Well I am going to keep this post super short (hopefully) b/c I am not feeling really up to writing today...but I just wanted to let you know what has been going on here with me these past couple days...
Tues. May 24th
Sitting down to dinner and mid way through my first bite of my huge cabbage salad (cabbage, green peppers, carrots, tomatoes...yum!!!) which I had already put dressing on I realized that...OH NO...I forgot to wash the cabbage! (a huge no no!) Well too late! I sat there and really enjoyed the rest of my salad and hoped and prayed that my mistake wouldn't make me sick...
Wed. May 25th
Woke up not feeling super great. (stupid stephanie not washing your cabbage!) If you know me I am not one to really give in to being sick too easily. I got ready for school and was about to walk out the door when I thought you know what...I am really not feeling well...Stephanie you really shouldn't push it...especially since you are in the bush of Malawi and there isn't any doctor around...stay home and rest where you will be near a toilet! I fought bad stomach cramps, body aches, and a headache all day...and good thing I stayed near a toilet because I was in and out it all day with really bad diarrhea. God totally knew what He was doing prompting me to stay home. So I basically laid on the couch all day reading and listening to BBC on the radio. That night as I was making myself eggs for dinner and getting ready for bible study (which I was leading) I was thinking ok well that's enough of being sick I think I will be fine tomorrow. As I was heading to bible study though I started really not feeling well again (you know how it always comes in waves) and feeling like I could be getting a fever. I cut bible study a little short so I could head to bed. As I was climbing into bed I took my temperature... 99.1 F...so I took two advil to prevent the fever from getting worse in the middle of the night. Two hours later I woke up and had to go to the bathroom. As I was walking back inside I thought to myself...you know I am feeling VERY hot...what is the deal? So I took my temperature again...102.5 F!!! Yikes! Why so high when I have medicine in me that is supposed to be taking it away? Called my parents in the States to ask for advice on what to do...should I talk more medicine or wait it out?? Well I ended up just trying to wait it out for the rest of the night. Between my frequent trips to the bathroom outside (soooo inconvenient when you are sick!) and laying in bed either too hot or too cold to fall asleep....I didn't sleep much. Around 5am I took more advil and at 6am I woke up and decided I needed to ask Gift to take me to the hospital (remember that Gloria and Elliot are not in Dzuwa right now so I am alone in the house).
Thurs. May 26th
So I woke up...slowly shuffled outside and over to Gift's house to ask him to take me to the hospital. Being sick in the bush of Africa is just sooooo not fun! or easy! Its not like at home where you can just crawl out of bed in your pajamas and your mom will help you to the car...then you ride maybe 10-15 minutes to the doctors office...and you wait to be let into the examination room where everything happens. Gosh I wish it was that simple!!! No I had to bucket shower to get all the gross sweatyness off of me from my awful night...then had to get dressed in actual clothes...pack a bag for a couple days b/c who know what might happen...then climb in the car and ride 2.5hrs on bumpy dirt roads to the hospital. When your head is killing you and all you want to do is lie down and sleep bump dirt roads are your worst nightmare! I wanted to cry the whole ride just wishing I was back in the comfort of my mom's car in America making the easy, familiar drive to my normal doctors office. Thankfully Ronald and Ulemu (JTW staff people in Kasungu at the Lighthouse internet cafe) know some doctors at the Government Hospital in Kasungu so once Gift and I arrived in Kasungu they were able to help get me into see the doctor very quickly. Gift and I met up with Mpatzo (Women's Block doctor) at the hospital and she immediately walked me in to see her boss (the head doctor I think of the whole hospital). He talked with me asking me my symptoms (bad headache, body aches, super high fever, awful diarrhea)...and then after I had described them what I had eaten (darn that unwashed cabbage!). They decided to test me for malaria just to make sure. Unlike in America where everything happens in the one doctors office room in malawi if you need different things to happen you have to walk all over the place to get them done. So I had to walk to the lab to get tested for Malaria then back to the office to meet with the doctor again. Almost didn't make it back to the office I was feeling so awful...thought I was going to pass out and throw up everywhere. Test came back negative for malaria so he decided it was food poisoning. He then took my temperature around 100 this time and then my blood pressure. He really didn't seem too concerned up until he took my blood pressure and they actually took it multiple times to make sure the machine was actually working right because get this....my blood pressure was an AMAZINGLY LOW 77/49!!! (just for reference a normal blood pressure is 120/80 and mine is typically around 110/70) OH MY!!! So they immediately admitted me so they could start IV fluids! I really had no idea how sick I was until I got to the hospital. It was there I started really feeling my worst. Who knew dehydration could happen that fast! So I then had to walk (ahhh!) again to another office where a guy put an IV in my left arm with a HUGE needle (I cried...tried not to but couldn't help it I was feeling so sick) and then