You are currently browsing the monthly archive for December, 2007.
I’ve added more websites to the resources page on various topics.
I have added six albums under pictures on the sidebar.
Maasai Market
World AIDS Day 2007
First Trip to Eldoret
My birthday
Uganda
Hope you enjoy them all!
I have added a link under pictures to a video on Kenya CRWRC. This was done earlier this year, prior to my arrival and it is very good. If you are interested in a longer version and you go to a CRC church please ask the church office. If you do not attend a CRC church and would like to see more please check out our Embrace AIDS site or let me know and I’ll make sure you get a copy.
Here is a powerful slide show that is targeting the Canadian audience but worth your time to see as well. Please take some time to watch these videos and see what God is doing in our world full of hurt.
I previously mentioned that “WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!”
Are we? I wonder? Is it presumptuous for me to say this? I visit these villages and see people living on around $1 a day or less and pray with them and am given hope that God is alive. Then I go back to my nice apt where I am not rich but I certainly make more than $1 a day. Am I really in this with those I’ve left back upcountry?
I don’t know.
CRWRC is currently in the beginnings of a two-year campaign called “Embrace AIDS” to raise money to fight AIDS in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Apparently the title is causing some concern amidst our denomination. “Embrace AIDS” does not imply that we are cheering people on to sin, as some may imply. There are many people who are HIV+ that have ‘lived right’ if you will. They saved themselves for marriage, they have been faithful to their spouse, and they have never done drugs. However, there are people who sin (I am one of them, aren’t you?) and make mistakes. Husbands move to the city to find work to support their family and one night they find the loneliness overwhelming and sleep with a woman. These men then go back to their families and make love to their wives. Later, they find out that not only are they both HIV+ but so is their newborn child.
There are also cultural issues at hand that provide a breeding ground for HIV/AIDS. Rape is prevalent as tribes battle one another in places around the world. There is also something called wife inheritance. For instance, if we practiced this in the States this is what it would look like.
- Let’s take my sister who has been married about 2 years. Say that, God forbid it, my brother-in-law dies of a heart attack. Wife inheritance allows his brothers, the older with first choice, to marry my sister, regardless of what she wants. Say the brother was HIV+. Now my sister is too. My sister is in her early 20’s with plenty of ‘baby-producing years’ ahead of her. Now, not only is her new husband HIV+, but so is my sister and so possibly are any children they may have. Now picture this in a world where mortality comes much earlier than in the States and realize that this can potentially happen often.
- Women are considered lower citizens, if they are even considered citizens, in much of the world. They do not enjoy the rights, equality and privileges that women of North America enjoy. They are bought and sold like cattle in some places and have little choice as to whom, when and where.
Not everyone who is HIV+ made a decision that led to that diagnosis. It hurts my heart to know that people are angry about supporting something that is ravaging the world in a way that cannot be understood easily in rural America. I say this because I have lived in rural America. AIDS was far from my thoughts. It didn’t impact me so I focused on many other things, some worthy of my attention, some not.
I am here to tell you. I have visited homes where HIV/AIDS is evident. I have visited with people hurting emotionally, mentally and physically because of the stigma related to HIV/AIDS. I have seen, heard and read about people who were so afraid of what others would say that they fled their families and homes, leaving small children behind with no explanation, all because they were afraid of how others would treat them or their family members if they discovered their ‘secret.’
HIV/AIDS is very real. It’s very serious. It’s killing men, women and children every moment of the day and night.
If we don’t, as Christians, reach out and love, who will? Christ calls us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. How much do you love you? Please share some of that love with those around you. Who am I, who are you, to judge? I have a hard time with this myself. I’m good at throwing a quick judgment out at people. I pray often for deliverance from my overzealous pride and judgment. Jesus was brought a woman caught in the act of adultery. Instead of calling her a hoochie and condeming her to death, which was the law, he simply said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Everyone walked away and Jesus forgave the woman. Where is my forgiveness and love and grace as I look into the face of HIV/AIDS?
I encourage you to look at the above website and really read what is there. Let go of bias and pray for the Holy Spirit to open your heart. I did and I wept.
I am also going to include several websites on my resources page that I encourage you to visit if you have the time.
We may not be all in this together but we certainly don’t have to be worlds apart either.
I have updated all the pages except, ‘about.’
Enjoy!
My sister, Sarah, whom I call Ruby, has a blog. This is her latest entry and well worth it. It’s about Pancake Day which is a big holiday in my hometown. yea!
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted and for that I apologize. It’s been a heavy travel month for me. I’m spending time with our partners learning who they are, what they do and how I can help support them with your help.
I spent about a week in Uganda (just before CHOGM arrived if you’ve kept up with the international news, so I missed Her Majesty the Queen, but I’m sure she would’ve loved me if she’d met me) working with the Bridger there, Rena. I was also able to spend 3 days on the road with the Country Consultant, Jim and his wife, Josephine and the Pgm. Advisor, Allen. We went to visit some of the partner work upcountry. I learned a lot and see how differently CRWRC works in each country.
