Friday, July 2, 2010

I didn’t sleep very well last night. The morning starts at 5:00am on this team. Everything then follows as usual. Outreach was shorter today because we had to prepare for the Sabbath. Ana-Maria, Lembe, and I were grouped together. They are a lot poorer here than in Muchinshi. We visited a family close by the crusade site. I later found out that that was a bar and after a previous visit from the missionaries, they agreed to turn their music down. A lady at another house only had the clothes on her back and was caring for her 5 grandchildren, the oldest of which seemed 8, who were cooking cassava leaves just so they could eat something. They lady was quite old and out in the garden that wouldn’t produce cassava for a couple more years. Ana-Maria’s reflection was that those in western hemisphere who look at the poverty in Africa wonder how there is a God, but those in African countries, in the middle of that poverty, have no problem believing in God. It’s the blessed hope and the promise of heaven that they hold on to. “Western society looks at Africa and wonders how God exists, but Africans don’t have a problem believing in God.”

The only cat I saw on the island!! It liked Ana-Maria's shoes.

The lady thought it was funny that we wanted to try pounding their cassava!

Lunch is also earlier. Rather than eating our second meal around 6pm we ate it at 1:30pm. The guys were teasing Ana-Maria because she was so excited to have rice. I told her we needed some kim with the rice and that I liked kimchi and japche. She replied with “I love you, girl!” The health screening was then from 2-4:30pm. The only supplies that we had were a black bag that each team was given, and what few meds we’d brought from Muchinshi the day before. The bag had a couple types of Tylenol, a weird thing of gauze, and some other stuff. And the meds we’d brought were things I didn’t know. We didn’t even have saline. I didn’t know how we were supposed to treat anyone. And a one time treatment of Tylenol won’t do much.

Then Ana-Maria and I did children’s ministry. They came to the school during the screening knowing that it was time for her to teach them. She had to leave and went with them out back to the crusade site with all of them joyfully following. They love her! And they know no English. But it was still fun! Before the crusade, Ana-Maria, Marleen, TC, and Lembe sang “Nothing Between.” The crusade was about Stewardship. When he was talking about time, he said Satan is very responsible with his time, roaming the earth like a roaring lion ready to attack. We need to be responsible with the time God has given us, and use it properly to spread His word. Two children answered the call to give their lives to Christ after the crusade.

Ana-Maria's fan club!

By the way, the stars out here are AMAZING!!! I tried to take a picture but it didn't work:(  I would walk looking up. Turn in circles, trying to take it all in. So many stars! It was so bright! It was beautiful!