Tchau Twins

Last month, we said a hopeful yet hard goodbye to two sets of twins who have lived with us since they were small.  All in one day Lena and Enoque, 2 year old twins, and Lucy and Vasco, 5 year old twins, both moved back to live with their families.  Lena and Enoque have a grandmother who is already caring for several of their siblings and her own children.  We took them in as infants because she was not capable of caring for them along with the other children.  But now that they are older and healthy, we faithfully placed them back into her care.  As for Lucy and Vasco, they have a father who loves them very much.  He has always wanted to care for them but as a single father could not work and care for small twins on his own.  Now that they are school-aged he will be caring for them again.  It is sad to see members of our Zimpeto family go, but it is also with a joyful heart that we let them go.  No matter what care we can provide for them here on our center, they will ALWAYS be better off at home in a family setting.  They will learn the responsibilities of a family, their culture, and how to cope in the harsh reality of Mozambique.  These are things, try as we might, we cannot teach them here at the center.  Here are a few pictures of the gorgeous twins we said goodbye to.

Adorable Lena and Enoque!  I absolutely love them and will miss their smiling faces and infectious laughter!

 Lucy and Vasco...always full of energy and ready for fun!  They will be missed by all!

 Here's all 4 of them getting ready to leave.  Lucy and Vasco were very excited to be going to live with Papa.  Lena and Enoque were a bit confused about what was happening I think...but I trust they have adjusted and are loving life with their brothers and sisters!

An Interesting Saturday Morning...

A few weeks ago I actually got to sleep in a Saturday morning...that is a miracle between work, 300 children, and the reality of living on a children's center.  It was 10:45 when I sleepily made breakfast...GLORIOUS!  Next thing I know I'm sitting on my bed sipping on coffee and eating some cereal and my roommate comes in and says...brace yourself..."Do you know how to kill a chicken?" (in Portuguese that is).  I respond with, "I do how, but I've never done it before."  I was referring to almost a year ago when I went on outreach into the community and the pastor we were with killed a chicken for our lunch.  I had watched carefully but wasn't sure I was brave enough to actually do the deed.  At this point I abandon my peaceful breakfast.  I start asking questions.
Who has a chicken?  My roommate's boyfriend who lives here on the center.  Why do they need us to kill it?  Apparently that's a girl's job here in Moz.  Where is it?  It will be at our house in a few minutes.
Want to hear my reaction at this point?  I run to my room.  Throw on some clothes.  And grab my camera.  This will need to be recorded!  Honestly, I think I have lived in Africa too long!
Then, I walk out on our back porch and find a CHICKEN!

And in perfect chicken fashion it proceeded to poo on our porch before it could be made into dinner...silly chicken!  It literally was scared ----less, if you know what I mean??  Hahahaha...I know, I'm hilarious!
(WARNING- This is where you should stop reading if you are going to be VERY upset or disgusted by hearing about how a chicken goes from pooing on my porch to dinner...just stop now!)
Anyway, a very brave boy (pictured here) who lives here on the center actually did the deed with that there knife.  I'm not convinced he had done it before because instead of securing the chicken as he went at it with a knife, he let it go.  We got a FULL demonstration of the saying "running around like a chicken with it's head cut off".  A very accurate saying if I do say so myself.
What came next you're asking yourself??  Well, pictures of the dead chicken of course.

Here's an example...a very dead chicken!

And after that came plucking the chicken.  If you ever need to pluck a bird, it's much easier after you have poured boiling water on it.  This is Clara, my roommate.  I did help her I promise!  I literally reeked of chicken for days...SERIOUSLY!

And here is the end result...basically a chicken that could have been sold in the store but wasn't because instead it showed up alive on my porch on an interesting Saturday morning!

