Here's to filling in the holes...

First off...I would love your prayers for a yucky sickness that is going around the Bercario and Baby House at the moment. We are fighting against high fevers and a terrible chest infection. I'd love your prayers that the antibiotics will start working and that no one else will come down with this. And tha

Second, December has been busy...think about those days in college when you never sat still, had 4 classes, 3 meetings, a project to finish, and you were an RA (resident assistant), vice president of a sorority, and trying to study for nursing tests as well...ok maybe you can't think of all those things because that was me in college but December has been busy we'll just stick with that. So here's some of the things that happened...
***Laura has returned from the States!!! She is back and I am thankful. I love getting to hang out with her, and her Portuguese skills far outweigh mine making afternoon program and keeping the boys in line much simpler! For now Rebecca and I are still helping her out with the boys!***Jose took a little spill. He was diving for a ball in the Baby House (not something little kids should do when the floor in concrete and their indoor playground in wood). Well that ended in a large gash on his head. All the tias said was there is lots and lots and lots of blood. Well one lesson we all need to learn is...heads bleed a lot! So after a trip to a nearby clinic with Erin...This is Jose...a 3 year old with the largest stitches I have ever seen in my entire life. Erin said the needle they used was HUMONGOUS! Anyway, all is well now!

***We have said goodbye to Solange, one of our Brazilian nurses. Solange is headed to Matola (a suburb of Maputo) to work with another ministry there. I'm very excited for her and this new work! But, I have to say I'm already missing her. She was always a smiling, pleasant face around here. And this means I have taken on the responsibility of on call medical for the entire base (minus the bercario, baby house, and visitors...what I was doing before) every other week. There have only been a couple days where I was VERY overwhelmed with this. It's just one more adventure I pray God continues to prepare me for! Also, when our main clinic nurse leaves for a break, at least for a bit I will be taking on her responsibilities as well...this makes me quite nervous...but God has a plan!

Here is Solange, Jannie, Erin, Jaqueline, me, and Celia at her farewell cook out!

***December 23rd the Bocaria kids came for Christmas lunch! 100 of the Bocaria (city garbage dump) kids that come to Children's Church each week (something I have been to on and off since I arrived here) came to celebrate Christmas here at the center. They were fed a chicken lunch and got sodas!!! Some people from the US embassy and marines were here to pass out their Christmas presents and celebrate with us as well!

These little ones were all on the floor because they were too short to see up over the table and be able to eat with everyone else.

This is Pai...super excited about his new toys!Here's all the kids as we said goodbye...

Those kids can always teach me about the joy of the Lord. With nothing they are filled with smiles and always ready to play!
***Christmas Eve candle light service. I'm not sure who decided giving candles on paper plates to tons of kids was a brilliant idea...but it was a pretty service. The Christmas tree was up...And, the baby house kids preformed the Christmas story...(so so cute!)Then the candles were given out...All was well minus one slight wax accident on a little boy's head. After a quick hug and kiss he decided he was ok!

***Christmas day I spent with Laura's boys! We had a special breakfast for them...Laura baked them an egg casserole!

Then we gave out their dorm presents (these were conveniently left by Pia Natal the week before). There was much much excitement over skateboards, new soccer balls, a teeter totter, and more!

Samo was very excited about the new motor

Even the tias played with the new toys!

Next came mini-olympics for all the kids on base! Many games were played from pushing a marshmellow with solely your nose, three legged race, and much more!Last, a great dinner for all the missionaries...where I got to make South Carolina sweet potatoes...mom sent me the stuff!!!!

***Chris left us. :( Well at least for a bit. She is back home with friends and family cooling off and resting up! I'm not so excited about it...but I guess it has to happen and she has been here for over a year. Wishing her the best!!!

This is Aleya, Chris, me, and Erin on Chris's last night with us.

Ok...I think that fills you in on major events. I'm wishing you each a Happy New Year as I head off for a night of movies, crafts, and cooking out with all the kids! And there will be fireworks as well!!!

