Friday

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Monday, June 26, 2006
“Driving in Africa!!”

~~YIKES~~ Me.....driving....in Africa!!!! Watch out....I am bad enough in America!! Ok, I wanted to at least experience it... I have come to realize I fit in pretty well.....'aish'....driving conditions here are not the greatest, but the drivers are even worse! Ok~ it doesn't apply to everyone, but car accidents in Gabs City is the second highest cause of death!!! Unlike Nairobi, Kenya where the roads are horrible and it feels like you are constantly driving over one big pothole, the roads are smoother to drive on here in Gabs....City...Now, all of the village areas are dirt roads as well as the sidewalk areas. There are no major highways and mainly are single lane roads. There are also many “round abouts” here and they can be confusing because it's hard to determine who yields to whom, etc. etc.....so I learned that once you have entered the circle or “round about”, then you have ownership until you exit!! Also, most vehicles are manual shifting and everything is opposite from America....the driver's seat is on the left (our passenger seat) and here you drive on the left side (opposite us)....the gear shift is on the left side of the steering wheel so learning to shift with the left hand is a challenge as well as the turn signal indicator and windshield wipers opposite us....so when I am driving at night and I am trying to turn somewhere, I usually turn on the windshield wipers instead!!! too funny! I really crack myself up sometimes....anyway...so it is nice to know that driving on the wrong side of the road is acceptable for me here:)

Ok~ so today a group of us were meeting an American athletic team at the student center for dinner while Rosah and KG were at the Riverwalk shopping center waiting for a ride....It was about 6pm (gets dark at 5:30 here b/c of winter). My friend, Musa, is the youth pastor at Open Baptist Church where I attend and was coordinating this evening event....so we needed to go pick up Rosah and KG to come to dinner at the center......I thought I would be funny and ask Musa to allow me to drive.....and he actually said YES!!! I know you are laughing b/c if he really knew me he would have never agreed, right??? Anyway~it was a great adventure....at dark....driving in the passenger seat shifting gears with my left hand....you can only imagine....AND the stop lights here are not over the road, but on the side of the road like our stop signs and they call them “robots”....so when Musa is saying, “Look out for the robots”, I am figuring out what in the world he is talking about!! So, overall Musa and the ladies thought I was a good driver except that I follow way too closely and drive way too fast.....so yes, they were pretty accurate!! Seriously, though....it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be....probably b/c my dad taught me to drive on a manual shift car so other than me veering into the wrong lane a few times, I was able to adjust just fine!! All for the sake of experiencing African driving.......:)

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Sunday, June 25, 2006
"Hair Salon”

Okay~so Mma Jacques (white South African) referred me to her hairsylist here in Gabs City......Of course, you know how fake my color is......so thanks to my amazing stylist, Char, I took my root color with me to Africa hoping that I could apply it to my own hair!!!! Yeah, right.....I realize it is just hair and it can always be fixed, however, I still didn't trust myself with coloring my own hair!!! Heheee......so, I thought, what's the worst that can happen when I already have the color with me???? I mainly was concerned with finding someone experienced enough with blonde, fine, straight white girl hair....:) WELL........ surprisingly.....after church one Sunday I decided to take a break and enjoy some personal maintenance time, you know??? ladies, shopping and finding a salon...........was priority....I went to Mma Jacque's salon, but her stylist wasn't there and I thought......hmmm???? I like her hair and trust her so do I wait for him another day or do I take a chance on this guy named “Dingy”????? to color and cut it.....Well, you know me and my spontaneous self......so I said, okay,,,,,,it is just hair, why not.....plus...I couldn't stand it any longer!!! Sorry, Char, I had to cut it.....I was going crazy with the length...!! I took my neighbors, Mary and Ruth Ojo, with me....Ruth is 12 and such a doll.....while Mary is home on break from the University of Pretoria in South Africa....She is 20 and in her 3^rd year of medical school......yep~amazingly smart and sweet sweet......I talked Mary into getting highlights for the first time and I can't believe she actually did it! They looked amazing on her.....and I was very pleased with my cut and color! It was an adventure, however, it did take 3 ½ hours!! Char~ you know how impatient I am......and how I am used to your ability to do my hair extremely fast!! It was too funny......I loved it and felt so much better afterwards....”Dingy” did a great job and he wasn't even gay!!! I asked him why he chose this field.....he told me his brother is a stylist and he had convinced Dingy to temporarily do hair while waiting for mechanical engineering school~ His love is for cars!!!.....He proceeded to tell me that he did it initially for the money and then fell in love with creating great hair and how it made his clients look and feel afterwards......and still loves it even more 10 years later.....Great guy....great fun.....and we ended up with great hair!!

