Category Archives: Travel

South Africa: Day 1

Today was my first day in the field. I am overwhelmed with emotion.

We started the day with Cora. She is a veterinarian who cares for the pets of the poor. She also cares deeply for the poor for as she said, “How can you treat the dog of a person who has no food for their family and not help
get them food?” So Cora goes into the shanty towns of Soweto and brings
with her food, clothing and supplies. She helps transport the dying to
hospices and cares for many children living alone. She is an amazing woman.

Our first stop was to visit an organization called TCE. This group of women
provide AIDS education, counseling and testing. Their goal is to reach
100,000 people in the shanty towns within 3 years. I was amazed to learn
that 80% of the people who have AIDS also have TB so they also provide
medications for TB.

From there we visited the homes of 4 women. These homes were all made of
tin, none of them was bigger than my bedroom, and they housed up to 8
people. The first home was the home of Fekeela. Inside her little shack it
was beautiful. She had taken great care in creating her home. One half of
her home was her bed, brightly decorated with a beautiful bedspread. The
other half was the kitchen which was very clean and well organized. Fekeela
helps Cora. Her only pay is a box of food each week. Still, she goes out
daily to care for those who are dying of AIDS and to help those who have no
food or money. Outside her home, I met a beautiful grandmother who is
raising many grandchildren, having lost her children to AIDS. Cora informed
me that she really needed help, so I slipped some money into her hand. She
and I hugged and tears streamed down my face. I was so humbled by her. At
each house we visited, when I looked into the eyes of the women, I began to
cry. They are not tears of pity. They are tears of great sorrow. These
women have suffered so much and yet their hearts are strong and they
continue to give in abundance to those around them. The sorrow is for all
they have suffered. And the sorrow is for myself and for the world that we
can live our lives so unaware and cut off from so much.

From Fekeelas house we went to the house of Alina. Her husband has died, she has AIDS and her son who is 15 lives with her. Her son works each day
Monday to Monday to take care of himself and his mother. He makes the
equivalent of $25.00 a month. We brought Alina food, sheets, and money. We
wrapped a beautiful scarf around her neck. She was grateful for all of
these gifts. She was brought to tears, however, when she watched the
Polaroid photograph of herself develop before her eyes. It meant so much to
her to have this picture of herself. She tenderly tucked it under her
pillow and while we were there she went back many times to look at it.

We visited 2 more homes and then raced back for our 3:00 appointment at
Mother Theresa’s Hospice and Orphanage. We spent most of our time with the
children. When we walked into the toddler room I sat down on a bench and a
feisty little girl about 18 months or so came over and climbed in my lap.
She was a little fireball and it was a delight to watch her. What disturbed
me was that unlike this feisty little girl, most of the children had lost
their light. Their faces were solemn and serious. They didn’t want to be
touched. They watched us carefully. I couldn’t help but think of my own
Sam and his great big light. I was struck with gratitude for him and for
all Niko and I are able to provide because of the amazing abundance in our
lives.

The missionaries of Charity care for about 40 dying women and men and 40
children at this centre. They also go into over 80 homes and care for those
who have AIDS. There are 7 nuns and 20 paid workers. Each of the people we
met, whether they were someone dying or one of the children, were clean and
well dressed. It is obvious that they are well cared for. The work of
Mother Theresa is very much alive. Sister Gustavo Maria shared with us that
although they were given a washing machine they pay women to come and washed
the clothes each day. Mother Theresa had taught them that although a wash
machine is more cost effective, hire women to wash them by feeds families.
Sister Gustavo Maria asked us to pray for her that she will grow in
patience. Please keep her and all these women in your prayers.

So, I end this day in a very tender place. I am so grateful for this
opportunity and for all that is cracking open in me. Thank you. Each and
every one of you, Thank you. your support has gotten me here. I am forever
grateful.

Send Me Lord. I will Go.

On April 17th, I am going to South Africa with a delegation of women from across the US to immerse myself in the AIDS pandemic. We will spend time at orphanages, hospitals, clinics, the shanty towns and Mother Theresa’s AIDS hospice.

