No wonder they transport you to S.Africa for medical care....

Saturday, July 11, 2009

So onto Saturday. My day started with walking into a conversation of how Satan is trying to interfere with the good work everyone is doing…just like he always does when he is losing control of a situation.

After quickly skirting this conversation, I was off to visit the nursery, where there are 4 babies…all of who arrived at the orphanage is very bad shape. I enjoyed playing with these babies. One little girl had a very odd cylindrical protrusion coming out of her stomach. At first, I have to admit that it alarmed me and made me not want to play with her. I have no idea what this was from, but she was very alert and she was interactive with us….probably the most alert of all of them. They also have a baby that is only a couple of months old. We couldn't play with her. I guess her mother died during birth and her dad dropped her off at the orphanage because he couldn't take care of her. He does come to visit and they hope to have her living with him at some point.

Then I took a break before we headed out on the chappa to go to the hospital in Maputo (the main hospital for all of Mozambique). The chappa is an experience in itself. They are these tiny buses (actually more the size of a big van) that get packed to the point of people practically falling out of them. I will have to take a picture of one soon and post it. We were packed in pretty tightly and uncomfortably for a bit of the ride. And yes, I am very aware that it is a big no no to take these chappas, according to the security officers at the US Embassy. But it was actually not that bad...and after some of the people cleared out, I eventually was able to get a seat and feel asleep! I am just like a baby..if I am in any automobile and not driving (hopefully), I am out cold. You can't beat a 45 minute bus ride for a mere $0.20 US.

The mission was to spread the word of Jesus and it appeared to convert all of the patients to Christianity. I just went to do some internal prayer for the sick and to see what the main hospital here looked like. The hospital is about 60 years behind the US. Not much there and I didn’t see any staff/nurses. We went to the derm ward. The sick looked very depressed and sad. The patients were sleeping on extremely basic beds with nothing else in the rooms. It really did look like what I envision a mental ward looking like in the 60's in the US. I was touched by “james.” He did believe in God and was a very nice, happy man, though sick. I told him I would pray for him and he seemed happy by this. When we prayed for him, he began to cry! Now, why James was lying in his hospital bed in a suit, I cannot explain. I found it odd that everyone had appeared to have been staying there awhile, but no one was in any sort of hospital garb. Christine had a less than pleasurable experience in the bathroom, but no need to recount that episode. ..unless of course she would like to share it during an IETA workshop next year. :-) I left thinking that we really have it good in the US. Hospitals are always a depressing thing, but ours look like a stay at the Hilton in comparison. I really hope that everyone that we met has someone who comes and visits them on a daily basis and that they all get better soon. I also left there thinking now I know why all of my paper work said that medical care was non-existent in Mozambique....if health issues arise, you will be transported to S. Africa or another country with adequate facilities. Being part of the DOD system, I am hoping they will transport me to Germany if something happens.

As I am sitting here writing, my colleague is having a lovely conversation with a woman from Australia about hearing God speak to her and telling her to go help poor people. I guess I am just too cynical to believe God has the time to specifically talk to me.

So I have realized that this is probably the biggest difference between myself and some of the other volunteers here. (I have not told any of them I am Catholic, though everyone is asking me what church I go to back home). The majority of Catholics aren’t about converting everyone to Catholicism. The orphanage and its volunteers (who come from all over the world, mostly through church activities) are very into trying to get everyone to “see the light” and spreading Jesus’s message. I guess it is good that someone is spreading a message of goodwill and the orphanage does a lot of amazing work for these kids. To see it in action, is really quite remarkable. I just am more of the mindset of helping your neighbor, no matter what religion they are. I can admit that the people that have dedicated themselves to this work are far better than me and you would have to have an extreme faith to be able to deal with this every day or even for a week.

We have a service in the morning and then are headed back to Maputo afterwards. I need a break and am all “Jesus-ed out.” Hopefully, God won’t strike me down with lightining for saying that. Now, if that isn’t the perfect example of Catholic guilt, I don’t know what is. I will leave this as my final example of how Catholics are different than other Christians…others luckily don’t seem to bare this guilt burden! :-)

PS: Sorry, for the religious thougths today…normally not like me…but considering the circumstances, probably understandable. Also, if I have offended anyone, my sincerest apologies.