01/12/10

As we walked to the AIC Mukeu Dispensary this morning, Chris looked exhausted. He kept telling me just did not know if he could do another day. The last few days of clinic have been emotionally and spiritually exhausting! It seems every day had has held a life and death situation: women with gaping leg wounds, children trapped in the hospital, a woman covered in terrible burns because she was locked in her house which was doused with kerosene and lit on fire, and now a woman with a stroke. It has been intense, to say the least. Chris and I spent some time in prayer this morning, asking for a quiet, uneventful day, and the grace to handle whatever might come our way. The Lord must have heard our prayers, for today was very uneventful; even boring at times. I found myself in the pharmacy again, which I enjoy for a number of reasons: 1) The ladies who work in there with me are hilarious and I enjoy them very much. Today I was teaching them to use a camera - they’ve never used one before. It was very funny. 2) I feel connected to and a part of Chris’ ministry I have actually wondered if pharmacy school might be in my future when our children get a bit older. I’m really enjoying it very much. I took our 5 suitcases full of medication and unloaded it in the pharmacy here in Mukeu. It is so nice to see full shelves and know that the people here will be taken care of for a long time. Chris saw his patients today, but there was nothing too exciting. We were finished with clinic by 4:00 and convinced Chris and Dr. Sams to get a hand-made suit from the village, as well, so we went back to the tailor’s shop where they picked out their material and were fitted for suits. It’s just a tiny little shop with several foot-powered sewing machines. There was hardly enough room for the 5 of us “Muzungoes” (White people) in there, but somehow we managed to squeeze in about 25 of the neighborhood children, as well. It’s funny - you walk anywhere here and you inevitably end up with a stream of children following you. I often wonder where their parents are. Most of the people here seem very comfortable with us. The girls in the clinic told me my hair is “Smart” and want to know why I would ever cut it because they thought it would be beautiful long. It made me laugh because here I have no blow dryer or straightening iron. I have not had a “good hair day” in my opinion since we’ve arrived. It’s nice to know that even when I think it looks bad, they think it is “Smart!” Ha! The children in the village all want to pet my hair. They tell me it is so soft. The comfort levels and boundaries are so different in the US. It’s not too often you pet a stranger’s head at home! One of the ladies, Carol, has a little girl named Nympha. She is adorable - about Mason’s age. Her mother is so welcoming, warm and kind. From the moment I met them, she has been encouraging her daughter to “Go to your auntie.” It seems like I’ve adopted a niece. Everyone is anxious for you to love them. It’s fascinating. At home, we shield our children from strangers…especially strangers that we perceive to be different from us. We ate sheep for dinner tonight. It was disgusting! Every bite I took was full of fat and bones. Finally, I decided it was better to just leave it on my plate than to continue gagging so obviously. Tomorrow night, we are making dinner for the family we are staying with. Boy, I can’t wait! J Chris and I came to bed early tonight. We haven’t had any time alone since we’ve arrived in Mukeu, and I think we were both looking forward to just talking and processing the things we’ve seen in the last few days. Usually when we do go to bed and try to talk, we’ve been falling asleep while the other one is talking. It is so nice to connect and hear what is going on in each other’s hearts without falling asleep!