The Reason

Some days I wonder what it is I do. What do I really do here? It seems I do a lot of driving of people to the clinics and hospitals and grocery shopping. Doesn't that seem ordinary? We take food to our orphans and help others in need.

We aren't building a hospice yet, no funding and waiting on the land.
We don't have a big workforce as we don't have stipends for the caregivers yet.

But today.....I was reminded of why I do this and why I am here.

A Gogo( grandma, I think she is almost 60 (so no pension yet), I met her last fall when Brooke and I were here, I went to a house accross the street from our offices. Actually a l room shack behind a house. One of my office workers and I went over as we were told we might need to tranport a woman to the hospital. There we found a very sick, actually delireous woman in her 30's she was the mother of 5 children one only 6 weeks old. We took her to the hospital and she died shortly after that.

When I got back this week the Gogo (who we think drinks alot) arrived with a small baby, the 6 week old was now 5.5 months old (now 6mo). His name translated Is History. he had diareahha and was loosing weight. We took him to the clinic and they tested him foro HIV took a few weeks, and then we took him to the hospital so he could get tested for TB (we get the results for that on the 30th.) It turns out Gogo has 2 of the five children the younger two. the oldest boy had a different dad so he went to that family to live, the other 4 from the same dad who took the older two, but couldn't handle the babies. Here is this Gogo, living in a community that isn't hers, she acutally moved back with the two to get treatment etc. and help from us.

The baby History didn't have the right formula, and the clinic who usually gives it to them was out. So we got medicine and food. And of course prayed Life and Health over him.

Today the Gogo came in again, she had the two year old (two in June) granddaughter and the baby with her, she cried as they were out of food, we had a donation so gave her some of that and some of ours. Then I drove her to the clinic as History and his sister (a doll) both had coughs.

Now going to the clinic isn't easy as it is not in a good area and I need to take one of the guys with me so Welcome came, Jozien who was helping that day, and Fundi who interprets and waits with the Gogo's at the clinic for us sometimes. Today we all went. Our friend Dr. Meryl let Gogo and I in with the two kids. History had bad cough, pnuemonia but did not need to be hospitalized and a skin rash that she said wass fungal. So she gave medicines, his sister just had a cold.

Then Gogo and Fundi went to get the sister tested and History's results.........they came back and what we all suspected was upon us. History was positive. Dr. Meryl had to draw blood to send off for his CD4 count. Gogo and I held this little 4kg boy down (that is about 9 lbs I think). Seriously ....I held his hand she held arm as Dr. Meryl tried to draw blood from that little arm. Of course he wailed and wiggled and she couldn't get enough blood out of his little arm. So she had to go into his groin, which was so red with rash, and she had a hard time entering because of a swollen gland down there, now I held his foot still and he still could wiggle his leg. Anyhow she got enough and as Gogo held the cloth on his leg to stop the bleeding....she cried. I just stood silently by her...rubbing her arm....we assured her we would help them, and we left. It was a long drive home, as we all were grieving the idea of how sick this sweet little fighter was.
Gogo was very overwhelmed and later we sat in the office I held History, Jozien the girl and Hillary got Gogo a "cool drink of water" I was reminded again of the simple acts the Lord asks us to perform to our neighbors.

Please join us as we pray for Gogo, Baby History, and his sister Danna. It really seems more than she can handle.We prayed again before she left. We will try and be here however we can
to help her.

Thanks for praying and remember sometimes standing by someone hurting and saying nothing, just being there is what He counts as great!

Greetings from Sunny and Warm (very warm) South Africa.

I have not been a very good blogger, as when I went home to see familly and have a break over holidays, I focused on just that. I was worn out and needed to recharge and I was blessed to see many of you and my beloved family!

Now I am back, I have actually been back just over a month, and what a whirlwind reentry.
I got off the plane to find out Pastor Prince had rolled the truck and actually totalled it.Praise God he is fine, but the truck was a write off and turns out the insurance company is not covering it. I was grieved yet grateful nobody was seriously injured.

During this month, (besides dealing with a totalled vehicle), I have found accommadations (and I am happy to say I can house small teams and several guests at a time. Please come!!!

This season back we are still resuming with our work. The boys still don't have their grant so we are taking them food parcels as well as little Londiwe and her sisters. Little man, who I wrote about last time continues to battle sicknesses and bouts where he stops breathing, it is apparent he has siezures, almost weekly we transport thombile and little man to the hospital in the city to as they continue to do tests. He is on siezure medicine, and seems a bit delayed.

