Day 2

Mike is having a great time in South Africa.  He sent a looooong email yesterday.  I'll just give a few snippets.  They are touring and meeting with lots of ministries that are based out of the church there.  And, what an amazing church--totally involved in the community and Relevant!!

     "Genesis Care Centre was established in response to Trevor having driven up to church one Sunday morning to find the body of a man who had died of AIDS lying in front of the church’s gate. That morning he told the congregation that it didn’t matter what they did in church that morning if the church wasn’t reaching out to people and if local residents didn’t know that they were welcome. The GCC was initially simply a hospice where AIDS patients could die with dignity. Soon they realized that with basic care (proper nutrition, retro viral drugs properly administered, and compassion), the AIDS patients that were simply coming to die could actually live productive lives. Now about 50% of patients actually recuperate and are able to leave GCC and return home.


     We dropped in on GCC chapel services. The chaplain, another gentleman, and about 4-5 women walked through the men’s ward and then to the women’s ward singing songs. The chaplain was wrapping up his talk in the men’s ward when we arrived, so we followed them to the women’s ward afterward where they asked Wes to speak. He shared about the thief on the cross—someone whom Christ valued and loved even though he could not (and never would) do anything of worldly value for Jesus. This was a great theme for a talk to these bed-ridden women.

     On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, volunteers come in and help the women of GCC make beaded trinkets which are sold. This supports GCC and offers these women a small way to earn money once they recover enough to go home. Several women were working on small beaded items in their beds while we were there.

     I spoke to two women briefly. The first, Viola, spoke English and asked me to pray for her cancer (cervical) and bedsores. The name of the second woman was one I can’t remember (Sudzkale or something like that), but at the time I supposedly pronounced it correctly—the nurse smiled big and nodded like I’d done a great job when I tried. She spoke Zulu, so the nurse interpreted for me. I asked her about her family, and she told me she has children, the oldest of whom is a young man who cannot find work. She was very, very thin and looked like she will not live long. When I prayed for her, she cried and cried. It was heartbreaking to see.
     We went to the men’s ward where I visited with a man named Milton. He has 3 children, the oldest is a 14yo girl and the youngest is 5yo. The girl is in 8th grade and does well in school—she wants to be a doctor and he wants this for her. When I asked him how old he is, he said “Forty-two. Much too young to be dying.” He said that even if he gets well enough to go home, he cannot find work (he worked as a cook and a driver). He said that the children’s mother comes to visit him sometimes. He said that she does not work because women are not supposed to work—it is the man’s responsibility to provide for the family. He just seemed so hopeless. I prayed for him and for his family. Afterward, he asked me about my life in America. I felt so guilty telling him because I have so much! He brightened when I told him my oldest was about the same age as his oldest and that my son plays guitar. He said that is good because you can make a lot of money playing the guitar
     Trevor gave us a tour of the huge new youth center under construction. The center will include a gym, daycare, tutoring, and various training/discipleship initiatives. A goal is for the center to provide childcare for teens who are raising younger siblings due to their parents having died of AIDS. These older siblings often cannot take advantage of community programs for teens and young adults because they do not have a place for the younger brothers and sisters they must care for.
     Before dinner, we met with Mike and Robin. Mike is a physician who has come to be something of an expert on AIDS treatment relative to African culture, and Robin is a Pre-K teacher. They are from Seattle and when they found themselves as empty nesters (actually grandparents now), they wanted to do something with the freedoms they found with the kids out of the house. To make a long story short, they’ve been heavily invested in SA for the past few years. Mike helped GCC get a large amount of funding from the US government geared toward AIDS relief and they have founded Two Tunics (http://projects.twotunicssa.org/).  They go into low-income areas and minister alongside local daycare/PK programs called crèches."



There you have it, amazing stuff!
As for me?  I'm doing fine.  I'm used to Mike traveling and the first 3-4 days I'm good.  Day 5 I'll be crazy!  I've been slaving away on my stupid tech writing brochure "How to Make JELL-O"  Not...even...kidding! 
The kids are good.  Dillon had a melt-down last night asking for daddy.  Not to worry, he is always emotionally unstable at 8pm.