Hakuna Matata

The Great Malawi Adventure

2011-04-25T06:59:00.001-07:00

Malawi has been amazing. We have completed a full camp session with the help of leadership team members including one Baylor doctor, the Malawi Teen Club Coordinator (my old position at Baylor Swaziland last year), a Logistics Coordinator, the Camp Hope Director and three Hole in the Wall consultants (me).

We served 61 campers over the two week camp period ranging from 11-17 years old. We trained over 21 staff on camp procedures, programs, and more. All campers were living with HIV and were given the chance to play with other teens their age living under similar conditions for free! It was so fun and often times I had to stop myself to remember how lucky I am to have these kids disclose their status with me and welcome me into such a taboo and private part of their lives.

While the two other Hole in the Wall Consultants focused their energy and time on Logistics, Residential Life, and Medical together, I was fortunate enough to be in charge of the programming side of the camp. I worked with a good friend of mine named Symon the entire time. I mentored him as he worked with the other staff. We built a strong camp schedule and the activities were really fun…yet educational.  How many jobs can you find where you get to wear plaid shorts yanked up to nobody’s business and hold an inflatable dolphin named Chiyembe while training a group of adults on policies and procedures. I am one lucky gal.

Symon is my Malawian brother and he made this experience way better than it would have been if he wouldn’t have been there. We share a lot of similar experiences. He is currently the Program’s Director for the Malawi Camp Hope and I just finished being the Program’s Director for Camp Sivivane in Swaziland the past two sessions for them. Now I am mentoring/training people in that position which is weird because it doesn’t feel like that long ago since I was caring those responsibilities. Symon and I could communicate through our minds which was awesome! I could just look at him and he would know what I was saying which is a rare thing to teach. We did a skit together where I was his hands (my really white hands against his brown face…awesome) and I fed him different things and brushed his teeth for him. People kept commenting how synchronized our actions and words were. Symon and I worked well together and I was so thankful for his positivity and flexibility. He also let me introduce a lot of crazy games like Mission Impossible and Humans and Aliens. When I had to spend 10 minutes explaining and acting out what an Alien is to staff so they can help explain to children in another language, I knew I was in the right job.

Me and Sy
We worked with lots of teens who loved the games and activities in the program, but it was still hard to see some of the kids struggle with activities. A few of them also had cancer and it was so frustrating to watch them battle the effects of cancer while taking tablets for HIV at the same time. I just assumed one terminal was all one person should handle, but it became a harsh reality that it isn’t the case when I met some of these campers. I watched one boy in particular cry because his legs hurt after playing capture the flag. He loved to dance, but due to the tumors in his legs and having participated in so many running games and activities throughout the day by the time evening came, he wouldn’t be able to walk or dance. I felt so helpless for him because I didn’t know how to get him involved. Eventually staff members put him on their backs and gave him piggy back rides everywhere since the terrain wasn’t good enough for wheel chairs, but it was a learning experience for me and really humbling to see how lucky I am for my health. Also, it showed me how much stronger these campers are compared to me.

The campers and staff were amazing. They taught me Chichewa and let me practice on them throughout trainings and camp. They gave me a nickname before session one camp started. They called me, “Achimwali” which means “Sister” in Chichewa. Everyone is called sister “asisi” but they reserved the deep Chichewa name for me “Achimwali”. Soon all the campers started calling me Achimwali because the staff told them to call me that. Nicknames aren’t always as sweet and innocent, so I was happy to get that one. Better than some other names I’ve heard. Haha The teens would also translate for me when they sat next to me. One camper even repeatedly asked me to sit by him at meals. He was an 18 year old boy from the capital of Malawi who attended Teen Club. We had a lot of things in common. We like art and listen to similar music. His mom’s name was Jaclyn too. His is English was really good. He did stand up comedy at Stage Night and sat next to me the rest of the show. He hugged me on stage at awards night which was sweet. His favorite thing to do is draw and gave me his drawing book to look through. He had pictures of tennis shoes and kids from his school. Before he left camp he showed me a picture he had been drawing all week. It was a portrait of me! It had a nice little note written on it. It was so sweet and it kinda looked like me too! Although, I hope it isn’t too accurate. I’d like to think that I have more teeth than that and my eyes are similar in size. I haven’t seen a mirror in a while though, so things could have changed I suppose.

After camp we went to Lake Malawi. It was beautiful! We rented a car and went off roading in a tiny foreign car that scratched the floor whenever we hit a pothole…so constantly. Since it was Easter weekend, tons of Malawian families crowded the beaches. It was fun and we even met one of our campers and his family. It was adventure after adventure. We found a man who offered to take us out to an island and take us on a hike, provide lunch, and take us scuba diving for $100 for the three of us. We agreed and didn’t try to barter. He picked us up the next morning in front of our lodge on the beach scooping water from the bottom of the inside of his boat. First sign that we might not be with a professional guide or were overpaying. I just shrugged though and jumped in. He drove us to a fishing village and we ate lunch at his sister’s “restaurant”. She gave us each a boiled fish on rice with some boiled/salted seaweed while we sat inside her mud hut that had a grass roof tied on by a show string. Haha AWESOME. Sign two we were being over charged. Still continued the adventure. Toby (the name of the “guide”) walked us over to get scuba gear. Conveniently, Toby didn’t have all his gear so he returned to us in the boat with an old plastic cheap pair of goggles and a snorkel for the 3 of us to share. He proceeded to clean the mouth piece standing knee deep in the lake splashing lake water on it. Sign three. I laughed and continued the adventure. We got to the island and swam around. Toby asked to bring us on our “hike”. The island was the size of a large boulder with bushes hanging off of it. We climbed up the giant rock to the top, but there were no paths and the bushes leading to the top were covered in itchy thorns. Cora and Elizabeth had to jump in the water after the “hike” to remove the itch. Sign number four that this wasn’t a professional guide. Haha After swimming for a bit, Toby got, “tired of the water” which is bad when you are hanging out on an island so he made us go back early. He tried to drop us off at the fishing village and walk back to our hotel down the beach, but finally the three of us spoke up to our professional guide and told him he at least needed to drop us where he said he would. It was such a ridiculous and hilarious situation that I didn’t even care that I was being taken advantage of. I just told him, “Happy Easter” and got off the boat.

The adventure continued that evening. Our car broke down in front of an ATM where each of us girls took out money. The sunset and the stars came out and our car was surrounded by teenage boys. We couldn’t communicate with them and they didn’t know what jumper cables were, so we just helplessly let them take apart our rented car engine. Within an hour, a guy came with his car and did a few things to the car and we were on the road again. The boys didn’t ask for our money or anything. They just asked for our facebook account name. Fair trade if you ask me!

Tonight I am gong to a Sean Kingston concert. What an Easter adventure. This trip keeps getting crazier and crazier. I will let you know what happens. Wish you guys were here to enjoy it with me!

From Swazi Hills Back to Judy's Costume Closet: And Everything In Between

2011-02-01T23:36:00.000-08:00

Mozambique: Taking a ferry over to the beach.

I have been back with the red, white and blue for about 4 weeks now (pretend I am raising the roof)! Can you believe it?!? Although it hasn’t been that long since I left Swaziland, I feel like I’ve adjusted well to the American ways of life so far! Hopefully, besides retiring, this will be the only time I will be unemployed so I might as well enjoy it! Even though it is a little scary when looking at my student loans bills accruing, but being unemployed has its perks. I’ve learned some Taylor Swift and Sugarland songs on the guitar and I basically only have to shower and brush my teeth each day when it comes to getting ready because I have nowhere to go. Althoug, one day I was sick of looking like a teenager who just finished gym class, so I spent 30 minutes giving myself smokey eyes with my mom’s eye shadow and went to the grocery store…but I still wore jogging pants. You know it’s been a long day when your mom asks you, “What did you do today?” and you list flossing your teeth as an activity to make the list seem longer. Yikes, I really don’t know where my time goes. When I left Swaziland, we were having the longest days of summer full of hiking and swimming, but a month later I am sitting here in northwest Iowa confronting the shortest and coldest days of the year. That has been the hardest part of being back…the lack of motivation for human contact because that requires going out in the cold. I might as well be wearing an ankle bracelet because I rarely leave the house in this snowy weather anyways.

Our camp Leadership staff. Left to right: Nomcebo, Zandy, Ann, me, Justin, and Raps

Last month of my service in Swaziland was dedicated to coordinating all camp activities for 100 kids on behalf of Baylor Clinic.

Serving the kids their lunch. Squash, rice and chicken. Yum!

Last month was incredible! I explored and enjoyed the last days in Swaziland and tried to go out with a bang. After another amazing season of leading activities with Hole in the Wall camps in December for roughly 100 kids with HIV, I took a vacation to Mozambique…again. I LOVE that place. The beaches, the Portuguese, the cheap shopping…the city is alive and I spent hours walking around while my friends went to a wedding. Earlier that day we went searching for ice cream in the dead heat of the summer. To help you envision it, my shins were sweating drips. The coast gave us 110 degree weather. My two friends and I needed something cold so I navigated with the map. Soon a suspicious couple of boys followed closely behind us. I started to get a funny feeling. My friend Kim also sensed something was wrong, so she stopped to “fix” her shoe. The teenage boys slowly passed us. We saw one hiding something shiny under his handkerchief in right hand. There had been consistent traffic that day along the beach’s road for some reason, so I think they were scared to do anything until there weren’t any cars. Some trees were ahead of us on the path where the boys vanished into, so decided to hike up a hill to avoid a potential mugging. It was scary and the first time I really felt in danger there. Later when I checked the map, there was a message in the legend directed towards the area we found those boys, “Danger: Under no circumstances should you go in this area day or night.” Oops. The rest of the group didn’t find it as funny when I told him. haha We hid at a restaurant for a bit to get our pulses back to a reasonable speed. Hey, at least we still found an ice cream shop. :)

Christmas Eve at the Fishmarket!

On Christmas Eve I met two girls at the hostile I was staying at and I joined them for dinner at a fish market in a shady part of town. Now that sounds like Christmas Eve. They didn’t know my history with maps and although I was confident with my sense of direction in Mozambique’s capital, I did almost get us killed earlier that day when looking for ice cream. I got us there though…after dark, but I got us there! One lady was a recruiter from Penn State about 45 years old and the other was a Peace Corps Zambia volunteer in her 20’s passing through to meet her friends up north. It was fun and they were so sweet. The next morning, Christmas, I went to brush my teeth and once I arrived back at my bunk bed there was a pair of pants. I had admired a pair of pants the lady from Penn State was wearing at the fish market. They were these Egyptian looking pants with colorful embroidery that she found in Morocco. After only meeting me the day before, she decided to give me a Christmas present! That was one of the nicest things anyone has done for me during my time there. It ended up being a great Christmas and the thought of being back home in the US kept me going strong. We spent the day at the beach of the Indian Ocean on Christmas day. This was my 3rd consecutive Christmas on the sandy beaches of the ocean. It was a treat and I chased crabs.

Baywatch moves. Christmas Day at the Indian Ocean.

It was definitely hard to say goodbye to my host family after returning from my Christmas trip to Mozambique. I spent the last few days in Swaziland and went to see my host family the last full day before my flight. It was nice taking the rough rural public buses back to New Haven (my home for 2 ½ years) from the capital. I looked out of the windows and spoke SiSwati with people who sat next to me. I decided to enjoy the long ride down the dusty roads of rural Swaziland one last time. I saw friends from my host community on the bus and joked with the bus drivers who knew me by name now. “SIHLE (my Swazi name)!” they yelled as I got on the bus. A few of them in the past would always give me “a special price (wink)”, but they hadn’t seen me for a while. Of course, I always took the “special price”, however, I never asked what the wink meant. :) The bus conductors in general had scandalous reputations including alcohol and women. Some would have a girlfriend at each bus stop along the dirt roads from the beginning to the end of their bus routes. I wasn’t the only girl getting those “special prices” if you know what I mean (poking you with my elbow). haha Everyday they would be riding on those smelly crowded buses from morning to night. Occasionally, I would ride with them to go to the city to see other volunteers or get groceries. I knew the bus conductors well after living there for a while and although many had a bad rep, they always looked out for me, even if it was from each other. Haha They knew that I wasn’t about to be some Baby Mamma at bus stop number 7, so they started asking me questions about HIV and infidelity. I was able to talk to a lot of men on the bus. My last trip back home before my flight to the USA, a man who originally sat next to me to get my phone number eventually got a life lesson about self-control and being faithful. Little did he know. Haha He debated me and tried to get under my skin, but by the end of the trip I had won he started changing his mind. My final day in Swaziland and I tried a jump shot. It didn’t go in because of talent, because if you’ve seen me play basketball you would know that isn’t the case. It was because something greater took the ball that I was willing to shoot and dunked it in. “We wait for miracles, when we should be making them…Never think of one moment, one life, or one word as irrelevant when it comes to the value of another person. Use those uncertain moments.” Chasing Daylight. I will really miss Swaziland. Not only for the people I met there, but also for the times where God gave me courage to do things I didn’t think I could do and humbled me by using the same people I went to Swaziland to serve to be the ones to teach me new things about myself. The youth group I worked with in my community threw me a party right before I left to catch a bus. They gave me a gift, made speeches and the leader, my dear friend Nhlanhla (a Swazi version of Adam Sieff), drove me back half way across the country that evening so that I could catch transport back to my apartment in the capital. The next day I packed and spent time with my friends Zandy and Nomcebo. We had dinner together and wore some of the dresses and clothes I was leaving behind in a box for them. Zandy dropped me off at the bus rank to get on transport to bring me to the airport and a few of my close friends met me there and waited with me in the parking lot. When my bus drove off, they ran beside the vehicle until the intersection where the light went red. They started cheering and singing, “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole!!! Ole! Ole!” on the corner and yelling my name. People on the bus laughed with me and thought my friends (the white foreigners jumping up and down) were clinically nuts. I met the most amazing people during my service there and just as much as I moved to Swaziland wanting to show people that I cared for them, they through love right back at me. I really can’t wait to continue those relationships living in Swaziland even while I’m back here moving on to my next chapter in my life.

Last day with my host family.

My good friends, Zandy and Nomcebo, hung out with me on my last night.

The youth group for church I worked with the past 2 1/2 years with 3 carved bowls they gave me as a going away present inscribed "Sihle", my Swazi name.

I had a layover in Cairo (before the riots) on my way back and stopped in New York before going home. My friend from that area offered me a place to sleep and to go see NYC for once. It was a perfect way to get back into America! My first day back on American soil in 30 months and I was giving credit checks to the Statue of Liberty and throwing diamonds in the air to my peeps in da’ Bronx! It was cold getting off the plane and we were the first flights allowed to land that day due to the snow storms. I saw Bryant Park, Jay Z’s projects, ate from hot dog vendors, made snow angels in Central Park (the cookie monster from Sesame Street was walking around and photo bombed one of my pictures!), and we went out for New Year’s Eve in new dresses from 5th Avenue. Unfortunately, we didn’t even make it to 11pm. Karla and I were fast asleep before midnight. It was still amazing and I loved the city. It was better than I ever thought and I’m excited for a round two someday. I kept singing Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind” on the subway to Karla and she helped me learn the area by referencing places the Newsies talked about. I left New York that morning at 4am after a taxi driver picked me up at her apartment. He was really mad because I was quoted the wrong price when calling for a driver on the phone. The taxi place was run by an Italian mob according to my friend, so after the huge dude driving my taxi to the airport became really mad and started swearing at people over the phone I paid him the amount he. He didn’t necessarily deserve it, but it was a “thank you” for not trying to kill me or telling your cousin Vinny to take me down a dark alleyway. Once I landed in Sioux Falls that morning, I surprised my mom and dad (they thought I was coming the following day). They were staying in a hotel with the grandkids for New Year’s Day. After my sister went into the room I ran in and said, “Happy New Year’s, everybody!” They were still sleeping, so I started jumping on beds and running from room to room. My mom just screamed running around with me. It was so funny. My nieces and nephews hung on my back while I ran around. Once the excitement died down, I showered and went to my friend’s wedding. It was an eventful non-stop couple weeks from Mozambique to South Africa to New York to home sweet home.

New York Pizza!!

Besides going to my nieces and nephew’s basketball games, I have also found some fun time. My favorite. Last weekend we shot clay pigeons outside of town. Yeehaw! We were scolded by two cops within 20 minutes. Thank goodness, it wouldn’t be a family Schaap reunion without a police officer present, so I’m glad they could make it. :) I’ve also hung out with friends a little bit here and there. I’ve also…are you sitting down…been interviewed by the Primghar Belle. It’s no New York Times…yet…but it is front page news about my time in Swaziland. If you need a copy, you can give me a call and I’ll send you an autographed page.

New York City!

There have been moments where I feel like a lot of changes have happened within the people’s lives around me that I didn’t know about or I was told, but since I didn’t see it happen I couldn’t understand what the changes would really look like when I got back from overseas. A few changes is that there is a new sign near the windmill in my home town that welcomes Tulip Festival visitors, Subway apparently has breakfast now, my parents have a flatscreen TV and cable (Judy and Dar have gone wild!), my dad shaved his head, there is a Mexican restaurant downtown Orange City, Charlie Sheen has overdosed again, and I share my old bedroom with my mom’s old costumes. Yep, my mom has enough costumes to have its own room. Your mom didn’t turn your old nightstand to prop up her sombreros when you moved out of the house? I think we might be the only house in Orange City (perhaps the world), where you can go into a random closet and find German flashcards, a giant pair of clown underwear, a dated badminton set, and old camouflage hunting bow all on one shelf. Imagine what is on the other shelves…or don’t for your own sake. No one here, by the way, can speak German, but if we wanted to we have a box to get us started courtesy of 1972. I went looking for my winter jacket and I came out holding a plastic turd and jar of bubbles. Thanks, mom.

Back in America!

No time to be a lady! It's Central Park!

So what is the next adventure?? I am currently looking into school and I have applied at two places. The question is “where do I want to live?” and furthermore, “what…and where…and when do I want to study?” I’ve already applied to Tulane and I am going to continue applying to University of Chicago for their Master’s of Social Work programs. I also have been wavering between this and my other constant consideration, nursing. I’ve been trying to talk to people in both fields and finding the feasibility of doing both, so we will just have to wait and see what happens. Maybe I will just take over S&S Construction. Is that ok, dad? Running the dump truck can’t be that hard, right? One thing I’ve learned through everything is I can’t control plans anyways. Nurse? Social Worker? Renaissance clothing designer? “This realm of uncertainty is the place of miracles. Sometimes the miracle is wrapped around the person we become. The courage and nobility expressed through a life well lived.” Chasing Daylight

Hugging one of my good friends, Muhle, when he came to help work at camp.

My host family mother, Make Balesa. She gave me a grass mat she made as my going away present. This is her waiting with me to get picked up to leave.

America the Beautiful

2010-11-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

Sanibonani (Hello) Friends!

