Labor Pains

This is my 9th month away from home! That's long enough to have a child! Its time to see someone from home that can remotivate me. :) I'm so excited because thankfully the Schaap family will be birthed tomorrow morning from the Matsapha Airport.

I've been preparing for my girl's empowerment pageant the past week! We are now hoping to join forces with World Vision in my area, so I’ve been talking to my friend, Musa, who is in charge of the HIV awareness section of the organization. They will come to watch the pageant, but also get the opportunity to test and we’ll even have the mom’s selling their food and jewelry at the event. We'll see how it goes. We keep getting road blocks, but no matter what, I’m glad we are doing it. If anything, we’ve been able to work with the Youth Association in my area and get them excited about something. I also feel like I am finally doing my job. haha

My aunt and I bandaged up my sisi’s son. His hands were terrible. She was boiling a shicken to remove the feathers and he fell into the pot. He’s only three years old. Guess when someone came to me for help?? 2-3 days after it happened...and what was that day? Friday. The clinic isn’t open again til Monday where we can get supplies. We used my stuff which I don’t mind using, but I only was given enough for one time use. The elastic band was too long so I cut it up like Mac Gyver and used what I had. I made a sling out of buttons and toothpicks and a resperator out of a water balloon. Just kidding, but he was bandaged up quite nicely. Poor little guy was running around with no use of his arms. Its kinda funny to watch him run around playing with the other kids because he looked like he tied two giant Q Tips to his arms. I question if the poor little guy has HIV. His immune system isn’t very good. He's always sick. This time green wax was coming from his ears. Now, I don't have my PhD, but I'm pretty sure...that’s not right. I gave him drops and washed out his ears. Now the "walking Q tip" was running around with the other kids with white balls hanging out of his ears too. Poor little guy! The other little kids would call him and he wouldn't know where to look because he couldn't hear through the cotton balls. haha Thobile loved using my medical supplies. She acted like she was about to go do an open heart surgery. I played along though and only interrupted when I thought someone's life was in danger...so only about 3 or 4 times. After Thobile was finished playing Doogie Howzer, we let the kid join the others. :) Later I found Ncamgile’s son playing like he didn’t even know he had no use of his hands. I was happy to see he wasn’t in a lot of pain. :)All in a day's work.

All I know is I CAN’T WAIT another second until my family comes. :) They complete me. So do my friends at home. I know I need to focus on the now, but my mind often wonders to the excitement of when I'll reunite with everyone. :) Miss you guys and love you more. Keep livin' the dream.