The Death of a Chaco

7-09-10
I have the saddest story to tell-
Me and MB walked into town to purchase a few items and when we got back my feet were caked with dirt, filthy! I decided to soak/wash my feet and after they were clean I proceeded to wash my chacos. As I was placing my sandals outside to dry I had a vision of something happening to them- I shrugged the thought off and went back inside to read. A few hours later I was heading to the outhouse and as I was passed my sandals on the way out I noticed one of them was missing, I became frantic. I saw a dog nearby and marched in that direction. On my way over I found my chaco, the back strap chewed all the way through. I was pissed. As I picked up my sandal the dog came over and started growling. I waved my sandal at her and shouted, "Bad Dog!" I wanted to hit the dog but thought I shouldn't...I hurried back inside before the dog wanted to chew through me. When I got back inside I started doing some deep breathing and pacing-thoughts of, "What will I do for the next 2 1/2 weeks in Africa?" "I really don't want to start the homeschool trend of tennis shoes and skirts." After a few minutes I collected myself and grabbed for the tape and proceeded to tape the straps together...I don't know how long it will last because of all of the dirt but hopefully it will get me back to the states.
When I told my story to the team they laughed a little too hard in my opinion. I am trying my best to be positive but it has been hard. I'm learning lots out here. Ha!
After the ordeal me and MB made a veggie lasagna with homemade rolls. I have decided that anyone can cook in the states, the real test is cooking in another country. I'm getting better at my baking/cooking skills but the food never looks appealing. I'm all for presentation....at least it taste goods....kinda. Ha!

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3 days

Since returning to the bush I have tried my best to adjust again to bucket baths and an outhouse....it's not bad but I'm missing the little luxuries of running water.

7-06-10
I was in the lab observing some tech guys taking blood and testing patients for various diseases. It has been really good to watch and ask many questions about their way of testing. Two patients that came in was a 4 yr old boy and his 7 yr old sister. There was an older woman who accompanied them, she seemed to really care for the kids. I was so impressed at the kids for not crying and making a huge fuss while they were drawing the blood. I found out that the children were orphans, both their parents had died from AIDS and both of them were dealing with the disease. I can't imagine the pain they must be going through. They are so young and facing some huge struggles and they have much more to face. I hate hearing stories such as that and be able to do anything, I have continued to pray about them and the many other children who are suffering through the exact same thing.
Each of us has extra money to spend on a "special project," there is no program for HIV kids set up at the clinic yet. I would love to spend my money on these kids but I am still praying as to what should be the best and most productive area to put the money towards.

7-07-10
Today I joined another team in going to a girl's school and teaching about sex education. This culture doesn't talk or educate on sex (not saying the states does a good job but at least it is discussed a little more). There were around 150 girls present and all of them new about condoms but were not educated about them at all. The team goes out and teaches on abstinence but they also talk on the use of condoms. I was thankful. In my opinion having sex is not something you can control. Most of the girls are either bribed for sex by male teachers in exchange for good grades, some have been raped, and some have sex because they want to. In this culture women don't have any rights and are told or forced to do many things, education is crucial for them to not to get pregnant or contract an STD. The team offers a yearly course to every school they attend, they encourage the school to administer the program to further educate the children. I was impressed by the course and was glad to be part of it. I had so many girls ask me, "condoms are safe, right? I won't get an STD or get pregnant if I use one, right?" We answered as many questions as we could. After our 6 hr session I was wondering how many girls were feeling overwhelmed by the information we were giving out or how many of them felt guilty from past decisions or rapes. The families don't talk on this topic and the schools aren't being educated on this....who provides moral support and counseling for these girls? I was really sad to find out all of this and am still figuring everything out.

7-08-10
Me and Josh went on another mobile clinic...we saw more pregnant women and babies. It was good. While out there we met another team of Americans, they were in Kenya for two months working in the schools. They slept in tents the entire time, I can't imagine! I really have it good. Ha! I love meeting new people and seeing/hearing how God is working through them. It was great.

"Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He say He will be?"

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Good Reminder

I've been reading Oswald Chamber's My Utmost For His Highest every morning and I love how God allows you to read something at just the right time. I read this a few weeks ago but I thought I'd share anyways.

"He is a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Isaiah 53:3

We are not "acquainted with grief" in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin- and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.
We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to one issue- if sin rules in me, God's life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine-that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.

I keep re-reading this section-it's a great reminder. Sin is still present. It has been and will continue to be until Jesus Christ returns. Sin is seen in my life, the Maasai, my family, in the states-it's everywhere! God demands that I strive to be pure and virtuous even though sin is present. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God." I am not some special person created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.

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