I am so excited to be writing you. I can’t believe it is only a matter of weeks that I will be returning back to the US. You know when you start planning a trip somewhere and then becomes real once you start researching airline tickets and dates? Well, that is what is happening. It is November, but all I can think about are my plans for going home and prepping my work place to leave. I think now it is purely excitement thinking about going back to the US after two and a half years of being gone and I anxiously await seeing my friends and family, ESPECIALLY my nieces and nephews! I’m sure they have changed! I have too though. Actually, I am now a 4 foot man with a beard. It looks good on me if I do say so myself. I can’t wait to see how all of you have changed too! I will be back home in January for my 26th birthday and I can’t imagine a better gift than to see all of you again.

Host Family and Swazi Life:

So this month I’ve tried to take advantage of time with friends and exploring new adventures since I will be returning home soon. First, I decided to climb Sheba’s Breast, a small “mountain” in the HhoHho region of Swaziland. So when the Swaziland Breast cancer awareness walk was offering a chance to do a 10k/5k run last month up the paths of Sheba’s Breast, I jumped on it! I decided to do both a 5k and 10k back to back. Last year I ran a half marathon so in the back of my head I thought that eventhough I sit around in an office now and never miss a meal...I still am in the same physical condition I was a year ago living in my hut. I assumed wrong. My friend Rachel and I were about half dead running 5 minutes up the mountain and my friend Matthew ended up carrying our bags all the way up. Haha Soon the racers (mostly senior citizens) began to pass us. I just flapped my arm to signal to go around us on the steep path up because I didn’t have breath to say it. Needless to say, we only finished the 10k race. Only 3 older people were at the finish line when we pulled through to congratulate. The others had already left. Haha

To continue my adventures I convinced a visiting scholar from Columbia to go to Kruger Park, a game reserve in South Africa, with me. It was my last chance to see the “Big 5”. The Big 5 includes the Rhino, Elephant, Leopard, Lion, and Buffalo. From what I am told, they were the 5 big animals mostly hunted in Africa through history. I have seen all of them up til now…except the leopard. The leopard is stealthy and rare to spot (…pun intended!) and so I took this last chance to explore my luck. We backed a loaf of bread, peanut butter, apples, a block of cheese (that should have been refrigerated…my stomach cramps now seem justified), and a 5liter water container. We packed the back of our tiny Euro car and were off! We decided not to take any tours, but to go into the game drive alone and try to find the animals ourselves for three days. We were tugging up trails with that poor car on paths clearly meant and made by large animals. In the US, I am scared to hit deer crossing the road. This will probably be the last time I will be scared to hit an elephant family that is walking by. I should have worn a diaper because on multiple times we brushed elbows with death, I thought I was going to pee my pants. One time in particular we got lost. Why would we buy a map? We were on an adventure…and broke! We ended up somehow on this off road up on top of some mountain full of trees and bushes. I spotted a heard/pack/whatever of dinosaurs and what later turned our to be elephants! These elephants were HUGE and looked like they ate cars our size for breakfast. I’ve had bad experiences before with elephants at a game park in Swaziland. One charged me after I tried to take a picture in front of it eating a hotdog. Anyway, it is spring which means lots of babies throughout the park and most importantly, lots of protective mothers. This was no exception. As I slowly realized they were coming, we became very quiet and I turned off the car to appear invisible. Well, it kinda worked until 5 babies surrounded the car with one angry very large mother. She noticed us and threw her trunk up while flapping her ears. (I needed a new clean pair of shorts.) It was intense and for 30 minutes we were trapped. We were afraid to breathe just in case that would make her mad. We didn’t move and she eventually left, but not without showing her anger. They slowly walked off the path and two of the elephants began fighting. Karla and I slowly drove forward after I took my hands from covering my eyes and I slowly pulled forward away from the group of elephants. We survived. After we bathed stopped shaking, we began talking about how cool that was but neither of us wanted to spot another elephant for the rest of the day. 10 minutes later a new group of elephants found us along another path. Kruger Park is not made for armatures and by the end of our adventure we felt like Pacos Bill and Paul Bunyan. We fought monkeys who tried to vandalize our backseat, set free a large scorpion that got lost within our tent cover, and learn how to outrun a rhino who clearly didn’t want his photo taken. It was an amazing trip and at the perfect time. Driving up and down the mountains and terrains of the southern region of the park for hours on end looking for animals was amazing and therapeutic. There were wild flowers and beautiful sunsets. I felt so much peace there and the adventure left us both feeling quite liberated. To rad more about these adventures...and to see lots of pictures go to karlainafrica.blogspot.com

My host family brother got position one in his class. When I lived at home with the family, I really invested in this brother. He was sick for a while and during that time we really bonded. Sadly he hasn’t been able to pay his school fees to attend school this term because he is an orphan. Thankfully, I finally talked about it with my parents and they offered to help. This is common though and it got me thinking that often times when we donate money or try helping people in other countries, we just give money to the situation. I’m happy my parents can trust that the money is directly going to school fees because I am putting it in the account for them and that we know the child and his living situation. I’ve been living with him for two years so its nice to really see what the need is and the best way to help. I know we don’t always have the opportunity of directly knowing the person we are trying to help especially when donating to large organizations, but if this is something you are interested in, I want you to look at a website called Young Heroes. My good friend is the director and also my pal does a lot of the consulting within the program. They are about 5 staff deep, but they manage and are all very passionate about the work they do. It really is amazing. They are people of integrity and are on leadership team with me for Hole In the Wall camps here in Swaziland. If you are interested in seeing their work or want to help them, take a look at their webpage. There are some cool stories on there and also some great pictures. I was considering signing up my brother to be apart of their program to get help, but they only take double orphans (both mother and father are deceased). My brother’s father is living, but it is still tough because he still doesn’t financially support the child. This program is great though and they are always willing to talk to you and offer invitations to come visit the kids that you end up assisting. www.youngheroes.org.sz

Entertainment
I was in the newspaper about two weekends ago. It was supposed to be an article about Peace Crops work in Swaziland and so the PC director asked me to interview on behalf of the program. One of the articles had a special piece about my love life. Haha According to the article, I am "stressed by love proposals” (if that doesn't like I have a big head…than I don't know what would) and I am currently not dating anyone. Sounds like a dating column? I thought so too! The funny thing is, we didn’t even talk about that during the interview. There are few people who know about my love life, but thankfully I now have the entire Kingdom of Swaziland to discuss it with.

Work
Like I said earlier, I will be home in about 10 weeks! While I am trying to slow down my work life and not start new projects, it has been difficult. My whole Swazi existence has been to get involved in anything and everything, so now as I turn down or pass off projects to others it feels a bit sad. Its like I am missing an opportunity to help, but I know I would be doing more harm than good getting involved in new projects now. By Thanksgiving all my work as Baylor’s Teen Club coordinator will officially be over and I will just be working at camp. I think these next few weeks will fly by quickly. Scary! I’ve really enjoyed the amazing and challenging experiences I’ve had here in Southern Africa and it will be sad to say goodbye to not only host families and communities that I lived with the past two years, but the new city friends and connections I’ve made in these past few months.

We are opening a new support group in the Lubombo region. It’s the first of its kind. I so excited for Teen Club and the progress that has been made. We are planning a giant Christmas party for the kids in December. There are 350 of them that are in the program. We’ve been trying to get donations for the past month to help pay for the party. Its been going well and we are on our way to a great Christmas. Last Christmas I received the worst sunburn of my life. Not a lump of coal, but 3rd degree burns from head to toe by laying on the beaches of the Indian Ocean. I’m hoping Santa brings me sunblock this year.
I’m sad I need to start saying by to the kids now. I won’t be there for December Teen Club because of camp. My little friend, Masotja (name changed), is a little Casanova. He is 14 years old and ever since I started as the support group coordinator, he has joyfully given me these cute little winks and smiles. He just found out I was leaving. I missed one of my HIV teen support group meetings last month to work on applications for grad school. The southern support group has a special place in my heart because it’s the one I started when I first became coordinator and a lot of kids from last camp I recruited from that area. Masotja was telling the adults that since I wasn't there that day it wasn't going to be fun. The purpose of support group, of course, is to get the kids to meet each other, but when the adults that attended that day told me this I couldn't help but be a little flattered. Haha Masotja's little brother also had HIV and passed away earlier that week. This job is really humbling and I see how disposable I am too. Many people (I can think of a few of you back at home!) that could coordinate this program better and more effortlessly than I do I’m sure! I try though and sometimes I wish my work with Masotja and others could go on forever. I also recognize its time to go back home. It will be bitter sweet leaving after the past 2 ½ years. I know though that there will be plenty of people left behind here that will pick up where I left off and continue to mold these kids. I’m gonna miss the teens I work with, especially those I’ve managed to really get to know well. Camp in December will be a great way to end and I will build relationships with lots of new kids. I just pray that it isn’t too exhausting emotionally right before I depart for America. My last support group is next week in Masotja’s region of Swaziland. I’ve been there since the opening, so I know the kids. Those little turkeys are gonna tear me up next Saturday!

See you soon! I know some of you are married, have beards now (I’m talking to you, Tina), new haircuts, fresh tattoos, babies, and maybe even a mix of the above…tattooed bearded babies, but whatever the changes that have happened to you since I left in 2008, know that I am excited to apart of them again. I’m also excited to play Pop 5 while eating Mexican food…after taking a 40 min shower. I’m counting the days and asking for your prayers as I try to end things well here. If you think of it, I would appreciate your help. Thank you guy so much for your support through prayer, donations for the roofing project, packages, letters and phone calls the past 31 months! I know I wouldn’t have made it this long without your support. Love you guys and talk to you…SEE you all soon! XXX

Ntokozo

2010-09-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Wow, I’ve missed you!Camp is finished! (sigh) The planning and late hours that had consumed my life for the months of July and August is over! Although a sense of relief goes through my body when I think about it, I get excited thinking of all the young friends I had made and hope to see again at Teen Club meetings. A little less than 100 campers went through our 2 week long camp. Each teen had been disclosed to about their HIV positive status. Our camp leadership team (4 of us representing organizations like Young Heroes, EGPAF, and Baylor) worked night and day prepping and training for the upcoming adventure and getting people ready for our 3 ½ week absence. As time lead up to camp, I was being challenged emotionally, physically, and even spiritually. I don’t know if it was a sense of homesickness (both the US and for the home I had made in the rural areas that I had left in order to begin work with Baylor Clinic in the capital), exhaustion, unfamiliarity with…everything, or stress of time and over commitment that left my days long. A lot of my friends around me from the past two years were heading back to the USA and some of my local friends were going through personal hardships, all of which came at once. I wasn’t sure if I could handle 3 weeks of no sleep once camp season rolled around, but I can honestly say camp came at the exact time I needed it.

(above: We was "the head" inside a box during an evening box skit. People would look under boxes on a table and yell to the audience what was under the box. My head was in one of them. People would flip out and in some cases, chuck the box back at my face because they got scared. hahah ouch.)

Whether it was when I was dressed up in rubber gloves and BO smelling blankets guarding a rubber chicken for an hour in 90 degree heat before being tied to the ground by 11 year old boys or maybe it was while I was doing the “Cha Cha Slide” with a cafeteria staff, but camp gave me clarity. Although there were many great moments, let me tell you about the 2 things that filled my heart with joy and readjusted my hope in only a matter of weeks.

Through out the week for every meal, one of the teens would be surprised by being announced as “Super Camper”. It would be their time to be recognized in front of everyone (staff and other campers) about something good they were found doing. Maybe it was holding the door open for someone or cleaning up dishes for the people sitting next to them at lunch. We start by pounding on anything we can find and singing the song “We Will Rock You” throughout the cafeteria. When a camper’s name is called, they are shocked! One time in particular was amazing. A kid wanted to be super camper so bad and worked so hard to do the right thing throughout the week. His name is Zakhele and after his parents died he was pushed around from relative to relative looking for a place to stay. He is 15 years old and sells candy to kids in school to help pay for his school fees. He has an amazing story, just like many of the others, but when his name was called for Super Camper he did something different. Usually the kids scream and run to the front to get their bracelet. Zakhele though continued to sit. We looked over at him not sure if he heard his name and just then he suddenly through his fists wide in the air, leaned his head back with his eyes closed while everyone all the kids cheered for him and he let out a big, “YESSSSSSSSSS!” It was like that was the moment he was waiting for his whole life. Once the cheers die down, we yell a chant. We had 50-60 kids/staff and cooks yelling, “Ungu Zakhele! Ungu Zakhele! Ungu soooooo Zakhele!” English: “YOU are Zakhele! YOU are Zakhele! YOU are soooo Zakhele!” Meaning something like, you are unique and special and there is no one like YOU! The camper usually just stands there beaming and soaking in all the people that are screaming, taking pictures with cardboard cameras, and cheering for them just because they were caught holding someone’s jacket while they went to the bathroom that morning. It’s PIMP!

(above: a picture of one of the kids putting up his Super Camper award on the "hall of fame" wall. note that it is really loud at this moment while people are screaming and congratualting the camper.)

For me, I tried by all means to empower staff quickly (but effectively of course haha) as being on leadership team, but I also wanted to play with the kids! Within the first few days of the second camp, I found the coolest kid ever. He was such a polite and independent little dude and always willing to help his friends. I didn’t get to hang with him as much as I would have wanted to, because he was in the boy’s cabin. We would play during all camp games, meals and fall victim to each other’s occasional “tap the shoulder and walk away” bit when passing in the hallway. We clicked. Either had the maturity of a 25 year old blonde girl or I had one of a 12 year old boy. I watched all the kids the whole week do great things for each other, but Ntokozo was unique, kind and really humble.

The last day of camp I came late into the giant circle of kids all holding hands. We were going to eat breakfast and then go pack our things to go home. I snuck in next to two girls and made myself part of the circle. I thought I saw Ntokozo out of the corner of my eye across the room with all his friends, so I was surprised when I felt his hand tap me on the back to join the circle next to me. He broke in between me and the little girl and grasped my hand tightly. He didn't look up at me to see my reaction or anything. He just held my hand tight and closed his eyes as we listened to a camper pray for the food. Once we all said “amen”, he looked up, smiled and walked back to his friends again. That kid was/is the bomb. Ntokozo loved on everyone. He managed to make people feel like their presence mattered. He did that for many people throughout the week. He would be the first kid to run and give high fives to each kid who received a super camper award, he cheered wildly for every child in games (even if he had never talked to the person before in his life), and he went out of his way to help people out. What a kid, huh? He is 12 years old and to some, he may have many good reasons to be angry with life. He was born with HIV and fights the stigma in Swaziland everyday, yet his personal stresses didn’t seem to even bother him or effect the way he treats people.

By the end of camp, it was no longer about kids coming together because they were victims of HIV. Some of our staff also had the virus. We all managed to build a safe community for two weeks where all our troubles from home or with life were gone. Not just for the teens, but even for us staff. We were teaching our kids things and our kids were teaching us things.

I can choose to see my experiences the past few months as difficult in many ways. Despite the challenges that have seemed to overwhelm me lately, how can I use them to grow rather than become stressed. Ntokozo didn’t show good character because everything was perfect in his life. Who knows of the other hardships at home he may be facing and the stigma that he struggles with from friends and family daily. He helped others because he embraced his challenges and circumstances. He chooses to be better than what life is offering him. His actions were a reflection of the person inside. I want a humble heart like Ntokozo. I told you before and I will say it again, “He is the bomb” and that's if you fold it in half. Camp was just what I needed. :)

(above: This shot was taken while all 50 campers one week chased me around a soccer field. I'm the one way to the right...the one with the white thighs. Bad day to wear a skirt I guess.)

Thanks so much for the prayers and calls from home. You guys are great and are never far from my thoughts. I now (2 years later) figured out how to text people in the US. Awesome. haha Keep your cell phones close in case you get a little surprise from south of the equator. (Sounds like slang for if you pooped your pants, but what it means is maybe I can send you a text from down here in South Africa!) Take care friends!

Meet the Fockers

2010-06-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

WOW! It’s been so long! How are all of you? Just so you know you haven’t been forgotten and I hope you haven’t forgotten me- your good ol’ friend south of the Equator. I feel like I have neglected this blog the past two months, so I apoloize. When the supply is low, the demand is high. ☺ Thankfully, I did have some complaints which was kinda nice because now I know I wasn’t writing just to make myself think people wanted to read about my life. Haha Social ranking in this life relies heavily on whether or not you have a blog on the world wide web. I am proud to say that I will be able to write more regularly now that I have moved to closer to a computer! I have moved to the big city (Mbabane) to begin with Baylor as the Teen Club Support Group Coordinator. I’m overwhelmed by the conveniences of life in the capital and my regular showering habits. I’m clean! No longer is it like my host community in southern Swaziland having everyone eagerly greet me by name, children repeatedly yelling, “Ha whar uuu??” when walking past the school, and being allowed to go to the bathroom whenever I want. Apparently those rules don’t apply in the capital city and people get offended if you squat on their yard. Haha Just kidding. The truth is though, people don’t care as much when I arrive to the Baylor Clinic and the children in the city have better English than I do I’ve noticed. To both your and my surprise, I’ve been busy but it feels good to be back blogging to my homies back in the US.

Once I arrived from Lesotho over Easter, I got right into work. Lacey De Jager and Adam Sieff came to visit! Which having friends and family from back at home visit are one of the highlights of being here! Although it was nice to catch up a bit, we enjoyed our adventures that could only happen when the three of us unite. Let me brief you because we could talk about this vacation for days: Lacey was a champ. We went to Mozambique and made a lot of random friends. We hung out with a girl named Judith form Mexico City, chatted it up with some dudes from Chile and Argentina, drank out of of coconuts near the beach, bought jewelry from local markets, and hiked around the entire city of Maputo about 100 times. We were on a poor man’s budget so we ate our weight in local Mozambiquan bread and tuna packets she packed from home. Haha It was so fun. I had an event the first weekend Lacey came, so she helped me coordinate half of it. We held a career fair for all the youth in my area. It had its crazy moments (a lot of them actually), but at the end of the day the purpose of the event was met. It was a totally humbling experience. I know it would have not been of any success without the people praying for it constantly and having the amazing volunteers/friends helping out. Lacey took over the workshop part with my host aunt (Thobile) while I ran the other half. They were champs. 36 students and out out school youth from 8 local high schools within the area I live were able to learn how to write resumes, have successful interviews, and how to start their own businesses after/during school to generate income for their families. I invited a program called Juinor Achievement Program to facilitate the project and it went really well. The kids enjoyed the presentation and now have the information to begin business clubs within their schools to teach other students how to begin income generation. At the same time (poor planning maybe? Haha) I was coordinating a Future Planning Day for all the youth within a 15K radius. Eight high schools came throughout the day to participate and a lot of drop out/out of school youth that are unemployed came. Population Service International came to do HIV testing (which is difficult to test teenagers) for two hours for the youth who were sitting around. I gave incentives to get tested for HIV (Adam Sieff’s “Sieffstyle” CD) and everyone got a prize. 30 kids were tested and 10 kids were recruited for male circumcision, which helps reduce the chances of contracting HIV. It was so fun and God really showed himself during the constant challenges faced and overcome during the course of the day. ☺ Long story short, Lacey was really busy the entire time she was in Africa but she helped me in so many ways with all my projects and community work. I’m so thankful she came. She even helped me finish up the library we built in the high school. She wrote down book numbers and recorded everything for us to organize the room. When Adam came, we took on Swaziland to the max. We wanted him to see as much as possible. Our first night all together was a clear indication that our time together was going to awesome. Our backpackers didn’t pick us up and arranged another backpackers to collect us at 11:30pm from the airport with Adam and his stuff. Once someone picked us up finally, the 5 minute drive to the backpackers (across the road) became a two hour drive of confusion and madness. Welcome to Jo’burg, Adam. When we stopped at our 4th gas station to get directions (driver’s first night on the job) and so that he could have a cigarette, we couldn’t help but get excited for the remainder of our trip together knowing that our first 2 hours together had already been an adventure. Sieff gave a concert to the youth in my area, we walked around craft markets and the capital city, helped Sieff buy enough Bafana Bafana soccer jerseys to cloth South Africa, and we went to a game park with a small 70 year old Asian man named Lin we met when standing near a grocery store in Mbabane. Our time together was not a disappointment and I was so happy they could use their skills to help the youth in my area while they were around. Good friends.