Nurses' Day

Thursday was Nurses' Day here in Mozambique.  Wednesday the Health Department (or Ministry of Health as it is called here) came to close our clinic.
Here is what I had to say about the events about an hour after they occurred...
I only have 2 minutes...but am begging each of you to keep our medical team and entire base in your prayers today and the coming weeks.  Today the health department came and shut our clinic.  They did not care what changes we had made after the last inspection or what things looked like today.  They came in with nail, chains, and hammer...locked, nailed, and closed our doors.  We managed to save a few medicines and other supplies but nothing significant.  I will write more tonight when I have my head together and can tell you about what this means for us.
For now I sorting out a new baby boy who is a month old and only weighs 1.5kg (3.3 pounds).  Pray for him.  Pray for Luis, a little boy who had a seizure this morning in the midst of them shutting our clinic.  Ironic...I think sad.  Keep us in your prayers and I'll keep you updated.
Late Wednesday night, I had this to say...
It is now after midnight.  I cannot believe this day is finally almost over.  First, let me say this...I am very sorry if my last e-mail made any of you fearful.  Our clinic being closed has nothing to do with the fact that we as western nurses help there unlicensed.  We believe the main issue is our vast array of medications in our pharmacy that most of Mozambique's main hospitals can't afford to stock.  So we are not in danger.  I'll say that again.  I am in no danger.
Second, thank you for each of your prayers, those who wrote back, and those who are consistently supportive of my ministry/constant battle here in Moz.
Third, we have spent our afternoon attempting to sort out what comes next for our over 250 children here on base.  We were allowed to take minimal supplies out of the clinic before they literally nailed, chained, and locked the door closed (I'll post pictures).  We have been granted permission to attend to our children (Praise the Lord!).  But, we are no longer allowed to have doctors consult our sick children here on base.  We must take all of our sick children to a local clinic to be seen by doctors there.  This is a near impossibility with the number of children and constant medical issues we have.  That being said...we all met together as a team today.  We chose to move all of the supplies we do have to a central location that hopefully will work for now.  Our clinic staff will continue to come to work, and we'll do our best to continue to provide care to our children and workers who are here on base.
That being said, there was no written paperwork presented to us today regarding the closing of our clinic.  Our Mozambican center director was asked to appear at the health department tomorrow.  We are praying he will receive a list of what things need to change in our clinic and information on how we are to function until we can attempt to re-open our clinic.  Last month our clinic was inspected, and we were only given a verbal list of complaints.  We have done our best to be proactive in changing everything they asked about.  We sent in a written plan of action and have followed through on this plan.  But today, they did not care to see the changes/improvements we have made.  They just came to shut our doors.  They did not seem to care that we are not a normal clinic where people come to be treated, leave with their medication, and don't come back until they have another illness.  They didn't care we have children currently on antibiotics who will miss days of treatment if we are not allowed to get the medication out of our pharmacy.  They were closing us and that was that.  We managed to save HIV medication and seizure medications...things the children cannot miss doses of.  But that is about it.
How are we all feeling?  Shocked yet not shocked at all.  This is Mozambique.  Things don't make sense to our western-trained minds.  You cannot rationalize or understand why a clinic that provides FREE medical care to over 250 orphans, over 100 workers, and 100's of community members would be shut down because it contains too many medications.  But yet, this is our reality.  I cried today with one of our workers who lives right behind our center.  Her life was saved by our clinic in 2005, and she will be forever grateful.  She could not understand why her government would close a place that weekly blesses so many.  Please, join us in believing that God is bigger than the health department of Mozambique.  Join us in prayer for the health of our base during this vulnerable time.  Join us in declaring that our God will reign in this place with or without a clinic building!
As for me, I am sad and exhausted.  I cannot really put into words the impact this has on my day to day life.  I can't yet imagine what things will look like or how we will function.  I'm frustrated that after 10 years of solid service, a few small issues can mean our clinic is closed until further notice.  And, honestly I continually thought all day...and I have to tell this clinic staff who just had their work place nailed, chained, and locked shut in front of their eyes that I'm leaving in 7 weeks.  How is that acceptable at all?  I know God will make a way, but I want to cry at the moment even thinking about it.
Thank you for your prayers, love, support, and encouragement!  I am certainly going to need it over the next weeks.
It has now been a few days.  We have a new "treatment room" set up where our children can come when they have fevers, cuts and scrapes, or just a belly ache.  They have quickly figured out where to go to get the love and medical attention they need.  We are still working on sorting out our Mozambican medical staff because they new "treatment room" is MUCH smaller than our locked clinic.  Our directors have met with the health department and our lawyers.  Basically, its a wait and see game now.  In the mean time our heart is to continue to take care of our children and workers the best we can.  And where this whole fiasco will lead only God knows.
Please join us in prayer that the result of such a sad happening will be that we as a team are able to place our eyes back on Jesus as our sole provider and director.  And join us in prayer for the overall health of all under our care during this time of transition!

My Little Helpers!

I'm not sure I can do these little guys justice, but I'll do my best. 
Here's the background you'll need to know to understand.  The Baby House is divided into 4 rooms by age.  Over the time I've been here the age range has gotten much smaller than it used to be...there used to be a range from newborn to 4 (almost 5) years old.  So basically each year the kids moved from one room to the next...in theory growing in maturity as they moved.  Now the age range is from 18 months to 4 years.  It makes a HUGE difference...and there are more children than ever before as well.
All that being said...this post is about two little boys in particular who live in room 1, the oldest room.  They recently have decided to be my little helpers.  When they feel like it, that is.

Meet Adilson!

And meet Lorenco!

So every morning and night that I'm working these little guys ask what they can do to help.  They want to carry all the medications out to be given, carry the used syringes back to our little clinic room to be washed, and their favorite job is to call the little kids I need.  I usually have at least a few children who need special attention, be that creams applied, drops put in their ears, their lungs listened to, or their inhalers given.  So these two little stinkers appear at my door and ask who they should go call for me.  Some days I agree and allow them the EXTREME joy of helping.  It always ends in lots of play time and LOTS of laughter...

They really do their best to get the little kids to listen, but it doesn't always work out too well.  I mean you have to remember they are 4 year old boys.  And, they are attempting to get their 3 1/2 year old house mates to do what they say...some days it causes much more hassle than it was worth.  But other days they all joyfully come running into my little clinic room together...absolutely precious!

Just if I could train them to leave the kiddos who are crying or don't want to come with them instead of trying to drag them along and MAKE them do what they want!  Just imagine the possibilities if you had these little helpers around your house!  I can ship them over if you want!!!