This past week I go in and wonder what was on God's agenda for the day and there would be a granny with a baby. The first one was a granny that lives across the street. Last November we went over when her daughter was so sick, having given birth 6 weeks prior and had 5 kids. 6 weeks, 1 year, and so on up. She died that weekend which is often the case...they wait so long to deal with their illness. And the medical care is sooo sad.

Anyhow this Gogo, came in for help. She is now caring for the two young ones. The baby is losing weight she said. His name means history and I keep speaking over him that he will be a history maker and survive. We is 5 1/2 months old and weighed 4.5 kg, and now is 3.9 so tiny and so skinny, but what a smile. The clinic was out of fomula (I guess like our wic) anyhow we bought the Gogo nappies (disposable) as he has diareahha, and food, just trying to help her cope better. They are testing for TB and HIV.

Next day we had another Gogo, with her sons 6 month old daughter, needing food, baby is loosing weight and sores all over her little body. the mother is in the rural area with TB and the son or father of the baby is in prison for a year, so no grant and the gogo can't work so we took this little one to the clinic for medicine and testing as well. weighing very little she is another sad case.

My eyes were opened when we went to the store to buy baby food and got the last box off the shelf. But God is good. He showed me we need to have baby formula in stock for the gogo's in need and cereal and then someone writes wanting to send support to the project ...so again I know where to plug that money monthly.

Okay, last story and I am going to sleep. This one is Philany, the nephew of Khanyo a worshiper at the church, when I got here about 4 weeks ago we buried her mom who had just died, and her mom was the caregiver of her sisters l5 year old child Philany who has CP and very disabled. Bedridden and contracted with his legs and arms severely he had not eaten or gone to the bathroom for 4 days, khanyo and her brother l8 were very worried. So we took him to the clinic.

Over here you take people to the clinic (all they can do is diagnos and give medicine if obvious, and then hydrate and refer to the hospital). Philany was to leave as soon as his drip was done for the hospital, Prince and left him with the brother to go in the ambulance.
It was about 4. when we headed back into the township at about 8:00 friday night first of the month, it was horrible, we found out khanyo had gotten off work and waited at the hospital only to find out he was not going to be addmitted as the hospital was full, so this little guy who has rickets, contractures, and so thin you can see the stool in his intestines. Is being hydrated at the clinic. We arrive and drive him into the city (as per dr) to another hospital, place him on the gurney, people are just staring at him, he is quite the sight, and get in there and they say they can't help him as he needs to be at the hospital that handles that neighborhood. The Dr. refused to treat and sent us all the way back to the hospital that was full. I will tell you this girl from Kansas had never seen some of the sites as this hospital showed me. Shocking, heads split open and people beaten beyond recognition, not to mention the sick. Anyhow they did let us in and Prince and I left khanyo at 2 in the morning. She called at 7 to say he passed away. As we were waiting in the ER. Khanyo shared that her mom had said she would come back for him (many mixed beliefs here. I reminded her that the Lord was in control of Phiany's life and that he might just go because his heart is broken and he misses his granny and God might allow him to go home. She said, "oh Gogo, he has to live at least 3 months as my mom's funeral policy got transferred to me after she was buried and we aren't covered until 3 months pass. Well, he passed, and someone tithed just in time that we could help her with $l50 dollars which is Rl500 and coverd a small funeral (plot, casket) and taxi to take people to the burial site.

Oh the burial site is a new cemetary and the ground is pure clay. A hole is dug and the casket gets carried to the grave and the men lower it in often having to jump into the grave and get it handed down. then Prince prays and marks the length and the women begin to sing and the men take turns shovelling the dirt into the grave. maybe four small spades, but this soil was like rock, it was such hard work So they dig, and then when tired drop the shovel and walk away and a few others begin to fill in, and the singing takes place until the job is done, then they place stones around the grave and we all go back to eat. It was so sad, and as we walked back to the car (my hired car and the taxi (van), Khanyo's children came up and took my hand and walked with me. So much loss. So I leave you there and ask you to pray for Khanyo and "Colin" her brothers english name. He has just agreed to work with us on a garden project we are getting sponsored for, I felt he needed something else to focus on besides his grief or he woulld maybe get steered into trouble as the township is a rough place. He seems excited to have something to fill his days.

Well I am going to sign off now, pray for our babies, our orphans, the sick and thos that mourn. God promises to comfort them all, and I am standing on that promise.