The awe and the awful....

From Dr. Marke, Chief Medical Officer at Kissy Hospital, about "our" recent project....

The walkway project is progressing very well. They will finish roofing today. Painting started today and overall the beauty that the project adds to the facility is simply eye catching. From what I hear even the church members are impressed with it. Thanks to all of you that had it happen. God bless you.

Dennis

and then this.....

http://news.yahoo.com/vaccine-group-suspends-sierra-leone-support-funds-misused-143653443.html

Lord, have mercy...

Who will stand for what is right, just, fair? Who in that country, region, city, church will serve his/her neighbor before him/herself.  

Masked and shielded with more resources and opportunity than our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters in Sierra Leone (and elsewhere), we know this is our question as well.

To a broken world, you came/come; you spoke/speak; you did/do.

In this world, in our time, we...... 

A different nativity story....

If you have done any work with those living in poverty (whether in Africa, the US, or elsewhere), you may want to take a look at this blog post from United Methodeviations, entitled "Manipunativity," 12/16/12.

Be aware, it is not sugar-coated.  But as we think of the magnitude of the incarnation in different cultures or economic systems....well, read on....

www.doroteos2.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/manipunativity

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

The Last Pill

Through the lips and over the tongue.....look out stomach, here [the last of my Malarone] comes!

So Monday was our last dose of Malarone, the anti-malarial we started 1-2 days before arriving in malaria-prone Sierra Leone and continued for seven days/doses after departing.  It makes Bob have vivid dreams; I don't notice this so much.

But it's always sentimental, thought-provoking for me to take the last pill.

Malarone innoculates us against, prevents us (we hope) from the malaria experience, an experience that takes the lives of some 21.7 percent of SL children before they blow out the candles on their fifth birthday cake. 

It's a leading cause of death for adults as well.

I asked 11 year old Janet this year, what does it feel like, how do you know you have malaria?  She said, "you wake up and you feel lazy." Also sometimes a headache.  (Tim and Doug might tell you it goes a tad further than that!)

I remember being amazed when I heard that those with sickle cell anemia have a natural immunity against malaria, due to the (pathological) nature of their red blood cells.  (Well enough, since those poor folks don't need anything more heaped on their plate.)

But we short term missioners are (hopefully) spared that experience.

I wonder, those that have been, what else would you like to be (metaphorically) immunized against experiencing?

I wonder, what would SL folk coming to the US want to be (metaphorically) "immunized" against?

(Most of us saw less than a handful of Santas the whole of our trip....with only three weeks or so before Christmas.  Most of us were amazed that official electioneering/campaigning starts only 30 days prior to their presidential election.)

How is it a simple prescription prevents us from becoming ill (we hope) and (more than) the continent of Africa is still waging war against malaria (something we in the US have thought little of since it was wiped off our radar screens in the late 50's/early 60's)?

And what bites us, here in America, insidious and unseen....has the potential to culminate into a "mal-aria" (bad air) that threatens us?  Causes us to "wake up feeling lazy?"
Imagine no malaria....imagine.

New Airport for Sierra Leone?

http://www.cocorioko.net/?p=41455

Sierra Leone's Health Care System: One Man's Opinion

http://www.awoko.org/2012/12/12/african-canadian-consultant-on-sierra-leones-health-care-system-special/

Interesting.....

So What?

"So what" is an important theological question.

Not long ago, I read articles denouncing/doubting the value of international short term mission trips. One of the (several) criticisms proffered was that very little change results in the lives of those who go.  Been on an international work mission team?  So what?  (Or maybe, so what does your life show because of it?) 

Hmmm, food for thought I said to myself.

This week I was smiling, wondering if Tracy Stewart had been grocery shopping yet with her kids.  After her last trip to Uganda, she said her kids were embarrassed at how she said "hi" to everyone in the grocery store.  I then remembered the story of a young woman (an outcast, a "nobody" at her school) who related later in her life that she would go DAYS where NO ONE spoke to her at her high school.  No one. 

Acknowledging someone by greeting them, looking them in the eye and smiling, affirms them in an important way.

Well, this happened to me as I walked to work, my first day back to work, Thursday morning.  Now, normally when I walk, I sing, or silently (most of the time) pray or recite scripture. Nerdy, I know.  (Don't let anyone tell you walking cannot be a spiritual discipline!)  This particular morning as I was walking, I looked up and saw a young boy walking toward me.  Note to self: cease singing as others approach lest ye be thought insane.  So, as this young man (12??) approached, I turned my attention to him.  I noticed he's only wearing a t-shirt, carrying a very thin sweater.  (For you Austin-ites, it's about 38 degrees in the morning up here.  Mind you, I was decked out in a down coat and gloves.)  As he got closer, it looked as if he might be crying.

"Are you okay?" I asked.  Sobbing, he chokes out, "As...I ...got....to ....the....bus stop......my....bus left."  I asked him if he was walking home.  He nodded yes.  I asked if there was anyone at home when he got there.  No answer. 

I'm thinking...okay, you're walking.  No help.  Furthermore, you, in your mind-numbing jet lag, you left your cell phone at home.  Less than no help.  Bob is in South Bend.  No help.  What to do.

Now about this time, a car is coming to a stop at a stop sign on a side street about 10 feet away.  There is a young woman driving and she has a toddler in a car seat in her economy car back seat.  I wave her down.  She gives me one of those incredulous "me?" gestures and I am nodding and saying at the same time, YES!

She rolls down her window and I ask her if she just dropped a child off at the elementary (primary) school a block away.  Yes she says in an accent (Hispanic?)  I tell her the situation, that this boy has missed his bus and he has no one to get him to school.  Could she drop him at BF?  (I then have to explain that BF is Ben Franklin, the middle school.)  No immediate answer.  I explain that I'm walking to work, and if I had been driving I would do this myself for him, but I can't.  Could she help?  Yes, she could.  She's headed to the high school and goes right by BF.

Boy gets in the back seat, I shout out..."get up a little earlier tomorrow, okay?" and off they go.

Our team devotions this year worked off the concept of "exile" (as found in Jeremiah 29: 1-7.)  One of our centering thoughts dealt with the common good. 

Well, here's an "I wonder."  I wonder if going on an international work mission team inspires us to act a little more proactively/spontaneously to not just promote, but "seal the deal, boy in the car" the common good. 

What say you?

Project pictures

Cantina is at red door; physical therapy to the right (entrance not visible).

Cars pull up near cantina to drop off patients.

Rounding the corner, larger aspect of covered walkway project, along entire side of

Urban Centre.

From a different angle

The ramp

From the other end of the Urban Centre.  Note that

Brown Church requested a sidewalk be added connecting

their church to the covered walkway.  That will happen about halfway

up the path...you can see the side church entrance with an

awning over it on the right (at the end of the vehicle).  Won't church

members love getting dropped off at the mouth of

the covered walkway, being able to walk to that sidewalk that

takes them right to the side entrance?

The angled walkway from the Outpatient Building will join

covered walkway next to Urban Centre.  This

part of the project was changed to preserve

some parking for Brown Church.  Few more roots to deal

with, but nice shade!