And The Rest...

I suppose I am writing this post more for myself than anyone else but here goes.  On Wednesday the 12th, I got to travel to see some of the ministries supported by Orchard Africa.  We first drove to the medical clinic so we could get an idea on the realities of village life.  This clinic, services people suffering with HIV, TB, ante natal care as well as regular medical complaints.  These people will walk many miles to come to this clinic.  The sisters (nurses) who work here are dedicated to the people and providing medical care for them. I was impressed that they were still able to retain their humor even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
The next thing we did was head to a graveyard.  This was very sobering because I think the oldest person in there was 65.  Most people were buried in their 30's - 40's.  Even though HIV is a huge killer in South Africa, the real wave of deaths from AIDS is still to be felt.  What will the country look like, what will the continent look like when there are more child head of households.
We then visited with Lilly a heath care supporter who visits patients in their homes.  We met with one elderly woman who is crippled with back issues and two young women with HIV.  It was a very sobering day.

After that...I went back to the hotel and slept for 15 hours because I started to get sick, and then kept getting sicker.  I made it to a Dr. in Cape Town and was diagnosed with measles.  I had a reaction to the MMR booster shot I received.  For the rest of the trip, I have tried to hang on.  This has been a very difficult experience for me as I haven't ever been this sick, and I was a long way from home, but my experiences pale  in comparison to what these people in Mafikeng face daily.  I will wrestle with what God wants me to learn from this trip and will hopefully come up with some answers in the next couple of weeks.  I write this final blog in Chicago sitting and waiting for my last flight.  I am looking forward to coming home.