I have a little time so let me take a minute to give you a little reality check on being in Africa. Things don’t always go as planned. As I have previously shared I have been pretty unprepared. Today I was ready. Granola Bar in case I got hungry. Tennis shoes to stay out of the mud because it looks like rain. Camera batteries charged. Toilet paper roll in my bag just in case the toilet was toilet paperless. Going to the baby house. Headed out at 9:15ish.
Went to the Loving Hearts Baby home which is here in Gaba. It is run by the Gaba church with several partners. They keep orphaned children newborn to 3 years old. In the past 2 years they have had all the children adopted out thus far but if they make it to 3 years old they go to Bethany Village to start schooling and live in a “family” home there. I met the office staff and Miriam the director (She was the director of the school right down the street from Gaba-kids in yellow we visited one time while we waited for the women’s ministry booth to open.). I anticipated holding and playing with babies all morning. Well…..
I got the tour with Dorah-one of the workers then met the director and chatted with her. I told her I would do whatever. I am willing to assist as needed. So she said “Maybe you see the babies and do some ironing and washing.” Ok. Sounds like a plan.
So we walked inside and got the tour. And she took me outside to iron. And I ironed baby clothes, towels, washcloths and everything in between. For 2 ½ hours.
At first I was just sitting and ironing away. Contemplating why I was there “Was my reaction not strong enough when I went inside? I should have said “BABIES. OH MY WORD I WANT TO HOLD THEM ALL. Maybe then I would be inside holding babies. But no….i play it chill and here I am ironing.” It reminded me of when we went to Mexico and built homes. The troublemakers, the ones who wouldn’t keep working had to go and “paint the trim” to keep them busy and out of trouble. So I am thinking….i guess maybe I am painting the trim. Goofy white person. She doesn’t seem interested in babies. So we will put her out doing the ironing.
On the way here and yesterday I finished up the first section of “Sons of Encouragement” it is by Francine Rivers and it is a narrative based on different biblical men. She has some similar books I have read also. I read about Aaron-as in Aaron and Moses. And after you read it you always have to go back to the original Bible text and read the story again. So I have been working on that. And as much as we think Moses was amazing and things were probably just awe inspiring from leaving Egypt, the ten commandments, burning bushes etc…Francine does a wonderful job pointing out how it really might have been- the days in between.
Those mundane days. When God told them they would have to wait at the foot of the mountain while Moses went up to met God. And the days of tedious waiting. Of the people grumbling and complaining to Aaron. The day to day rituals for Aaron as they wandered. To set up the tabernacle and possibly the next day pack it up to move and then have to do it all over again. And have to mind every detail as God told you or there would be trouble. Aaron the high priest having to take the sacrifices of his people every day and slaughter them. Animal after animal after animal.
And while I am sitting there ironing I’m thinking this is what it is like. Ministry-a life of service is ironing when needed. Washing baby clothes. I said “Whatever would be helpful” and they decided helpful was ironing baby clothes. Life.
A girl named Karen came over to help. Turns out my big blue tub had a partner. If I had known that I would have ironed faster. So I joked with her that maybe I was too slow. She assured me that wasn’t the case. So we talked and we ironed. And I made it through my tub and part of hers. She got done and I had a few more things and the rain came. Aww man. I had 2 more things to iron! Job undone. Guess I will have to go back and make up the difference. I did learn a lot from Karen-she is from Kenya and is at Kampala International University studying sociology and child development or something along those lines. She wants to work for a project with children somewhere. Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda. She is open to what God calls her to. She said she’s worked at the baby home for 6 months. Victor came over an picked fabric balls off some clothes and we all talked. He is Ugandan and usually does the ironing and washing (mostly in the washing machine- thank goodness). And he does outside cleaning and a bunch of other things.
They did bring the older ones out for bathtime. Totally cracked me up. Christine- the worker who continually sings was bathing them. She would put a baby in the swimming pool splash and splash and laugh. One of the babies thought it was hilarious. One of them wasn't too thrilled with bath time in general. one of them tried to crawl away after his bath. Cutest things ever.
It rained and rained. I ate lunch with Mariam. Rice, Matooke, and sort of a beef stew. It was good but a little rich. I had a big ol glass of juice and worried that the food was going to circle back around. (after my gallbladder surgery sometimes it happens. I think it is mostly because I don’t each much greasy food…not that this was greasy but it was rich). I sat and talked with Mariam about life in the US and in Africa and it slowly started circling back around.
Here’s the funny thing- I went to the bathroom earlier in the morning- but it was DARK in there. When I shut the door there wasn’t much light from the holes at the top of the door. And of course-no flashlight so I had to stand there a minute to adjust to the dark to find the porcelain hole in the floor. Well…it just stopped raining and I HAD to go. So they took me to a regular toilet inside a store room in the house. Thank you Lord for small favors. But a little problem….the toilet won’t flush. The tank has no water in it. Soooo no where to turn the water on going in the toilet…so what to do…. Hmm. Bucket over here. Fill it up in the sink that is working. Manual flush type thing- pour it in the bowl and it will go down. Thank you previous Mexico trips to know this is how it goes when the pump goes out and the water is off.
Why am I telling you this? I don’t know. Maybe to just say TIA-This is Africa. Maybe to say that this trip hasn’t been all fabulous. I knew it wouldn’t be. But I think like when we read the Bible “stories” we think of the amazing parts and forget they were people just like us. In the not “amazing” days it’s mundane. It’s the little things. It is work. There is no “easy” road to true discipleship. The body is called to serve. And while many days it is joyful and crazy and fun…somedays it is joyful in the normal, everyday, mundane things. And sometimes we do things and don't fully understand why..but we are called to obedience. I found out after Patrick picked me up the reason they iron everything (including underwear and socks) is to disinfect the clothes. Ohhhh. My 6th trip here and first time anyone has ever told me that. I was just thinking everyone was being OCD or something.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I have no clue what tomorrow looks like. I guess it will be a day o surprise. I do know that tomorrow night I have to pack up… boo.
Oh. the grasshoppers- I only ate one last night. tasted a lot like a little shrimp. Pretty good. But it was bed time so I didn't eat more. Maybe tonight after dinner. And as Sarah mentioned in her comment yesterday-she gave me a pea lookin thing the other night and warned me that I wouldn't like it. She said it was a good antioxidant and brings down your cholesterol. Well…it was terrible. Tasted like chewing and eating an aspirin or something. i told her she can keep her pea and I would go with blueberries or something…
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