we took the day off today and it has been SO nice. we slept in just a bit, went to the coffee lounge, sat out in the sun and read. then we met with pastor zachariah over lunch to tell him our plans for the week. tomorrow we are going to help in the nursery school for a few hours, then take porage to the hospital. at the hospital here, not everyone has beds, and they don't feed the patients. the family is respondsible for feeding their own sick. the people who have to family or money don't get fed at all, which obviously doesn't help them heal. wednesday, it's just the nursery school and thurs. it's nursery school and hospital again. friday, we are going to do home visits to the widows and orphans and take them rice and other food. saturday, we will help out with the saturday school at yesuanaweza (God is able), the orphanage here. sunday is church. holy smokes!
oh! so the road here is REALLY rough and you have to weave in and out of vendors etc. to not get killed by the crazy drivers. they WILL NOT stop for you. i totally rolled my ankle today when we were out and riped up the front of my leg. it's all bruised and i have a huge knot on my shin. my ankle is totally fine, but i came away with a pretty sweet war wound!
we walked to shanty town today, which ironically is the beverly hills of moshi. it was so beautiful and peaceful out there...straight out of a movie. we actually ran into a guy on the street that we met on the plane. he is from the states and he came to climb kilimanjaro. it was fun to catch up with him and hear about his treck.
i feel like i'm finally starting to settle in and get over a bit of the culture shock, so that's nice. we're hoping to get things rolling next week as far as our safari goes. i'm getting more and more excited to go everyday. we've made lots of friends here from all over the place...a handful from the states, one from england and one from canada. it's been interesting to hear all their stories and what brought them here to tanzania. many are here to volunteer or are med students studying abroad .
every third person you meet on the street is going to open and orphange or center of some kind and wants your email address to no doubt ask for funding. it is evident to everyone here that a change needs to come about and while overwhelming, it is exciting to me to know that there is absolutely no shortage of areas to help. my biggest fear is returning home and being worlds away, feeling like i can't make a real difference.
God has been so faithful. i'd been feeling pretty discouraged the last few days, but i can feel your prayers. God has replaced my synicism with hope and joy and i feel like once again, i can take on the world. i know it sounds so cliche', but please understand me when i say that i truly can feel your prayers and they are working in me here in africa. please keep them coming. satan is not tired just yet, and i know he is busy planning his next attack.
still working on resizing the photos, so keep checking back.
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cAN YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN THERE ALREADY A WEEK? WE ARE MISSING YOU HERE, BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING THERE IS SO IMPORTANT AND MUCH NEEDED. THE HOSPITAL SITUATION IS REALLY DESPERATE IT SOUNDS, I CAN'T IMAGAINE THEM NOT FEEDING YOU. SO DO SOME REALLY GO HUNGARY OR IS THERE ALWAYS SOMEONE THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR THOSE? HI, TO LINDSAY AND STEVE--HOW ARE THEY FAIRING? I AM SO GLAD LINDSAY GOT TO GO WITH YOU. WE WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD YOU UP IN PRAYER. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE PICTURES. LOVE YA LOTS, MOM AND DAD
lindsey says "hello".
no, some just go hungry. the people we're going with go on tues. and thurs. and take porage if they can afford it. we gave them some money for the supplies for today and it's only costing about $20 USD. i'm not positive how many that will feed, but they start with the children first then go from there as to who needs it the most. we will reassess after today and maybe take more on thurs. if it's needed. it's a pretty crazy system...or lack there of. our money goes pretty far here eventhough the dollar is crap right now.
they don't even really provided all the bandages and things they need. sometimes our group brings soap and lotion cause they don't bathe them or offer any of that. i think zachariah said there are about 300 beds, but sometimes there are not enough beds for people, so they don't get one. it's basically just a triage system and you'll get help if it's possible. our british friend who is working at a hospital here said the doctors are pretty complacent. they aren't super driven or willing to help. i'd imagine they somewhat detach considering the overwhelming need.
we got quite a few good pictures of cecelia, so i'll bring them back for you.
i'm just bracing myself for what i'm about to see at the hospital. i'm afraid that this might be the hardest part so far.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO THESE PEOPLE, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW BLESSED WE ARE. I AM GLAD GOD HAS ALLOWED YOU THE PRIVILAGE TO GO AND HELP. IT TAKES A LOT OF GUTS AND COMPASSION TO STEP OUT OF YOUR OWN COMFORT ZONE TO GIVE LIKE THIS. IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO BURIE OUR HEADS AND FORGET THAT PEOPLE REALLY ARE IN SUCH DESPERATE STATES. GOD FORGIVE US WHEN WE COMPLANE. WILL CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR STRENGTH FOR YOU TODAY.
LOVE YA, MOM
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