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Sunday, June 25, 2006
“Baylor-Botswana Children's Medical Clinic”

Dumela! Lekae.........Hello and how are you???? I am wonderful and yes.....I feel safe.... Thank you for praying for my safety and showing concern-no worries because I have many looking after me and transporting me wherever I may need to go..Amen for that! This week I am continually meeting some amazing individuals. Mma Jacques introduced me to a beautiful lady, Rosemary Jones, from England....she is a counselor here and her husband works for the University of Cambridge and is here developing the Botswana testing exams and curriculum...she was very encouraging to me and is just a delightful and godly woman...with great wisdom and gentleness....I look forward to meeting with her again...she is interested in working with the orphaned children a bit and is joining me at the kamogelo center as well as Baylor Children's Hospital on Fridays....

Fridays are special because I am able to spend time actually playing with the children at the Baylor Clinic as they wait FOREVER sometimes for ARV treatment....Every morning it is so busy in the clinic and these children wait and wait until their number is called to see the doctor....I am telling you, I have never seen children so well behaved......it is hard to get the Botswana children to be rowdy or annoying!! They are very precious and content just to sit and wait.....wow....I am not that patient!! So, it is nice to see their faces when a team of us show up with Frisbees and hula hoops and crayons and coloring books because they act like it is Christmas....I am telling you, I am blessed by their faces. Something as simple as a frisbee and some quality time means the world to them....and to me. It is difficult because you see so much joy in them and although ARV treatment can prolong their lives, their future is still uncertain... The African culture is not one that focuses on nurturing their children in the sense of hugging and playing and quality time for the most part....so imagine the emotional needs and the special needs of a child suffering from HIV....some are healthy and strong while others struggle to feel well. So I have the honor of loving on as many of these kids as I can in a short period of time!!

Some of the challenges these children face amaze me...I am curious about their ability to remain resilient and positive.....I am seeing in a few of my cases where the older children have lost their motivation and encouragement is needed because they feel hopeless and tired... My heart just breaks because they didn't ask for this and much endurance and cooperation is needed to keep them well and on a strong pathway to health..... For example, there are only three protocols available at the present time so some of these kids are already on their second protocol due to the lack of cooperation on their caregivers part....After the third protocol is given, there's nothing that can be done because the medication will no longer work for them....The medication given must be taken several times daily and at exact times and therefore adherence to these directions is critical......well..many of these children have lost their parents to AIDS and are being raised by grandparents (mainly single grandmothers); Many who are uneducated and poor and do not have clocks and watches to be able to adhere to the protocols at exact times, etc. etc....needless to say.....they are also overwhelmed with raising several children at the same time....I can't imagine raising several children let alone when I am seventy!!! Much support is needed to help families deal with the details of living with HIV/AIDS.....

I am joining with the missionaries, Steve and Pam Workman to help in this ministry to the Baylor Clinic each week....one of the physicians has approached them about taking on another ministry within the hospital dealing with abandoned babies.....The average number of abandoned children who get dropped off at the hospital DAILY is 8.......and the nurses are so....busy they can barely feed them and definitely do not have time to hold and nurture these babies....and actually some of them are children up to age 12 staying in one area of the hospital until arrangements can be made.....the special needs and attachment issues, etc etc these babies face are big big big!! So, I am waiting for the okay to help with this ministry....Of course, I can't do it all!!!!.......but I am trying to gain as much understanding of the reality of the challenges affecting the Botswana people...in the short amount of time that I am here.....