We went to Durban two weeks ago for the Australia vs Germany World Cup game in South Africa! Six other friends and I went to the game over the weekend. It rocked! We watched England vs. USA on big screen while eating pizza downtown Durban, South Africa. It was awesome and the next day we went to our game in the stadium! We painted our faces and I made everyone wear a cape (because that’s normal). My friend, Hong, is so cool that she actually let me cut her hair so that I could give her a mohawk…that is fan dedication and one of the million reasons she is a hip hip lady. I jelled, spiked, and glittered her lovely very short locks until they could be considered a lethal weapon. As we got to the gate of the stadium and all my dreams came true, a news anchor from one of the South African news stations stopped me and my friends to get interviewed. It was hilarious and the viewers will not be disappointed. But than again, who has ever been disappointed talking to four strangers in body glitter and capes. I never have. I never have…(whispered). Haha

Now, I am working at Baylor Clinic in Mbabane. This is my first week here and I am temporarily living in an apartment with a nice 60 year old couple from Vermont. We call them "the Fockers"...but they don't know that. They are part of Peace Corps, but here just for a year working with the Ministry of Education. I am happy to be here, but miss my host community down in the south a lot. I miss having kids around and not being expected to have my clothes match. I guess its like they always say, “You don’t know what you had until its gone…” ☺ I look forward to visiting them once a month. The roomies I will live with in 2 weeks will be nothing short of amazing. I couldn’t have been paired with anyone better, one does Nelson Mandela impersonations and the other is a Canadian…enough said. I look forward to hearing from you guys too. I miss you guys and would love to hear what you’ve been up to. Take care. Love, Jaclyn.

Ending My Service!

2010-04-30T03:23:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family! You are missed! I hope your lives are going well and you've been showered with blessings since I've talked to you all last! :) Lots of things are happening around here. The library project at the high school has begun and is doing well. We received all 1,000 books two weeks ago and have been going full throttle since. We’ve been labeling, building shelves, and making a dewey decimal code for the entire stock. By “we are making the dewey decimal code”, I guess I mean “I am making a dewey decimal code”- which is dangerous. They aren’t familiar with this process because this is the first library they have ever had, so I am leading us as if I know what I’m doing. :) Talk about the blind leading the blind. I am leading a library team of 3 high school teachers, the high school principal (FYI- he went to school at University of Iowa), and five student representatives (8th grade through senior year) on a journey to build the first ever school library! Let’s cross our fingers! Sometimes I find myself leading people and I feel sorry for them. Haha I can’t help but want to ask, “Should I really be leading this meeting? You are honestly thinking I am the most experienced?!? You can read, right? That may make you more qualified…” High fives to those people who have sat through my community meetings the past 2 years. People of patience, that’s for sure. :) We had a close of service conference last week. The whole group got together to discuss post peace corps plans and do paperwork. May not sound that fun, but it was. We had a talent show. Despite not wanting to get involved, I sang Sweet Caroline with my friends Jay and Hilary. Who can say no to Neil Diamond? Not this guy. My friend, Lacey is coming next month though to keep me from the lonliness of losing the volunteers around me. I just can’t believe its already been 2 years. Well, sometimes I can…like when my grandpa is taking a bath in the middle of the homestead. Then it seems like time is crawling (I wish I were kinding). Lacey will be here just in time for the annual music festival BUSHFIRE. Lacey will get to see some of the people I have shared this experience with and also they will meet the girl from all the stories I tell. I’m really excited for her to come and she will be here just in time to help me with my final event in my community. I am doing a career fair and HIV/AIDS testing day for about eight high schools in the area. I originally was going to do it for the high school I teach at to get them ready for jobs after school or learn who to talk to in order to begin trade skills (carpentry, metal work, bead work, show making, bee keeping, etc.), but now the Ministry of Education asked me to include seven more of their high schools. YIKES! Since I am a pushover, I now am planning an event for all eight high schools and out of school young adults (projected 800-900 people) in one day on May 28, 2010. I want each of the teens to get an opportunity to get tested. It is a little bit of a stressful time because in itself it is a big task and I’m trying to end things here in my community, but I am lucky that one of my best buds from home will be here during that event to watch me slowly go insane. It’s been a while, so let me brief you on Easter! I preached for Palm Sunday about outreach and how to help HIV positive members in the church. It ended up going well and I pray that God was able to use that experience to help get people thinking about ways they can help. That is the great thing about living overseas, somehow just because I can spell my name that means I am suddenly qualified to be a high school teacher, government worker, build houses, diagnose skin conditions and preach. It’s hilarious. I think it’s my availability that gets me into the strangest situations. This is my life…randomness follows me. You will all suffer through it once again when I return. Maybe one of the things you miss about me (wink). But I’m apologizing in advance. :) Over Easter I went to beautiful Lesotho. It’s also a small landlocked country within South Africa, so in my ignorance I thought it would be like Swaziland. Oh my goodness! It was beautiful. People wore those wool blankets everywhere made of the besotho sheep herds that are everywhere in the mountains. You would walk for large amounts of time and not see anyone, but a little boy shepherd wrapped in a blanket herding a giant flock of sheep with bells around their necks. It was so cool. We made our vacation plans to be horse back for three straight days climbing up the Lesotho mountains to see waterfalls and cave paintings. Our first night was an adventure. No transport was left to bring us the rest of the way because it was after dark when we arrived in country, so we were stuck in the capital. The taxi guy didn’t speak English and no matter how many times I tried to speak SiSwati/Zulu to the man, he did not understand. I eventually tried to use Spanish, German, Italian, and I even broke out Arabic phrases…or at least something that sounded Arabic. Still he did not understand. I was about 5 seconds away from trying to communicate in whale noises when a drunk police man came to help. After sitting in a dark bus rank for an hour, the drunk police man took us to the Maseru police station. His English was good (wish I could say the same about his breath) and he gave me his phone to call the only person I know in Lesotho to help, a friend who worked with me during a Baylor teen camp last December. As my friend came to meet us, two of us stayed in the waiting room of the police station to wait for my friend had a place for us to sleep. The other two girls walked to the grocery store to buy bread and peanut butter for supper. Of course they were escorted by another police man. Haha We ate our supper that night in Lesotho’s capital police station waiting room and shared our food with a man who was brought in for questioning. We eventually met my friend, S’bu. We hailed another taxi only to see it was the same drunk police man from before driving a taxi car he recently invested in. As we arrived at the address S’bu instructed the drunk police man/drunk taxi driver (a jack of all trades) to bring us to, the man decided it was now or never to profess his love to me and become surprised when I didn’t share the same feelings. Somehow our taxi fair was reduced because of this and I left the taxi still single, so something went right that night. S’bu arranged us to stay at his friend’s house of whom was also an American volunteer with a British NGO called Kick 4 Life. We had prepared for the worst; rats, no water, and sleeping on the floor, but we were pleasantly surprised when the guy had a really nice place, had MTV, and we all were able to shower! Day 1. Needless to say, the trip was great. Cold, but great. We each had a horse. My guide always followed with his horse behind me because often times my horse, Jabu, would stray from the others and begin galloping in another direction. I was the only one that the guide made carry a stick the entire trip to whip my horse. I couldn’t do it, so the guide took the liberty to whip me (the horse) from behind periodically to pick up speed. This would often times surprise me and me and Jabu would end up sprinting until the guide couldn’t catch up with his horse Then Jabu would go back to his old shenanigans and we’d wonder away from the group. I would simpley say things like, “Jabu, I don’t think this looks safe…” as we contined to take a tiny trail along a cliff of a waterfall or “I wouldn’t eat that Jabu…” as it stopped way behind the rest to eat some farmer’s field of sorghum. Either way, Jabu was loyal to me. He got me safely through the Lesotho mountains. He never fell even in the rain. The trip was great. Just brushing teeth and eating a pot of rice and jumping back on my faithful horse. It tough to part with him, so as we arrived back to base camp I jumped off, took his reigns off, and gave him one last slap on the rear. “Good ol’ Jabu!” I said as he neighed loudly. That son of a gun. As I arrived back at home after my trip to Lesotho, my three amigos (my little nine year old bros) told me about the neighbor girl who had been bit by a snake while I was gone. It was quite sad for our family. I had just played with her the week before and marked her height on my growth chart in my room. While I was gone they were at their favorite spot on the rocks trying to get a pipe out fro min between a cracks and later realized it wasn’t a pipe, but rather a black mamba (they are really rare in my area). The snake bit the little girl on the leg. The kids ran and told one person who was bedridden. They had to wait until someone else came home. They took her to the clinic down my road where she died. Please pray for this family as they get through this. The grandma leading the homestead takes care of all the grandkids left behind from her daughters and sons who have died due to HIV/AIDS. A few months prior her roof burned down. I brought them blankets and medications for the ones who are sick and bedridden, but even emotionally I wish I could support them but language can be an obstacle sometimes. Please keep them in your thoughts and also with the little kids she was with (mostly between ages of 4-6 years). I am winding down at site otherwise. I have a little over a month before I leave my host family. I am dreading that day. For now, I try to just hang out with them as much as possible and be with people in my community. I’ve been working in the fields lately to help harvest the maize and throw stocks at my friend (Thobile), with love of course. Here is a video of us sawing wood together. We wanted to make an informational video on how to saw wood, but she became shy and I had to do the play by play. This is Thobile (my BEST friend here in Swaziland) and me trying to saw wood for the stove.
The project is still continuing with the roofing project. I’d like to thank everyone again who contributed. I will try to put up a video to tell you about the progress. We are hopeful it will be finished by mid-summer, but I will keep you posted!

Propane on my Back and Joy in my Heart.

2010-03-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! How have you all been? It always feels like I have so much to tell you every time I blog. I guess its better than not having anything to say. That would be a warning sign I guess. :)

A few friends at World Vision called me last week to see if I would judge a debate competition. I’ve done this before and they tell me to bring along two or three other volunteers. Luckily two good friends of mine are fairly close by and we enjoy any excuse to meet up, so we judged the past competition. Last time it was four high schools in an old abandoned church. I figured the same thing would happen this time, so I didn’t think twice when preparing to hitch a ride to the small satellite World Vision office in my area. This time only one of my friends and fellow volunteer could help me. Her name is Justine. She got a lift that morning to the building and had the same carefree attitude I had. A few hours…and it should be over. Well, my friend at World Vision forgot to tell me that this was actually a bigger event than I thought. This time eight schools would be debating and it would take place in a large auditorium packed full of teenagers an hour away from the World Vision office. Justine and I were the honorary guests and sat at a table in front of everyone. Students packed the balcony and the floor had no sitting room. Of course I was wearing the ugliest bright-colored dress possible and huge rain boots with mud caked to the bottom. I walked into the room and walked through the quiet crowd looking up at me while I was dressed like a blindfolded fisherman. Of course we were late because they forgot to pick us up at the office, so we made quite the entrance as we entered the auditorium damp from the rain. My student, 1st Princess Ms. Culture (actually the winner of my pageant I held last year with my friend Alexis went to nationals and became Swaziland’s 1st Princess Ms. Culture) was a guest speaker sitting at the judge’s table with me to the left. Justine sat to my right and I got the “Paula” seat right smack in the middle. After judging the event all morning we were asked to tally up all the votes and find a best speaker in each category. They started asking us to do all sort of things and then said, “You have 5 minutes to do this.” People forget that just because we look different than most people around us, it doesn’t mean we have supernatural powers. Doing the best we could to add points on scraps of paper, we finished on time. Finally relaxed after all that work, a representative of the hosting school said, “Now if you could give out all the awards. Give critiques and….oh yeah, give a motivational speech.” Jigga what?!? Why make the children suffer by having to see what I am wearing again?! Justine and I split the task. I gave her my ideas what she should talk about for the motivational speech (She made it 3 minutes!) and I finished and gave out the awards. After I gave out awards, I somehow got stuck up there because no one came to take the microphone and gave me slips of paper and whispers of what I had to announce next. I involuntarily became the MC the remainder of the event for the 700 students, teachers, and World Vision Staff. What in the world happened? All I know is that Justine and I took too soft drinks as payment for holding the event together without any foresight of what we were getting into. Oh Africa...I’m not even mad. It was hilarious.

I’ve been working with my three senior classes. They are so much fun. I thought it would be really bad. Teens can sometimes get an attitude and when they know I am not that much older than them, they sometimes treat me that way. BUT my classes, although relaxed and call me friend and not teacher, still respect me a lot. Probably because form the beginning I told them I wasn’t being paid to be with them, so if they do anything that makes this difficult…I will leave and get to sleep in every morning on a guilt free conscience. They actually thought that was really funny and have been so much fun since. We finished our letters to MOC/FV High School seniors. They are SUPER excited to hear back from them. I was able to really use their letters to help them work on grammar and see what common mistakes are. They asked their own questions too like, “Do you know R. Kelly?“, a question burning inside of each of us. Also a popular one, “I hear you put adults in an old camp (aka nursing homes). Now we are waiting for Mrs. Wiese’s class to reply back, so we are reading plays like Ryan White (the famous HIV/AIDS story in US) and articles out of Newsweek and People. Although wanting to quiz them on Bradgelina or Jennifer Aniston's summer workout plans, I decided to use the articles dealing the more universal issues like the earthquake in Haiti, etc. I give them quizzes everyday (I'm that teacher), but later I let them ask questions about anything they want at the end of every class. I really like it and they seem to really enjoy it too. We are preparing ourselves for the library we are building in the high school and trying to put together students who want to make a club for the library.

I carried a propane tank 2 miles yesterday. Think about it...yep. Did you imagine me breathing heavy and primary school students following the white lady home with a tank up on her shoulder? Then you imagined it correctly. I've never sweat so much in my life. It was a humbling moment as I stopped every 2 seconds to readjust the propane. I kept imagining it blowing up when I carried it on my back and turning it into a rocket pack. Didn't happen though. I ended up looking like a sweaty piper leading the little mice (a trail of 12 first graders) out of the village down a grassy path to my home. This is just another day in my weird life. haha

Lastly, for those who have not heard, originally my plan was to return this summer. My two year contract is over! Can you believe its been that long already. Lord knows I’m super excited to get back and see you guys and my nieces and nephews and catch up on everything. I want to see Kim and Mike Poll’s baby, hear about Jantina’s new job, communicate with Kate in Mexico, get Lacey back to Sioux Falls, go to a Sieffstyle concert, see both of my sisters‘ new houses, and plenty of other things. The thing is though, I have an opportunity to work with the Baylor Pediatric HIV/AIDS Clinic here in Swaziland. They will give me an apartment in the capital and I will become the national Baylor Support Group Coordinator. It a brand new position and a much needed one. I will coordinating and developing HIV/AIDS support groups for kids and teens all over Swaziland for Baylor Clinic. They needed a full time placement and someone willing to stay until around October of 2011, BUT they are willing to work with me. I told them I want to go to school so they are going to let me do it as long as I can (January 2011). By then I will helped with starting a few different projects hopefully and have trained another volunteer into my spot fully so that they will take over when I am ready to leave. Next year the goal is to have a Swazi native SiSwati speaker holding the position. I wanted to help so bad, but I didn’t want to stay another year. I miss home. I miss you guys a lot! They have been flexible with me though and are letting me do it more on my terms so I can celebrate a late Christmas with the Schaap and Klienhesselink families!

I miss you all very much. Hope you are well and I think about all of you guys often.

2010-03-14T00:56:00.000-08:00

Drive In Movie Hut

2010-02-22T00:12:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Its been a while! I was busy with some things and I had my birthday. It was so fun. We hiked in the Malalotja moutntains. There were waterfalls and wildlife everywhere we walked. At one time a herd of Zebras came near us, so we chased them trying to see if we could ride them. They are so beautiful, but not stupid. They ran away and we were left in their dust and short of breath. We set up tents and roasted marshmellows over a fire we built. It was a great brithday and a lot of the volunteers ended up going in on the fun. Besides that, I thought I should catch you up on just a few things that have been happening in my community and in general. :) These are just a few highlights since I talked to you all last:

I got a package from the 2nd graders at South O’Brien School district. My niece and her classmates wrote me letters and made cards. They asked lots of questions about if "I’ve ever been pushed off a cliff or kidnapped..." I would have liked to not clear that rumor because it makes me look way cool, but I had to reply no in order to avoid putting a fear of traveling in any of those stinkers. It did, however, spark some ideas for a project. I decided to start working with the seniors in high school by teaching English class. I used to teach English, but I feel like it’s been so long that although I’m excited, I’m also a little nervous. I want to do a writing project though for the students to work on grammar and English writing skills. I’ve contacted some teachers from home, so I am going to partner with my past English teacher when I went to MOC/FV, Mrs. Weise, for a pen pal project! I will answer and correct grammar questions while my students get to ask all sorts of questions from high school students in the USA. They are so excited to get started. Me too. :) Funny how that works. Cross your fingers they listen to me. Haha Some seniors here are in their early 20’s and around my age. This may make it distracting during class, butthey need to listen because if you don’t pass English, you don’t graduate. A harsh reality for these kids when they don't get to practice it with people very often. I’m hoping to help out by giving the teachers some ideas and start listening comprehension this week to prepare them for their final exams this fall.