had to walk to the ward I was being admitted to...about 2 seconds out of the door of the IV room I really couldn't even stand anymore and they had to get a wheel chair to wheel me to the women's ward. In the women's ward they tried to put another IV into my right arm so they could try to rehydrate me faster...I cried again (whoops) and the nurse chickened out because she felt so bad for hurting me. She then took me to a private room where I would stay for the night. They gave me two bags of IV fluids (one bag of saline solution and another solution I don't know what its called) and after both bags I started feeling much better. They also started me on a course of Cipro. Gift went home to Dzuwa and Ronald shut down the lighthouse for the rest of the day so he could come take care of me. In Malawian hospitals you have to have a "guardian" with you because they are so understaffed. Your guardian is responsible for tracking down the doctor or nurse when you need something. So Ronald was my "guardian" for the rest of the day...we watched some movies (thankfully I had packed my computer) and he was even able to track down Mashed Potatoes for my lunch! Later that night Ulemu returned from her meetings in Dzuwa and came to relieve Ron and spend the night with me. The night was not very restful to say the least. We had to leave the lights on b/c we had no mosquito nets and there were a TON of mosquitos. I tied my zip-up around my head to try to block out the light...it worked but it wasn't exactly comfortable. I slept pretty restlessly the entire night listening to this one kid crying and one woman throwing up SOOO loudly all night! Kind of scary! Apparently though my zip-up (which also covered my ears) blocked out a lot more awful noises...Ulemu told me the next morning she heard not only the kid crying and the woman puking but also multiple women screaming from giving birth and two serious traumas coming in!!!! Praise the Lord I didn't hear any of it!!! (she also told me a day later that her pastor's wife died in the same room I stayed in a few months earlier...good thing I didn't know that when I was actually staying there!)
Fri. May 27th
Friday I was feeling much better (although not 100%). Was still super tired, still had diarrhea, and body aches but I was able to sit up and communicate with people. The doctors came in late morning and examined me again. This time my blood pressure was 102/64 and they ok-ed me for release. As I was walking out the door looking for where I paid for my stay and my cipro I was informed that all government hospitals in Malawi are FREE! Geez!!! Amazing! I was expecting to have to pay a couple thousand kwacha for my visit (I had debated with myself when choosing hospitals where to go because I didn't really like the last hospital I visited b/c I didn't really trust the doctors there but it was super cheap...I decided though that it would be better for me to pay more to get better care so I came to the city...and it ended up being FREE!) God is great!
Now I am staying with Ron and Ulemu a couple more days while I continue to recover. I am soooo thankful for them and how gracious they have been taking me in and caring for me. They have even been so great in trying to find food like the food I normally eat when I am sick at home :-) They made me "sick eggs" (aka soft-boiled eggs) a smith family tradition when you are sick...hence the name "sick eggs"...and helped me find all the ingredients to make soup (soup in a can doesn't exist in Malawi...or at least in Kasungu). Delicious!
As of today I am really feeling much much better! Still a bit tired but all other symptoms are gone :-) Praise the Lord! Thanks to all who somehow heard about my sickness and have been praying! Please continue to pray for my recovery!
(bahhh soooo tired of typing...apparently I am totally incapable of writing short posts!)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Holding Down the Fort...
(**Let me preface this post with an apology for the long silence...internet in the village is down b/c our router broke so I am back to having to travel 3hrs to the nearest internet cafe...bummer)
Well there are some big events coming up here in the Khembo family (the family I am living with)...this upcoming Wednesday May 18th we are all (Elliot, Gloria, Chico, and I) travelling to Lilongwe to drop Elliot off at the airport where he will be flying to...drum roll please...AMERICA!! :-) He will be attending the big Joy to the World board meeting in Richmond, VA and then heading off to visit friends and churches in CA, OR, and Vancouver Canada!!! He is SOOOO excited! He will be in the US for about a month coming back mid-June. At the same time Elliot is flying out Gloria will be travelling with Chico down to Blantyre to stay with her mom until Baby #2 (aka. Baby Khembo) arrives! So pretty soon there will be a new member of the family :-) Her, Chico, and the new baby will be returning at the end of June. While they are gone I will be holding down the fort in Dzuwa continuing to teach and run the feeding program. Although I will be in the house by myself Gift & Esnart (another JTW staff family...who I actually lived with my first time in Malawi in Matapila when they worked for Ministry of Hope) live right next door so I will not be alone (Don't worry mom I will be safe :-) hehe) Please continue to pray for all of us during this time...pray for Elliot's safe travels to the US...Gloria and Chico's safe travel to Blantyre as well as a great delivery and a healthy baby...and for me back in Dzuwa that this time would be a good time of reflection about what is happening and what has happened throughout this year before I return home so soon!
