Making the Rounds

Today was such a great day! I got to experience so many new things and really learned a lot. I spent the whole morning and part of the afternoon making rounds with Dr. Neil, who treats the children at Lighthouse. Janis dropped me off at one of the private hospitals in Rustenburg where Dr. Neil was going to be performing several surgeries this morning.

The first was a Caesarian section, which was especially interesting since I've seen so many back home and had something to compare it to. The surgical procedure was very similar to what we do in the United States except for a few minor differences. For example, here in South Africa they place a small surgical drain in the incision site to prevent the accumulation of blood and fluids. I've never seen a drain used in the States for a C-section incision.

The biggest difference was the nursing care of the baby after he was born. Let's just say that it was not what I would have done and that it was quite a struggle to contain myself.

After the C-section was finished, Dr. Neil and I sat in the doctor's lounge for a few minutes drinking tea and coffee. Have I mentioned how much tea they drink here? Next it was time for a tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, which we've learned about in nursing school, but I had never actually seen before. After that was the removal of a ganglion cyst from a young man's wrist. Both surgeries were very interesting to watch.

The finally surgery of the morning was the circumcision of a 17-year-old boy. I was relieved to discover that he was going to be put completely under for the procedure and would not remember any of it. It was interesting to see how they did the circumcision since I've seen so many performed on newborns, and obviously it would be done quite differently on a teenager or an adult. Dr. Neil explained to me that many of the black South Africans are circumcised around this age to symbolize their "entry into manhood." Ouch.

After we changed out of our scrubs, we hit the road to go visit two of the rural AIDS clinics in villages outside of Rustenburg. On the way, we stopped to get litchi flavored water, which was very good, and I asked him about a million questions. Dr. Neil explained that there are 15 different rural AIDS clinics in this area and that he visits 12 of them every 2 weeks to see patients who are not responding to treatment or having unusual symptoms that puzzle the regular caregivers.

At the first clinic, we saw patients for about 30 minutes. I was able to see their lab values, many of which were like nothing I've ever seen in the U.S., and also to watch Dr. Neil examine them. Many complained of pains, weakness, or the inability to continue working.

patients gathered around one of the village AIDS clinics

After we had seen all the patients there, we drove to the next AIDS clinics about 20 minutes down the road. Here we saw many more patients and stayed a little longer than we did at the first clinic. Dr. Neil had to draw blood from a little boy who was about 18 months old and from a 4-year-old girl because the caregivers couldn't hit veins so small. I was the hand holder and comforter for these procedures. Sadly both of these young children are HIV positive and will need blood draws like these every few months for the rest of their lives.

outside one of the AIDS clinics

Before we left this second AIDS clinic, the caregivers asked us to take a look at a man who had been dropped off there by his family this morning. They wanted to know if he should be sent down the road to the AIDS Hospice. This man was a sobering sight. He was barely conscious, eyes sunken, skin and bones, lying on a cot in a back room. He had a horrendous cough that I'm sure was probably TB, and we noticed white patches in his mouth indicative of a fungal infection. Dr. Neil told the caregivers to get this man to the hospice as quickly as possible, but told me later he thought it was probably too late.

patients' beds in the AIDS hospice

Our last stop of the day was the AIDS hospice in Phokeng. We saw about 10 different patients, all of whom were very sick with infections due to their weakened immune systems. I expected that since it was a hospice that most of the patients would die there, but Dr. Neil explained to me that it's more of an inpatient unit for critically ill AIDS patients and that less than 50% of the patients admitted actually die during their stay. Of all the places we visited today, the hospice was the one I'd most like to visit again.

Dr. Neil dropped me off at Lighthouse around 2pm, and I headed over to Janis and David's flat where they were celebrating the 4th of July with American friends from the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) base in Rustenburg. The YWAM staff is going to be at the airport in Johannesburg on the 4th picking up students who are coming for their July through November Discipleship Training School (DTS). So we had to celebrate a little early with a braaii (the South African word for a cookout or barbecue). It was a fun afternoon!

HIV/AIDS Workshop

Yesterday I spent nearly the entire day in the village of Klabani attending an HIV/AIDS workshop led by Janice Cole, a retired nurse from the U.S. who is now a missionary in South Africa. The purpose of this workshop was to educate women from area churches about HIV and how to care for those who are battling AIDS. It made for a long day, especially since I already knew most of the information taught from my nursing education, but I'm glad that I went. It was interesting to see how Janice was able to take what she knows and convey it to these women who have no medical background.

the church in Klabani

We arrived at the church in Klabani at 8:30am, and the 50 women attending the conference were singing African hymns and praying aloud. Their singing was so beautiful! I was disappointed when they finally stopped singing at 9.