Eye-Opening/Frustrating...

This morning after a day of being sick yesterday I took a trip to Hospital Central Maputo. This is the main teaching hospital for the country of Mozambique, a place with "state of the art medicine" being practiced. Don't you worry it was not a trip for my health...I just had a little food poisoning and am doing just fine now, instead it was to get a chest x-ray of one of our tots, Latifo (I introduced you to him in my November update). He has a chest infection, along with several others in the Baby House/Bercario at the moment.
Anyway, I have been warned by many that the care given at HCM is horrific at best...IV's are started in the neck often, gloves are washed between patients, wiped dry on dirty aprons and used again, chest x-rays of babies are taken by hanging them from their arms in front of the back board, and many other things. So I was prepared for that...well as much as you can be. But I walked in to see patients laying on beds up and down the hallways, people sitting waiting for x-rays with bloody gauze taped onto scalp and face wounds. One lady was laying there with no clothes too sick to cover herself up and no one was doing a thing about it. They wheeled a man through with a trach (for non-medical people that's a hole in your neck that you breath through)...covered in blood and who knows what else...I guess all that nursing education on proper trach care went out the window. The workers are wearing masks, aprons (dirty mind you), and acting like people are toxic...when in actuality much of this disease could be avoided with education.
It was frustrating because it's hard for me to think that is the best thing out there for most people in this entire country (I say that but most of them can't even get to this hospital without dying if they are really sick anyway). There are several westernized clinics but they cost too much for the ordinary Mozambican. It's unfair; it makes no sense to me. I know the western way is not always the best, but I also know this is unfair.
I will say, it makes me thankful to work where I do in this center where we provide care that is unheard of in this country. Where we see children like little Latifo go from severely malnourished to a walking, talking, happy 3 year old. I sit thankful for where God has put me to make a difference in this little corner of Mozambique, but have to ask WHY? Why do some places in the world try to keep people alive on life support way longer than God intended and other places in the world people die from diarrhea? Why are God's children in Mozambique not able to get the same care and love from nurses as His children in the US are? These are the questions I am struggling with today...

2 Humorous Events

#1- Today my fence fell down. Yep, that's right. I left my house for a total of 30 minutes and when I returned, this is what I saw...That's a large chunk of my fence laying on the ground! Apparently it just couldn't hold up today against the strong winds.

#2- This one occurred yesterday. And you just have to stick with me to enjoy the humor. Chris came into my room to switch out our mattresses because she is going home for 2 months and is letting me use her's until I am able to get one (thanks to the generosity of Aleya and her dad!). Anyway, she was going to make it up for me and I said no there was no need. She said but you're working and have tons of things to do and I said...nope no one is going to get sick today. (Nurse's last words...) So I headed up the Baby House...all was well. Went to check on the Bercario to find most of the little ones crying. I told the tias I would take Francisco back with me for a bit and give them a break. Headed back to my room to make up my bed. To make things easier, I tied Francisco up in a capalana...his favorite place anyway...looked much like this...(although this was actually taken Sunday)My house phone rang not 2 minutes later. It was Aurora (our Moz nurse in the Baby House)...all I could understand her saying was Vasco (one of our boys) and asthma. So with my good friend Francisco along for the ride I headed up to deal with whatever was going on. I walked in on Vasco in respiratory distress. He was severely retracting and breathing extremely quickly. After 2 nebulizers and starting him on antibiotics, I felt comfortable to leave him for an hour. Well just picture it...I was a real Mozambican with a baby strapped to me doing my work. By the time I was finished I was pouring sweat and little Francisco went right back to the Bercario because I was exhausted.

...so that's life here at the center for the moment...

It's so hot you could...

Have you ever heard someone say...it's so hot you could fry an egg on the pavement? I remember many people saying that to me in the heat of the summer in South Carolina. I do remember warm days. I do remember sweating just laying by the pool. I do remember as a kid mom sending me to take a shower after playing outside because I had that little kid stink. But, I never remember getting out of the shower and sweating before you can get your clothes on...

