I am not quite sure how to put into words the experiences I had in Africa. 50 journal pages and hundreds of photos later the best of what I experienced is recorded in my heart. As I process and try to make sense of it, hopefully it will reach my vocabulary and I will be able to adequately express the lessons, awareness, and understanding gained.
The things I did in Zambia perhaps did make a small difference in the lives of those I met. But having felt the effects of the trip in my life, and how they have changed it, the difference will be seen in how I live the rest of my life. It is a question of what I do with this awareness. Do I choose to continue to open my eyes to this world and the many, diverse people in it? Do I choose to see the need wherever I am (whether in my own house, within my family, my group of friends, at work, within my classroom, in my community, or in a different country)... and respond to it? Do I ask, with a willing heart, what I can do to relieve someone else's suffering? Will I sacrifice personal comfort or worldly ambitions to serve? Will I make changes in my life to reflect the changes which have taken place in my heart?
Riding in the truck on the way out to the Childrens' Resource Center (Mothers Without Borders Orphanage). The weather is beautiful during the Zambian winter.
The beautiful, sacred grounds of the orphanage. I could just feel the love every time we went there.
A classroom built as part of the Bwafwano project, started by a philanthropist who has helped provide medical and educational services.
Uncle Fred. One of my favorite Zambians ever. He drove the big army truck all over Lusaka, taking us to the orphanages, hospital, street kids center, villages, and on random errands. He is one of the best men I have ever met.
The beautiful grounds of the CRC. I helped the girls with washing one day. After my feeble attempts to wash as efficiently as these girls, and after lots of laughter from the girls, I ended up with the job of hanging the washed clothes. At least I can put clothespins on wet clothes...
I also got to teach Young Womens class during church on Sunday with Amanda. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
Precious. I taught the children a lesson on their divine worth after telling the story of You Are Special. I was so happy I had taken the story telling workshop and learned that book.
On the road headed to the CRC
My beautiful fellow volunteers in our army truck, braving the wind, exhaust, and dust
One of my favorite people. Jess inspires me with her willing, pure heart. She is beautiful inside and out. She is our cover girl... in the donations room with all the 'goods'.
The kids, and Steven especially, rocked the hula hoop
Sarah has a beautiful soul. And she is not afraid to share it
Sweet Harrison lived on the streets for about six years. He has changed so much. He still has the lasting effects of very difficult experiences, but is now beginning to let people in. People have an amazing ability to heal. It just takes time. Heather helped him discover his photography skills, at a great cost and sacrifice to herself.
Protecting ourselves from the dust, exhaust, and wind in the back of the truck
Madalisto. A sweet, sweet soul.
Petronella. I felt like I could see her spirit through her beautiful eyes. She was a natural at ballet.
On the way out to play soccer. Never mind that the two most deadly snakes in the world, among other kinds of snakes, were found in these fields. NBD.
Kathy Headlee Minor. Present day Mother Teresa. Fountain of wisdom and love. Founder of Mothers Without Borders. I was so grateful to learn from her while there.
I loved having our car rides home to reflect on the experiences I was having, to let it sink in, to try to process.
I found this sweet girl sitting by herself, apart from all the other children, not participating in the meal. Someone translated and I learned a little more about her. So often people needed to be heard. When we visited the villages, more than supplies or praying or singing, the need was for their story to be heard. I wanted so much for her to understand how beautiful she is and how much potential she has. I don't know if I was able to impart this, but I do know I felt it very strongly in my heart. The difference when she smiled was amazing.
The kitchen. No, this roof is not leak proof. It looks beautiful and quaint, and there are some beautiful aspects of living a simple and 'unconnected' life. But when there are bad harvests, and rains that cause flooding, and illnesses... this reality inspires humility, reliance on God, but also much suffering.
My sweet Maurice. He took my camera and when I got it back I had a whole slew of surprise pictures. Quite a few included his toy cars all lined up in a row. One of my favorite things to do with the children at the CRC was read. They love reading. And they are so sensitive to feelings. If we were reading and suddenly a soccer game started they would stay with me... even if they wanted to join the game.
My favorite thing to do when traveling: bike rides. We biked to Victoria Falls, saw it from the other side, rode to the Botswana/ Zimbabwe border, and all the way back to town. It was quite a ride. I think we tired out our guide.
Safari on the Zambezi. Mud bath. We saw giraffes, impala tons of elephants (like literally tons), a black mamba, hippos, crocodiles, a dung beetle (I love how they attract the opposite sex... great story), buffalo, lots of different kinds of birds
When we arrived at Victoria Falls we hadn't had running water for two days. It was quite the contrast as we crossed the bridge and the spray of the falls soaked us as if it was pouring rain. We ran around taking in the views and getting completely drenched. It was like a cleansing following some heavy experiences.
Amsterdam on the way back. The city was so beautiful. Another extreme contrast to the culture of Zambia. Amsterdam was beautiful, clean, pristine, orderly, technologically very advanced, quite worldly, and the people kept to themselves quite a lot more. Lusaka was beautiful, dirty, disorderly, very behind technologically, humble, and the people were very open and loving. Both places have their beauty, but the warmth of Zambia stood in contrast to the frigidity of Amsterdam.
Some gems from my experience:
"We are here to perfect our ability to love."
-Kathy
When you need to open your heart, envision the thing you most love. When I did this I thought of my students.
"Each act of kindness, every expression of love, of understanding, no matter how small, shines a light into the darkness of the world. And each and every act of compassion and kindness is of critical importance in our efforts to dispel the darkness forever."
"Our eyes give us sight, but our hearts give us vision."
-S. Shaw
"This world has a great need for each of us."
-Kathy
"The people here rely upon us for temporal salvation, but we rely upon them for eternal salvation." -Kathy
"Every act of love is a work of peace no matter how small. It's not what we do but how much love we put into it."
-Mother Teresa
"I have always held firmly that each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of misery to an end." -Albert Sweitzer
"We will give them not only our hands to serve but our hearts to love." -Mother Teresa
"Each kindness enhances the quality of life on our planet and each cruelty diminishes it."
-Desmond Tutu
"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do."
-Henry Ford
"The divine attributes of love, mercy, patience, meekness, purity, and others are attributes we have been directed to develop in each of us- and they cannot be developed in the abstract. These require the clinical experiences- those things through which we are asked to pass. Nor can these attributes be developed in a hurry."
-Neal A. Maxwell
"There is much suffering in the world- very much. And the material suffering is suffering from hunger, suffering from homelessness, from all kinds of disease, but I still think that the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, just having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience."
-Mother Teresa
"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature- trees, flowers, grass- grow in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence... we need silence to be able to touch souls."
-Mother Teresa
"We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
-Nelson Mandela
"May God, who has blessed all of us so mercifully and many of us so abundantly, bless us with one thing more. May he bless us to hear the often silent cries of the sorrowing and afflicted, the downtrodden, the disadvantaged, the poor. Indeed when any neighbor anywhere is suffering and to drop everything and come running."
-Jeffrey R. Holland
Thank you to everyone who contributed to my fundraising efforts. It meant so much to me to feel your support and to know that you cared. Thank you especially to Uncle Nat, whose hard work throughout his life contributed to paying for my college education and for this trip.