From 9am until noon, Janice talked to us about the basics of HIV: what it is exactly, how it can be spread, common symptoms, etc.. She also talked a lot about prejudices against those who contract HIV and the importance of showing Jesus' love to those who are infected regardless of how they contracted it.

Janice Cole speaking to the group

At noon, we got a 5-minute break to stretch our legs, and then we talked for another hour or so about how to counsel someone who is infected. Janice stressed the importance of respect, being genuine, and being a good listener.

Finally at 1pm, we got a lunch break. I was excited to discover that the lunch being served was real South African food, the kind that most of the people who live in the villages eat. I had a slice of bread, mealie pop (top), mince meat (left), and maltabella (right).

my lunch

In the afternoon, Janice taught the women about providing home care (even if you have no nursing skills). She discussed how to care for a person with a fever, a sore mouth, or a cough and reviewed the basics of proper nutrition. When Janice finished shortly after 4, the women did some more singing and a few different people who were involved in hosting the workshop said a few words. Then Janice drove me back to the shelter for the evening.

the group attending the workshop

The workshop was a great experience, but I definitely don't think I could ever do HIV/AIDS education like Janice does. I'm not sure I would have the patience, or if I did, that I would really enjoy what I was doing. I suppose it's good to figure these things out now, so that I don't end up spending my time doing something I don't have a passion for.

P.S. I met two missionary women from the United States at the workshop yesterday, and each one separately tried to set me up with her son (both of whom are about my age and "looking for a godly wife"). I thought it was pretty funny. :)

New Pictures

Since many of you who are reading this blog do not have Facebook and are unable to see the pictures I've been posting on there, I thought I'd put a few pictures on here that I took this past week. Enjoy!

Rebaona

Karabo

Mbali

Nkosi

Gracie

Koketso

Joshua

Eating Habits

The first day I met Hope, Janis and David's 7-year-old daughter, I learned that she likes to eat lemons. But not only does she eat lemon slices just like you would an orange slice; she eats the whole thing, rind and all! Since that first day, I've seen she and Annah and Dineo eating whole lemons, and I've watched Dineo eat a whole orange including the rind.

I was reminded of that today when the 3 girls from the Main House and I were doing some tree climbing, and Annah and Dineo started picking off the tree bark and eating it. I'm sure part of the reason they did it was just to see my reaction, but they actually chewed and swallowed large pieces of bark. These girls make me laugh!

Another unusual eating habit in South Africa (not that eating tree bark is the norm) is the eating of biltong as a snack. Biltong is a dried meat kind of like beef jerky in America except that it can be made of a wide variety of different meats including chicken, kudu, fish, and even sometimes ostrich. I have not experienced biltong yet, and I don't know that I will because it really does not look very appealing.

Tonight one of the guys in the church youth group asked me if I had ever had a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and I replied that of course I have. Apparently, they don't sell them anywhere in South Africa, but he had heard how amazing they are. I promised him that if I ever come back to South Africa, I will be sure to bring him some Reese's.

Romania Recap

As many of you already know, I went on a 10-day mission trip to Romania in May just one week before flying to South Africa for the summer. It was an incredible trip and such a privilege to witness all the ways God worked through our team in the Gypsy village.

Now that I've had some time to look back and reflect on the trip, I really feel that my purpose in going was to serve my teammates just as much as it was to serve the Gypsy people. I had so many awesome conversations with people I had never met before this trip. I shared my testimony (the story of how I came to know and love Jesus) with several new friends and also had the opportunity to share the story of God's faithfulness in guiding me to South Africa with lots and lots of people. I know that after those 10 days, several new friends and I will never be the same. What an awesome God we serve!

One of the guys who went on the trip compiled video footage and pictures to create a "recap video" of our trip. It's really emotional for me to watch. It takes me right back to that village where God was so evident and reminds me of so many incredible stories.

Cleaning House

Apparently there are a few people who were under the impression that I was going to be "roughing it" in Africa. Well, that's not true in the first place, but I'm about to completely squash that rumor once and for all.

Nomhle (the Managing Director) had told me that Agnes, the cleaning lady at Lighthouse, would be coming into my flat today to clean. She asked me what I wanted her to do (since she doesn't speak a lot of English and Nomhle can speak to her in Tswana), and I wasn't really sure since I've been keeping my flat pretty clean. So I just told her whatever she would normally do was fine...she didn't need to do anything special.

I was thinking that she would probably vacuum and dust, maybe clean the bathroom, and that was great with me. But I cannot believe how much cleaning she ended up doing! She cleaned absolutely everything! She cleaned the whole bathroom, scrubbed the shower and the toilet, mopped the floors, vacuumed the carpet, washed the windows, took out the trash, and even cleaned the dishes in my sink. But there's more...she even washed and folded my dirty laundry for me! I couldn't believe it.