Readjusting to the village:
As you can imagine arriving back in the village after my holiday in South Africa was a bit challenging. I am back in the swing of things though and can't believe I am embarking on my last 2 months! Apparently the kids missed me while I was gone b/c my first day back as we were heading to church in the big truck when the kids first spotted me they all came running and climbing in the truck practically trampling me trying to be the first person to sit next to me!!! A sweet thing to realize that they actually missed me but awful being trampled! So far term 3 at school is going well. Teaching is still super challenging...but what else would you expect from having to teach 120 kindergartners?? We have officially finished the entire alphabet which is sooooo amazing! I am very proud to say my kids know there letters better than the standard 2 and even some of the standard 3 kids! And they can even sing the alphabet song :-) Now we are continuing on with numbers 15-20 and I have just introduced colors. Yes it so weird but they don't know there colors yet! Two days ago we had an art day again with crayons so the kids could practice identifying colors as they were drawing. Every time I have an art day I am always dumbfounded at how uncreative the kids are!!! The big thing that really struck me about this particular day though was their inability to share. I had given them the assignment of coloring a picture that included all of the colors we have learned so far...red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. I gave each of them a crayon and explained that they were share with one another...when they were done coloring with their crayon trade with their friends for another color. First of all most of them couldn't figure out how to color a picture with more than one color...but the few that did would bring their crayon up to me when they were done and ask for a new color...I would say go look for another color and trade with your friend...they would just give me a blank stare...so I would walk them up to another student and take that students crayon and exchange it with the one the kid had given me...as I was doing this they were looking at me like I was doing something so totally crazy! Although it was at first very funny to me they couldn't figure this out...it got very old very fast repeating myself trying to explain how to exchange a crayon for a new color and share!!!
Satanism & Witchcraft at Night:
More stories about how God has totally protected me during my time here...As I was driving back to the village with Elliot one night we got talking about witchcraft and satanism again...as we were driving two men had stopped us and asked us for a ride...unfortunately we were not going the same way so we had to say no and apologize. As Elliot had been talking to the men one of them made a gesture like someone was cutting off his head. When we pulled away I asked him why. He explained that they were scared that someone was going to kill them as they were traveling! I was confused. Elliot said that in the past and still today it is dangerous to travel at night because that is when people who practice witchcraft and satanism come out. In particular satanist like to kill travelling people and chop up their body and sell their various body parts...especially the private parts!!! Yikes! Also they like to organize minibus accidents. They will try to chase down buses to capture the people...and if they cause an accident during the pursuit then even better b/c then everyone is dead making their job easier! There was just a broadcast on the radio recently about a really bad minibus accident in a village south of where I live where 10 people were killed when the minibus collided head on with an 18-wheeler. Part of me wondered while I was hearing this whether it was an organized accident! They whole conversation totally freaked me out...BUT it made me realize how God truly has been looking out for me in every little area of my life...even when I really wasn't even noticing! That night lying in bed I lay praying thanking God for how he has protected me from so much evil here. A few days later that conversation was still in my mind and honestly it made me scared to be travelling on public transport...I mean how often had I smushed into a minibus with 23 other people (when the bus only fits 15) and have sat in the trunk of a car with my feet dangling out on my way to Kasungu or to town??!...but then as I was reading through some Psalms I read Psalm 121 and I felt God reassurance that He really will "keep me from all harm"!
Psalm 121 NIV
Marathon Running:
I can't remember if I have mentioned before about my running habits...Everyday I have to travel to 1 of the 14 villages to remind the women that they cook tomorrow. Instead of driving or biking I like to run to each of the villages :-) These runs last between 30-60 min round trip depending on how far away the village is. Everyone thinks I am crazy and I quite frequently get stopped and asked "but isn't your heart beating so fast?? Aren't you tired?" and then I explain to them "yes but I love to run and it helps make your heart strong...Its not bad for you!" (as they think all exercise is!) Anyway when I am running I often times feel like a marathon runner or someone famous because when I pass through villages all of the kids come out and line the street and chant "Stephanie Stephanie Stephanie!!" (at first it was Azungu Azungu Azungu so its exciting that it has now changed to my actual name!) and sometimes a group of them will even run with me for a bit...they don't typically last longer than a minute though as they really have no physical endurance and tire very easily! The whole thing is very funny to me to see all the kids running out chanting my name...but on days when I am struggling and am not sure I am going to make it back home I am sooooo thankful for their encouragement!