Until next time.......Robala Sentle (Good Night!)

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Thursday, June 22, 2006
"Safety Concerns"

Wow....so much to tell you...Safety issues here have become a concern lately due to the crisis situation in Zimbabwe....the desperation and need to survive has pushed many of them to migrate to Botswana where it has increased crime in Gaborone. I had just adjusted to my daily routine where I am walking 15 minutes in the morning, transporting via public routes to get to the villages, and then walking 15 minutes just before dark in the evenings.....however, I have been told some pretty scary stories about being robbed and hurt here lately even during lunch time!! It scared me a bit and being American and blonde doesn't really help me blend in so I am stressed b/c I have to be in many places so I am looking at options to learn how to drive here and maybe rent a car or something.....The reality is that it is not safe to walk AT ALL anymore so it's not an option for me at anytime (even with my pepperspray, Layla!) Rosah contacted a couple of her really close friends who are taxi drivers to see if they can possibly agree to drive me personally so that I can feel safe and know who they are......this actually has worked out and I have had a driver for this week....I feel comfortable b/c it is the same driver and he is a friend that Rosah knows well....His name is Damba and he is a mechanical engineer. He and his brother own the taxi business so he agreed that he would be the only one who would pick me up anytime I called within 5 minutes so...............what a blessing!!! I feel that I can be out after dark knowing that I am not walking anywhere....I am still using public transportation to get to the villages in the mornings and it has been ok so far.....I have made friends with the managers of the combees so they have been kind enough to look out for me and guide me.....Mushingo and Bishop have been so nice and trustworthy!!

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Wednesday, June 21, 2006
"Meeting with the Kgosi"

I met Rosah after a HUGE ordeal with transport....I was taking different routes on the combees to get out to the chief's village area.....I was so...........frustrated, I went to the wrong combee station and Rosah had to send a friend to come drive me........wow, how patience is not my gift and I am very much being challenged and molded to learn patience............FINALLY, we met at the local police station (where the kgosi's office is) in the village where an officer yelled at me for taking photos without the kgosi's permission........wow, they were really trying to let me know who was in charge and how I needed to respect it....We met outside underneath a tree with chairs and a small table where Rosah and I sat on one side and two of the village kgosi's and the bodyguard sat on the other side....It was really funny looking back on it, but I think he was trying to intimidate me at first....of course, that didn't work!! By the end of our conversation two hours later, they were laughing and wanting photos with us and even offered us a ride home!!! They were very likable and so nice to us......and we gathered so......much information and understanding of what is going on culturally here from their perspective....

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Amogelesega Mo Botswana!!!

“Welcome to Botswana!!!”

Yes~ that's about the gist of my expertise in Setswana...other than "Dumela": Hello, good morning, or good afternoon! Setswana is said to be one of the more difficult African languages to learn, but I will still give it a shot.....seriously, many of the South Africans who have lived here for years only speak English b/c it is too hard to learn Setswana....Most do speak English until you get out into the villages. Ok....so when referring to the country, you pronounce it Batswana, plural for the people are pronounced “botswana”, and a single individual is called a motswana.....when saying “yes, ma'am” you say, “emme...” and “yes, sir” is “erre” and instead of Mrs......Jacques, you say Mma Jacques.....Interesting.....The currency here in Gabs is the pula which is five to one US dollars.....so P500 is equivalent to $100 US dollars, ...This is the diamond capitol and unlike many other African countries, the pula is very strong so it is expensive to live here....