Now I officially feel spoiled. It was so nice of her, but I feel guilty that she did all that for me. Next time she comes I'm going to be much more specific: "Just vacuuming and dusting please!"

Kgaswane Mountain Reserve

Since Noel, the youth pastor, is on vacation with his family this week, we didn't go out to Kanana or Freedom Park on outreach. Instead early this morning I went on a hike with my new friend Angela and her 12-year-old daughter Taya. They just moved here from Ukraine last year, and I met Angela because she volunteers out at Lighthouse each week. She's been telling me about how she goes hiking with a group of people every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and has been inviting me to come. Today seemed like a great opportunity.



Angela and Taya picked me up at 7am while the sun was just starting to come up, and we drove about 20 minutes to the Kgaswane Mountain Reserve where there are roads and paths all throughout the park. On the way to our meeting point, we saw zebras by the side of the road. Pretty exciting for a girl from Illinois! I'm just sorry now that I didn't get a picture. I wasn't quick enough with my camera.



We met with the group at some little houses where the park staff live. When Angela introduced me as "Sam from the United States," they all wanted to hear about how I ended up here in South Africa for the summer. Later in the morning, they also had some interesting questions for me about American politics, particularly my thoughts on Barack Obama.



The hike took us about an hour and a half, and I spent most of the time chatting with Angela's daughter Taya, a 6th grader. She was excited to find out that I am a Christian and had lots of really interesting questions for me. She goes to a Christian school and really wants to have a relationship with Jesus, but no one has ever really explained how to do it. She was telling me some of the crazy things her Christian friends have been telling her about how many times you have to read your Bible to be saved, etc. I know that Taya was the reason I went on this hike. I invited her to come to the Friday night youth service at the Assemblies of God church and promised her I'd be there to sit with her. She told me as we were leaving the park that she's never had a 21-year-old friend before. :)



When everyone arrived back to the starting point, we had some tea and biscuits (very South African!) and rested a little before driving back. The tea was very good, but I needed about 10 times more than that before I was going to feel properly hydrated again. This was the time when I got asked questions about Barack Obama and the inevitable downfall of America by two of the ladies in particular. I was a little uncertain how to answer their questions at first, but felt like I handled them well. It was actually kind of funny now that I think about it.



On our drive out of the park, we saw a sable and several kudu just off the main road. It was so exciting! These animals are so beautiful. I had never seen anything like them before. Taya and I decided to get out of the car to take some pictures.

Visitor from Mpumalanga

This week Janice Cole, a nurse from the United States who is doing missions work in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, is here in Rustenburg to teach an AIDS workshop for caregivers who have little or no medical background. I will be attending the workshop all day Saturday. Janice first came to South Africa back in 2002-2003 to volunteer at Lighthouse for 2 years, so she still comes here often to visit the kids and the staff.

It has been really interesting to talk with her and hear about the work she is doing in the villages in Mpumalanga. I learned this week that the percentage of the population that is HIV positive in this province is higher than any other province in South Africa. And just like in the North West province (where Lighthouse is located), there is a large number of children being abandoned or losing their parents to AIDS.

Today Janice and I took the 3 girls from the Main House to McDonald's for a special treat. Annah, age 8, Dineo, age 7, and Mary, age 4, all got Happy Meals with Orange Fanta, their very favorite "cool drink" (soft drink). Then they got to spend a little time on the outdoor playground while Janice and I talked and tried to avoid all the bees. It was a fun afternoon!

When we arrived back at Lighthouse, a team from a church in Georgia was there playing with the kids. They are coming back again tomorrow to help with the toddlers and the babies. It's always nice to have extra people to love on the kids!

Lighthouse Blog

Just this week, Janis updated the Lighthouse blog with stories and pictures from the month of June. There might be some things of interest to you. :)



Click here to see the June updates.

Note: I just wanted to clear up any confusion about my job at the hospital since it wasn't quite accurate on the Lighthouse blog. I've worked for the past 3 summers and winter breaks at Memorial Medical Center in their Family Maternity Suites primarily in the newborn nursery and the special care nursery.

Winter Holiday

Most (if not all) of the schools in South Africa are year-round, so the kids have short vacations throughout the year instead of one long summer break. Today is their first official day of their winter holiday. Since South Africa is south of the equator, it's actually winter here now. You can read more about that in the post called "Winter in June."

The five older kids who live in the Main House have been outside playing most of the day and have been pleading with me to abandon the toddlers and babies to come play with them. After a couple hours of having toddlers attached to my legs and trying to talk to me all at once, it's nice to have a little break, so I went out and spent some time with the older kids.

Annah, Dineo, Hopie, Mary, and I found a nice spot away from the rest of the kids where I could repaint all their toenails. The last time we did this, the little kids were all over us sticking their fingers in the nail polish and making a big mess. This time we were much more prepared. Although we did get a little spot of pink nail polish on my "camping in Alaska" fleece. That was sad. (But will I still wear it every single evening? Yes!)

