mud

It rained today. (actually yesterday)

It really rained rained hard today! Add some wind and you have the makings for a miserable day. 

To make it worse the rain gear I had wasn't exactly water proof. Soggy was my day. Mud everywhere! In your hair, on your glasses, in your boots.

I remember as a kid the "elements" never stopped my Dad from putting us to work. Especially when the work couldn't wait. Memories flooded back yesterday. When it is harvest season you work no matter the weather. (the break comes at the end) I hope the snow holds off a couple more weeks. 

So if you are hot, cold, wet...... suck it up and quit your whining and hope you're dressed for the weather. 

They say....

Home is where the Heart is.

or

Home is where you hang your hat.

Well we are finally in our new house in Lakeville Nova Scotia. After three months of vagabonding and hanging our hat in many of our friends homes and hopefully not wearing out welcome, we are home, again. 

Yes it feels good, although it is already a little chilly in the morning and very soon fires will be necessary. Fall is in full force here and the harvest is wanting  to come in out  from the impending cold. It is fun to be back farming country. The smells bring back many memories from when I was a kid. The leaves are just starting to turn and frost has already deadened the the cold sensitive plants. Good thing autumn is long here. 

We have two acres to rome and around 500 on my Dads place. Far away from the rat race of traffic and road rage. Refreshing it is!!! I can see the big dipper every night and the sunrise & sunsets are spectacular. I forgot how beautiful it is here!!!

Processing

Back in North America.

Now that I am back in the familiar confines of North America. I am finding myself disillusioned, a little confused, and widely disoriented on what my response "should be" to my two week experience in South Africa. Through a little jet lag in there  and you have a recipe for fatigue mixed with potential confusion. Processing digesting and thinking are my new dearest companions.

A camera is a wonderful communication tool. But if you are unwilling " to see " what you are seeing what is the point! I am responsible for what I see and thus must apply the necessary changes to my own life before I can be an effective communicator of my experiences.

For two weeks,  I know that I unintentionally hid behind my camera and somewhat used it as a crutch. I don't think this was "wrong" on my part. But, by doing so I was protecting my heart and emotions from  scaring, hardship, turmoil, and certain change. That are now begging and plaguing me for attention. ( I feel a concussion coming on, no one warned me about this)  

I have slowly and safely been taking down my walls. The eight foot walls of concrete ,razor wire, and electric fence that met us when entered Johannesburg resemble the ones I didn't even realize I had erected myself. Tearing down this " protection " has been harder than I imagined. 

I am now asking myself the question. Do I really want to change? Do I really want to implement the change to my own life by the very things I saw?  Do I even have the ability to make this change happen?

I have been protected from the pain and suffering of this  World by  Materialism, Excessiveness, and Greed. Can I get past this? Do I have the stamina to do so? 

Here comes that common, oft unwelcome relative of change; Tension. Embracing this friend and foe will be difficult at best but imperative if I am to survive this test of character.

Please don't get me wrong as I share this. I welcomed this into life and thus must reap the consequences of such a welcome. Which is this internal turmoil. Deep down I know it is good. So giving it all a big hug, I am.

Where is the HOPE?

Hope?

Yes it does exist.

There is a lady in the community of Kabukwenie named Elizabeth.

Her next door neighbors died and their children were left as orphans. So she helped them. And it has grown. She feeds up to 90 orphaned hungry children 3 times a week. And on one of those days she also washes their clothes.

She has gotten the community involved so she doesn't do all on her own.  We met about 10 other women from her community that are helping her out.

She saw a need in her immediate community and rose to the challenge. She genuinely  loves these kids and it shows. That is hope.

As per usual it is always easier to talk about the negative than the positive. I am still coming to terms and processing all that I saw. 

Money obviously is not the answer.

Drugs (ARV's) are not the answer.

Health care is not the answer.

Food is not the answer.

Cultural understanding is not the answer.

All of these ideas will go a long way in helping the global problem of AIDS and HIV. But will not solve the problem. 