It was such a great time with Rena, being able to visit with someone who’s doing the same job was awesome! She’s been in this position since Jan. so we had some great conversations. We shared frustrations, joys, challenges and ideas of what can come next and how to better do what we do. It also helped clarify what it is we are supposed to be doing. It’s always a good day when you figure out a part of what you are supposed to be doing.
I learned not only about Uganda, CRWRC’s work there and bridging, but I learned about myself.
I may have mentioned a conversation that I had when I was in Mali. Mary and Scott invited all the CRWRC and CRWM staff to the house for a potluck while we there. It was fun and a great night of fellowship. We started talking about where Chinyere and I would finally end up serving and when I mentioned that I was going to live in Nairobi someone said, “Ooooh, you’re what we call a candy missionary.” I had an idea what that might mean but because I’m such an expert in cross-cultural communication (I am being facetious here incase you missed it in the written context) I thought it best to clarify the meaning and not assume anything.
Candy Missionary refers to someone living the ‘cush’ life in a big city with all or most of the luxuries of home available.
Nairobi is a city of over 32 million people. I live in a lovely apartment with running water all the time (including hot water). Electricity each time I turn the lights on and am near the office and lots of shopping and most any kind of food I can desire. That qualifies me as a candy missionary. I am not living in the bush upcountry squatting in the back yard in the middle of the night, hoping I don’t get bit in the butt by God only knows what, praying that I don’t fall into the hole. I don’t sleep in a hut, much to my sister’s chagrin. I don’t have to plan for three hours to get to town by any number of means of transport just so that I can attend a worship service in a language that I understand. I don’t get stranded from the rest of my mission/support team for months at a time due to the rainy season. I DO walk 25 minutes to work amidst some crazy traffic and lots of fumes. I DO walk up four flights of stairs to get to my apt. I DO not have internet at home. I DO not have a vehicle other than my feet or the occasional ride from a coworker. Still, I am a candy missionary.
Honestly, I am just fine with that tag behind my name. My response, without hesitation, to the person (I can’t even remember who said it) was simply, “Hey, God gives us what we can handle and Nairobi is what I can handle.”
However, I also believe that God not only gives us what we can handle but continues to stretch us within and without so that we can continually handle more.
I’ve often said that I can handle a lot IF I HAVE TO, I just don’t WANT to. If it’s not necessary, why should I walk 25 minutes to work? I would never have done such a thing in the States. It took me that long to drive to work most days but I never would have considered walking through St. Paul. However, few people walked. I had a car and there was no need to walk. Nairobi has a lot more people walking and riding matatus. I don’t have a vehicle here and will not be getting one at all. Therefore, I walk because that’s what is called for now. Things are relevant, huh.
So, this candy missionary has learned that I can certainly live outside of my ‘norm.’ I can squat with the best of them in all sorts of toilets. I can bathe in water that is from the river and may result in more sticks in my hair once it’s washed than before it was washed. I can walk a lot further than I ever would’ve desired. I can sit in homes watching gut-wrenchingly sad situations that I have never imagined, gaining hope and hopefully offering some to those with whom I am visiting.
There is hope. If I can reach outside of my candy missionary world, so can you. God has shown me his love and hope in what some would call hopeless and godless places. I shout out “NO, GOD IS HERE! HE IS ALIVE AND THRIVING IN THE HEARTS OF ALL OF US HERE! IT ISN’T US AND THEM WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!” Reach out of your world and share the hope and love that you have. God will only give you what you can handle with the Holy Spirit but will continue to stretch you. I pray for strength for all of us as we are all stretched.
Buber talks about the Thee – Thou relationship (there’s a whole book on it that I sorta wish I’d brought with me).
We are in this together. I wanted to just let you know that I do not intend to ever sound ‘holier than thou’ but that I want to struggle through some things with you and see what you have. What can you offer me? Do you have words of wisdom or encouragement or critique? That’s part of the purpose of my blog, to exchange ideas. I am not an expert. I know, you are all shocked. heeheehee
Anyway, I just wanted to offer that disclaimer.
I’m no better than you, just talking things through. And most often when I say ‘you’ I mean ‘me.’ It just hurts less to say ‘you.’
I have two more blogs to add to the Friends in Africa links section.
The first is a bunch of photos from one of my coworkers who has lived here for over 5 years.
The second if from our current International Relief Managers. They are working up in difficult region of the country where are a lot of internally displaced people and a lot of hunger and often violence. They will actually be leaving for North America before the month is over and someone else will come in their stead but this is a look at Kenya from another two pairs of eyes as they are working in a different area all together.
I have updated all of my pages except for ‘about.’ The resources page has some HIV/AIDS websites. The others have new prayers, Christmas plans and one awesome new place to shop.
Be sure to check it all out!
I would also like to encourage you to leave me comments here. I would love to hear from you. You can do so simply by going here and signing in as a commenter. It’s fast and simple. You’ll notice at the bottom of that page you have the option to start your own blog or just get a user name. That’s probably the option you want so that you can leave me notes here and then not have to start your own blog.
Thanks, friends and neighbors!