This is completely unrelated, but please be praying for Nomhle (pronounced nome-clay) today. She is the Managing Director at Lighthouse and had become very close with Lee Ann over the past 9 months. Nomhle took Lee Ann to Pretoria this morning to meet her new family, and I know it's been a really difficult day for her, so please keep her in your prayers.

Special Visitor

This afternoon I had a special visitor come over to my flat. After playing with the older kids from the Main House on the playground for a little while, I was ready for some snuggling with our newest little baby. She arrived Friday afternoon, and I've spent a significant amount of time with her each day since.

Unfortunately, I can't use her real name on my blog until she's legally abandoned (which, I believe, takes 60 days). So for now I am going to call her "Hannah."

I asked the caregivers in the baby room if I could "kidnap" her for a little while, and they laughed and told me as long as I didn't leave the property that was fine. So I snuggled her into her yellow fuzzy blanket and carried her outside for a walk.

She was wide awake, so we went for a nice long walk around the Lighthouse property and watched Hope jump rope on the trampoline. I talked to her a lot and kissed on her little cheeks and finally got her to smile! It was so cute! After a while though she fell asleep, so I took her back to my flat where we did some rocking and snuggling in the rocking chair.

Right around dinner time, Dr. Neil showed up, so I took her back to the baby room for a quick check-up with him. He looked her over and thought she looked just fine. I got her all bundled up in her blanket and put her in one of the car seats (since she still isn't too crazy about her crib). Within minutes, she was fast asleep again.

I'm really bonding with little "Hannah." And I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm her mom.

When Love Takes You In

This weekend as we prepare to say goodbye to Lee Ann and send her off to Sweden with her new family, I keep thinking about the song "When Love Takes You In" by Steven Curtis Chapman. The song is all about the change that occurs in a child's life when he or she is adopted by a loving family. Please watch the music video if you have a chance...it's a really beautiful picture of adoption (and it usually makes me cry).

Coming and Going

Since today is Saturday, it's supposed to be my free day that I can spend however I choose. It's a good day to do some laundry, catch up on emailing, and spend some time reading. But after sleeping in this morning, I decided to head over to the baby room to see our new little baby (see picture). Isn't she adorable?

She was wide awake when I arrived and acting hungry, so I gave her a bottle while I talked to her and stroked her cheeks. She didn't smile at me like our other new baby did the other day, but she did do lots of cooing and gurgling at me. After she finished her bottle, I walked around the room rocking her for over an hour. Around 1pm, I tried putting her down so that I could go eat some lunch, but she started crying right away. I waited until she was fast asleep, and then I was able to snuggle her into a little car seat without waking her.

When this new baby arrived yesterday, Martha, who turns 1 later this month, had to be moved over to the toddler room to free up a baby crib. So the baby room is full again...but not for long. Lee Ann (see pictures), who is 9 months old, has been adopted by a couple from Sweden and will be leaving us on Monday.

It will be sad to say goodbye, but today I got to see a few pictures of her new family and her bedroom in their house, and I am so excited for her that she's going to have a family who loves her. It makes me so happy to think of them reading her bedtime stories and taking her to the park and the zoo and throwing birthday parties for her. What a blessing to have a mom and a dad!

Please be praying for Lee Ann and her new family as they all prepare to make this big adjustment. And please also pray for safe travels!

New Arrival

This afternoon another abandoned baby arrived at the shelter. She is only a few weeks old and so sweet. I gave her the once over and filled out her admission form while Sindi, one of the caregivers, gave her a bath and put clean clothes on her.

She seems to be in pretty good condition except for a rash on her cheeks and a blister on her arm. Dr. Neil comes every Saturday, so I'm sure he'll take a look at her while he's here tomorrow.

She would not stop crying, so I rocked her for about an hour, and she finally settled down. I tried placing her in her crib then, but she immediately started wailing again. So I picked her up and gave her a bottle. Then I bundled her up in a blanket and tried putting her back in her crib. This time she fell asleep.

Please be praying for our new little girl. Just like the other babies who have arrived this month, she seems really uncertain of her surroundings and is going to need a lot of love and attention. Also please pray for her health as we are still unsure of her HIV status.