This journey began for me during a lay over in the Minneapolis airport where I was searching for something to eat. I saw a woman eating a broccoli pizza and I went up to her and asked, “Is that any good?” She told me it was quite good and invited me to sit down and share it with her. We consumed the pizza as we digested each other’s stories and I quickly recognized in this woman a sister of the soul.

As Lynn began to share with me that her deepest passion was taking groups of women to South Africa and immersing them in the AIDS pandemic, I found myself blurting out that I could find 10 women to go. She had not invited me to go, nor had she asked me to find anyone to go, but something in me sprang forth. My mind tried to hold me back as it screamed, ”What are you talking about?!!!” But my spirit stayed steady and focused. I began to collect the details of the trip as the two of us headed to board the same plane. Lynn lives in Olympia.

I took two weeks to sit with the various voices in me. Although there were many practical reasons to wait, the pull in me to go was stronger. And so, with the support of my husband and son, I said yes to what I had instinctively known all along – that I was called to go on this journey.

Once I committed myself fully, an energy was released. Spirit began to dance and things began to happen:
Over 15 friends thought seriously about joining me. 5 are going this year, and others are already fundraising to go next year.
I received all the money I needed to go as well as additional funds to donate to the programs we will visit.
I received an email from a friend who was forwarding me a letter from a woman she had met last year at a Leadership conference in Canada. The woman was from Kwazulu Natal, South Africa – one of the only areas I knew we were going to. She was writing to describe the plight of her people and to ask to be connected up with any organizations that might be able to help.
Three days later a friend called to ask me to call a friend of hers who I had never met. Her friend was giving a talk at the Evangelical Lutheran Women’s Conference and wanted to close her talk with my fundraising letter and ask people to support this project.
The following week, a new mother at my son’s school came up to me and asked if Sam could come over for a play date. We began to visit and I discovered that she is a research nutritionist who has developed a non-allergen baby formula and other food products. When I asked her where I could find these items she told me that they were just going to manufacturing and that the first 6 months of everything made would be going to South Africa to the AIDS Pandemic.
That Sunday, I was sitting in a pew with 4 five and six year old boys who were strung out on sugar. The only part of the Mass I heard was a wonderful chant we sang. The first 2 verses were in a language I did not recognize and then we sang them in English. “Thu-ma mi-na, thu-ma mi-na, thu-ma mi-na, Nko-si yam.
Ndi-ya bu-ma, ndi-ya bu-ma, ndi-ya bu-ma, Nko-si yam. Send me, Jesus. Send me, Jesus. Send me, Jesus. Send me, Lord. I am willing. I am willing. I am willing, willing, Lord.” As I sang and swayed to the beat of the drum, my husband tapped me on the shoulder, pointing to the song sheet. It was a South African hymn. Before Mass, Marcia Matthaei had told me she was about 80% sure she was going to go. I walked up to her after Mass and she said she was now 100% sure she was going. What other sign could she possible need?
Over and over, I have been amazed by the connections that have been made, how Spirit moves in, through and with us when we open ourselves to Her urgings.

As Marcia and I go on this journey, we ask you to pray for us. This pandemic kills 8,000 people a day. It orphans another child every 14 seconds. It is said that the number of children raising themselves without any adult to care for them is equal to all the children in New York and California combined. Children as young as 6 years old are raising their younger brothers and sisters. Our intention is to raise our consciousness to the plight of these people, and to come back home to be a spokesperson for these most vulnerable members of our human family. Please pray that we will be safe, that we will open and that we will stay connected to the Spirit of joy and hope.

Thu-ma mi-na, thu-ma mi-na, thu-ma mi-na, Nko-si yam.
Ndi-ya bu-ma, ndi-ya bu-ma,ndi-ya bu-ma, Nko-si yam.
Send me, Jesus. Send me, Jesus. Send me, Jesus. Send me, Lord.
I am willing. I am willing. I am willing, willing, Lord.