It has been very busy the past two weeks just trying to adjust and get to know the city, the people, and my surroundings....It has been different than my previous African experience b/c I have been on my own having to push my way through to accomplish the goals I have set out for in a short amount of time.....the African people move really really slow to get things done and it can be frustrating. It is amazing, b/c the attitude is that if someone suggests something then they are responsible for it, therefore, no one wants any accountability or responsibility, hence, it becomes difficult for them to make decisions and stand by them.....when you are trying to plan events and programs, etc..it is hard to get commitments from the people.....so I am learning how to operate within their culture.....for example, transportation issues!!!! Wow! How I miss my car................it has been an experience getting around here....I have discovered an awesome bar and grille restaurant that has wireless connection which is a miracle and a huge blessing....so I am able to email and communicate quite frequently.....it is only a fifteen minute walk from my house so I have enjoyed the change in pace....except I have to really watch where I am walking......instead of worrying about dogs or cats running out in the middle of the road, there are cattle roaming anywhere and everywhere freely here.....it is hilarious b/c they will walk right out in the middle of the road in front of cars!!! Can you imagine? And I thought hitting a deer was disastrous! So I am constantly dodging the cow dung on the sidewalks!! I have also begun to master the public transportation system...of course many do not have vehicles here, so lots of combees are transporting people everyday.....they are little mini vans that cram up to 25 people in one!!!! Yes.....it is complicated and I have struggled to adjust...to get out to the village areas, I have to switch to three different routes and it hasn't been the easiest, especially dealing with the horrible driving here.....those of you who know my issues with motion sickness.................yep...have had to stop several times to vomit!! They think this American girl is a freak....oh well..I am making it one day at a time...

The food issue has been another adjustment....my first day here I was directed to the local market where I thought I could be fine to buy a few groceries and start to get a routine down.........whoa was I in for it....It was absolutely NASTY!!! I couldn't stomach it and thought I would be starving for two months....but then I was taken to a more contemporary shopping center called “Riverwalk” where I was able to get normal groceries like our Kroger or Publix.....I was rather relieved..

I really struggled to connect with the people the first few days here. It is also the first time I have had to stay in an apartment in an unfamiliar area by myself so I was pretty lonely and a little fearful at first....I arrived the first night late so it was dark and I couldn't see around the place......the missionaries took me and showed me through three locked gates to get to my front door....that was definitely a bit scary.....showed me the basics and left me to sleep...I tried not to think too much, but I think I would have appreciated spending my first night with someone!!! Oh well......that's life sometimes....I am now used to where I am living and have connected with several great people.....The Botswana are just a bit different from Kenyans.....they are more closed and not as trusting and inviting at first.....once you get past that, they are fine....

.....my neighbors have been amazing to watch out for me and help me feel at home...The Ojos have five kids....he is a computer science professor at the University of Botswana.....actually...my apartment complex is for university professors....I have met with several of the college students and several different missionaries who have been great to show me around...Mma Jacques is my supervisor and she is amazing!!! She is from Capetown, South Africa, but has lived in Batswana for seventeen years.....and is a major player in the social work department at UB...she has been wonderful to me and helping me connect with so many people in the social work community...Rosah is my fellow social worker and has been with me constantly...to translate and to help me find my way.....

I have already experienced two power outages and that was a crazy adventure.....in my apt. completely by myself and pitch black for four hours!!!! Not funny...............with just a little flash light....I ventured to the neighbors house so I wouldn't be alone so we played games by candlelight and made it seem somewhat like a “hurricane party”!!!

I do have a washer that fits maybe five items at a time, but I am grateful!! I get to line dry my clothes so I am walking around with rather stiff clothing!!! It's so funny how you learn to make it just fine with what is available to you.

Well, it has been refreshing to attend the African churches here....they just have a great way of freely worshiping and they are very relational....my first service, they invited all visitors to introduce themselves so that the entire church may greet you....afterwards, several addressed me and helped make me feel at home...you definitely didn't leave unnoticed, that's for sure...they incorporate a lot of music and choreographed dance into their services...it is just good to break out of the norm b/c we become so routine sometimes that it is hard to experience God in new and different ways....I have really enjoyed it....I am mentoring two of the college ladies named Terry and Lakhidsani...there are 24 volunteer college students who have joined the ministry called, “Face the Nation”, a prevention program where they have gone through extensive training regarding HIV/AIDS education, biblical counseling, life skills training, and so much more for one month everyday so that they can go into the high schools to change the attitudes of young students towards sex, relationships, and AIDS...