My host family aunt came to me and randlomly asked me what it means to be a “Cinderella”. I love these cultural exchanges. My counterpart asks me what Chris Brown is like and how often I get to see him. I asked her if she knew the story, but she didn’t so I find myself playing story teller. I couldn't help put crack up sometimes as my almost 30 year old aunt’s eyes widened when I told her what happened to Cinderella. She acted like I was talking about my friend and was getting really involved with the story. She kept asking me questions like, “…so then what did she say when the step sister did that?” It was wonderful. Soon I found myself speaking on behalf of Cinderella, “Well, what would you say to someone who ripped apart the dress you and your animal friends had been making all night?! She felt betrayed, Thobile. She cried.” Haha Sometimes I would laugh. Last week I found a volunteer with a copy of the movie Cinderella, so I brought it home and surprised my family. They really liked it. I love this family I live with and the things they teach me and what I get to teach them in return. I taught my sister about the Milky Way last night...what little I know about it the milky way. My grandma and little brothers loved the fact that pigs roll in the mud because they can’t sweat too. No one in America has ever been excited when I tried to talk about that? haha

I've opened up a movie theater in my room every other night. All the kids in the area (mostly from my homestead) come in after they've bathed and are ready for bed and sit on my grass mat while I start a movie on my laptop. They knock on my door in excitement once the sunsets after they race to see who gets the bucket to bathe first. I begin when the first 5 arrive. It’s so funny. One by one they knock (I’m teaching them to knock and use "please" and "thank you"). I ask, “Have you bathed? (check their feet) Did you brush your teeth? (they do a cheesey smile) Ok, you may enter.” I feel like a pre school bouncer. If they come in without knocking, I ask them to go outside and try again. Haha They really like the movie Dark Knight which I thought would be too scarey, but its a movie you don't need to hear the words so much to see who is good and who is bad. Sometimes I pop them popcorn which defeats the purpose of brushing their teeth, but they love it and are so cute I can’t help it. I’m a pushover. I gotta work on that before I have my own children. As for now, that's something I have to live with. :)

I wrote up a nomination for my counterpart in the community to get an award for his work with HIV/AIDS education. He volunteers everyday and is constantly working with the youth to teach them how to protect themselves and get involved with projects. Last week I received a package from Washington D.C. that had a framed certificate and thank you letter from the senior management of Peace Corps to my friend, Jabulani! I delivered it to him while he was sitting and talking to all his friends at the bus station near his home. He was so embarrassed yet so excited that every day since he sends me a text message to say thanks. He is such a good guy and works so hard volunteering his days without pay to reach the youth, so it was so great that he was chosen for the award. I'm glad his hard work was recognized.

My friend, Erin Freml, came to visit me! She is a Peace Corps Mozambique volunteer from Iowa. I met her before I came to Swaziland and so she decided to meet me in on her break to see my site. It was so fun to have someone from home around. We went hiking, washed laundry together at my river, she went to my meetings, and I took her on a game drive to look at the animals. To save on money, we brought a tent. Three other girls came too. We roasted hotdogs, but our curiosity got the best of us during our stay in the wild. This large elephant kept coming close to us and the tent all night. Although there was one electric wire around the plot of land we were staying on, the elephants liked to come close and eat from the trees around our tent spot. We grabbed our hotdogs in one hand and cameras in the other and snuck up close the large animal. It was eating and I wanted to get a photo of Erin eating next to it with her hotdog...naturally. A few times the elephant warned us it knew we were there, was getting annoyed, and flapped its ears. We tried to respect it and back away, but we somehow would magnetically get pulled closer to its huge mass. Finally the last picture I tried to take, the elephant through a fit. It through its trunk in the air, stomped its feet, and charged all of us. Erin and I broke off from the rest of the group while running away and hid behind an old shed. Although we felt bad for scaring it, we couldn’t help but laugh hysterically from our brief moment with death. All because we wanted a picture of us eating a hotdog in front of the elephant. Maybe it was not the smartest thing and in hindsight I feel bad for scaring the poor animal, but it was an experience I'll never forget and his vengeance was a success as each of us returned to the tent to find a clean pair of shorts.

Lastly, we have begun the roofing for the teacher's at the Primary School! I will take photos and keep all of you updated on what is happening! Thank you so much for those who helped and I will let you all know about the progress. Soon the teachers will have a place to sleep! The parents are all volunteering on Tuesday to learn how to do the cement work and lay more bricks.

I hope you are all doing well. I know you are keeping busy with everything at home so thanks for checking up on me. Also, Thanks to Helen and Owen Kleinwolterink for a really great package I just got a few weeks ago! Please let me know if anyone needs me to do anything for you while I'm here. Maybe you want me to bring you back a zebra or something. I look forward to hearing about life in the US and how the winter is treating you. Miss you all lots and lots. Talk to you soon. Be blessed, friends. :)

2010

2010-01-24T02:01:00.000-08:00

Updates! After the Hole In the Wall Camp that ended on Christmas Eve, three friends and I rented a car in South Africa and drove down the coast of the Indian Ocean. We went to Kosi Bay which we set up a tent along an empty vast white sand beach. 1K down the shore from where we swam were giant sea turtles. We spent all of Christmas day reading on the beach, swimming, and eating peanut butter sandwiches. Once the moon came out, we went to watch the sea turtles lay their eggs. It was so interesting. The turtles follow the moonlight back into the water. We had to keep our flash off so it wouldn't get confused and follow our flashes back to the tent. We were crowded the way it was. After that, we went to St. Lucia for a few nights and then ended up about 4-5 hrs. south of that in Durban. Durban has the largest mall in the southern hemishere (which I guess isn't that hard to beat...), restraunts, and a Sea World! We watched a dolphin show and went to Indian Markets. One night we went to Avitar. Avitar fans have made it to South Africa. I repeat...the craziness has made it south of the equator. It was nice to be in an atmosphere that felt a little like home. Especially during the holidays. Lastly, I got to go surfing! The Iowan taught the Cali girls how to surf. That is sad. Moreso because they probably are doing it very wrong. haha I like to invent my own ways to surf and teach them to people who don't know I am an amiture. Everytime I would wipe out it I would tell them it was because that is what real surfers are supposed to dohalf way through a wave.

Roofing project update: It is funded! Fully funded! Woo hoo! The school and I met last week and our holding a community/parents meeting on Thursday this week to plan and plot the best ways to get the materials from town to up in the mountains where I live. I am so thankful for all the prayers and help from my peeps at home! Thank you! You guys have made a difference. A huge difference! Not only through helping them get a roof on the building, but also build relationships between people in the US and Swazis. They don't understand how you could take the money you've worked so hard to get and share it with them, people you haven't met. You guys have taught them a lot about how to help one another and understanding what the "church" means. This is something I've been trying to teach them day after day, workshop after workshop, and you guys have helped be an example of that. The cool thing is your money is going directly to the materials. So in reality you didn't donate money, but what the people will see is that you donated timber, nails, iron, etc. Materials not money. That is cool.

Lastly, I will tell you about my friend, "T.I.", a kid I worked with at camp last month. When I picture T.I., I see a small kid (the size of a small 6 yr old, although he was 10 yrs old) with an oversized backwards hat on. His clothes were loose fitting the way he liked it and although soft spoken, he carried this confidence around with him everywhere. The girls loved it. Throughout camp he had this mean cough that would come out with no warning, but it didn‘t keep him from going right back into his illuminating Swagger that he always seemed to follow him. During the last night’s talent show, T.I. lip-synced and danced to “Whatever You Like” on stage with his friends. The young girls were screaming as if it was a concert. Two of my girls couldn’t stop gasping while looking at each other squeezing each other’s hands while watching him scoot around the stage. Young love does that. (Wink.) I don’t think the real T.I. could have had a better stage presence. The volunteers and I were laughing so hard. T.I. went home the next day after our crazy week at camp at the end of December. We were all expecting to see him at future support group meetings which are held monthly, but apparently the cough worsened and it got to the point where T.I. got really sick. His poor body couldn’t fight off the things attacking him with his weak immune system and last week Wednesday we found out T.I. had died. T.I. is the first kid from our camp that has passed away. The thing is, I can’t imagine what the other kids/campers think when they go to support group meetings and see someone missing and hear they had died. What is going through their mind? Does it scare them? I’ve been with adults and seen them get sick and even die living with AIDS while I‘ve been here. I’ve even seen babies on my homestead or at that clinic that also living with the virus, but seeing an child like T.I. and seeing his personality and how he just started to have crushes on girls…it looks differently. They tell jokes, have these crazy personalities, they’re going through puberty, they are at this awkward age and yet their bodies are slowly telling them they are sick. Its interesting that even living here for almost two years now, I still find myself surprised. I see how each life is so unique. These kids were at a camp to feel free and relax. To take their meds and not worry about who is watching them or where to hide the pill box after so the other kids on the homestead don‘t see and tell kids at school and stigmatize them. T.I. and those kids reminded me of the uniqueness in life and with each life and environment. There is no “normal” person nor a “normal“ life. We are really each very special people. Different circumstances and different opportunities. Unique means: different from others in a way that makes somebody or something special and worthy of note. I couldn’t describe my family and friends back at home any better. Nor could I better describe those kids who attended the camp. Including T.I., “different from others in a way that makes somebody or something special and worthy of note”. T.I and his life is worthy of note. May he rest in peace with his new body performing “Whatever You Like” with the people who have been waiting for him and love him. :) Thank you T.I. for reminding us to see the uniqueness in each life and to be thankful for the opportunities we do have.

Miss you. Talk to you soon, everyone!

Sivivane Camp 2009

2009-12-23T02:03:00.000-08:00

We finished camp! Woo Hoo! It was bitter sweet. Its nice to get a chance to sleep again, but sad to have to not be with the people anymore. Elizabeth Glacier Pediatric Foundation, Baylor Clinic, Paul Newman Foundation (Hole In the Wall), Young Heroes (NERCHA), and SNAP (Swaziland National Aids Program...plus US Peace Corps and much more were involved. The kids are now meeting in urban Swaziland for support group meetings. Soon Baylor Pediatric Clinic for HIV/AIDS hope to extended and decentralize the program into a community closer to me. I'm excited because maybe I can still work with kids in my community suffering with HIV and it would be closer to my village. The older teens for the 2nd week of camp were fun. Teenage life is just like I remembered...hours in front of the mirrors, talking about boys, and figuring out who you are. Some of these kids are head of the households though and also suffering with side effects from HIV treatments. I can't imagine what some of them are going through, but I am so thankful they shared their week with me. My favorite part was something very bitter sweet that I talked about earlier. Each day the girls would take their Anti Retro-viral meds. Before breakfast and before bed. Some also had to take ear drops, stomach pills, TB meds, etc. to fight off the other illnesses that were attacking their weak immune systems. I'm into my 2nd year here working daily with people who are positive, but I've never actually saw every aspect. I always return to my hut after working with my support groups in my community and don't actually see the details of living an HIV+ life. At camp, I was with them 24/7. I took them to the toilet when they would get sick. I saw the side effects and results of the virus every day and I stood with them as they took their meds. We would cheer for them once they finished administering all the medications. I can't begin to tell you what it was like to cheer for them. Me and two other women who worked with the girls in my group would clap and chant our team name as they swallowed. It was awesome because the girls would smile, but painful because I thought how everyday when they wake up and when they go to bed they are reminded that they are HIV+ by taking these meds. Some weren't even given a choice. Their parents gave it to them. Others made a mistake once or had no options in their mind because maybe they needed money and offering their bodies to older adults was the answer to get food or security. No matter what though, we dedicated ourselves to letting them be kids for a week. We gave them awards, through them up on on shoulders, taught them games, and let them feel safe and free. They didn't have to hide the fact they were HIV+ because kids from school weren't there or their brothers and sisters. It was an amazing experience watching them get excited and happy. We taught them actions to an R. Kelly song "World's Greatest" and they did actions. Some who were 16 looked like they were 9 because HIV slowed their growth. They had the smartest wittiest things to say, yet it came fro a body that didn't give them credit for their age. At the end of camp, the kids wrote journals. While reading them some said things like, "I was scared to talk before because I'm sick, but camp made me feel safe. I want to talk now." When I read some of the things and pictured the kids who I knew that said that...my heart dropped into my stomach. They really loved camp. The people from Hole In the Wall/Baylor CLinic are amazing. You should look it up online. I feel so blessed to be in Swaziland working with these kids and I really pray that God can use me to help in any way.

I hope you are all well. Please let me know how you are doing! Be blessed this Christmas season! Love you guys!

Hole In the Wall Camp

2009-12-18T05:46:00.000-08:00

Time has been flying this month and I'm enjoying every minute! The beginning of this month I moved to Mbabane basically to get this HIV+ youth camp started. We stayed up late nights getting prepared as well as waking up early to arrange everything needed before the caregivers/camp counselors arrived for training. Me and my friend/fellow volunteer (Lisa) worked closely with two people from Hole in the Wall (Paul Newman's organization for children living with terminal illnesses). They are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Robin is sweet and gets things done. She is always smiling and has a gentle spirit about her. She is great on the leadership team. Padraig on the other hand is my long lost brother. We have a lot of similarities, BUT he manages to do everything with 20x more energy, smiles, and he has this personality that makes you want to be his friend. We feed off each others randomness and I'm learning a lot from him. He is this Irish guy with crazy brown hair that he pulls back with a headband and somewhat resembles Jack Black. That alone makes you want to be his friend. His energy never fails and kids are magnetically pulled to him. I'm been so blessed to be working with him and Robin and the Hole in the Wall foundation because they really do the work they set out to do and are amazing people. They have the sweetest job, making kids happy and finding games, cheers, chants, awards to boost their self esteems and hope for life. They help the kids not just cope with being HIV+, but learn to not be limited by it. Its so cool and they make these camps all over the world in some of the poorest and sadest conditions. I hope to be as cool as them one day. :)

I finished my first group of campers yesterday. We had training until Sunday and the campers arrived monday morning. The counselor training was awesome. We did it at a farm with 23 of us (6 other Peace Corps Volunteers we invited to participate and all the rest we Swazi professionals working as teachers or for different Non-Governemnt Organizations). I made a lot of new Swazi friends working in the capital and for Baylor Clinic. My goal was to help those Swazi friends empower their own Swazi children. I really didn't want to have it be about me playing with the kids while the Swazis watched. I really wanted to empower the Swazi counselors to empower their own children. It turns out I didn't even need to. I was given 11 girls in my group who range from 10-13 years old from all parts of Swaziland who go to Baylor Clinic in the capital to refill their ARV meds for HIV. I had two other Swazi women who helped my group. I was so nervous how much I would be able to interact with them with language barriers, but it ended up not being a problem at all. The Swazi women didn't even have to translate for me. I spoke SiSwati when I could, but the kids were so smart they could sometimes speak better English than me. We had so much fun playing and singing. Although I spent about 50% of the camp time in the bathroom. Girls are girls. Swazi, Mexican, British...they all go to the bathroom by the dozen and since they needed to be with an adult all the time...that meant me, "Auntie Sihle", had to go with too. :) I love the two ladies I am grouped with. One girl is really sporty and good at basketball. She always gets involved with the girls. The other one is more "Swazi Style" and singing traditional songs with them and teaches them traditional dances. I am so thankful the kids seemed to like me and trust me. The first night they were scared to sleep alone in the dorms, so it was a late night and eary morning. I woke up to four girls in their pjs asking if it was time to get up yet. 5 am and still have asleep, I forced myslef up and showed them how to use the showers. For many of them, they don't have running water let alone a shower or bath tub. They were so excited. I played crazy 8's with them 24/7 and sang/dance to "Single Ladies" more than what should be allowed. Some were little divas, but I didn't even care. I just joined in.

I am exhausted and our next group will be here tomorrow. They will be full of energy and hormones. A dangerous combo! I have 9 in my new group. They are all 15 years old. I remember that age, so this will be interesting. I'm definately learning a lot. Who knows what stage they are at or their home lives. A lot of them just started their ARV meds (it protects their white blood cells from the virus) so the rumor is they maybe tired. Its so interesting to think of kids in America in the camps I've worked at and the ones here. Every cultures' children are related so much, but their are definately circumstances and differences you see. Its been so fun, but I've seen so much too. The girls take their ARVs together before bed and at night. They were shy at first because at home often times some hide their medication so people won't find out they are HIV+. This new group will be different too from this past one. Most of the past group have HIV+ from their parents. They were born with it. This new group is older, so some of them may have gotten it from having being sexually active. Its going to be a whole new camp. All I know is that its been an amazing experience and these girls have been so generous letting me see what their lives are like living with HIV. The medications, side effects (diarreah, headaches and/or vomiting), and they've shared this experience with me. I pray that this next week we continue to give these kids a safe place to be with other girls that are dealing with the same issues and that we can show them love and support and give them hope. No one is certain how long they have on earth and these kids are have taught me so much more about myself and about life than I could ever teach them. It's so cool. And so humbling.

We finish the 22nd of Decemeber and then I will road trip down the coast. Me and three friends are taking a tent and spending Christmas together under the stars. We will eat sandwiches with a side of malaria pills and soak ourselves in bug spray and sunblock. Once I get back it is party time for the school in my village. We hopefully will have enough donations by then to start helping the school fix their issue on teacher's housing shortage. If you want to be a part of it, their is still time. I would love to work on something like this with all of you at home. Something we could leave here or know that we have directly helped people in Swaziland fulfill a need and empower them by teaching them building skills too. Check out the Peace Corps website under my name to read more about it. Love you guys lots. I miss you so much and hope you have a wonderful holiday season. I think of you guys often.

David Copperfield attends Thanksgiving with US Ambassador

2009-11-28T01:52:00.000-08:00

I’m trying to pick up new skills while I am in Swaziland. I'm going to ask my host family brother how to plow with the oxen this week (Ivery Oregon Trail. I can carry a baby on my back with a towel and no hands. And now I can knit while I do all of those things at the same time. The scarf is electric blue. I will wear my scarf even in the dead of summer to show the people in my community. They think its amazing that I can take a bath without help, so knitting a scarf I‘d probably get a standing ovation.

I gave my friend (Jen) my rain jacket that I haven’t worn for months when she came to help me judge a debate competition for my school put on by World Vision. We saw a rash developing on Jen’s stomach as we walked back. We were worried (mostly me because I shared my bed with her the night before) that she had scabies or lice. Later as we sat at the shop, we saw that there was a cocoon inside my jacket she was wearing. Apparently the caterpillar hairs were rubbed off of the worm and were sticking into Jen’s skin! It made her stomach get a rash. It was terrible! I felt so bad! Later we found out from the Baylor doctors that those caterpillars carry neurotoxins and she was lucky with just a rash. I search my clothes now before putting them on. I’m glad she found it now instead of waiting. I would have looked like David Copperfield having butterflies fly out of my arm sleeves.