Things I've Learned

The following are a few things I've learned from my time here in South Africa:

- People you don't know might just come up and hug you. Don't be afraid. They're just being friendly.
- If you overhear someone talking about a robot, they're refering to a stoplight, not an actual robot.
- Showering during the day when it's 70 degrees outside is a much better idea than showering at night when it's 30 degrees outside (and inside).
- When working with babies every day, Shout stain remover is absolutely necessary.
- 100 Rand is equal to about 13 U.S. dollars, so take a deep breath whenever you hear your grand total at the cash register. It's actually much less than what it sounds.
- When stopping on the side of the road to buy fruit, be careful not to let black vendors rip you off. Sometimes with white customers, they increase their prices.
- Unlike in most U.S. malls, there are some really nice restaurants in the mall in Rustenburg.
- You can't really count on electricity. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.
- Therefore, keep a flashlight where you can find it if you're going to be groping around in the dark.
- Space heaters and hot showers are gifts from God. Thank Him for them daily.
- Traffic laws are much more optional and much less enforced here.
- Before entering a shack to pray with someone, turn off your cell phone.
- When a teenage boy tries to teach you Afrikaans, do not repeat anything he says without first verifying with a female. You will be glad you did.
- Holding babies and chasing kids around all day is a great workout, and as an added bonus, you'll sleep really well at night.
- Most African kids are fascinated by Caucasian hair and will stick their fingers in it when given the chance.
- Trampolines and fingernail polish do not mix.

A Day in the Life

Today was a pretty typical day for me here at Lighthouse...well, except for the fact that I accidentally set my alarm for 7:30pm instead of 7:30am. Fortunately, I woke up on my own at about 8:30, ate my bowl of Special K Red Berries, and was out the door of my flat by 9.

I would normally start out in the baby room since they are just waking up around 8 and need to be fed. But today I headed straight over to the toddlers since I usually make my way over to the toddler/preschool room around 9 or 9:30. I walked in the door, and Joshua (see picture) came flying at me yelling, "MAAA!!" The caregivers were all laughing. I feel like everyone should be greeted like this first thing in the morning.

All the other kids joined in and grabbed hold of my legs and feet. This happens every single day. The kids all pile around me for a few minutes hugging on my legs and talking to me all at once and begging to be picked up. They know whoever gets to me first gets picked up, and everyone else just gets stuck with a leg (see picture).

When they finally detached, we played with blocks and toys for a while. Then I helped them eat their morning snack, which was little bowls of guava. It looked kind of like tomato, but I guess it tastes different. Some of the littler ones that are only 12-20 months old need either to be fed or need some help using the spoon.

Then it was time to play outside. By then it was around 10:30 and had warmed up! I pushed Lebogang and Thabo on the swings, helped some of the 3 and 4 year olds to go down the slide, and "protected" a bunch of the kids from Monty the dog. Once the kids were sufficiently covered in grass and dirt, it was time to go inside and clean up for lunch.

I ran back to my flat for 10-15 minutes to eat some grapes and get a drink of water. By the time the kids finish their lunches, I am really hungry, so I always try to have a morning snack.

Lunchtime works in shifts: first, the 12-18 month olds are fed their lunches, and then the older toddlers and preschoolers sit down at their little tables to eat lunch (see picture). When I got back from my snack, I fed Lebogang her bowl of baby squash and managed to get very little on my clothes (which is not the norm...she likes to play while she eats!). Then I prayed with the older kids and broke Grace and Sheila's sandwiches into bite-sized pieces for them. I ended up feeding most of the pieces to Gracie because I've spoiled her and she likes it when I make the pieces like airplanes flying into her mouth. Once the kids finish their sandwich, they receive a glass (or sippy cup) of milk. So I traded lots of empty plates for cups of milk.

Next I fed Gomotsegang (pronounced ho-mote-say-hahn), who is one of our special needs kids. I fed her some baby squash with a towel draped over my front (which is a good thing because we got a whole lot of baby squash on that towel). She tends to eat a spoonful and then spit it all out again. It gets very messy.

Now it was time for my lunch. The kids were all going down for naps, so I ran back to my flat and made a turkey and cheese wrap. When I finished eating, I grabbed my Bible and found a nice sunny spot to read on the Lighthouse property. I've been reading about 5 chapters of Psalms each day (so that I'll finish the book by the time I come home in August). And I also read Proverbs 19 since it's the 19th day of the month and there are 31 chapters in Proverbs. I borrowed that idea from my friend Renee and have been doing that for several months now.

Next I spent a couple hours in the baby room. I met 3 local high school girls who were in there volunteering today. I spent most of my time in the baby room holding and rocking Gontse (see picture), who is 9 months old and has a nasty cough. He hasn't been feeling well this week and just needs some extra love and attention. I also gave a bottle to Tsolofelo, a sweet little one month old girl.

Around 3pm I came back to my flat for a little break. I took my camera into the office and uploaded some pictures I had taken onto the computer and saved them on my flash drive. Then I put some of the best ones on Facebook.

After my short break, I headed back to the toddler room. I popped in a Kids' Worship DVD, and several of the kids came and sang and danced to it with me. Sheila (see picture) runs around randomly singing the line, "I'm in the Lord's Army!" It's so cute. So today she got to hear the song on the DVD and got so excited!