So the other day Chris, Erin, Aleya, and I tried out the egg theory. Here's what happened...

We cracked an egg and let it stay on the pavement outside my house. Pavement that was burning my legs through my skirt mind you. But even after several minutes...

Still nothing happened. So we have proven that even at 125 degrees you can still not fry an egg on pavement. Although we do still plan to try it on the basketball court...which is black top. So, stay tuned for that adventure!

And if you're not already entertained enough...before we got this experiment cleaned up Erin was walking and I said...Cuidado (be careful) the...and she had already stepped right in the egg. Pretty funny if you ask me!

A Reminder...

Every once in awhile I get reminded of why the Lord sent me here. This morning I was really tired when I woke up and was not feeling like sitting through church with little ones all around trying to listen to translation. Some days it just seems too tough.
Well, I sang and danced with all the Baby House kids during worship...always fun and tiring in one. Then I went to sit down with the other English speakers to hear the translation of the service. There was a visitor sitting in front of me and a little girl from the Bocaria (the city garbage dump) laying in her lap. The visitor got up to sit closer to the translator because she was having trouble hearing. I looked up and the little girl looked devastated. This was the face I was staring into...I put out my hand and she immediately climbed into my lap. She spent the service taking off my bracelets and watch and putting them on her wrists before putting them back on mine again. God immediately reminded me that loving these kids is why He sent me. It's not how many medicines I give out in a week, how many times I wonder if I'm adequate but instead taking the time He has given me to hug on and love the children around me. She eventually fell asleep in my lap. Every time I would move just a bit or attempt to stand up she clung to me like a monkey. She was not going to be put down by this white person who was hugging her if she could do anything about it.

I kept thinking...I wonder when the last time she was held was? I wonder if she even has parents who have told her she is loved? I wonder what she is going back to after church and a nice meal here at the center? It just struck me this morning...made me remember again that the little things that bother me each day are tiny in comparison to the job the Lord has given me.

It was a small reminder...something we each need every once in awhile. What is the Lord trying to remind you of today?

Merry Christmas to all!

So this morning I sent out an update with many many many pictures from Christmas day here (December 18th). If you did not receive and would like to, just e-mail me! For now I want to share with you our missionary rendition of the 12 days of Christmas...

On the 1st day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
300 children up a tall tree!

We live here on the center with about 300 kids and trees are everywhere. At the moment it is mango season so any tree with mangoes fare game for climbing and picking.

On the 2nd day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
2 cold showers!

Cold showers are just a reality here. We do have gas hot water heaters but many many times we run out of gas and there is no more to buy around here. Also, at the moment with it being 120 daily cold showers are a must.

On the 3rd day of Christmas Zimpeto gave to me...
3 rice and beans!

Rice and beans is a main staple in our children's diet. I don't eat them that often, but many lunches and dinners here rice and beans are served.

On the 4th day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
4 gulping geckos!

I think our center must be the perfect habitat for geckos because they are EVERYWHERE. I'm talking that if you are in the shower with a geckos it's normal, if you are sitting in your room and one runs right up the wall next to you it is normal, if you leave your house to watch several scamper away it is normal...EVERYWHERE I tell you!

On the 5th day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
5 ma-rines!

This year the marines came to bring some gifts for the kids from the Bocaria (the city garbage dump) and to celebrate Christmas with them. It became a big joke because there are so many single girls on the base (with only 5 men...1 single...out of about 35 missionaries). To our disappointment only 2 marines showed up. :(

On the 6th day of Christmas Zimpeto gave to me...
6 phantom phone bills!

So our phone bill system on the center is basically a failure. Yep, that's right. It puts random phone calls on your bill and never prints out some bills for people whatsoever. Welcome to a developing country.

On the 7th day of Christmas Zimpeto gave to me...
7 burning fences!

Earlier this year one of the boys here decided to play with matches. The end result was part of a field and a long fence going up in flames along with the one of the houses on our base being completely filled with smoke. Hence the burning fences...

