had to learn a new aspect about the culture - customer service and rights. Huge lesson.
That's it for stories (well, at least for now). We have a team coming from Mars Hill to do a Water Harvesting project starting on Monday. Please keep us all in your prayers. I promise, I will be more diligent and will write more soon.
Imana Ishweme!
Story #1 - The Nacumatt Experience
How many of you know what Nacumatt is? Carrefour? Anyone?
Think European SuperWalmart.
The first Nacumatt came to Kigali last weekend and of course we had to go see it. AWESOME. You can buy your electronics, toiletries, cereal, and furniture all in one stop. As you can imagine, this is a really big deal for all of the expats here. Not only are items such as lotion and familiar brands hard to find but they are expensive once you do find them (think $14 for lotion). Nacumatt has come to save the day. You can find so many products there (including Cadbury chocolate) and the prices aren't as bad as they are in other places. I'll be honest, we spent about 45 minutes just walking around the store and as we were leaving I thought, "Wow, with this here now, I could live here..."
Story #2 - Nobody puts Baby in the corner
Trivia Question: In "Dirty Dancing" what was Baby going to study when she went off to school?
Answer: Economics of Developing Countries - so she could join the PeaceCorp.
What an appropriate movie for us to watch! Last night we celebrated Sarah's (Director of Programs at WRR) birthday by eating chocolate ice cream (another reason to love Nacumatt) and watching "Dirty Dancing" projected on the wall. Sarah had never seen the movie before - she wasn't allowed as a little girl - and always wanted to see it for her birthday. It certainly proved that birthday wishes can come true! With 6 girls and 2 boys joining in on the celebration, we sang along, giggled, and were reminded why Sarah was probably not allowed to watch it (I wasn't either for a while...) It was sitting there last night that I was filled with so much joy that it brought a few tears to my eyes (to know me well is to know that isn't too big of a surprise). How often do we really stop and enjoy the simple pleasures? Do we really stop, rest, and recharge enough? I went to bed very content last night.
One of the best lines in the movie: "I have been thinking a lot about the Domino Effect lately. Do you think if Vietnam falls China will fall as well?" (remember, it was set in 1963)
Story #3 - I want one.
When Phil and Becca were out of town last week I had to come up with some means of transportation. Paying for a taxi all of the time gets a bit expensive so I decided that I was going to be adventurous and try one of the taxi motorcycles that I had seen zipping around town. I have been on the back of a bike before but this was different! The bikes are not that big (could they support both of us?), they dodge in and out of traffic like small gnats, and the road conditions here are less than favorable. I summed up the courage to finally get on one of the motos and... I LOVED IT. I rode them all day, all over town. Now, to be honest, during my first 3 minutes I told the driver to slow down about 86 times but once we got moving and I began to trust him, we really started moving and had such a good time. I am dead serious when I say that I want one and I look for opportunities now to ride. I get disappointed when a friend says they will give me a ride because it means that I won't be able to take my new favorite means of transportation.
Story #4 - Crisis Adverted
This actually comes from excerpts from a few emails that I sent out about a week ago.
I had been having this awful thumping in my ears and I was scared (thanks to WebMD) that I was 1)going deaf 2)had cancer or 3)had gotten a parasite - yes, in my ear, so I went to King Faisel Hospital, just down the road from World Relief. One of the receptionists there was very nice and she gave me all of my instructions in English. I filled out my paperwork and then went up to stand in line at the counter in order to check in. I was standing about 2 feet behind the person who was being helped and not 1, not 2, but 3! people cut in front of me. I have talked to some of my African friends here and there are varying opinions about it being just bad manners, I was not aggressive enough, people are not used to using the "queue"(not an original part of the culture), some think they are more important than others, etc. It didn't matter - I was not feeling well and I was going to be late - not a good combination. I FINALLY got up to the counter, put down my paperwork and smiled at the lady. She not only did not smile back, but proceeded to ignore me and do other work. I will admit, this is where I lost my culturally-savvy cool, grabbed my paper, mumbled "FINE" and went over to the other receptionist who was open. She got to see my smile and I was quickly processed for the small fee of $20 (yes, this is all my doctor's appointment cost - without insurance). I was then ushered to another receptionist in a different area and she took my paperwork and told me to have a seat. My appointment was at 3:40pm and it was now 3:45 (It was the unresponsive receptionist's fault - I was there at 3:15!). I sat there, and I sat there, and I sat there... 40 minutes after my appointment was supposed to have taken place I asked the previous receptionist, who was wearing a very pea-green blouse, when I could expect to be seen. I was extremely polite and non-confrontational. She responded, "After the person in front of you is finished." My bad. One hour and five minutes after my appointment was supposed to take place, I was seen by Dr. Jeffrey I-can't-pronounce-your-last-name, ENT. We hit it off famously! He checked my ears, nose, and throat and found nothing wrong. He said that it was probably just from all of the dust (darn dry season) and the irritation from being on the moto (trust me, this will not stop me from riding again). He prescribed some drops and said that I could use them if I felt like making sure my ears were totally cleaned out (I told him my mother would be proud to hear that I have dirty ears - although I don't, I clean them fanatically). He did check my throat to make sure that I did not have Thyroid Cancer as WebMD, as I said, had me convinced this was a valid option. He also took my blood pressure and he said that it was low. I asked him if I was dying to which he responded, no. PHEW. He did, however, say that women who are expecting can have a low blood pressure... I assured him this was not the case and, in fact, the words "Immaculate Conception" were used. He then sent me on my way and on my way I did go. I'll be honest, I still have no idea why my ears were bothering me. They are absolutely fine now. Maybe I just had to learn a new aspect about the culture - customer service and rights. Huge lesson.
That's it for stories (well, at least for now). We have a team coming from Mars Hill to do a Water Harvesting project starting on Monday. Please keep us all in your prayers. I promise, I will be more diligent and will write more soon.
Imana Ishweme!
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