Desperate times call for desperate measures

I have been here a month and finally broke down and bought some chocolate. Last night, I went with Godsave to the airport to pick someone up. While we were waiting, we broke down and bought a snickers. I have been dying for some good old yummy chocolate. It cost 1500 shillings! which is about $1.25. Yowsers. Whats even worse is that my lunch everyday at Moonlight (our local hangout) =) costs less than that. I get rice, a beef stew, beans, banana, and a soda for less than what I spent on one little candy bar, but boy did that snickers taste good! I know need Jesus but sometimes a little chocolate helps......

Please pray for next few days because they are quite busy.
I leave early tomorrow morning to go to Kondoa which is about a six hour drive on rough roads. I will come back on Tuesday. Then Wendesday, I will to go Mairowa which is about two hours a way and return that night. The roads can be rough and I have actually been struggling with car sickness which I never have before.

Kondoa is predominantly Muslim. The children at the school are learning about Jesus and seeing that He is real and He is good and the He loves them. They go home and tell their parents. Please pray for the transformation of this community.

Mairowa is predominantly Masaai which is one of the tribes that is very nomadic and that do not see the value of school. School does not help them herd cattle better. This is the tribe where men have several wives and live in huts. Please pray that the people in this community will send their children to our school. This school opens in January 2008.

Squash, Bananas, Lion King, and Africa

Here is some Lion King trivia for you all
The monkey song. The one where we jumps around and sings.
I learned what the words are and now I even now what they mean!

Asante Sana, Squash Banana (Thank you very much, squash banana)
wewe mzungu (You are a white person)
mimi hapana (I am not)

Very exciting!
My language classes are paying off. WOOHOO!

Spitting for Jesus

As many of you know, most of Tanzania is quite rural. We had to go by another school today before we went to the village of Likamba. Godsave decided to go a way that he had never been before. We had to stop and ask several Masaai if we were going in the right direction. The concept of a road is quite loose here. We got to a point where we were not sure which way to go and there was no one around. We stopped and a big cloud of dust surrounded us and kept on going past us. I thought it was God's way of telling us to keep going forward. We were right. During our little adventure, I learned how the children of Tanzania would decide which way to go. Whenever they would come to a cross in the roads, they would spit in their hands. Then they would take their index finger and hit the saliva. Whichever way the saliva goes is the direction that you should go. The things you learn!

I cannot get this image out of my head

I traveled to a village called Mwika today. Mwika has one of the highest concentrations of AIDS in this area. We are involved with a woman named Mama Marena. She has opened her home to orphans that are all HIV positive. They still giggle and squeal with delight and fight over candy. They find happiness in the smallest of things. They have started a small nursery school and we will be building classrooms for them. I danced and played and sung with the children. We had fun! Seeing what the live in and how they little they have has yet to stop affecting me.

However, we went to two homes to visit AIDS patients that are homebound. They were not planned so our project manager had not brought the money. It is typical to bring a gift when you go to visit someone. We brought two kilograms of sugar and soap. I decided to pay for it out of my own money. The grand total was about $6.

The first man that we met was so thankful. We talked to him for a while and worshipped and prayed with him. One of my favorite things about prayer here is that you always sing first. It is typically Father, Father. God, there in no God like you. After we sing that through couple of a times, we all pray at the same time. After this, the man wanted to touch my head and bless me. Touching the forehead of someone is a sign of respect.

The second man was the image that I will never get out of my head. He is bound to his bed. We went into his small house which is one room that is smaller than my bathroom that has very little light. He did not have enough strength to lift the sugar that I handed him. He is also suffering from another disease, maybe elephantitus but I am not sure. His feet are swollen but skin is what I cannot get out my head. If you have ever seen a sea urchin with the "tentacles" that are about a 1/4" thick and maybe an inch long. All over is feet. One foot is being eaten alive by maggots. His hands were starting to deteriorate and get sores all over them. I cannot get this image out of my head. I do not know how to get past it. I do not know how to cope. I went on the internet and tried to find out how to heal this disease. I want to fix it. Is that the answer? I have no idea. I come in with my American bravado and want to throw money at things. I know that is not the right answer. I want to visit him again. I want to love him and read to him.

Life is never going to be the same again.....

By the way, thank you for your prayers for my friend Samuel, his slowly recovering from the Malara.

Some things I never thought I would say...

Do you ever catch yourself saying things that as you think about what you are saying, you are a little incredulous? I have had many such moments in the short time that I have been here.
Here are few:

1. How many wives does your father have?
2. How long do you think we will have power?
3. Wow the internet was quick today (I only had to play two games of solitaire, take a 20 minute nap, study swahili, and do a sudoku to send one email)
4. It only took one bucket full of water to flush the toilet this time.
5. Oh yeah!, Hot water!
6. Oh yeah!, I get to sleep in the same place for three nights in a row!
7. Will my feet ever be clean again?
8. So you mean I shouldn't be concerned that we are passing a car and another car is coming at us at 65mph?
9. I like the style of this mosquito net.
10. And, last but not least, I will never settle for less than 200 cows and one bull (for a marriage proposal that is).

I know I have forgotten some and that there will be many more moments like this, so be sure to stay tuned to catch next week's edition of Meagan's top ten!

What a Day!

This has been an emotional day. I spent most of the day in Likamba, the village that I mentioned before. I was able to tell them that the children will now have porridge for the rest of the school year. We have donations to allow for three months and I am trusting by faith that we will have enough for the last month. The response of the head teacher and pastor was something that I will never forget. They love these children so much and pour their lives into them.

When I came home, Samuel, my friend who has AIDS, was already at our house. He was not feeling well. He felt so warm and was not doing well. We took him to a clinic and found out that he has a very serious form of Malaria. His immune system is so weak, so it is more serious for him. He has a 104 degree temperature. PLEASE PRAY! He is such a sweet boy. He is lying on the couch right now. I feel so helpless.

How quickly we become attached

Isn't it amazing how some people we can meet for only a moment and feel instantly connected with them for life. I met someone like that a couple of days ago, Samuel. He is the sweetest boy. He walks right up to you and gives you a hug. He will lean on and sit next to you. We had fun making videos with my camera and making silly faces. Then he taught me some card games and I taught him some. I am staying with the Taylors ( a family from Perimeter that is here for six weeks). He comes over every day after school to just hang out. He is a very bright boy that is fourteen years old but he looks about nine.

He was severely malnourished until this family took him in. They feed him dinner everynight and help him get the medicine that he needs. Sweet Samuel has AIDS, not HIV but full blown AIDS. There are four stages to AIDS and he is in Stage 3. You would never know it by looking at him. He has the brightest smile and the most tender eyes. Yesterday, we played cards for a while and then he said he was tired so he curled up next to me on the couch and fell asleep. Having AIDS feels like having the flu all the time.

His mother died, we think. His father remarried and the new wife wanted nothing to do with him so they found someone to take him in. This woman provides shelter but nothing else. He comes here and gets love and attention. What is so amazing is that you feel loved by him as well. He is funny and interesting and I have learned how to trash talk in Swahili. =)

I have a picture of him but I cannpt get the pictures to load on here. Hopefully I will figure that you soon.

Also, little side note: I am fighting a sinus infection and have not been able to sleep for the past few nights. Please pray for strength, endurance, perseverance, and healing.