We played softball last week. Peace Corps vs. United States Embassy. Rumor had it we were playing against an ex-marine. Is that supposed to scare me? I bench press ex-marines…for breakfast. I played outfield. There was one play in particular that could have potentially stopped time. The ball was hit out towards me. Popfly. This was my ticket to acceptance. The ump yelled, "foul ball", but I continued with my arms stretched out before me ready to dive. I think it was a change of wind because the ball (as the US Ambassador watched) flipped a different direction at the last second. The ball bashed my nose in. It was a foul ball. People congratulated me on my hustle, but it was a crappy consolation prize to what could have been. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if the US Ambassador saw me catch that ball. A secretarial position at the Oval Office? Director of International Affairs? I’ll never know what “could have been.” It just wasn’t my time I guess. I’ll get my big break soon. He must have been impressed somehow though or felt sorry for us because he invited us for Thanksgiving. It was fun. He has a pool and offered it to us. Unfortunately I gave Carmen Electra my swimming suit for the weekend and she hasn’t brought it back yet so no pool time for me. We played football though and ate. And ate again. Probably the best Thanksgiving meal I’ve ever had (no offense, mom). My stomach hurt, but I was happy. The Ambassador read an Obama speech to us before eating and we wiped our mouth with the US government emblem on our napkins. It ended up being a great Thanksgiving. US Ambassador (the only one in a tie), US Peace Corps, and US Embassy

I was taken from my site last Saturday. Apparently my hut can flood. The roads were muddy and flooded, so I had no transport and couldn’t walk anywhere because the rain had been down pouring for four days straight. My room quickly became a swimming pool and smells like a gym sock, but the last day of the week the sun came out. My friends, two kids below the age of 7, helped me clean up. Peace Corps heard that I was living in a life jacket, so they came to collect me and evacuate me from the flood.
Me and my friend (Bamaza)

My language teacher, Mrs. Gogosha, had a stroke earlier this month. She was my good friend. She was a lady in her late 70’s and had great English. She was actually supposed to be teaching me SiSwati, but we never got that far. When we would meet, it would turn into an English fest. She would tell me about her husband, her job, family issues, whatever….but it was nice to have her living close. She furnished half of my hut with her stuff. After her stroke on that Friday, her health went down fast. After arriving at the hospital she only lasted a few more days and Monday morning Mrs. Gogosha died. It was sad for my community. She was a very involved strong woman God. She will be missed, but I’m thankful I was able to be apart of her life when I had the chance. me (Sihle Sibandze) and Gogo Gogosha

I’m getting ready for a camp for the month of December. Basically I’m just going to hang out with them and hopefully teach them some dance moves. Its for teenagers who are HIV+ and we are showing them how to live after being infected. I think I’m going to learn a lot. The Paul Newman Foundation and Baylor Clinic are funding it and putting us in a workshop before it starts. I’m going to learn a lot from these kids. I’m excited to hang out with them. Lastly, the Teacher’s Housing Project in my community is going well. People at home have showed interest. If any of you would like to particiapte just a little. My sisters (Angi Kleinwolterink and Mikki Bobzein) as well as my mom (Judy Schaap) are thinking of ideas. It would be cool to work on this project with my friends and family at home. I’ve already began to make a DVD of the teachers and students who you would be effecting. I want to send one to you guys to show you what it looks like now, pictures and videos of the process, and then show you the roof and building when its completed so you can actually see where your money went. If your interested, please let my sisters, mom or dad know. All the money is going towards the roofing materials and transporting them to the village I am living in. Thanks guys!

The Kingdom of Swaziland government assigned a few more teachers to this school after seeing the need of increased enrollment due to asking the increase of the OVC population in my area (orphans and vulnerable children). Although the government will pay the minimal wages for these teachers, its up to those teachers to figure out a place to sleep when they are far from their families. Before there were 18 full time and part time teachers, now there are 21. This is better, but still leaves a problem on how to keep these teachers around. The roofing project would give them another place to sleep during the week to ensure the students have teachers available the entire school day. This clip is Babe Mamba (Pastor Jerome Mamba), the headmaster of the primary school, greeting you and giving you an idea of who he is and what you're investing in.

2009-11-27T01:27:00.000-08:00

Teaching at my HIV outreach workshop with 65 pastors in Southern Swaziland.

GoGo Gogosha (my friend/SiSwati teacher) and me.

Peace Corps vs. United States Embassy with the US Ambassador.

Velebantfu Primary School Teachers

2009-11-10T04:17:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! It’s your old friend Jaci down south of the equator. I've been here a year under the HIV/AIDS health educator sector. Even after all that time, I still feel like I’m figuring out what that job title means! What I do know though, is that it’s opened up a lot of doors to do really cool things in my community. I will be coming home in less than a year now. It’s unbelievable and yet I feel like there is still a lot of work to be done. It’s been great and I’ve learned a lot about the people and circumstances of the area I’m living in. Since you guys know me and are my friends and family at home, I want to share my new life with you the concerns of the Velebantfu community and the challenges we are sharing right now.

Quickly, Swaziland is a small, landlocked country inside of South Africa and also partially bordered by Mozambique. With an estimated 40% unemployment rate, Swaziland is struggling to provide a steady income for the families living within the country. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. More than one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2006-07 because of drought, and nearly two-fifths of the adult population has been infected by HIV/AIDS. Swaziland is leading the world is HIV/AIDS prevalence.

39.4% of the total population is 14 years old and under. That means a lot of the work is in the primary schools all over Swaziland. Affects of poverty begin at an early age here. The life expectancy of the total population is 31.88 years old. Meaning a little less than half of their life was spent in school. This is a sad reality, but good to acknowledge when trying to be affective. Teachers sometimes need to fulfill the needs of children who don’t have parents or adequate caregivers.

The headmaster at my local primary school, Mr. Mamba, is one of the pastors I taught at a two day HIV/AIDS Outreach Workshop I just hosted in September. We’ve talked and expressed our concerns within the community and school children and have had many great conversations. His primary school has established an EFA program (Education for All) to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in the area are coming to school without the stresses of finding money for school fees. The government is helping pay for these children. This particular group of children makes up almost half of the schools attendees at my local school. Although minimal school fees are paid by the government for these students, the school depends on the parents, teachers, and community members to provide for their school uniforms, food, hygiene products and other special needs they come with like reading glasses and school materials. It’s not uncommon to find Mr. Mamba and the teachers using their own paycheck to purchase these things for their students after watching their conditions each day. Mr. Mamba has tried his best to cater to the growing needs of the children and teachers under him. They’ve built one teacher’s house to help a few of the teachers financially, constructed a kitchen to provide a meal for the kids (food provided by the World Food Program), and are borrowing an empty church to serve as an extra classroom for the time being. This was all implemented and built by community members, teachers, and parents. With growing attendance of the OVC population, more teachers are needed. The community began to build a four bedroom teacher’s home before the kitchen and classroom projects were presented. Due to the rapidly growing number of primary students, the teacher’s home was put on hold until they could satisfy the other needs of the school first. The teachers now commute back and forth to school every day from all over the area on a very meager salary. Thankfully the kitchen and classroom was completed. Sadly though, the community’s funds have now been exhausted on those projects. The teacher’s home is left incomplete. In order to finish they will need materials for a roof, windows and door frames. As you may know that this is some of the most expensive parts of the structure and since the location is not near a city, these materials are going to be transported into the mountain area where I live. This has been taken into the consideration and we have tried to make the cheapest routes we could without endangering the quality of the structure. The total amount includes all the materials and the transport to get it into southern Swaziland.

I’m really excited because I can see the potential this roofing project could do if funded. I know the people you would be investing in and I would be here for the entire construction period. I also would help them build unless that scares you…I can just watch. :) I can keep you updated on the process and give you pictures of where the money is going if interested. The community members will be doing all the constructing, using their own tools, and also adding what materials they have left.

Once they heard that I was going to try help them and they began clapping their hands with happiness! Up until now, the community and teaching staff have struggled to get what they have with limited outside help. They are excited to think there are people who may care about this project as much as they do. I know they would appreciate any help with this project we’ve developed. With a little less than 70% under the poverty line, you can see where the stress is for the community when trying to make improvements. Its amazing the work they’ve done to the school while their own families are fighting to get by. On the Peace Corps website www.peacecorps.gov/contribute you can find my project. The project number is 645-075. I know it is around Christmas time and it’s a difficult time to find extra cash, but even if you have an idea of how we could fundraise or who may want to partner in this project, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much! This project will benefit a lot of Swazis. I'm excited to think how much hope we could install in the people here or the great ways we can invest in this project that could will affect hundreds of students, community members, and teachers here in the Velebantfu area.

The King of Pop

2009-10-24T01:43:00.000-07:00

I did it! I ran it! My first half marathon is over! Woo hoo! I was fast enough to get a medal (part of the registration fee if you finish before a certain time haha) and slow enough that I was trailing an 80 year old man with terrific legs the whole time. It was so great. We ran up the hills towards Table Mountain at the end which almost killed me, but once we climbed to the top we had an amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay we overlooked as we came down to the finish line was full of humpback whales and so my friend and I silently ran watching them float in the water. So cool! The next day we brought our two other friends who weren't running that joined us in Cape Town to the same spot to show them the whales. We saw one and photographed him in the same position for about 25 minutes only to find that it was indeed not a whale...but a boulder. Which explains a lot actually. "I never claimed to be a Marine Biologist." I said to my defense after the laughter died and we realized we had wasted precious vacation time. "So...sue me." (Michael from the Office)

We went to vineyards and wine tasted 5 glasses each. I always wanted to be a wine drinker to feel sophisticated and like a woman, but it was difficult to choke down. I guess my calling in life has never been to be an alcoholic. Such a shame when I had all that wine to my disposal. We still toured the farm and walked through the vineyards. None of us knew anything about wine, so we tried to play cool at first and finally swallowed our pride and asked someone to explain. I felt like a fake. Everyone at this fancy wine tasting room seemed to know the best wines and could taste the different ingredients in each wine glass. I thought they all tasted the same...like someone rubbed deodorant all over my tongue and made me ate a tangy grape. My taste buds are not classy. I desperately wanted a Fanta.

It was great to have a car. We rented one and went EVERYWHERE! We drove up and down the coast, past the waterfront, and through the mountains. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. A lot of people speak Afrikaans there (a variation of Dutch) and they look like people from Orange City, Iowa. They would come up to me in the group I was with to speak Afrikaans/Dutch. It was so strange. I didn't know my Dutch ancestry was so obvious in the way I look. I just thought I looked...white. Haha Dutch, German, Norwegian, South Africa, British...they all look the same to me sadly. I guess to these people though, I look Dutch. The Schaap/Kleinhesselink elders would have been proud.

I am currently getting ready for a camp with Baylor University and the Paul Newman Foundation called Hole in the Wall. Peace Corps was asked to be involved with this year's camp. My friend Lisa (who was one of the volunteers who went to Cape Town with me) is also on the planning board. We've been working hard trying to find donors for food, underwear, and crafts for the kids. 100 kids are attending during the Christmas break. All of them are HIV+ and are taking their Anti-retroviral medication. We want to do a camp where they can be with kids like them so that they don't have to be scared of people knowing they are sick, but have the activities and lessons based on life skills and things for the future. Also we will play lots of games and sports. I want to throw a concert together for them too. I was thinking this cool new up and coming Christian rapper called Sieffstyle would be great, but his European Tour may not be over yet... I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Other than that, life is going well. I've been working in the garden and becoming a true Swazi wife. I tie my aunt’s baby on my back when I walk down to the river and race my little brothers down the red dirt road bare foot. It makes me feel good to beat a small child at games I just taught them. My 13 year old brother, Samkeliso, is doing really well. He stopped seizuring and is back to chopping firewood and chasing cows. As much as I have a special place for the girls on my homestead since I myself have only had sisters my whole life, I have really invested in the boys on my homestead. It’s been really great. My teenage brothers talk to me about girlfriends and high school stuff. My older brothers talk to me about work and life's struggles. My little brothers watch soccer with me on T.V. at night and we play Go Fish and build stilts. Either I was supposed to have a brother...or I am secretly a man. Haha I hope it’s the first...but the second may explain some things. Just kidding. I'm thankful my family feels comfortable with me now and they see me as their big or little sister. A lot of learning opportunities have evolved from these relationships and I think God is using them in a bigger plan than I realize.

Miss you all. Braden Bradfield, props to you for the Michael Jackson t-shirt. A single tear trinkled down as the King of Pop himself was lifted from the care package. I've enjoyed all the letters from you guys over the past year. As Michael would say, "You Rock My World". One might say that it’s been quite a "Thriller" to have each of you in my life. I'm sorry. Haha I know, I gotta stop. It’s hard though because my motto has always been, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough." I can't help it with the cheesy jokes to express my admiration towards you guys at home. It’s just the "Way You Make Me Feel."

Fresh Fish

2009-10-07T02:39:00.000-07:00

Its been such a crazy month! I've been so busy. Which is a term never used by Peace Corps Volunteers. I don't know how it happened, but everyone wants a piece of "The Jackster" all at once. haha I've been working on a lot of projects in my community with different groups of people, so I've been making friends. They haven't replaced you guys at home, but they are a good addition to my social life. Or lack of one. I'll take any friend I can get. I'm suprised actually I am making Swazi friends with the way I've been dressing lately. Yesterday I came to the city dressed in a bold colorful striped robe, skinny brown jeans (haven't been shrunk t fit my body in a dryer for a year, so they looked like hammer pants, and some black muddy chuck taylors. My hair was in braids...it was sad. I left my hut to get to the bus without even second guessing my wardrobe. That is sad. It looked like Bob Marley and Willy Wonka had a baby and that baby was now walking the streets of Northern Swaziland.

I'm going to Cape Town, South Africa this weekend. It supposed to be like the "New York City of Africa". I'm so excited. I'll be running...no, sorry, I'll be limping through the finishing line of a 1/2 marathon on Sunday morning along the ocean coastline. Pray for a miracle that I don't go into cardiac arrest. The rest of the trip we've planned to just enjoy the coast, go to vineyards, look at penguins, and enjoy indoor plumbing. I can't wait.

The United States Peace Corps Swearing In Ceremony happens once a year with the new volunteers. The “fresh fish” as Jantina would call them. Last year, mine was hosted at the house of the US Ambassador, Maurice Parker. This year it was at a Swanky Hotel in the capital. We were expecting budget cuts with the food since the US economy is strained, but the US government had mercy on us. They probably realized it’s the first time a lot of us have worn make up, worn a tie and suit jacket, and showered all in the same day within the past year. We ate lobster and shrimp. I was satisfied just looking at it. As we waited for the director of NERCHA and some other VIP guests to begin the ceremony, people quietly sat in the big white tent and made aquantances with some of the esteemed guests. Me, on the other hand, decided to go with my friends Connor and Jason to take “senior pictures” by the pool to kill some time before it started. As I open the Swaziland Times last week, I didn’t not see one familiar photo…but three familiar photos of me laying next to the pool and holding my friend Connor in my arms like he was “Bernie” from the infamous movie “Weekend at Bernies”. The Peace Corps Office didn’t reprimand me for it either after seeing it in the paper the following week. They actually ended up encouraging it as they laminated the paper and hung it at the main Peace Corps Office in Mbabane. The embarrassing part is, this is not the first time. Last year at the same annual event I was caught by the press and also printed in the Swaziland Times horrific photos of me leaping through the air in traditional attire (wrapped like a toga), barefoot, pretending to “spear” my friend mid-air in the Ambassadors backyard. It was titlted, “Volunteers at Play.” I’m serving our country well.

I held a workshop a few weeks ago. I found funding to teach support group living with HIV/AIDS in my area how to make shoes. A percentage of the money they will keep for themselves as an income generating project, but a portion of each profit made by the pairs of shoes sold are going towards buying seedlings for gardens we are starting. The gardens are for the orphans and vulnerable children in the area, so they have a garenteed food supply and also promotes healthy eating for the ones who are taking medication for TB and HIV/AIDS. The workshop went well and we have already sold many pairs of shoes to local members in my village.

Lastly, my host family brother was very sick last weekend. He had a bad fever and was going into convulsions every couple of hours. It was scary because my family associated it to demons, which sadly so many illnesses here are (HIV/AIDS) or to being”witched” by someone. For days I watched my brother get sicker and sicker and I tried helping him with my med kit and doing what I could, but he needed a doctor. Finally, after an emotional weekend, I had a meeting with the elders to get permission to take him to a doctor and I would pay for the hospital bill and hire a car to get him to the hospital. Reluctantly they let me Sunday night. He had seizures in the back of the pick up as we drove carefully but quickly to the hospital. My missionary friends from South Africa live down the mountain and they offered their pick up. He stayed for tests at the hospital for 4 days. He’s 13 years old and this was his first time there. The beds next to him were filled with patients suffering with TB and drugged up on morphine. Poor kid. I sat with him everyday because he doesn’t have immediate family. He is an orphan that lives on my homestead. Me and the kids I live with would make cards for him and I would take them everyday when I went to sit at the hospital so he had something to read. I think although it was a terrible and scary thing he went through, I pray God showed him that there are people who care about him even if he feels alone. He’s been discharged and comes to my room every morning to get his medication. He almost has all his strength back and now we’re even closer than before. He’s a little bit more protective of me with the other kids. Its funny and so cute.

I miss getting letters, so if you ever get time please send one. My family used to send letters bulks at a time, but now phone cards ruined that idea. Haha Who am I kidding, I enjoy an communication from you guys at home so if its not by letter, I do accept phone calls, email, Facebook messages, smoke signals…I just miss being able to talk to you at my disposal. Take Care! Love you guys.

The Gold Toothed Thief

2009-09-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone ! Its September now which means I’ve made it 14 months away from home. Can you believe it? At times it went sloooow, but then some months went so fast that I barely remember what happened.

(If you are Connor’s mom and reading this, he hasn’t bathed in a week. He’s really let himself go and we’re all concerned. He ate fried chicken and pancakes this morning if that tells you anything. )

This weekend I attended the Umhlanga Ceremony. I was able to see the King and his family. He picks his wives at this ceremony and announces it at her family’s surprise. I tried to be lucky #14 this year, but didn’t get the chance to introduce myself to him. Plus, his animal skin skirt can be intimidating. The ceremony was so fun and rich with culture and tradition. Over 80,000 girls danced in their traditional clothes and I got a lot of good pictures. The princesses were there and the new Miss Swaziland. My friends and I were shoved by a security lady while trying to get a picture…it was awesome. I got a good pic. I think they thought I was with the press so they let me stay down there with the news reporters. That was the great part of this week…

Bad news also occurred this weekend. I took a khombi (a white Scooby Doo looking public transport van commonly used by Swazis and with an array of names on the windshield like “the cutter” and “the solution”) back to the city to sleep that night. We entered the bus rank at night singing to the Beyonce remixes that the khombi driver was playing and we got out in the empty gravel parking lot. I could barely see since it was night and the stars gave us the only light while removing our things from the van. As I looked for my purse in the midst of the pile of stuff we had in the middle of the abandoned parking lot, I noticed it was missing. The khombi was turning around and preparing to leave, so as it began to accelerate I ran after it in a dress and flip flop. Sadly, I ate dust and the red glow of my face from the brake lights were not enough for them to see me behind them. I chased them down a hill and into the night while a group of Swazi teenagers laughed at my misfortune while I inhaled the exhaust of the van of which was taking my identity 30 miles north. Without a car to follow them, any idea what the driver looked like, a registration number, or even the name of the conductor, I walked with my friends with my head held low to our friends’ apartment. I called Peace Corps security, but they didn’t offer money and to get home. I was so mad that I didn’t double check the van before getting out. The contents of my purse included: E800 ($90), Peace Corps badge to get in to PC Headquarters, credit cards (Swazi and American), pin numbers of both (…I have reasoning for it), and finally…my passport. As far as that moment was concerned, I didn’t exist. I was Bourne Identity. I was Jason Bourne.
The next morning my friend came with me to the bus rank to see if we could remember anything about the conductor or driver or what the khombi even looked like to see if by any miracle (more than a hundred buses and khombis are in the bus rank) we could find them. We asked everyone who could speak English if they knew of a khombi that drove through around 7pm the night before and had a conductor with a gold tooth. They would look at me and say, “…Sisi, everyone has a gold tooth here.” I realized how ridiculous I probably sounded asking for a guy with a gold tooth all morning. I looked around and made eye contact with an old man who winked at me with a smug grin. A big enough grin to see his gold tooth glisten. The man was right. There was no hope. My eyes began to water as I stood in the middle of a busy bus rank, people yelling and carrying chickens, and enough gold teeth to satisfy King Tut in the southern edges of South Africa. I felt helpless. Just as began to give up a lady came and said, “Are you a Peace Corps Volunteer?” Confused I answered, “Yes?” My friend and I looked at each other wondering what was going on. She said, “I found some things last night here by the South African khombis.” I jumped for joy, but I was scared for what she found. She said, “I have two plastic cards and a passport.” I knew it. It would be too much to ask for everything. I’m know private eye detective, but I’ve concluded that they drove back later threw my cards and passport out the window into the parking lot and kept the cash and purse to go through KFC or something. Well, went through KFC a lot of times. Well, probably will be able to go through KFC for the rest of the month. It’s so sad, but I learned my lesson. I’m just thankful I was able to get the cards back and my passport and PC Government badge to get back into the headquarters. It was a bizarre weekend and I was ready to go home by the time Sunday rolled in.
I
I have a month left of training for a half marathon. Some of you may not believe it and at times I’m with you on that, but I am registering this week and buying the plane ticket to run in Cape Town, South Africa so whether or not I believe it or not…its going to happen. I’ve barely ran more than 6k my whole life…altogether…and I’m expected to run 21.5k in a month. I’m nervous, but so excited. I’m going with my two Texan friends, Hong and Lisa. We are going to try see a lot of stuff like Robin Island (Nelson Mandela’s prison), the penguins, vineyards and wine tasting, and go to the beach where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic intersect. It gives me motivation to run because I know if I go there to run I will get to do a lot more than that. 

