This is a blog I wrote after our time in Mozambique, Africa. We are now in Swaziland & just finished up the Vision Trip. Internet is rare, especially out in the bush. I will blog again soon about what we are doing long-term in Mozambique & how Swaziland is going so far. Pictures of Africa may not be posted until we enter Eastern Europe. Sorry. Thanks!
I left my home, my family, my friends, chopped off my hair, sold my car, all to go off on a pilgrimage, seeing the world with a bunch of strangers, carrying my home on my back. What was I thinking? This thought does not come up in a serious manner often, but when it does I begin to feel like I have lost something or someone. Then I start to cry. (If you know me, I cry…it’s what I do. LOL) This is a part of life & it sucks sometimes. It has been seven months of this roller-coaster lifestyle & it is not abnormal to wonder what day of the week it is, what town you are in, what work you will do for the day, when you will get to contact home, how often you can wear a shirt before it gets too stinky to wear again, etc.
What triggers this kind of reflection, usually has to do with the challenges I face when I see the “hard stuff”. The “hard stuff” came with the work we were doing while in Africa. With our ministry, we have been in Mozambique helping a missionary family (Yako & Maria) with different needs, mainly living & working at the orphanage they started. Here is what our days would typically look like:
I would wake up with the sun to see orphans crowded around the sea-through mesh of my tent (no privacy is just wonderful!) They would be standing in line waiting for their breakfast, as I would crawl off my sleeping pad & drag myself out of my tent, ready to start the day. The kids would be munching down their porridge while we had oatmeal with raisins, wheat-bix, or Farina (aka Cream of Wheat). We would play with the kids, attending to their wounds, washing their cloths, along with the other work Yako & Maria had planned for us. The huge task of moving the orphanage was our primary concern. We moved it & all 24 kids in a day. (In my next blog, I will present the vision regarding the orphans & what we did in detail to help-pictures & video included)
Lunch time would eventually come & the kids would have a plateful of rice with soya. We would have a sandwich with an apple or orange. After a little break for lunch we would be back to work. At some point in the day, everyone would have their turn to go to the Well to fetch water. With 20 or so adults, 24 kids, & it being summertime in Africa, water goes fast here. One trip alone takes a handful of people, a wheel barrel, a couple five gallon jugs, & two hours minimum to get the job done (3 & ½ miles both ways).
After all the work the day would hold, dinner would come & it was the best way to end the day! After working so hard, it would be dark & we would be starving. While we cook, the kids are in line for another huge plate of rice & the special treat of some real protein to go with it–which was usually chicken. After chowing down on spaghetti, a concoction of canned meat with cucumbers in rice, or something similar to “Spam”, many would crash or go lay out & star gaze. Watching the moon set had to be the most beautiful thing I saw!
In summary, that was basically what our days were like. But, I would always face the thoughts of having so much…& them having nothing. I would think of what I gave up back in the States & how little it made a difference in the great poverty & hopelessness that I saw in Mozambique & other parts of the world where I have been. & this realization of poverty hits fast. It hit the moment I set-up my tent. The blessings the Lord has bestowed on me made me feel guilty. Having all that I did, to station it right in front of the kids who do not have much at all, made me feel awful. I know God has blessed me so much, so I can be a blessing to others. & I know I do not deserve to have what I have…but nor do they. They have no bed. No clean toothbrush & certainly no tooth-paste. No change in the food prepared for them-it’s the same food every day. No fresh fruit or vegetables. No pillow. Not a piece of clothing they owned that did not have stains on them from the red dirt of Africa. & I’m just skimming the surface! There is no one to tuck them in at night. No presents on their birthday or Christmas. No one to come & talk to them, telling of how proud they are of them. No on to hug them. No one to make them their favorite meal. No one to curl up with when they are sick & certainly no doctor. No good education or any education at all. No knowledge of sanitation. No vacation. No new toys. No HIV testing. No soap. I repeat-NO SOAP!
I could go on & on, but basically it all comes down to the fact that broke my heart–THEY HAVE NO FAMILY.
Sure, they have been taken in from roaming in the bush, they are given something to fill their stomachs, they even have a tent to provide shelter, but they do not even get to grow up knowing what a family is or being a part of one. It is just a huge tent of 24 kids & one woman who stays there just to cook them food. I hate to end on that note, but I just felt this side of life should be shared. It certainly has changed my view of all the selfish pursuits I have. I want to help them. & we did-I’ll tell you about it as soon as some things get worked out–& we will continue to see we can continue to help them. I just thought I should share how they live & how my heart broke for them. I want nothing short of each child to have a family of their own. The bitter truth is tonight, they will go to bed when they want to, with no bed-time story & they will curl up on the floor while itching the spreading fungus that covers their heads.