Departure Date Change!
I NOW HAVE ONLY 2 MONTHS LEFT HERE
Originally I was supposed to be flying out of Malawi on the 1st of August...arriving home on the 2nd and just barely missing the New Wilmington Mission Conference occurring the 23-30th of July (the conference that originally sent me to Malawi in 2008 and began this whole process of me coming to Malawi in my life!) As it worked out though I was able to get my flight changed with NO COST (which is a miracle because I really think it was supposed to cost quite a lot of money) to make it home in time to represent Joy to the World Ministries at the conference and to be a High School Girls Counselor. I am now leaving Malawi on July 18th arriving home late on the 20th giving me a two day buffer before I have to be at the conference as a staff person. Praise the Lord!! I am sooooo excited to have the chance to attend conference and to be able to discuss JTW and my experiences here there with my girls and the rest of conference. I am a little nervous though about how I am going to transition back into life in the states so please begin praying against "culture shock" and for a smooth transition. Also please be praying for me and for the group of girls I will be leading that God would really have his hand all over our time together and that He would work in some BIG ways! :-)
Ok wrapping it up! :-) Please note that I am officially taking my address off my blog site. Mail takes FOREVER to get here so anything that is sent now will probably not make it to me before I leave. I actually JUST received some letters and a package that were sent at the beginning of FEBRUARY!!! A HUGE HUGE thanks to all of you who have written or sent things to me! They have been such a huge encouragement (even if they never actually arrived..sorry about that...grr unreliable Malawian mail!)! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!
LOVE TO ALL!
Hopefully I will be able to post again soon! (Pray for our router to be fixed!!)
Well there are some big events coming up here in the Khembo family (the family I am living with)...this upcoming Wednesday May 18th we are all (Elliot, Gloria, Chico, and I) travelling to Lilongwe to drop Elliot off at the airport where he will be flying to...drum roll please...AMERICA!! :-) He will be attending the big Joy to the World board meeting in Richmond, VA and then heading off to visit friends and churches in CA, OR, and Vancouver Canada!!! He is SOOOO excited! He will be in the US for about a month coming back mid-June. At the same time Elliot is flying out Gloria will be travelling with Chico down to Blantyre to stay with her mom until Baby #2 (aka. Baby Khembo) arrives! So pretty soon there will be a new member of the family :-) Her, Chico, and the new baby will be returning at the end of June. While they are gone I will be holding down the fort in Dzuwa continuing to teach and run the feeding program. Although I will be in the house by myself Gift & Esnart (another JTW staff family...who I actually lived with my first time in Malawi in Matapila when they worked for Ministry of Hope) live right next door so I will not be alone (Don't worry mom I will be safe :-) hehe) Please continue to pray for all of us during this time...pray for Elliot's safe travels to the US...Gloria and Chico's safe travel to Blantyre as well as a great delivery and a healthy baby...and for me back in Dzuwa that this time would be a good time of reflection about what is happening and what has happened throughout this year before I return home so soon!
Readjusting to the village:
As you can imagine arriving back in the village after my holiday in South Africa was a bit challenging. I am back in the swing of things though and can't believe I am embarking on my last 2 months! Apparently the kids missed me while I was gone b/c my first day back as we were heading to church in the big truck when the kids first spotted me they all came running and climbing in the truck practically trampling me trying to be the first person to sit next to me!!! A sweet thing to realize that they actually missed me but awful being trampled! So far term 3 at school is going well. Teaching is still super challenging...but what else would you expect from having to teach 120 kindergartners?? We have officially finished the entire alphabet which is sooooo amazing! I am very proud to say my kids know there letters better than the standard 2 and even some of the standard 3 kids! And they can even sing the alphabet song :-) Now we are continuing on with numbers 15-20 and I have just introduced colors. Yes it so weird but they don't know there colors yet! Two days ago we had an art day again with crayons so the kids could practice identifying colors as they were drawing. Every time I have an art day I am always dumbfounded at how uncreative the kids are!!! The big thing that really struck me about this particular day though was their inability to share. I had given them the assignment of coloring a picture that included all of the colors we have learned so far...red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. I gave each of them a crayon and explained that they were share with one another...when they were done coloring with their crayon trade with their friends for another color. First of all most of them couldn't figure out how to color a picture with more than one color...but the few that did would bring their crayon up to me when they were done and ask for a new color...I would say go look for another color and trade with your friend...they would just give me a blank stare...so I would walk them up to another student and take that students crayon and exchange it with the one the kid had given me...as I was doing this they were looking at me like I was doing something so totally crazy! Although it was at first very funny to me they couldn't figure this out...it got very old very fast repeating myself trying to explain how to exchange a crayon for a new color and share!!!