I’m staying busy this month. I am helping the support groups in my area start an income generating project. We are doing shoe making skills with HIV+ members to earn money and start businesses. It’s this coming Monday and really hope it’s a success. I got funding from the US government to pay for the transport, food, and a teacher. The interested members (around 35 people, 2 from each surrounding support group) are going to buy their own materials and learn with them so that they can use it to teach the others in their support groups and sell it for profit. The can then use the money earned to buy more materials and will have a little left over for saving. It should be fun and a good way to meet more members of my community I’m living in.

Lastly, I’m preparing for a very large workshop at the end of this month. It’s to teach outreach to pastors (80 people) for two days to people who are HIV+. Mostly how to outreach to people in general whether physically (offering support groups), emotionally (through counseling), or spiritually (prayer meetings). I’m excited but I have a lot of work to do to prepare. They are sleeping over too so a lot of food and accommodation preparation need to take place still. Funding is still in the works and meanwhile I’m trying to get ready for my half marathon and make reservations in Cape Town. Miss you guys! I would love to talk with you if you ever have time to write or call. I will need someone to talk to this month to keep me sane.  Enjoy the new school year!

Jabu Bags

2009-08-04T02:15:00.000-07:00

I gave a HIV/AIDS lesson two weeks ago at a missionary church for the congregation. My friend back in the States preached for his first time the same day and we were both referring to similar scripture. We didn't know it until we talked later, but it was cool how that worked out. It was fun and good for me to get in front of a group. Now other churches have shown interest on having me speak in their churches too. Currently we (me and Pastor Buthelezi) are trying to put a worshop together for all the pastors to learn ways to help support HIV+ people within their churches at the of September. This might be easier than going to each one. I'm focusing on the churches a lot lately because over 90% of Swazis claim Christianity as their religion and so what a great outlet to use when trying to talk about HIV protection in a large capacity. It's fun, but a lot of work. Sometimes they seem to know more about life and HIV than I do. Its always really humbling and they always have lots of questions, but I pray God is intervening in those lessons. All the volunteers agree that this whole 2 year experience really teaches you how much you know, but mostly how much you don't. :)

I've been staying busy with the Bible college in my area. Their enrollment is down and so we are trying to make the school more competitive since it is in the rural area. We are trying to get internet at the school and with that I agreed to help them develop a website. Little do they know, the computer class I took at the university was the worst grade I've ever recieved! haha Sad, but so true. Ask Professor Yarbrough. I beleive the website assignment I recieved in that class was to talk about "our families". We boasted on our sites how Tina's grandma was in the 1964 summer Olympics while my grandpa "papi" raced in the Alaskan Iditorads, but our celebrity status ancestors we fabricated did not help my grade any. Who knew I'd dust off those computer skills now (or lack there of) and put them to work again. But mostly, who would have thought I would be the most qualified to make a website?

Lately, I've been able to help with Doctors Without Borders a little. They come to the clinic in my village twice a week to test and counsel HIV+ patients. The doors are lined with people waiting for their CD4 count and needing ARVs. Sometimes I come and help count pills, talk to the Zimbawean pharmacists, and talk to my friends that work there. Its cool because you hear a lot of stories and meet different people. They want to team up with Peace Corps volunteers in the south to see how we can work together. I'm currently trying to get all the volunteers together to meet with Doctors Without Borders in town. Maybe they will get involved with our children's support group we have? We love this support group and a lot of volunteers are invested in it. Last time I showed the kids how to make paper airplanes. We showed them talents to prepare them for a talent show we will do next month. We try teach them life skills and hope to promote self confidence. They loved it. I also shared my dance moves as a talent with the group. I was challenged by a 9 year old girl and she beat me. Not my proudest moment.

There was a music festival called Bushfire this past weekend. A lot of tourists fill the place from South Africa, Mozambique, and even Portugal, but its too expensive sadly for most local Swazis. One 10 year old kid and his friends asked me if I would pretend to be their mom to get in. It was funny. I hung out with them at the front gate for a while before meeting with my friends and they taught me Swazi slang. I helped sell Jabu Bags inside this weekend which is an income generating project for some of the mothers in Swaziland. The vendor across the way was a 40 yr. old Indian woman wearing a Bruce Lee T Shirt. She sold jewerly and festive handmade decorations. The T Shirt was truly a diamond in the rough. I was distracted the whole day. She left early though and finally when I had the guts to ask to trade shirts, she was gone. The good news about that day is we sold over E5,000 in Jabu Bags. All of the profit goes bag to the women. If you are interested, there is a website made for them. I can also take orders back with me if you want! They are really cool.

I miss you guys at home. Hope your summers are filled with baseball games, hotdogs, and good tanlines. Write me if you have time! Love you!

Meeting the Queen

2009-07-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

I got to go to the palace for tea with the queen this past June! I admit, I thought I was going to meet the queen at a hotel conference room or some government building with a long table and her at the head of it with a gavel. That would have been good enough for me. I thought bodyguards would lead us in wearing sunglasses and too-tight t-shirts, but it didn’t exactly happen that way. Peace Corps picked me up and told me we were actually invited to the palace! Would we drink from goblets? Would she ride in on a unicorn? My mind raced with important questions. To my disappointment though there wasn’t a mote, no knights jousting in the courtyard, or dragons protecting the entrance, although there was a buffalo soldier who was sitting in a lawn chair at the front gate. The meeting was to talk with the Queen and discuss a few things regarding their support with the Peace Corps. It was a simple agenda, but a flexible time to build on our relationship with the Swaziland government, Nkhosikati (Queen) specifically, and clarify Peace Corps Volunteer roles within the country. We waited for her arrival in a room with a giant chandelier dangling from the center which complimented with very clean white and gold furniture. As I waited for the court jester, her assistants supplied muffins, tea, biscuits, and cranberry juice. We all stood up to show respect and waited for her to sit before joining. She was wearing traditional attire including a fur around her waist. After greeting us, she began by telling us how tired she was from studying. She was really personable. It was so great. Sometimes we forget celebrities, political figures, and people of high positions are normal too. They aren’t plastic. They enjoy Fruity Pebbles as much as the next guy. They sleep through their alarm clocks. They have gas. She was a perfect example of being in a high influential position, but still having the personality of a next door neighbour. Eventually Jen and I explained what we have been doing in our communities and plans for the future. It’s like having lunch with the Swazi “Michelle Obama” in a way. The meeting was a success. We had plenty of time to talk with her and ask questions, Eileen was able to build on her relationship with the Inkhosikati, and we are now able to name drop when we are with our friends in the US. “That’s cool. You had a cheese sandwich for lunch? …Oh that reminds me of the time I had tea in the Palace with the Queen of Swaziland…” That should make me cool for at least 5 minutes.

Last week I came into my room at night and plopped a plastic bag on my bed. The plastic bag rustled. How did that happen? I ignored it and sat typing a report when I heard in the noise in the corner of the room. I grabbed the broom stick, stood on top of my bed, reached over, and smacked the blankets in the corner. Nothing. Hit it again. One last poke into the corner though to make sure, but not expecting anything. SQUEEK. SQUEEK. SCREAMING (me). A huge mouse sprinted towards my bed and hid underneath. I ran to the house and knocked forever until my brother (19 yrs old/senior in high school) came. He lifted my bed and there it was. Sfundo jumped and he said, “I thought you said it was small?!” Finally after going through everything of mine…including a bag of enemas…embarrassing…he found it and chased it into the room I was in smacking it with a broom stick.

The past two weeks have been interesting. There are 33 news ones representing all areas of the United States. I will be helping with their training a few times the next few months. Also, my village has been going through noticeable changes. My village was influenced by a missionary couple from Norway years ago. This is why it is known as New Haven. Every village around us and all over Swaziland has a SiSwati name (ours is Mbabane), but it is known for its English name now due to the English speaking Norwegians. They helped build a primary and high school as well as a clinic and a mission school later. The unfortunate thing is, the missionaries have left years ago and now you can see the effects of it within my community. The mission school used to provide a sports equipment and play volleyball with the kids. The seminary students sadly no longer have the resources or the leadership to continue that project. The mission school’s enrolment has been decreasing in number due to lack of interest to study in a rural area also. There is an interest to become pastors in Swaziland, but this seminary can’t compete as well as the ones constructed within more favourable areas. I decided to help and get connected with the pastors, especially because I am close to one of them. The principal at the school is great and is trying to begin installing the internet with the few computers they have available. We are trying to get a professor from America to help teach distance learning and ways to provide online courses. This may make their school more competitive. Secondly, they want me to start being involved with the students by teaching outreach courses and using my social work knowledge to teach counselling courses (possibly). I may start lecturing at the school, but if not I will do workshops with them. Starting next month I am doing a 2-3 day workshop with the pastors/student pastors/youth pastors in all of Southern Swaziland. I want to work with them on ways to teach HIV/AIDS to people in their sermons and how to begin support groups within their churches when people are infected. I’m nervous to lecture older educated people, but also excited to see what happens. Its great to train people who have high respect in the community and can affect large groups of people. The church is a great source.

I hope everyone is okay at home. I miss you all a lot. Please let me know what is going on with you and your families. If you ever want to call or write, please do! Happy 4th of July!

Meeting Aslan

2009-06-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry! Its been a while since I blogged last. I'm glad you are still reading this after one year! Can you believe its been one year this month? What an adventure. :)

Emily came and went. Another volunteer came with me to Jo’burg to pick her up. I’ve never laughed so hard since I’ve been here. We had over sensory with all the 10 stores in the airport and posters of Gizelle and perfume. It was like America. We went to three restaurants while waiting for the flight. Coffee shops, smoothie places, and fast food. I felt fat and I didn’t even care. I felt American. And no one could take that away from me. We decided to take it easy on our third meal within a six hour span. While we ate Subway at the gate, we could not stop laughing. Maybe because the joy of seeing things that also exist in America were surrounding us, maybe because we were tired, or maybe because Africa stole our sanity...all I know is that while tears of laughter streamed down my cheeks, joy beamed from my face as I ate a meatball sub.

We then realized we had no actual reservations at the backpackers and didn’t have any idea how to get there, my friend drove us anyway and we were welcomed by a bunch of drunk guys at reception (including thee receptionist). After being creeped out by the other backpackers (lonely middle aged men...who looked like the were eager to see females), we were asked to share a room with them in a bunk bed dorm. We all opted to wear our shoes, go straight to bed, and cling to our cell phones.

It was so fun having her here. It was difficult to see her leave because she brought a piece of home with her and it made me happy and sad at the same time. It went so fast too. She basically saw all of Swaziland. We took a koombi for two hours towards Mozambique only to see the game park was closed. So we ate breakfast, took pictures of our food, and talked about cats with another volunteer. We played “family” at the cultural village with our tour group. Emily landed the 2nd Wife role. Kim Bartling would be proud. I, on the other hand, landed the role of “carrying people’s cameras and taking pictures of them participating“. Once Emily received her role and we began the tour, she looked at me in confusion and asked, “Do they always do this?!” I looked at her with a creepy smile and whispered, “Yes...and at the end the "2nd wife" has to make out with the tour guide before you can leave.” Well clearly I laugh at my own jokes drawing the tour guide’s attention (middle aged man wearing a furry loin cloth…) to us, so he asked Emily to come forward in the middle of his presentation and had the “grandma” discipline her in front of us for talking. Haha It was so weird.

We went to a game park which was AWESOME!! We saw lions this time! Not only one either. We saw two females and a male. We kept yelling, “Aslan!” but were the only ones amused by the joke. Sometimes the lion would come up to our jeep from behind and so in order to get a good picture Emily were climb the seats to the back. I would help by pushing her butt over the seats…to get her there faster. It was the best part of the Safari. The lions ROCKED.

Emily spent time with my brothers and held the new baby. The baby can support his own neck now…probably because no one else does. And eats sour porridge. I’m no pediatrician, but I know that's not right. 10 weeks and the kids feed the baby candy, radishes and once meat...until I intervened. I prefer to not use my expired CPR certification on “Mr. Potatoes“ due to a 5 yr old’s version of parenting skills. We call him “Emazambane” which in translation is Potatoes, because he’s bundled in blankets in a sack shape and is lumpy. Nothing like knocking the kid’s self esteem before the age of one. So Emily left and it was sad, but I was thankful to have even just a little time with a friend from home.

This past week was great. We celebrated being here for 1 year. Its crazy to think about. We had to select two girl volunteers to meet with Inkhosikati, the King's wife, next week for a lunch with other government officials and Peace Corps staff. My friend Jennifer was chosen because she is on VAC. Well, the stars aligned and my name was drawn from the hat representing PSN. I lucked out and hope I don’t act like an idiot in front of royalty. Its like meeting the Swazi “Michelle Obama“ and I'm like Barbara Walters. Talking with her, exchanging past adventures, and trying to get personal questions answered about the King like "What'
s his favorite pizza topping?" or "Does he have a court jesture? Is he looking for one?" and "...what would he make it wear?" :)

This month is my year anniversary. Now that all my meetings have seized and my large project is over, I’m left sitting in my hut wondering “What’s next?” On a good day I play soccer with the kids and visit the clinic, but as I kick a flat ball to one of my little brothers (who no longer thinks I‘m cool because I'm old news now) I wonder what God has in store for me here. Sure, there are moments I’m glad I didn’t miss. For example, watching cheap Chinese films dubbed into English with my host family and watch them sit in suspense as a Chinese ninja (aka A white guy with a black “Chinese“ mustache...the Chinese film couldn‘t even afford real Chinese people...that‘s when you know its bad.) prepares to do a back kick. So, yes, I do have moments I am happy I got to see that. There are special moments, but the other 23 hours of the day can be a struggle. I've been praying hard these past few days and I'm waiting to see what's next. I know there is a lot more work to be done in my community and I have hope that God will find a place for me again. I just need to be content with waiting for His answer of what's next and maybe all that means is being good to people until I know. Its in my heart, my attitude towards others, and being with the people around me fully. Showing God to others is a job in itself and a lot of work. Where is God leading me and what does he see as the need for New Haven?

“More often than not, God’s invitation to us to seize divine moments is found in the needs of ther peoples’s lives.” Pg 10

“We miss divine moments when we treat what we consider nominal influence as irrelevant. We must never underestimate te importance of the one moment, one word, one deed in the life of another human being.” pg 121

Chasing Daylight

The Lion Whisperers

2009-05-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

I knew the Zambian trip would soon turn into an adventure from the moment I woke up that morning. Deja and I ran after our bus at 5:30am as it began to trudge down the road. Our bags slapping the sides of our bodies hoping to make it in time. Once we got there the Manzini bus rank was as welcoming as ever. Fellow passengers swearing at us and bus conductors trying to cheat us out of money. :) We finally arrived in the city of Jo’burg and where hospitality is still a work in progress. As we walked all over the surrounding streets of the bus rank to purchase bus tickets for Zambia the next morning, we met all kinds of characters. Whether it was taxi drivers charging us 70 rhand to go 4-5 blocks or community police wanting a soda for showing us where the buses were, the jo‘burg hospitality was undeniable. haha We arrived at the Zambia bus station only to find our luck had changed. The Zambians were a breath of fresh air. They helped us with our tickets, drove us back to the place to meet the driver from the hostile for free, and gave us contact information for their friends in Zambia who would show us around when we got there.

We sat on a two decker bus on the top level front row surrounded by windows to see the landscape the whole way there. It was awesome. We made friends with the Zambians behind us who told us about Zimbabwe and the problems they are facing. The South Africa/Zimbabwe border post was sad for me. We saw people taking in food and products from South Africa because Zimbabwe really has nothing to offer right now. Families crammed in the back of pickups with supplies piled high waiting to get through customs. Unfortuantly we passed through at night so there was little to see, but I had a heavy heart as we drove through that whole night thinking of the problems they are facing right now.

24 hours later we were there! Complete with sleep in an erect position and junk food cousine. That long of a bus ride may not seem fun to some, but there are perks to bus travel that you would not get on a plane. You really get to know the people. It’s an international bonding moment. I’ve never been on a plane that would pull over in the middle of the night to pop a squat on the Zimbawean pavement as the crescent moon sparkles above. Imagine the comradity of Zambian, South African, and American women together urinated behind the trailer brake lights at 2 am. Those are special moments. Those moments, my friend, are what Hallmark cards are made out of. We reached the Zambia/Zimbabwe border post the next morning! An elephant greeted us at the front gate and monkey (big ones with the gross butts) were everywhere. We knew we were in tourist land as we spotted shorts, white thighs, and fanny packs. We had to walk from Zimbabwe to the other side of the river. When you walk over the bridge to reach Zambia, you see Victoria Falls. It was the best wake up call ever. The sun was rising and the mist from the falls was spraying our faces. It was carzy cool.

We arrived at Jollyboys which was the best hostile ever. It had a pool (clean and had fountains), a huge sitting area full of people, a TV that repeatedly showed a video of Elijah Wood and Jack Osbourne doing all the activities Livestone area had to offer. They have a sweet relationship. Although the video was on silent, I would mouth the exact words they said. For example, Elijah when he saw Victoria Falls, “Wow. That’s amazing.” Brittany developed a celebrity crush on Mr. Wood and we wasted many minutes debating if Jack Osbourne should have a fan base. I think, yes.