The past two weeks for me has consisted of gaining an understanding about the social issues concerning HiV/AIDS here in Batswana....So far, I have accomplished more than I expected at this point, however, I have been working 12 hour days non-stop....I have met with Princess Marina Hospital social workers and their IDCC unit (infectious disease control center) where they are so overcrowded they have beds in the floors lined up from door to door....I have met with the social workers, clinic coordinator, and research coordinator at the Baylor children's Medical Center to gain an understanding of the comparative study of ARV tx and children along with the challenges they are experiencing....I have met with the director of all government social workers, and an epidemiologist with the Center for Disease Control. This is all within the city of Gabs....

The main village that I am working in is called the Mogoditshane village where I am working in conjunction with Baylor Clinic at the Kamogelo Orphan Day Care Center where close to 400 orphans and vulnerable children with HIV/AIDS come for free schooling and ARV tx.....etc. Psychosocial support is such a great need so I immediately stepped in the very first day....we had a parents/caregiver meeting where approx. 50 came....afterwards, we counseled with three families and made appts with 16 more families, many who are single moms who are HIV positive with children who are HIV positive...in the afternoons, Rosah and I go to two different primary schools where we lead groups with children and adolescent teens who are struggling. Currently, we have coordinated a school wide assembly program to teach AIDS education scheduled the first week of July due to the struggles the schools are experiencing regarding sexual behavior and HIV positive students as young as 6 years old. We meet weekly with the headmaster and the guidance counselor of the schools to see which children need support, then we meet individually with the child and often make home visits as needed.....so..............I am busy, busy, and learning so much!!!

The village areas are a whole different world than living in the city...when you think of Africa, it is the villages that keep to the African traditions. They make their own homes out of sand and mud (or cow dung) and they aren't as educated so English isn't as common, thus creating a language barrier (thank God for Rosah and her translation).....Every village has a chief called a kgosi who makes the final decisions concerning the issues of his people.....this tradition lives on here in Batswana...so I am understanding a great deal about their culture..I wanted to meet with the kgosi of Mogoditshane to see his viewpoint about his village. I actually met with two kgosi's yesterday.......wow!!! what an experience...first of all he wouldn't see me the day before because I was wearing pants....so I had to come back the next day in a skirt...It was a great meeting and they actually invited us back to their village meeting next week......He feels that the “children's rights” movement is ridiculous and it creates behavioral issues b/c there's no “beating” anymore. He says that alcohol is a major issue for them and contributes to the problems as well as men leaving their families and not providing structure and role models for the young men....it is the women who are responsive to the HIV/AIDS treatment while the men are behaving irresponsibly and have a lazze' faire attitude. Many Many women are alone raising their children while other women and children are violently assaulted daily due to the strong male dominance issue....interesting conversations I tell you!!...

Finally, one of the major influences here is that of traditional doctors often referred to as “witch doctors”.....when I say there is a strong spiritual oppression, wow, do I mean it.....we often do not give credit to spiritual warfare or satanic influence, but I assure you, it is clearly noticeable here....I thought the same when I was in Kenya, but it is powerful and dangerous....Well, the witch doctors are men, of course, and it is very much a man's world in Africa where violence toward women is unbearable to think about....anyway..these doctors teach myths like “if a man who has AIDS sleeps with a virgin, he will pass it on and get rid of it himself” and the Africans believe this.....I promise!! They practice other rituals and actually give potions that influence behaviors, etc.etc.....It is craziness I tell you, but it is strong and deeply embedded into this culture. I will tell you more about this because I have a scheduled meeting with a “witch doctor” next week....I ask that you please remember to pray for me, especially during this meeting...

I have so much more to share with you concerning the orphans and abandoned babies and I am sorry for the delay in my first update, but I will be updating you weekly for the next six weeks....

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.....I will be in touch..

Julia