What's on the menu?

Pretty much the same thing we had yesterday: Rice, potatoes, and a side of heartbreak.

What I wouldn't give for home made tacos!.. a hot fudge sundae, tomato soup n' grilled cheese sandwiches, Pete's famous non-salad, a BLT, lasagna with French bread, grandma's home made pie, grilled veggies, a hot dog! .. and the list just keeps on goin'. I promise I'm not achin' for some good home cookin! :)

It's funny how fast one can get that longing for the comforts of home.. all things big and small.

What if you didn't have such a longing though? A desire for something that is better (in your eyes) than what is right in front of you?

Sadly, once again, the missions group and I have gotten to experience the broken hearts of many of the people here.. Parents asking, no begging us to take their children, and children clinging to our legs, pleading for us to not make them go home.

“Home,” where the comforts of life should be.

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Saturday was another day of physical healing, yes, but I felt a needed healing in my heart as well. It continues to break when I see how little so many people here have, but I'm finding that when you really take the time to observe, more often than not, they are happy.. the children are happy. Happy with what they have, where they are, and who they are with.

Double Anna-banana!

Me and Simon-Peter

I spent most of my Saturday relaxing on the back porch, but was pleasantly interrupted when a few of the neighbor kids spotted a "mazoongoo" (me) and came over to play. Simon-Peter and Anna are two absolutely adorable children from one of our "One by One" sponsored schools. It was a great distraction for me, and again, a moment to observe and realize that there is so much joy despite other things.

Sunday was another “God day.” We all went to church (which seriously, it's pretty rad here!) then out to lunch at the same place (with the same amazing milkshakes) as last Sunday, then off to our “One by One” orphanage!

THE milkshake. Gotta taste it to believe it!

-De ja vu .. I felt like I was picking up from where I left off when I got sick last week- This time tho, it was all fun and no sick! I played with the children, mom made them cry.. you know, the usual :) Actually, we both got in and became "one of the kids" by playing games, gettin' our 'nails did,' cheering as the boys played futbol.. It was a mad popcorn mess by the end of the evening, but energy well spent.

Mom and Jan (the 2 mamas of the group)

Me and Carol (she's a wild one!.. my kinda girl :)

Mom and baby Michelle

Monday was the pits.. well, more like the slums.

We held another medical clinic in the armpit of the slums, and witnessed some of the worst yet. Just prior to tho, our group took a ride up to the top of “Prayer Mountain” where people from all over travel, just to have “that moment” alone with God. It was actually quite beautiful.. the view that is. From the top you could see Lake Victoria, rolling hills, and green.. The lush Africa that you see in books and magazines. After spending a little bit of quiet time alone with God (and multiple attempts to feed bananas to the monkeys we could never find), we loaded up and bussed back down the hill to the “bad side of the tracks” for our clinic. (Literally, the slums are along the tracks. This is because it is the lowest part of the country, so when flooding occurs, it'll wipe out the dirt poor first.)

The people here were so excited to see our rumbling little bus roll up! "Mazoongoos! Mazoongoos!" The children would practically sing and dance at the site of our white skin. (we are the walking ATMs with medicine) We set up the clinic with the sign-in area, vitals (which is what I did), the doctors room and the “drug room.” Rondy knows the drill for that all too well, so she passed meds all day. Half the children who came through had fevers and maleria, and the adults had anything from achy bodies to colds, worms, rashes, and maleria. (I pray to God, that with all of the contact we have with all of these people, that He guards our bodies) It truly was heartbreaking though, especially when the children would cling to you as if you were their savior.

By the end of the day we had helped roughly 150 people. One of our smaller clinics, but for a Monday afternoon in the area we were, more came than expected.