At dinnertime, I fed Gracie and tried to coax the others to eat. I also helped to round up the littler ones and put them in their cribs. Lebogang cried and cried, but I didn't give in this time and she finally settled down. (Those of you who are parents, I don't know how you do it!)

Next, it was back to my flat where I made some pasta (on the stove!) for dinner and cut up a pear. I also had some African fruit juice, which is amazing. I really want to bring some home with me!

So that was a pretty typical day for me. Now I'm updating my blog, checking my emails, and probably getting on Skype to chat with my mom. Then later I'll read, maybe do some knitting, and head to bed!

Back to Kanana

Today I went back to the village of Kanana with Noel, the youth pastor at the Assemblies of God church, and a few young adults from the youth group. We dropped off more blankets and food at the clinic to be distributed and found out that there were no translators available to go out into the village with us today. I asked Noel if we could just go out without them, but he explained that the translators are also serve as caregivers and know where the sickest people live. Without them, we wouldn't really know where to go.



So instead we stopped at the little Christian preschool (see pictures above and below this paragraph) in Kanana and visited Ruben, an older man who runs the school and lives right next to it. He showed us the inside, and we were disappointed to find that there were no kids there today. We prayed over him, gave him a bag full of food, and headed on our way.



Noel stopped at a burger place called BJ's on the way back into town, and we all ate cheeseburgers and fries (called "chips") together. Since we couldn't go out into the village, Noel decided we should have "fellowship" instead. I've met some really nice people through the church, and it was fun to get to spend some time just getting to know them better. (Sidenote: At lunch today, I also learned that African boys can be just as immature as American boys.)



Please continue to pray for those who are very sick with AIDS living in Kanana. Like the people in Freedom Park, they live in very poor conditions, and many do not have access to the medical care that they really need. Please be praying not only for physical healing and restoration, but also that they would come to know Jesus as their Savior before it's too late.

False Alarm

This morning I was feeling really sad because Lebogang, my sweet little 17-month-old, was gone. I knew it was coming sometime soon, but it was so sad to see her crib empty when I walked into the toddler room this morning. Unfortunately for me, she was the child I've gotten most attached to since coming here.



Lebogang (pronounced lay-bo-hahn) is HIV positive, and since she will probably never be adopted, she is being transferred to a long term AIDS facility in Johannesburg, about 2 hours away. Lighthouse takes in children who have been abandoned or who are in crisis situations, but it is not intended to be long-term facility. The goal is to place all the children either with adoptive families or in the appropriate long-term facility like this one in Joburg.



Lebogang is very healthy now, and with good nutrition and the right combination of antiretroviral drugs, she may continue to be in good health for a few years. But the majority of children who are HIV positive don't make it past age 5, so she will probably begin to decline in the next few years. Please pray for her continued good health and for her care at this new facility (especially that she will learn there just how much Jesus loves and treasures her).



The reason this post is entitled "False Alarm" is because when I came to help feed the kids their dinner tonight, Lebogang was back! She spotted me across the room and screeched, "MAAAA MAAAA!!" I almost cried. Apparently she had been at the government hospital all day getting the full work-up so all her medical records can be transferred with her to Joburg. It was exciting to get to spend more time with her tonight, but she is still going to be leaving us very soon.

Smiles

This morning I spent some time in the baby room with our newest little girl, who is about 3 months old. She seems to be doing well here, although she can still be pretty fussy and wants to be held all the time. I was holding her today and talking to her and stroking her little cheeks, and all of a sudden out of nowhere she smiled this big beautiful baby smile at me. We didn't even know she could smile. But there it was.

I gave her a bottle, and she continued to occasionally smile at me. It was so sweet. I think she's starting to like it here. :)

Father's Day

Today Janis and David are in Pretoria (about 2 hours away) because David is speaking at a church there for Father's Day. So Lorinda and I were in charge of taking the 7 oldest children (ages 4 and up) to the Assemblies of God church. It was quite the adventure. Once we got them all into their Sunday School classrooms, though, we were able to enjoy the worship service without distractions.

The service was awesome. In the middle of the song "None But Jesus," which is one of my very favorites, the worship leader spoke about how God is our heavenly Father and longs to be close to us. He longs to embrace us and hold us in His arms. Then he asked all the men in the church who are leaders and also fathers to come forward and stand in the front. We were then invited forward to experience a "father hug" from any one of these men while we continued to sing. It was really powerful. Men and women, young and old came forward to receive a "father hug." I just stayed in my seat and took it all in.

The most powerful moment to me was when a young man (about my age) stepped forward and fell into the arms of the pastor sobbing. The pastor held him in his arms for a long time without saying anything, and then he prayed over him quietly while we continued to sing. I think it was the best Father's Day service I've been to.