Satanism & Witchcraft at Night:
More stories about how God has totally protected me during my time here...As I was driving back to the village with Elliot one night we got talking about witchcraft and satanism again...as we were driving two men had stopped us and asked us for a ride...unfortunately we were not going the same way so we had to say no and apologize. As Elliot had been talking to the men one of them made a gesture like someone was cutting off his head. When we pulled away I asked him why. He explained that they were scared that someone was going to kill them as they were traveling! I was confused. Elliot said that in the past and still today it is dangerous to travel at night because that is when people who practice witchcraft and satanism come out. In particular satanist like to kill travelling people and chop up their body and sell their various body parts...especially the private parts!!! Yikes! Also they like to organize minibus accidents. They will try to chase down buses to capture the people...and if they cause an accident during the pursuit then even better b/c then everyone is dead making their job easier! There was just a broadcast on the radio recently about a really bad minibus accident in a village south of where I live where 10 people were killed when the minibus collided head on with an 18-wheeler. Part of me wondered while I was hearing this whether it was an organized accident! They whole conversation totally freaked me out...BUT it made me realize how God truly has been looking out for me in every little area of my life...even when I really wasn't even noticing! That night lying in bed I lay praying thanking God for how he has protected me from so much evil here. A few days later that conversation was still in my mind and honestly it made me scared to be travelling on public transport...I mean how often had I smushed into a minibus with 23 other people (when the bus only fits 15) and have sat in the trunk of a car with my feet dangling out on my way to Kasungu or to town??!...but then as I was reading through some Psalms I read Psalm 121 and I felt God reassurance that He really will "keep me from all harm"!
Psalm 121 NIV
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Marathon Running:
I can't remember if I have mentioned before about my running habits...Everyday I have to travel to 1 of the 14 villages to remind the women that they cook tomorrow. Instead of driving or biking I like to run to each of the villages :-) These runs last between 30-60 min round trip depending on how far away the village is. Everyone thinks I am crazy and I quite frequently get stopped and asked "but isn't your heart beating so fast?? Aren't you tired?" and then I explain to them "yes but I love to run and it helps make your heart strong...Its not bad for you!" (as they think all exercise is!) Anyway when I am running I often times feel like a marathon runner or someone famous because when I pass through villages all of the kids come out and line the street and chant "Stephanie Stephanie Stephanie!!" (at first it was Azungu Azungu Azungu so its exciting that it has now changed to my actual name!) and sometimes a group of them will even run with me for a bit...they don't typically last longer than a minute though as they really have no physical endurance and tire very easily! The whole thing is very funny to me to see all the kids running out chanting my name...but on days when I am struggling and am not sure I am going to make it back home I am sooooo thankful for their encouragement!
Departure Date Change!
I NOW HAVE ONLY 2 MONTHS LEFT HERE
Originally I was supposed to be flying out of Malawi on the 1st of August...arriving home on the 2nd and just barely missing the New Wilmington Mission Conference occurring the 23-30th of July (the conference that originally sent me to Malawi in 2008 and began this whole process of me coming to Malawi in my life!) As it worked out though I was able to get my flight changed with NO COST (which is a miracle because I really think it was supposed to cost quite a lot of money) to make it home in time to represent Joy to the World Ministries at the conference and to be a High School Girls Counselor. I am now leaving Malawi on July 18th arriving home late on the 20th giving me a two day buffer before I have to be at the conference as a staff person. Praise the Lord!! I am sooooo excited to have the chance to attend conference and to be able to discuss JTW and my experiences here there with my girls and the rest of conference. I am a little nervous though about how I am going to transition back into life in the states so please begin praying against "culture shock" and for a smooth transition. Also please be praying for me and for the group of girls I will be leading that God would really have his hand all over our time together and that He would work in some BIG ways! :-)
Ok wrapping it up! :-) Please note that I am officially taking my address off my blog site. Mail takes FOREVER to get here so anything that is sent now will probably not make it to me before I leave. I actually JUST received some letters and a package that were sent at the beginning of FEBRUARY!!! A HUGE HUGE thanks to all of you who have written or sent things to me! They have been such a huge encouragement (even if they never actually arrived..sorry about that...grr unreliable Malawian mail!)! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!
LOVE TO ALL!
Hopefully I will be able to post again soon! (Pray for our router to be fixed!!)
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