We arrived early enough Thursday morning to have the whole day ahead of us. We grabbed a shuttle to the falls and ran through the bridge in our assorted colored ponchos. It was wonderful. Drenched head to toe, I haven’t felt that clean since the old days when I would shower once a day.

The next day we had the Lion Encounter. Basically you get a crash course on what NOT to do to a lion; like sneak up in front of it or make cat mating noises. But you aren’t taught the anatomy of a lion to determine if it’s a boy or girl…in my defense. Some may say the large size and long furry mane might give it away, but I’ve seen plenty of large women with facial hair. Looks can be deceiving, so when I asked the the guy holding the tranqulizer gun if the huge lion with a thick mane that I’m stroking is a girl or boy, I don’t think it’s a bad question. To some, not naming anyone specifically (Melissa, Deja, and Brittany), that would seem like a an bad question. When it comes to gender, I don’t assume. Just because a Swazi child has no hair and is wearing a blue G.I Joe shirt with pants, do we assume it is a boy? If I’ve learned anything here, the answer is no. So this rule is carried over to every species for me. We were initially introduced to our first batch of lions while they fought over a piece of meat. A guy with a stick grabbed one by the tail and pulled it away from the other. Then they said,”Alright, let’s go.” And forced the lions out of the feeding cage to walk with us. We each had a walking stick which was supposed to comfort us perhaps knowing we had a thin branch to keep us from being attacked. To me it looked like the toothpick the lions would use after devouring one of my appendages.

Saturday came fast and so did my anxiety. Melissa, our fearless skydriver, wanted to do some extreme thing while we were there. We all wanted to raft, but high water levels prevented us from doing so. Her next idea was falling off of something…a cliff, bridge, gorge, whatever would give a rush. She is crazy, but I somehow I ended up agreeing to go double on a Gorge Swing. What is the Gorge Swing? If you follow the gorge from the Victoria Falls down passed the 6th rapid or so, you will look up to find high above a wire from one side of the cliff to the next. In the middle of this long wire, center gorge, you will find another rope dangling down giving an appearance of a T shape. At the bottom of the T the end of the rope is then attached to a human being standing on the edge of the cliff. Last Saturday, that human being was me. Attached to my dear friend, Melissa. As they tied us to the rope and hog-tied our feet together, scenes from my childhood and future flashed through my mind. Is this the end for me? Is this how it happens? I back shuffled to the edge of the cliff with my comrade beside me. Shaking we both flipped backwards off the edge down into the gorge unsure if we just made a bad choice. After free falling down towards the trees and dried up river belong, our rope pulled and we began Tarzan-ing our behinds over the tree tops towards the other side of the gorge. It was amazing! If we could do it again, I might even open my eyes. And bring a clean pair of shorts.

Next in line was a trip to Zimbabwe. Melissa, Brittany, and I traveled across the border again to sneak a peak at the other side of the falls. This side was just as cool. No bridge, but you basically stand on the other side of the gorge facing the huge waterfall. The water falls so hard that once it hit’s the river below, it bounces back up to the edge of the cliff we were standing on. You also walk through rainbow after rainbow. It was beautiful and the water was warm. Later that night we left for the Zambian side of the falls. A lunar rainbow could be seen because it was a full moon. The moon gave enough light to reflect rainbows in the dark. Melissa and I ran through a bridge which was scarey and exhilarating all at the same time! Then we ran across the bridge again. The current changed the water so it was out of control and splashing over the bridge. A rainbow curved right over the bridge so we slid under it and used the moonlight to see where we were going. It was crazy!

Sunday morning Brittany and I woke up to go to Botswana. Brit and I spent the morning on land seeing all kinds of animals and had breakfast. Then in the afternoon the four of us from the hostile boarded a pontoon boat and went down the Thebe river bordering Namibia and Botswana. We saw alligators, Rhinos, Elephants, and more and just relaxed. We had lunch on the boat and sat chairs basking in the sun. It was a great way to end the trip.

We boarded the bus that night. Brit and I were separated. Before we got on I said, “Watch, I’ll probably sit next to a very large woman who breaths heavy and takes up my seat while sleeping on me…” Well, the stars aligned that night because her name was Lindy from Pretoria and her description matched my nightmare. I sat for 20 hours on the corner of my seat because Lindy slept on my half as well. She was sweet though and shared her snacks.

The trip overall was a success. We saw everything. The only thing is apparently gold gladiator sandles aren’t considered a hiking shoe. I wish someone would have told me that.

Zambian Elephant Mask

2009-05-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! I'm in Zambia! Its been great. We went to Victoria Falls on Wednesday and we walked with lion yesterday morning. Its been amazing. We are going to Zimbabwe today ag ain to hang out and Botswana Sunday. The culture and poltical issues are so different in each place so it really has bee an amazing trip. I'm going to jump the gorge at Victoria Falls today. I'm so scared , but they tie you up and you drop about 55 meters.

I will talk to you guys soon again. One last embarrassing s to ry: I wen t to a tourist shop near my hostile with two other volunteers. I found t his elephant mask with a bunch of strings on it. I wore it around the store and would creep on my friends while they shopped. One said finally, "Why do you have a male thong on your face?" SAY WHAT??? Oops. I guess it wasn't a mask after all and explains a lot of the faces other customers were g i ving me as I walked around the store with my face hiding behind it. :) We'll talk soon. To be continued.

Lunch with Miss Swaziland

2009-04-17T00:19:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I am in town so I thought I would blog for you quick! I didn't end up going to Zambia over Easter. Rooms were booked. Apparently its a good idea to reserve in advance over holiday weekends. :) Who would have thought? A lady was gone for the weekend who lives in town and works for a nongovernment agency, so she invited me and my friend Deja to take care of her dogs (and her television) this weekend. It was great and relaxing. All the volunteers in the country were gone pretty much to vacation spots around South Africa and I was watching Lady Gaga videos and eating grilled cheese. Life was good.

Its been a random week for me. They may not surprise any of you, but it was random even for me. A dog ate my phone and now looks really classy with duck tape covering its underbelly and bite marks all over the sides. I've had medical problems. Nothing serious. Concerning my bowels...and thats as much as you need to know. Peace Corps wanted to get blood tests and ultra sounds to see if I had an alien in my intestines or something (because thats what it felt like), but everything turned out groovy. Nothing a little fiber and prunes couldn't solve. The peace corps driver brought me to the clinic and waited in the car. I always play around with him. He's a 40 yr. Swazi man that smiles all the time. When I came to the car after my appointment I said, "Bongani, I've got some good news and I've got some bad news..." (My friend, Jantina, would always do this.) He looked concerned, so I continued, "Good news is...I'm going to make it. Doc said its just a little gas." He shook his head and stayed quiet anticipating the bad news. "Bad news is...I have...a tail." Bongani's eyes got so big. It was quiet for about 20 seconds. I couldn't hold it in. I busted a gut laughing at my own joke and then had to tell him I was kidding through the tears of laughter. He was so concerned and said, "Oh Jaclyn, I was scared." He's such a good man. haha Oh Bongani.

Anyways, we are getting ready for next weekend (25th). Our beauty pageant is coming. Alexis, the other volunteer helping, is working hard and in town doing publicity a lot. I'm on the phone talking to people who we are trying to confirm they will show up for the health fair to give free services for the community in the morning. I'm going to take pictures of the pageant, so everyone who donated dresses can see what dress was worn by the girls! So fun. We also confirmed both Mr. Swaziland AND Miss Swaziland (who just got back from Miss World pageant in J'burg, South Africa) are going to be judges! I went for lunch with Miss Swaziland Wednesday and it was so fun. We talked about business first and then I started asking about all the Miss World contestants. She was so honest with me and Alexis. We were asking if Russia was cold and if the French girls shaved their pits. It was so fun. We're running out of time and everything is getting crazy, so please keep us in your prayers. Who knows what's going to happen. I've never planned something in this type of capacity before, so while it is exciting...I'm still nervous. I hope the girls don't kill each other. Jaclyn will NOT be have any divas. I'm going to brind a tranqulizer gun to prove it. :) One cat fight and...BAM! Miss Sandleni Inkhundla is comotose for 4-5 hrs.

Miss you guys. Don't forget to write or call!

2009-03-31T00:07:00.000-07:00

We are now hoping to join forces with World Vision in my area to do a HIV testing unit during the pageant, so I’ve been talking to my friend, Musa, who is in charge of the HIV awareness section of the organization. I’m working with another volunteer and it’s a lot of fun to collaborate our ideas. We are going to have a health fair at the same time as the pageant, so its just another way to affect as many people as possible. They will come to watch, but also get the opportunity to test and we’ll even have the mom’s selling their food and jewelry at the event. Now although it’s a well thought out idea on paper, there is A LOT of work to be done. I was just going to assist and help wherever needed, but I'm seeing the Youth Association in my area stuggling to the point that its 2 1/2 weeks away and they don't even have judges or money for prizes. It's been an adventure and now they've desperately asked for my help full on, so this steam boat's got a new engineer in town. I'm trying to teach them as I do things, so they can take notes and be able to do this more independently next year. As you might have guessed its taking 2x the amount of time. We have a fundraiser this weekend. In two weekends we are doing an HIV/AIDS workshop with all 14 girls and the following weekend is the pageant and World Vision health fair. Pray for a miracle. People think I can prefrom miracles simply because I'm American and white sadly. Little do they know I have no idea what I'm doing.

I'm going to Victoria Falls on Monday. We are taking a bus from Jo'burg through Botswana and up to Zambia/Zimbabwe border. Its one of the 7 wonders of the world. I really don't know any of them except the pyramids. It takes about 1 1/2 days to drive there through the night. I've heard horror stories that they don't stop to go to the bathroom. I might put in a catheter before I go. :) Just kidding. Too expensive. Big kid diapers will be just fine. Apparently you can bungee jump off the bridge (the highest in the world)! Heck, It'll probably be best wearing diapers the whole trip the way it looks.

Finally, my aunt just had her baby. It was a boy. I've been holding him all the time and keep whispering my name to him so that his first word will be "Jaci". I can't wait. It keeps the time going by fast. April will be full of crowns, crying teenagers, babysitting the new baby, and Zambian adventures. May will come fast and that means so will my friend Emily who is visiting! I'm soooo excited. Love you guys. Stay well.

What's your favorite sausage?

2009-03-15T02:34:00.000-07:00

My parents came this week with my sister, Angi, and my cousin, Janna. I met them at the airport. Little did I know, when I asked for 14 prom dresses for my youth pageant...I would get 50. I'm not complaining though. You can never have enough crushed velvet and puffy sleeves. haha Thanks to everyone who donated. I'll take pictures of the girls wearing them so you can see your dresses on them! Fun! They'll be so excited. So since there were so many dresses, we had to take a taxi just take the luggage all the way to the south part of the country. My sister had to drive the rent-a-car on the left side of the road. Although my buttcheeks were constantly being clenched tightly in fear of crashing and all of us stressing at each other everytime we bottomed out in potholes (or drove 4km with the red light on because we forgot to push down the emergency brake), nothing could ruin the trip. Not even the smell of the clutch burning out.

We went to see my family the first night, stayed at the animal park reserve the second, at last night enjoyed the comforts of a B&B. We drove all over Swaziland with the suitcases hog-tied to the trunk. I've never felt like such a hillbilly in all my life. I felt like all we needed was a few more loose teeth and a grandma in a rocking chair of the hood of are car to engage the perfect moment. Just picture taking speed bumps in a small European car packed full of tourists and luggage roped to the back of the car. :) Well if attention is what we wanted, we definately got it. So much for not looking like tourists. I guess its hard to hide when 3 out of the 4 people visiting me are wearing fanny packs. haha I wish I were kidding. I caught myself thinking, "Yes, this is really happening. A Hummer or truck would be appropriate through the bush, but my family is offroading in a small euro car with a maximum baggage capacity 3 suitcases." It was awesome.

I brought them to my clinic to meet people I work with. They went shopping in the markets. We ventured through the vast 10,000 acres of rhino poop. We're attacked by elephants from all angles of our jeep and played "chicken" with a giraffe who refused to share the road with us. It was fun. We ate mangoes, lamb, and ampala stew and watched half naked men do traditional dances while we tried to keep the monkeys from stealing our stuff.

I was sad when they had to leave, but I'm finding myself encouraged. It was a nice break and showing them what I'm doing and speaking SiSwati for them was a good confirmation that I have been working here in ways that I might not know. I stayed at a hostile friday and saturday to prepare myself to go back to my site. First night was with my friend, Lisa, but last night I had to go alone. God totally provided though because although my agenda was to cry the whole night since everyone was gone haha, I found another volunteer there that I didn't know very well and we had time to talk. He taught me a card game and we watched music videos. I then met some guys from Germany traveling with there one Swazi friend. They are students at a university in South Africa this semester and are traveling. One asked me to come with them to get some supper. Usually I would decline especially because I could picture uncomfortable silence and wanting to go home, but being stuck wherever they took me, BUT although I just got ready for bed and showered I felt like it could be fun. I decided to go. Alone. With five German guys my age and one Swazi girl I had just met. It ended up being really cool. We went to supper and all talked. I finally hung out with people that, for the most part, got my jokes. One "cricket" moment was when they were telling me who was sharing dorms at the university. I said, "Aww...that's cute. You guys can have pillow fights before bed and talk about girls before you go to sleep." They seemed really confused, so I changed the subject quickly. They did like my joke about wanting to fit in and that's why I ordered the same peach iced tea as everyone else. There was this one guy who kept asking me random questions. In the states we would call him a "nontraditional student". He's so nice and had lots of political questions. We were all asking questions about our favorite things. It was quiet at the table and he looked at me and asked, "What's your favorite type of sausage?" To a german, maybe not so random. To me...well. haha Everyone busted a gut and I just looked at him and said, "Sebastian, that's a personal question." We made jokes about it the rest of the night. It ended up being a fun night. We actually ran over a stop sign on accident, but they just laughed and continued so I didn't want to be the responsible one. Maybe we should have left a note? We went to a club dancing after and than a few of us stayed up until 5:30am talking about books, Americans, traveling, etc. It was cool. God is hilarious. Who would have thought I would ever be in a situation like that. Me, one Swazi girl, and five crazy German guys. I am a magnet for random things. And I don't hate it.

Labor Pains

2009-03-09T04:27:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-02-28T01:48:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! What’s new? I haven’t been able to blog for some time! I’m excited to give you a little bit of a run down of what’s going on:

My mom, dad, sister (Angi), and cousin (Janna) are coming to see me in about 2 weeks! I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am. I’m hoping to show them the area I live in, sleep in my room the first night, go to a game park the second night to see the animals, and go into the capital the last night. They’ll get to pop a squat in my pit latrine, meet Loyd my lizard, and maybe fetch my water. :)

I’m busy with a youth empowerment competition that we‘re preparing for April. I’m helping my community do a girl empowerment pageant, but there’s a lot to be done. Thanks to people at home who donated dresses. That is so helpful and the girls will love it. World Vision is helping us and donating a tent. I’m still teaching on Saturdays life skills class to the youth in a church near me. I spent Valentine’s Day teaching them. Most people get roses and chocolates and I get questions from high school kids whether Tupac Shakur is still alive. I’m livin’ the dream. I’m trying to help my school get a library, so I’ve been having meetings with the school committee. It sounds like I’m busy, but don’t get ahead of yourself, my days are still full of countless hours staring at the wall, combining leftover ingredients together to see what it tastes like, and reading a May ‘08 People magazine. Does anyone want to know about the cast of Gossip Girl, including favorite food and corky habits? I, unfortunately, can tell you.

Bat attack #3 last night. I sleep in fear everyday. I had to knock on my bhuti’s window last night to help kill it. Bhuti (pronounced like booty) is SiSwati for brother. I know, so many jokes with that name. So of course I take advantage of that word as much as possible. Sometimes when my brother calls me I say to whoever I’m with, “I’m sorry. I have to take this. It’s a bhuti call.” Although half the time my audience doesn’t understand the joke, I still say it because it gives me some sort of personal satisfaction that it could be funny. Anyways, sometimes I sleep with a candle next to me to scare away any nocturnal creatures. Dangerous? Maybe, but my beauty sleep is more important. You can’t look this good without taking risks.

Finally, I met some missionaries from South Africa last week. They are from Capetown and live in a church about 1 hr walk from my bus station. They drove me back to my place after. They wanted to see where I lived, so I showed them my room. They were so impressed with my siSwati. It made me feel good because I think its terrible. After, they turned to me and asked, “Do you have plans today?” I told them nope. They said, “Can we take you to eNhlangano for lunch?” I was stunned. Even more stunned they were going to drive me to a town just for lunch! If volunteers go to town, we’re going because we need to survive! We stock up on food and supplies to take back like we’re packing to set out on the Oregon Trail. We jumped in their nice truck and they drove me all the way there. Normally by public transport it takes me 2 1/2hrs. This time it took us less than 1hr in their car! When we got there they said, “Tell me what you want. I‘m buying.” What?!? I was having so much luck! I tried to reason with them and decline the offer, but they insisted so they paid for my meal! YATZEE! I won the jackpot! The motherload! These missionaries were so kind! Soon I had KFC all over my face. I was eating it like someone was going to take it from me. I had to look up at them, take it easy for a bit so I didn’t look uncivilized or choke, and then I started chomping down again. I barely said a word until the last salty extremely unhealthy french fry was consumed. Just the site of the chicken sandwich could have made me cry and/or get emotional, but that wouldn’t put it in my stomach any faster, so I just skipped the tears and went at it. I think I bruised my teeth shoving it in. Today Santa Claus was in town and he seemingly brought a bag with my name on it, including a #11 chicken meal from KFC. After eating I was so full. They wanted to stop at the grocery store to get dessert for the rode. The older lady came to me with a bar of chocolate after we checked out. They bought me more stuff! I thanked them for everything. It was a great day. I was blessed with new friends. And well fed that day. Just ask my thighs.

I love getting your letters and packages. It keeps home closer and I can't thank you guys enough for everything. Take care of yourselves and let me know if there is anything you need in Africa. :)

“Use me God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.” Martin Luther King Jr.

2009-02-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I'm in town for a trimester report, so I thought I'd write you quick. I haven't been able to communicate with people from home because of Skype issues, but I hope you all perservere and we are soon reconnected! I've been cut off cold turkey. I've got the shakes.