P.S. Happy Father's Day, Kenny! I love you! :)

The Bird Farm

Yesterday Janis and I took the 4 older girls (Annah, Dineo, Hopie, and Mary) to the Bird Farm in Rustenburg for a fun afternoon outing. The Bird Farm started out as a nursery where you could buy all kinds of different flowers and plants. But now they also have a little cafe, a playground, and more than a hundred different types of birds.



We ate toasted sandwiches for lunch in the cafe and then walked through all the different birds: big and small, some very colorful, some very funny looking. (Kenny, the whole time I was thinking about you and how much you would have loved it! I wish I could have taken a picture of each one for you!)



They also had a few farm animals, some marmosets, and monkeys. The girls fed leaves to the goats and held my hands really tightly whenever any of the chickens came near us. After we had seen all the birds and animals, the girls played on the playground for a while, and Janis bought them some cotton candy (which they call "candy floss") for the road.



It was a fun afternoon, and I enjoyed getting to spend a little extra time with the older girls. :)

An Excerpt

I just finished reading "The Irresistable Revolution" by Shane Claiborne, and it was fantastic. I think I'll probably end up reading it again before the summer is over. Throughout the book, the author paints an incredible picture of what it looks like to really live and breathe for Jesus Christ.

There are so many parts of this book I want to share with you (basically you just need to read it!), but one story in particular in the last chapter of the book really stands out to me. I'm going to share it here, and I really encourage you to take the time to read it. It's a beautiful analogy of what it looks like to live your life passionately for Jesus...

My grandfather used to bale hay, and he was notorious for buying new tractors and equipment without my grandmother's consent. So this one summer, he had just gotten a brand-new truck and trailer and wanted to "break 'em in." So he and my uncle began loading up the hay bales scattered across the field, stacking them higher and higher, pushing it to the limit. Finally, they hit the road with the hay, my uncle driving and my grandfather riding along proudly. What they didn't notice was that one of the hay bales was rubbing against a tire. Which is pure trouble, thanks to a little thing called friction.

Before long, the hay bale caught on fire, then another and another. (It's hay.) Eventually, the truck looked like a comet headed down the highway. And they didn't notice. They were probably just talking about how nice the truck ran or jamming to the Chuckwagon Gang. People began to wave hysterically, and my uncle nodded back. (That's how we roll in East Tennessee.) But eventually, he looked in the mirror and saw the flames behind them, and they quickly pulled over and got out of the truck.

This created new problems, since now the flames that had been behind them raged upward and began to melt the back of the truck. My uncle noticed my grandfather had the glove compartment opened, and he asked what he was doing. My grandfather pointed to the pile of stuff he'd pulled out and said, "Well, I don't want this stuff to burn too." But my uncle was not so quick to give in. He snapped back, "No, get back in the truck." So they did.

My uncle hit the pedal and they were on the highway again, this time with the goal of getting rid of the fire. He began to swerve so the hay bales fell off behind them. But then the fields began to catch on fire. Pretty soon fire trucks from all the neighboring counties were following along behind them, trying to limit the damage, and they finally managed to extinguish the inferno.

My grandfather told me, after he got out of jail (just kidding), "Shane, we caught half of East Tennessee on fire." We laughed and laughed. And I thought to myself, that is what the kingdom of God looks like. Christians blaze through this dark world and set it on fire with their love. It is contagious and spreads like wildfire. We are people who shine, who burn up the darkness of this old world with the light that dwells within us. And perhaps the world will ask what in the world passed through here.

What a beautiful picture. I think that when Jesus talks about letting our light shine before men, so often we picture ourselves as a candle or a flashlight in the darkness. Well, I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be a wildfire.

Mall Outing

This afternoon Janis dropped me off at the mall in Rustenburg for a couple hours so that I could pick up a few things. As much as I love the babies and toddlers here, it was nice to have a little time to myself today. It was also nice to have a little change of scenery.

I have been reading a lot in the evenings (I've already finished 2 books since I've been here), so I bought a couple C.S. Lewis books at the Christian bookstore. I also picked up a few groceries at Pick 'n Pay (since I eat a ridiculous amount of Special K Red Berries each week).

Then I hit up the craft store and found some knitting needles and yarn so that I can start working on a scarf. For those of you who are aware of how challenged I am when it comes to arts and crafts, I assure you that I do know how to knit. I just don't usually have the time to do it.

The most exciting purchase of the day was a "minx sherpa fleece" from an outdoors store called Cape Union Mart. I must have looked in 10 different stores for the warmest sweatshirt or fleece I could find, and most were either really expensive or not very warm. Then I discovered this beautiful fleece that looks like it was made for mountain climbing or for camping in a blizzard. And it was on sale! I'm pretty sure I'm going to wear it every evening for the next 8 weeks. Have I mentioned that it gets down into the 30s each night and all I have in my flat is a space heater and a little air conditioning unit that blows warm air? I'm SO excited about my mountain climbing fleece!!! :)

Funny Kids

Phumelo (in the picture) is 4 years old and attends preschool, so he has been working on learning his colors. Several times this week, he's pointed at something and asked, "What color is that, Mommy?" I'll tell him, and he'll repeat it to me. He's definitely improved as the week has gone on.