On the 8th day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
8 de-worming tablets!

So intestinal worms are just a reality here for our kids and sometimes for us. Every 3 months we de-worm everyone including our tias to help with the issue.

On the 9th day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
9 tons of sands!

So we basically live in sand dunes as I've said many times before. I think that explains that...

On the 10th day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
10 visitors vomiting!

We have about 1000 visitors who come to zimpeto every year and somehow they all seem to get ill. This was for all of us who do medical on call for visitors...

On the 11th day of Christmas Zimepto gave to me...
11 phone calls failing!

The main phone service we use is m-cel...at this point it connects you phone calls about 1 in every 15 and sends texts only about 1 in every 25 it seems (I'll admit that's slight exaggeration but not by much).

On the 12th day of Christmas Zimpeto gave to me...
12 mad missionaries!

This is referring to us losing our minds most days of the week. It happens with you live, church, work, and socialize with the same people and are surrounded by 300 children on a daily basis. It equals so crazy missionaries.

All of that to say...Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night! Sleep well tonight all and vow to stand outside in the cold for me for a few minutes tomorrow!!!

What happens when it's 120!?

So yesterday it was really 120.2 degrees (not an exaggeration at all)...that's 49 celsius...that's in the sun but it was 110 in the shade and 104 in my bedroom. ABSOLUTELY OUT OF CONTROL IF YOU ASK ME! Anyway at one point I took a freezing cold shower and enjoyed every moment of it (the whole time I was thinking could I just live here in my shower) but before I could even get dried off and put my clothes on I was sweating again...not one glistening drop but pouring sweat in buckets! Seriously...

So in the midst of 120 degrees and much much sweating Erin and I went and got three of the Baby House kids to have some water fun...it was an adventure as all things are here. We got back to my house and discovered 2 poopy diapers. We had little baby undies to put them in but no wipes to deal with the situation. After getting that cleaned up we discovered that they were not all too fond of water...
Here's Alberto's face in reference to us splashing water on him...But, they each warmed up to the idea slowly...And Enoque was the first to jump in with smiles!All followed after that for much fun and splashing!There was much twin "loving" going on...as usual!
Yep, that's right...Lena and Enoque are twins and SUPER adorable if you ask me! They are almost 2! (Lena's on the left and Enoque on the right.)And for the record...Alberto had fun but never would get into the water without tears...So...what happens when it's 120? You take several cold showers a day, you become ok with your clothes being more than just damp under the arms, it doesn't matter that everyone and their mom can see sweat all over your clothes, your face, basically every part of you, you somehow feel better about knowing its 120 (because it explains the buckets pouring off of you), and you play with three adorable children in water buckets!!!!
Lena, Enoque, and Alberto ready to head back to the Baby House...just waiting on us to clean up a bit!As I write this...it's 125 today...oh man!

My Frist Taste of Christmas!

