Hello friends,
Last week had been a week that flew by and yet a week that was full of events you can't imagine. There are times when I will find my self thinking; well, there aren't to many more off the wall experiences for me to go through in this little part of rural South Africa. Then, a week like last week comes along and shows me how naive I really am.
After receiving some sobering news on Monday morning, I headed off to K2, one of our care center's to see some of my students. After heading back to the car, I noticed one of our youth girls walking up with a friend. She was in obvious pain and was walking very slowly. I went up to here and put my arm around her as she started to weep. I tried to rush through my mind what should be done. I drove her to the clinic and had a female friend, Jayme, meet me there to help with the situation. After some initial testing, the clinic said we should take her to the hospital. Now, I have been to clinics in different parts of South Africa and they are nothing to write home about. However, when we entered the emergency room at the government hospital in Nelspruit, the conditions where just crazy. People everywhere siting in chairs and lying on gurneys. Some of the people sitting in chairs had IV's in their arms with the bag of fluids balanced on their heads! After some time, a large number of people involved in a traffic accident arrived. I saw an ambulance chasing lawyer coming to see the people just as often as the doctors.
After some initial testing on the young girl, we waited for four hours with no results. As we waited I received a text message from a friend who said his wife saw me in the hospital. He was upstairs in ward ten and had been there all night. He had very serious kidney stones and was lying in a small bed with paint peeling off the walls and small bugs running along his face at night. After we visited him, I went down and waited for news on our youth in emergency. We had been told she had been admitted, however there was no bed available for her. She was told she would have to spend the night in the E.R. on a bed with no blanket or food. I had to drive to a friends house to get a blanket for her. After some time of talking to the doctor with Lynn and Jayme, they released her and was sent home with us. She was still very sick after two days and we took her back to the clinic. diagnosis; Pregnant; grade 11, 18 years old. Needs HIV test.
Later in the week I was driving with a couple of my students; girls. They were talking is Swati which i know bit's and pieces of. Through out their conversation I heard the name of another girl that I work with and the word "pregnant." Grade 10, 16 years old. Needs HIV test.
Another one of our youth, who is HIV positive was also found to be pregnant this week. 16 years old.
Three girls in one week found to be pregnant. All three I know, two of these girls I know fairly well, and work very closely with one of them. It was a very tough week.
On Friday, at Masoyi meeting, I asked for prayers for the young girls in Masoyi and broke down. I would ask that you continue to pray for the young girls in Masoyi and the women on this continent.
As we drove back from the meeting, I noticed an old women and man walking down the road. The man could barely stand and the women with him was struggling to keep him up. It was pension day in the community and it is required that this man be physically present to pick up his check. He lives a very long distance from the pension office. We stopped and drove them home. As we were driving, a women I work with asked them some questions about their situation. The women explained that they were brother and sister and that she was helping her brother (who has some mental disabilities) get his check. The women explained that she was in her 50's and HIV positive. She was very disciplined with her treatment and looked healthy. She explained she was taking care of four of her grandchildren; all orphans two of which where young mothers, and one we saw was noticeably pregnant. After the week I had, I would usually have become so much more worn down and angry at the situation. However, God was so present in this situation. He filled my heart with joy and showed my that he had put this man and women on the side of the road for our paths to cross. We can now register this family with Masoyi Home Based Care. We can start to have volunteers care for these orphans and our young mothers coordinator has said she will do an assessment of the young mothers! It was the good Samaritan right in front of me. We had the choice to pass or to stop and God showed us how if we are willing to take time, he can provide so much more opportunity.
That night I spent the night in the community with one of my Students, Mxolisi. We had great talks about his life; when his mother passed away, when his uncle was beaten and robbed, and how he had just met his 16 year old half sister a month ago. I met his amazing grandmother, full sister, Aunt, and cousins who he lives with. They were so gracious and so welcoming. You could get a sense of their loneliness as they were so grateful to have a guest enter their home. We broke boundaries that night as his grandmother said (through translation from Mxolisi) "thank you for not showing racism. I can see that you really love people." God is doing amazing things here; We just have to be willing to be a part of it.
I truly take for granted all of the experiences that happen in my life every week here. Although this week was filled with more events then usual, God continues to show up; I just need to open my eyes and ears to see it and hear it.