But then today he came up to me while I was pushing Tshepiso on the swings, pointed at my skin, and asked me what color that was. I didn't know what to say. My first thought was tan or beige, but then I wondered if he meant more along the lines of white or Caucasian. I looked over at one of the caregivers, and she just laughed and said, "Phumelo, stop bothering Sam."

Also today Reneilwe walked up to me and said, "Hallelujah!" But she pronounces it "holla-lu-lah." How adorable! I think she must have learned it from the kids' worship cd they listen to sometimes. Now she comes up and says it to me and starts laughing because she knows I think it's funny.

The other day Joshua, who is a little over a year old, took off his tennis shoe (takkie) and just randomly flung it into the swimming pool. Then he just stood there and smiled and clapped his hands, so pleased with himself. All the other toddlers gathered around to watch the shoe sink to the bottom. It was pretty funny.

Another New Addition

Yesterday while I was serving in Freedom Park, another new baby arrived at the shelter. I first met her this morning, and she is so sweet! She is a tiny little 3-month-old who was abandoned by her mother, discovered, and brought to Lighthouse.

I've spent a lot of time rocking her today. Once she falls asleep, I try to put her down in her crib, but she always wakes up and cries. So I think she and I will be spending a lot of time together in the rocking chair.

In other news, our new little guy who was abandoned this past Saturday was reclaimed by his mother the other day. I'm not sure exactly why she changed her mind, but she decided to come get him. Please pray for this little baby as he goes back to his family.

Freedom Park

Today I went with Noel, the youth pastor at the Assemblies of God church, and a few young adults from his youth group out to Freedom Park, a squatter camp outside Rustenburg. It reminded me a lot of the Gypsy village in Romania: houses that look like tiny shacks, no plumbing or electricity, garbage everywhere, kids running around barefoot. It never gets any easier to see poverty like this and to realize that people actually live this way.



We stopped first at the Freedom Park clinic (seen in the above photo) and dropped off food and blankets to be given to the families who need them the most. We also had several small foam mattresses for families with small children. Then with the help of 2 translators from the clinic, we walked through the camp, stopping at several houses to visit the sick and the dying and to pray over them.



More than 70% of the people who live in Freedom Park are HIV positive, and many are suffering from full-blown AIDS. The clinic provides many of the people with the medications they need to reduce what is called the viral load. When the viral load is low, they are better able to fight off infections and have a better quality of life.

But for a variety of reasons, many of the people choose not to go to the clinic. Many are afraid of the stigma of having AIDS and would rather die quietly than to admit to their neighbors and friends that they have contracted the virus. Others do not even want to believe themselves that they are sick, so they refuse to get help.



Please pray for all the people in Freedom Park who are sick and dying of AIDS. Most do not have a comfortable bed to sleep on or medicine to take for pain or nausea. They also live in tiny houses that get very hot during the day and very cold during the night.

It made me sad to be out there today and to remember that many of our babies from Lighthouse were abandoned by families in Freedom Park. But I'm so glad to know that these children do not have to grow up in such terrible conditions. Here they have warm beds, good health care, clean clothes, and, most importantly, they learn about Jesus' love for them.

Adoption and HIV

Please be praying for the adoption situation here in South Africa. As of right now, Americans cannot adopt children from South Africa. Most of the children here at Lighthouse are adopted to families in Scandinavia. They do very well there, but many more of them would be adopted if American citizens were allowed to adopt also (since the United States has such a large population and because adoption is so common among American families).

The sad truth is that in the history of the Lighthouse Children's Shelter, no family has ever gone through with the adoption of an HIV positive child. Janis and David, the directors, have had American families express interest in adopting these sick children, but they currently cannot.

I was under the impression that this was South Africa's government keeping Americans from adopting, but I learned the other day that it is actually the United States that is holding up the process.

Please be praying for a quick resolution to this unfortunate situation.

Please also pray for Kele (pronounced Kelly), age 2, who has been in and out of the hospital and is battling AIDS.

Nail Polish

I spent yesterday afternoon with the 4 older girls at the shelter including Janis and David's daughter Hope, age 7, and 3 girls from the Main House: Annah, age 8, Dineo, age 7, and Mary, age 3, who acts like she's about my age. I brought out 3 bottles of nail polish from my flat and painted each of the girls' toe nails. Then I agreed to let them paint mine. We all had a great time!



in case you were wondering how my toes turned out...