So a few weeks ago I was given a kit to make a gingerbread house. I kept thinking..."I'll get to it after Thanksgiving." Well that came and went with much work and changes around here (as I've learned each month does). Anyway, last night it came to me...we are going to make this gingerbread house and bring it to home group (our weekly time as a staff together). This week we were having a cook out to say goodbye to one of our nurses, Solange.
(Side Note: Solange has been working in the main clinic on the base...which serves all the kids, missionaries, and workers who are here on a daily basis. Basically everyone I have not been working with medically...until now. As of last night I was given the on call phone for the base and will have it until Monday. Iarrah...a Brazilian nurse with 7 years of experience here on the base...will be switching weeks with me. For the moment to say I'm nervous about this is a complete understatement. I would love your prayers for peace, wisdom, and preparation! As for other responsibilities...I'm not sure what that will look like yet. For now I am still working in the Baby House Mondays and Fridays but have given up my weekends because of being on call for the base. Point being...I'd love prayer!)
Ok...back to Christmas! Aleya and I decided making a gingerbread house while listening to some Christmas music might get us in the mood even though we are still working, it is 100 degrees outside, we're sweaty, and basically nothing else feels like Christmas. So today we took on the kit...first I was a bit nervous when I read we needed a rolling pin, wax paper, a mixer, and powdered sugar. Well out of those things we only used a mixer (borrowed from some others) and all worked out just fine!My St. Mary's (the middle school I went to) days served me well. Aleya was amazed I had put together many many gingerbread houses in my life and was basically a pro decorator! We both have just a little perfectionism in us...so this is what came from our hard work...Not without much mess along the way...We even made stain glass windows!But don't worry...Mom you would have been proud because just as I went to do the ice sickles the icing bag in the kit broke...I rigged one out of a Ziploc! Yep, that's right...you taught me well!
Oh...and if anyone knows me when I work hard on something it is VERY hard for me to allow others to eat it. So I spent the entire night telling everyone..."Nao, so comemos despois Natal!" In English..."No, we are only eating it after Christmas!" It led to many laughs...the Brazilians just couldn't understand why I would make and bring something we couldn't eat.
Anyway...I was pretty excited and felt just a little bit more like Christmas is coming, which is great since Christmas here is just in 2 days!!!!

We saw the Big 5...and much more on SAFARI!

So Monday we spent the day in Kruger National Park...a safari reserve! Yep that's right...I went on SAFARI because I do live in Africa. It was awesome and supposedly it wasn't even a great day of sightings. And for all those wondering I did start singing The Circle of Life upon entering the park and many more Lion King songs were to follow!
So lets see...we'll start with the Big 5! These are the greatest wild animals of South Africa...all the biggest hunters! Our first sighting of the morning was water buffalo. I don't have a great photo because of the angle but they are HUGE and quite funny looking with their horns propped up on their heads somewhat like a bad hair style.

Water Buffalo

Next on our adventure came an elephant that walked right into the road up ahead of us! Amazing! For the record they are HUGE! And we did see 2 more elephants during the day, all males and no babies (I really wanted to see an elephant baby!).

Elephant

Next up was a group of rhino and then one who looked right at us for the perfect photo op! What a sport he was!

Rhino

Next was the leopard, a rare siting for sure! He was walking along the road behind some brush. All I could think/say was, "He is amazing...Wow!" Seriously he was gorgeous!

Leopard

Last but certainly not least was our lion siting! We pulled up on a group of cars parked on the side of the road. You know that should end with something amazing. It ended up being 2 male lions sitting in some brush after making a kill. There were vultures all around and the lions were panting so much it was crazy. They were goregous as well...you could just tell they run the place!

Lions

My favorite out of these would have to be the elephant and next the leopard. With the elephant I was just taken back by how amazingly large he was and the fact that he would just walk out in the road and slowly walk back toward the trees not without a few great poses! The leopard's fir was amazing! He had such a shiny coat...gorgeous I tell you!
As for other sightings...
We did see one giraffe after praying hard and asking the Lord all day for giraffes!

Our lone giraffe...

There were approximately 5,785 impala to be seen. They are a deer like animal that if you ask me infests all of Kruger! But they are pretty and they gave me many many photo opportunities!

Some of my favorite impala!

We also saw several groups of kudu...

Kudu for your viewing pleasure...

There were too many hippos to count, tons and tons of birds, a couple of crocodiles, one lone monkey, several zebras and wildebeests, and a warthog!

My favorite bird all day...all for you Ellen!Wildebeests and there good birdy friends...Zebra...makes you feel so very African!And we can't forget Pumba...of course there was Hakuna Matata sang with this sighting!And last but certainly not least...Pride Rock!!!!

Altogether a HUGE success! It was a long day but a good one!

Chris, Erin, and I almost finished with our safari adventure!

To answer your two burning questions:
#1 Yes, you can come and see all these wonderful creatures for yourself if you come visit me (and of course play with all my adorable children as well)!
#2 Yes, this is all my photography and I wish you could see it with great resolution! I know, I know...I amazed myself! I have to thank Hope for picking out the camera!