to say the least...

I have learned a couple of things in Africa
(to say the least).

1. Nothing is really straight forward.
You have a problem.
You have a great solution.
It probably will NOT work! Ha!!

2. Appearances are everything – you may have perfectly fine intentions with good morals and a positive way to accomplish that goal, but things can be misinterpreted so easily. It also can be comical what types of lies people make up in order not to take any shame for their actions.

3. “China shops” charge more for their items if you are white … most any white person is viewed as $$ sign. Befriend an African and have them do your shopping!

p.s. Things in Africa are really not that much cheap than in the U.S.A.

4. Non-verbal communication or sign language is pretty effective especially when you do not know the language!!

5. In the Theatre (Operating Room) I have had to learn how to do cases with almost NO equipment!
I also have seen some of the most disgusting things anyone may ever see.
(Example- TB puss filled tumor the size about 3 softballs. Extra precautions?! What are those? What is MRSA comparied to a raging TB infections? No TB masks! At least we did NOT keep that suction tubing!)

P.S. I ALWAYS double glove and make sure I have eyewear, for Dr. Matt.

Oh, you never know what you may find when you do a C-Section… like two babies instead of one (that happened to me last Friday)!

6. Africa is HOT! Everyone sweats.
I think I am starting to smell like an African!

7. Time is a relative thing!
Events are where it’s at!

8. In Africa you walk.

9. African people are some of the most creative people I have ever met; sadly they do not always live up to their potential.

10. Cleanliness is NOT next to Godliness!

Aurola

As I reflect on the last week or so my thoughts spin as I have no good place to start! The Lord ordained several moments in the last week. I had no idea of what I was in store for.

Let me start with my home stay. I spent two nights over three days in the village setting of Africa, aka a mud hut with a tin roof. I learned many of the techniques of how to effectively live a very simple life. It was beautiful to say the least. During my time in Ndama, I was able to meet with a couple of girls who, Lord willing, I will be able to meet with on a regular basis. I just want to be their friend, help them with school, and give them confidence to make wisdom decisions as a young women. I am unsure if any or them are truly believes in Christ, while I am fairly confident most of them attend Church on a regular basis. Little did I know those few moments would shape my entire weekend.

Friday evening I received a phone call that one of those girls, Aurola, tired to commit suicide. Aurola’s story is quite complex, but I will do my best to paint a picture of what brought her to that all-time low point. Aurola grew up in Angola for the majority of her childhood and this is still were her mother resides and some siblings (I am not sure exactly how big her family is; family is somewhat a lose term here.). Aurola’s father has passed away.

In 2007, Aurola came to Namibia. Currently, she is taking care of her “adopted” grandmothers (3 widowed women). Aurola is sixteen years old (seventeen on February 2nd) and had attended schooling up to grade 7 in Angola; however, moving to Namibia forced her into a school system that spoke a language she had never spoken before. She started grade 5 this past week. While living with her adopted grandmothers, Aurola has to haul water, pound pap for food, and help care for the grandmothers in return they have given her a place to live. Aurola like a good majority of teenagers struggles intensely with self-confidence, feeling loved, and the temptation to have sex. On last Friday morning when she found out that she was 30 weeks pregnant I can only imagine what she may have been feeling. While she had know for a while she had been pregnant, she wanted to “hide” it from everyone. I know she feels a lot of shame for being “impregnated” (as the locals would say) by a boy similar in age to her. On Friday morning she also found out that she could not get an abortion (her first choice- but it is illegal here). Friday night she tired to hang herself from a beam in her mud hut using a red tie that typically they wear to church.

Saturday morning I went to the hospital to visit her. As crazy as it may sound (esp to medical people) she came home with me! Yes, even though I had only really met her one time prior I knew that she would not receive any sort of great care at the hospital, so since she had been given discharge orders I offered to allow her to stay with me over the weekend.

My time with Aurola went well. We were able to bond over watching a movie, making a meal together, and cleaning all the floors. My favorite moments were doing devotions together on Saturday night and Sunday morning. She read from my Bible for a long time with me. Sharing with her not only the Gospel, but also reading verses like Psalms 139:17-18 (“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God. How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.”) You see, Rundu is a very sandy! You could never count the grain of sand in just this city alone. It was prefect word picture.

Let my word of encouragement be to you this day. No matter what you have done or how you may still screw up the Lord’s thoughts of you outnumber all the grains of sand in the world. He is thinking and wanting to love on you constantly. Are you willing to let Him?

The First Week of 2011

Dec. 30th – Jan. 1st - Rundu Beach New Year Party!! It was pretty much one of the best parties I have been too! The singing and dancing was off the hook!!! There are some amazingly talented people here. While at it may seem strange for a “missionary” to go to a party this time really helped me understand this place a lot better. I learned that people here are very similar to people at home and all across the world. They love to have a good time, relax, sing, dance, and just hang out! It may have been one of the best nights I have had since moving to Africa.

Jan. 2nd – Church at EBC NDAMA. It was great to run into a girl (Judith) I met in the beginning of December. We also had two friends over in the evening. They typically come to check their email, but since our internet was down we all just hung out. They taught us some traditional African dancing! It was a blast.

Jan. 3-7th – Work in hospital. It was pretty slow week… it’s holiday mode here!
It is raining every day now. The river has flooded and things are so green. (Our backyard garden is growing!!) It is beautiful, and nice to have relief from the heat. Let's just say it does not feel like January.

Jan. 4th – Rob, Alisa, & family – moved to Windhoek. :( They are the missionary family that lived next door.

Jan. 5th – A great evening with our team here in Namibia! Laura’s birthday (my awesome roommate)!! We got a chicken!!! (So we were supposed to get two chickens but one died in transit – Clementine smashed her! I am excited to have a “pet”. Laura named her Clementine)

Jan. 6th – We went to a 1 year old birthday party in the village. We walked there and back (about an hour and half walk one way). It was a cute party with great food and so nice to be in the village!

Jan. 7th – I ran into my friend Judith on my walk home from work so she joined me for lunch!
So that’s my week in review!! I am already anticipating this next week… I will be doing a home stay in a village.

I would love to hear how your first week of the New Year went. Email me!!

Be blessed and have much peace my brothers and sisters.
alysse