There is an answer to this Global crisis, that I Know. It is a combination of all these and more, plus the biggest factor. 

A loving God.

Care? Who me?

Why should I care? About orphans in Africa? They are a world away!

Funny you should ask!

Let me tell you why.........

1. Because we are all human.

2. Because we are commanded to.

3. Because you have the ability to.

4. Because if we don't the cycle WILL continue. 

5. Because if we don't there will be more Iraq's, Rwanda's, and Cambodia's. (And they will seem a like a walk in the park)

6. Because deep down you do care. 

7. Because you have no excuse. 

8. Because there is no time like the present.

My people if we do not act. If we do not join the tears in heaven. If we do not care, If we do not embrace one of the biggest problems that faces not just Africa but the world. If we do not play a part in this. We, you, I will have missed the boat to change the world.

This is our problem. It is not only theirs. It is a North American, African, European, Asian, Australian ,South American, WORLD problem. And if you do play a part you are not taking responsibility and therefore you are missing out.

What can I do? 

Lots. If you are stuck, e-mail me and I will point you in a direction that may help. And you may not even need to move to Africa. The question is not IF I will play a part but HOW!!!!

Orphans

A young man or woman has contracted HIV and AIDS through one of many different reasons. And maybe they don't even know or want to know. ( there is a stigma that is attached to AIDS, they will often be tossed out of families and communities because of the infection)  They get married. And pass the virus on to their partner and then to their children. 

The virus will turn to full blown AIDS and if there is not access to ARV's  (anti retorial viral) they will die. Leaving the kids with either no parents, one parent, older sibling (as young as 10) , with a grandparent, or a neighbor. A pretty dismal situation.

What does an orphan do? Your guess is as good as mine. Hopefully they have someone to turn to. They have no ability to get food because they have no money.  Many are malnourished and are not developing properly. If they are able to go school they do but are hungry. ( In one of the communities we visited some kids had to walk an hour or more to get to school on empty stomachs.)

As a result many turn to crime just so they can eat. Many of the older girl orphans will sell themselves so they can eat. And if they don't have HIV and AIDS they will get it and or pass it on and often end up pregnant and the cycle starts all  over again.

If there is not someone who can fix up the place the orphans live. (broken doors, windows, etc..) They will be taken advantage of in many different ways. (One of my biggest fears is that they will end up being stolen and sold into slavery. There are hints of this coming)

I met quite a few orphans but one little girl sticks out more than others. She came up to me and was hanging on me. (Just like my kids do when they need affection) She lost her daddy and mommy was away working. I don't knows for how long or what type of work. She just needed to be held and loved. There was a longing,  a struggle, a pain, in her eyes. She has already been through much more in her short life than I have.

White River, South Africa

White River South Africa

We are in the country.  Rolling hills. Orchards. Dirt roads. Stars. Lizards. Insects. Birds. More my speed

But that doesn't mean HIV and AIDS has escaped this area. The problem is great. A  conservative estimate puts one community, Masoi, with a population of around 250 000, at  50%-75% infection rate.

So most of us know how AIDS and HIV happens here in Africa. But those of you that don't,  let us have a conversation. And the rest of you should brush up.

How did AIDS become such a large problem here in Africa?

1. Prostitution.

2. The raping of virgins to "cure"  AIDS. The age of victims has continually gone down. We were introduced to a 8 month old victim. (Someone infected will go to a local doctor to ask for a cure and they will be told they need to sleep with a virgin for a cure.)

3. Female Circumcision.  Dirty knives etc etc 

4. Tribal rights of passage. (That have turned into forced  orgy type situations.) 11- 15 year old's forced to have sex with each other and tribal leaders.

I am sure there are many more reasons and I am far from an expert on this topic.

All of these things are a basic disregard for life dignity and respect of our humanness. 

It is this lack of respect of life that really got to me. It was hard to encounter and even harder to try to understand it. It doesn't enter my world view. I don't really know  what to do with it.