July 15, 2008

  • Puzzle Pieces

    I am sorry that I have taken so long to blog…..time just seems to escape and internet connectivity has been sporadic.  There have been a whole lot of things happening as usual.  God continues to propel us forward.  I will share a few areas of advancement…..God keeps directing us forward and it continues to be in the area of HIV. 

     

    The first direction is to “work the other end” as I mentioned in the May update.  Instead of focusing all our attention on treatment, we have felt directed to start incorporating prevention into the mix.  Sal felt very stirred to put together a power point and call it “Choices” and with God’s help, I wrote a drama presentation.  We have presented the program twice now, once for a youth group in Livingstone at a church called Potter’s House and once here on the farm to our Sons of Thunder families.  Both presentations were successful, leaving people talking and thinking.  The presentation in town was strictly in English and also included a DVD on Sexually Transmitted Infections….the one here on the farm was translated into Tonga and we omitted the DVD. We had Owen, our Headmaster and the teachers also come to evaluate the program’s level of effectiveness for say seventh graders in primary schools and secondary level students. After a positive review from them, we are planning to give the presentation to our seventh graders next and then take it out to schools from there.

     

    “Crazy” as I am to find God in many places, J I hopped a plane (really two) to Swaziland a couple weeks ago for a workshop on “Community Health Evangelism” given at a Wesleyan Bible College. Scratching your head? Well, here’s the story.  We received an ultrasound on the container and decided to get it out and start using it on our pregnant ladies as part of their antenatal care.  We just want to check gestational age, viability and position.  God is always faithful to provide just what we need when we need it…..so Dr.Ruby Cheeves, an Obstetrician and co-founder of Global Samaritan came to the farm during her visit here and gave me a quick in-service on the machine.  A week later, we had four visitors from Zimba Hospital….one of which was Marie Schull, an ultrasound tech with 30 years experience.  She gave me a much more detailed in-service in about an hour or two.  Funny thing was she looked like me….petite, around same age, blond hair, same feistiness etc….it made me chuckle inside. J  Well, when she was leaving, her husband asked me if she had told me about the workshop she was going to do.  I said no…and she proceeded to tell me she was flying to Swaziland by herself in two days to facilitate a workshop on “Community Health Evangelism” at Emmanuel Wesleyan Bible College.  I really had no idea what it was all about but I felt God stirring me.  I started to ask questions and she said, “Do you want to go with me?” and I heard myself saying “Yes…I think so.”   She contacted the Bible College and they said they would let me in the course and that I could stay with her in a two bedroom little apartment they called the Round Double. I then went to South African Airlines at the airport and booked the flights through JoBurg to Swaziland to match hers.  I would return 8 days later, a day earlier than she, and return to Zambia where she would be headed back to the US.   Well, the workshop was excellent and was very much in line with the mission of Sons of Thunder to feed Africa physically and spiritually.  I know I was supposed to be there.

                As soon as I returned, I found out we were invited to a meeting on Emergency Preparedness for Livingstone….seems we are on the Committee.  I went to the meeting and sat with District Council members, other NGOs etc and at the end of the meeting they went right into another meeting about HIV.  Interesting, huh?.   Sons of Thunder was well known in the meeting…. They kept saying, “Ask Sons.” 

    This week, four people from different communities whose names we submitted to Kazungula Health Ministry are in an all expense paid, week-long workshop for “treatment supporters for HIV.”  I haven’t figured out how this all fits together yet, but God is definitely on the move…..and it all centers around HIV.

    Thank you all for your continued support.  Without you, none of this would be possible.  Please know that you are making a difference in people’s lives.  I will tell you about a couple stories in my next email.  Please also continue to pray for us…that we keep stepping on the next stone as God lights it up!.