I miss everyone. Its been seven months now. Can you believe it? Seven months of driving on the laft side of the road, being proposed to on public transportation, and taking mid night stolls to the outhouse. Last night I sat in the main house with my family in a rain storm. It was kinda lonely in my hut, so I decided to get out and join the others. The adults played card games while the kids were getting ready for bed. One is about 7 and is a boy. He is naughty! He’s the one that flung my underwear that was drying on the fence all over the yard with a stick! It took me all day to wash my clothes at the river, so I was mad. I chased him as he screamed bloody murder, grabbed the lil fart, flung him over my shoulder, and rubbed those now muddy undergarments all over his face. He screamed! Haha I snapped. Little boys here think that if you touch a females underwear you’ll turn into a girl. Thus the reason my laundry was flung with a stick rather than a bare hand. haha But I understand, I don't want to be responsible for a sex change. Its all fun and games until someone turns into a woman. Anyways, he never touched my laundry again. Last night though, him and his also naughty little sister were in the room with us. My overprotective grandma was passed out on a cushion, but randomly would wake up in a panic and ask in SiSwati, “ Where is Sihle?!” Maybe thinking I was outside in the thunder storm? I'm white, grandma. Not an idiot. haha Although I wanted to say, “Last time I saw her she wrapped herself in tinfoil and was playing with a lightening rod…“ but I can’t say that in SiSwati, so I just looked up from my book and responded, “ I’m right here, gogo.” :) She just fell back over and continued sleeping. :) As the night went on, no one could leave to go to their rooms because the lightening and rain were still going strong. I sat quietly in my chair reading when the little girl crawled up into my lap. Its so difficult because language prevents us from talking a lot, but that night it was easier to play with them. The little girl crawled up, gave me a hug and kiss on my cheek and fell asleep like that. Her little shaved head was laying on my chest with her arms wrapped around me. It was so sweet. Her 7 yr. old brother did the same, crawled up to the space next to me, laid his head against my shoulder, and held my hand until he was asleep. It was such a surprise. The kids aren't scared of me anymore! I’ve been missing my nieces and nephews a lot lately, so it was nice to be with the kids.

Well, some news from my hut is that my gas stove ran out of propane this week and I’m about a 2 hour drive from any town that can give me affordable groceries or fill up my tank. My personal staple food is popcorn and without a stove, I’m finding it difficult to survive. :) I bought a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter to get me through the rest of the week at a small sitolo (store) within walking distance from my home. Yesterday I decided I couldn’t choke down another sticky PB mess. I found a packet of tuna that was sent to me from my mom and a can of corn (not sent from mom haha). Mixed it together, put it on some bread and Tah Dah…a Corn Tuna Sandwich. I’m living in a bachelor pad dream! Holla! I was saving it for a special occasion. Like starvation or PB overload. If I’m hungry enough, I’ll eat about anything I’m realizing. I’m like man vs. wild. I eat what I want, when I want and answer to nobody. :) Just livin the dream. One can of corn at a time.

So it looks like I will be living off of bread and crystal light packets until I get a chance to go to town to refill the tank. Can you imagine taking dry calcium tablets without some sort of flavored water? Me neither and quite frankly, I don’t want to. Thank you so much to the people who have sent them to me because they take water to a whole new level. For real, they are great. I like to think of them as the handy work of God. It even got me thinking, yes, God created water within the first few days of creation and it was good, but I think he realized after the seventh day of drinking plain H2O that the water could taste even better. And that’s when, my friend, He invented crystal light packets. What if crystal light packets have been around longer than what we thought? For example, the time Jesus turned water into wine. Was it a quick dump of the sweet artificial taste of a raspberry ice crystal light packet? He is perfectly capable of miracles, but I also like to think of him as resourceful. So thanks to all who’ve sent them to me. Miss you all and hope everything at home is going well. :) Let me know whats going on if you have time. :)

Chester the Cheeseman

2009-01-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday yesterday and on top of missing out on holidays with my friends and family last month, I have to admit I wasn’t a little scared I was going to be lonely. The craziest thing happened though, the staff in the capital called for a meeting on my birthday last week at the last moment, so a bunch of volunteers and I had to stay overnight the night before and after my birthday! I was so thankful. I wasn’t in my hut alone. The group ordered pizza for me and one of the volunteers made a cake for me too. They found candles and gave me small gifts that they could afford. My friend Jason bought me a guitar pic, my other friends bought me food, and made me a card. I think because we all know its hard being away from home, especially on holidays, birthdays, and funerals, that we all try our hardest to help each other on those days. I miss my parents and my sisters and nieces ad nephews. I miss my relatives and all my best friends at home, but I was really grateful that the other volunteers tried hard all day…all week actually, just to make me feel special. They were really nice. To end the day, I talked to Melinda on her lunch break from teaching the kindergarteners. It was good to hear from home.  Hong also came last week to my site to wish me a happy birthday. We watched Transformers on my laptop like 2 teenage boys. I stumbled across the bootlegged copy in the office last week and I’m glad I had someone to watch it with. Making funny commentary isn’t the same when you do it alone. Especially when its about robots. Its just sad. Originally I wouldn’t have even had the desire to watch it, but I cut out a quote from Megan Fox in an old People magazine I received. She said, “My dressing room on the set of Transformers always smells like farts and I have no idea why.” What?! A) Why would I cut that quote out? And 2) Why would that make me want to see that movie? Really though, is it so weird to want to see a movie that could take me back to my childhood? Transformers were big around my time. Its the most random quote, but I have it on my bulletin board because for some weird reason fart jokes still apply to me. Just like Rainbow Bright, personal pan pizzas, and Gak. It brings me to a time when life was simpler with Pepe logo t-shirts and Unionbay jeans. Plus, I figure if someone can say a quote like that and have it published in People magazine, than she deserves someone to watch her movie. I was entertained.

Last Saturday I had my first Life Skills group meeting. The “kids” in the group ranged from 13-18yrs old. I was excited to start this group! Finally, my first big project with the youth in my community! I was hoping to use this youth group to turn them into peer educators for the community. There size can range up to 30 members (depending on the activity)! Today, I had 8 members. Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day… I was so excited about the possibilities of this group though and have already started thinking of field trips and stuff I could do with them. You know, at one time I thought about being a teacher back in the US. This class brought that feeling back to me. I’d take a group of class clowns and/or juvenile delinquents and show them this hard knock life isn’t so bad after all. I’d wear a leather jacket and sunglasses. Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise” would echo behind me as I entered every room. I’d slam the curriculum on the front desk and the room would stand still for a bit. Every eye on me awaiting my next move. I would then sit on the desk (not chair because cool teachers don‘t do that) and whip my aviators off. Maybe even a helmet would be cool too because it would give off the impression that I had a Harley. 5 more cool points. This prop wouldn’t be believable in Swaziland though because its against PC policy to operate a motorized vehicle, so in this case I would whip off a pink huffy bike helmet. My blonde locks would fall out and where as before they would have thought maybe I was a dude, but now votes were in and…I am not. Depending how engaged the class was I would break the silence by crushing a piece of chalk under my black steel toed army boot to give off the impression that “playtime is over…chicos.” After entertaining this idea for a few hours I realized I possess no classroom management skills…or leather jacket for that matter, so I always come back to this: what works for Michelle Phieffer may not work for me. Its been something that I’ve always had difficulty grasping. The group was small this time, but they seemed to like it. I was invited back this week to teach again, but I already am working with a support group for kids dealing with HIV. I hope for the best with that group though. It just gives me another reason to be here. And on top of that, more relationships to build on.

Lastly, I have a rat living in my room. I call him Chester the Cheeseman. I hate bats, but rats are like bats with wings so hopefully you understand my fear. I’ve been wearing shoes to bed because it makes me feel safer. It comes out at night while I sleep. In the daytime it hides. I talk smack to the rat (somewhere in my room) during the day. Mostly things like, “Your not so tough when Mr. Sunshine is around, are ya Rat!” or things like, “You make me sick…“ and I threw in some slams against his mamma hoping he would come out and fight like a man, but nothing. So tonight I wait to see if he comes out again. I don’t want Cholera. I’m going to be honest. Plus, no one’s ever given me rabies on my birthday before. Oh yeah. Sorry Jantina, I mean…no one’s given me a BAD case of rabies on my birthday before.

Miss you guys. Love ya.

Breaking out of fat camp.

2009-01-07T01:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a baby urinated on me. It reminded me that babies are babies in all parts of the world. Whether, Spanish, African, or American…they all know how to pick an easy target.

So if you are like me and my parents, you are thinking, “What is Jaci actually doing everyday?” Touché, my friend, touché. I ask myself the same question sometimes. haha Well, I have been doing some work. J I haven’t been able to help at the clinic the past month because I’ve been gone so much from home. I helped with World AIDS Day which was Dec. 1st. A Swaziland organization called NERCHA (National Emergency Relief Committee for HIV and AIDS) put together a walk to promote awareness in the rural committees. We walked from Mahamba to eNhlangano (about 3.5 hrs) and talked to people while passing by them on the streets. A lot of people joined and little barefoot kids ran beside us. The Swaziland Army band walked with us and entertained us for hours with songs we didn’t know. After a while though the tunes became familiar and I was able to sing along with my own lyrics. Another volunteer helped me serenade the other walkers in our limited Siswati lyrics we made up as we walked. So you know they were good. The Swazi people heard me sing Siswati songs titled, “Ngihambile kakhulu [I’m really hungry]“, “Ngifuna kuya umthoyi [I need to use the toilet]” and “Ngiyahamba na bangami bami [I’m walking with my Swazi friends]“ in every style. Rap, R&B, and Country. I made friends through my music….and enemies. We ended at a “stadium” where we had dramas and music. There was also free testing. So many people tried to test that they couldn’t do everyone. Its good that people wanted to test, but sad because a lot of people were willing to test and couldn’t. Who knows if they will try to do it again later or if they were just inspired to do it that one day. A main problem with events like these is not enough supplies, help, counselors for the magnitude of the events. People here love free stuff. You’d think they were Dutch. (drums) J A little joke for the citizens of Orange City. Its just frustrating because you want to help as many people as possible and turning people away when they are finally ready to do it really stinks. The other main event I just had was out Annual Youth Conference. Each volunteer in our region (7 volunteer villages in the south) met in one town with some kids from our own areas. I brought 20 teenagers. We brought in a girl in her 20’s who openly talked about being HIV+. The kids liked it and asked a lot of questions. Then I let them walk around town for a bit and had the kiddies back before dark.

I just got a message on my phone from another volunteer. She wrote, “How are you? Do you think this will be the hardest thing we ever do in our lives?” haha I laugh because texting is the only way to communicate so you can imagine the messages we give each other each day to support one another. Its not a surprise to get something like “Killed a rat against my mattress by running it into a corner. Scared to see if its still alive”….”My grandma is praying in front of my door with other elders in Siswati and I think they just prayed that God would use me to bring rain. I’m not comfortable with that.”…or “I made a bracelet out of leaves today. I used to be somebody...” Text messages keep us sane when we are hours away from each other. We need to send a message to vent about something that happened that day like being proposed to by an old man with horrific breath (the scent was a mix of decay and garlic) on a bus ride for 3 hrs! Yeah…I never knew I had a personal bubble until African public transport and I desperately wanted to turn to him and say, “tic tac, sir?” Or how about waking up with a bat caught in a sticky fly strip next to your head. That one was my friend because if it would have happened to me, I would be back in South Dakota. Probably doing intensive counseling sessions. So back to what I was talking about, J my friend asked me if I “thought this would be the hardest thing we’d ever do?” You know what, sometimes I think so. I guess it depends on the person. I knew it was going to be a challenge, but somedays if its not the physical or social challenges…than it’s the mental challenge that can easily discourage you. Being alone. So many changes are made the first few months that a lot of people ask, “Is it worth it?” Some it wasn’t, so they went home and I respect that. For me, I’m still here NOT because I haven’t encountered hard challenges or homesickness, but rather for a two reasons. First, I have faith God has something here for me yet. Something gives me hope to stick it out. I refuse to think God took me across the Atlantic to get diarrhea and bad tanlines. There’s hope in me still and it’s the kind that would be impossible for me to fabricate myself. I know He is intervening somehow. The other reason I’m still in Africa is because Timon and Pumba still owe me poker money. Heard they blew it at a strip club and that money is supposed to get me home. Haha Just kidding. Sorry. Its actually because I’m still learning from this experience, so I know something is happening. I’m still changing. I try assess my changes, “Am I changing for the better?” I’m okay with changing, for the better, but its just as easy to change for the worse sometimes. You know, I came wanting to help people and not think of myself and by that I wanted to make changes for the better with the people I interact with. Little did I know, the first (and the hardest) change here was going to be myself. Its hard to explain how, but its more or less a testing period than a changing maybe. I really like the Mother Theresa quote, “God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.” J Mama T is right. We aren’t ever promised a comfortable life. So I don’t know why I’m always surprised when I don’t have one. Actually we were told the opposite in the Bible, but knowing that doesn‘t make going home, taking a long shower and eating Pizza Ranch pizza any less appealing. J

So is this the hardest thing I’ll ever do? I hope not. Because then my life will be boring…

I just came back from Mozambique last week. It was a lot of fun. It rained a lot of the time, but it was nice to see something new. It was only a 3 hr. drive from my place and around $9 to get there. Within three hours a whole culture and language changes. Its so weird. Huts go from mud in Swaziland to reed sticks in Mozambique within the poverty areas. We ate a lot. I ate like I broke out of fat camp. I experienced a lot of "first time" moments. I swam in the Indian Ocean for the first time. I ate octopus for the first time. I was cursed at by a guy who was as high as a kite on Christmas. That is a story in itself, but he apoligized soon after and the spirit of Christmas remained. I was also chased by an elderly topless woman on the boardwalk who was clearly crazy and tried to throw mud from the sewer at us in the rain. It started with us walking fast, but although old she was quick and soon the quick walking past formed into a dead sprint as the locals laughed at our misfortune from the beach. That was another "first time." And hopefully last. I had a wonderful Christmas though and I felt really blessed to go visit Mozambique. I missed home a lot and its definately reminding me how great you all are at home and will make me appreciate future Christmas' even more when I get to be with family and friends. Love you guys! Hope you are well! I will try to upddate again soon!

I promise. It was..."my shoe".

2008-12-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I have a little bit of time, so I thought I would say hello quick! I just got into this dunk-a-dunk town about an hour ago and my bus leaves in 45 min! This is my shopping town. It’s about 2 ½ hrs away and once I get there I have 2 hours to quickly get everything done before the bus leaves again. Every time I board the bus for this place though, I always have a crazy experience which is kinda fun. Today for example I reconfirmed my numbness towards nudity. Did I get your attention? The word “nudity” tends to do that. Well, let me explain. Mothers here are not shy about their breasticles (What most people call breasts, but I say breasticles because its makes me laugh…cheap entertainment. I need to grow up.) Well, this one mother on the bus ride here was breast feeding her 3 or 4 year old on her lap. Side note, I think a rule of thumb should be when a child can help you sling the boob out of the shirt while your talking to someone or can use a complete sentences requesting the beverage pump…its time to start big kid food. Just a side thought. Anyways, I was talking to my friend Matthew about it and he told me how boobs aren’t the same to him anymore either. As a female I would assume my reaction to this atmosphere is different than males, but we agreed on some things. He said, “They just aren’t as cool as they used to be.” Rightfully so, Matthew, rightfully so. Swazis are very comfortable with their bodies. I appreciate that…usually. Whether it’s the old man in public behind a bush going to the bathroom and greeting me as he submerges from the branches or my naked grandma who splashes me in the river while I’m trying to concentrate on washing my clothes, the word bizarre or awkward or uncomfortable doesn’t translate. Swazis just don’t care about nakedness. Some of you guys might be thinking, “You are 23 yrs. old. Its time to not laugh at boobs or butts. It’s a natural part of life.” Well I say to you, I agree nakedness is a beautiful thing, but I can’t control the snickers sometimes. It’s as impossible as controlling my giggles when someone makes a tooting noise with “their shoe”. Please don’t ask me to give that up. Being in Africa is definitely helping though. The frequency of seeing naked parts numbs the effect at least 30% of the time. I now am starting to see, other volunteers agree, that the breast is more like equipment than a body part. A tool. Kinda like a frying pan or a toaster. The guys in my group agree. I would even dare to call it an appliance because it serves a function. Gives food. A natural appliance. A mom with a boob is like catcher with a baseball glove if you ask me. The point I’m getting at is Swaziland is teaching me a lot and each day, if I look for them. I can get some sort of lesson on life or culture. I feel it’s my duty to share those life lessons with the people I love the most back at home.

I went to a Thanksgiving supper at a married volunteer couple’s home about 3 hour hike on Thursday. It’s nice to be with people over the holidays. Like I said before, it’s not like my last Thanksgiving with references to Squanto and KFC drumsticks with friends, but I got to thinking that its not often we get to celebrate the American holiday within the summer heat of South Africa. Actually, it’s not my 1st Thanksgiving in Africa. My friend Laura from Puerto Rico emailed me reminding me of that. It was about 3 years ago when we celebrated Thanksgiving in land rovers in the Sahara Desert when I was working with YWAM. We stopped at a village when returning back to our base late at night. We bought some chickens and paid people to prepare them for us since we had no food. We each had a zip lock bag with pieces of the chicken in it. The driver spoke Arabic and broken Spanish and we had a discussion about how I was a Christian. Through Laura translating, the three of us sat up front going up and down sand dunes while people slept in the back seats. They thought my story was amazing about how my parents were raised in a church too. The driver had to hide from everyone that he was a Christian because he lived in a part of Algeria where everyone was Muslim. I never realized how cool that Thanksgiving was until now, so thanks for letting me reminisce. I don’t know if I ever told people that story either. It was a difficult Thanksgiving away from family. I remember after staying in Algeria for a month, I was sure that God didn’t want me to leave the US again nor do international mission work. 3 years later I find myself trying to tackle my Thanksgiving meal on my friend’s homestead and talking about someone’s Swazi breasts I witnessed this morning. God is hilarious. I’m not alone this holiday season. The same God who was with me talking to my driver in Algeria is with me Swaziland. That’s comforting.

Its kinda cool because I see how some experiences I’ve had is helping now while I’m here. I was an aunt in 5th grade. The only one in my class. Holla! Some kids brought Gigga Pets, Generation X jeans, and slap bracelets for show and tell. I brought a human. My baby niece. I scored some serious popularity points on that one. Haha! “Oh yeah, Marcus, your show and tell takes AAA batteries and is named Chester….well, my show and tell has an umbilical cord.” I was able to help take care of my niece as a little kid and I liked to help my big sister with the changes of motherhood too. Now, my Swazi aunt, who is a year older than me, is pregnant and kind of in a similar situation as my sister was when I was in 5th grade. I feel like I’m able to help her in a different way now that I’m older and understand the situation. I tell her things I remember from when my sisters were pregnant. We hang out about everyday. She’s sassy and loud. She knows, so it’s not bad that I said that.  I don’t know if it’s a hormonal thing or what, but yesterday she insisted on wearing a stocking cap, pants, skirt, a wool jacket and socks. Its summer here. I looked at her with confusion and after she insulted my colorful outfit and I said, “I’m not taking fashion tips from you! Look what you are wearing! We’re in Africa, not Antarctica!” She punched me in my ribs (I told you she plays rough) and then we laughed. I pretended to be passed out in the grass to make her feel bad, but she didn’t care and went out to the field. I’m hoping she’ll let me go with her to the hospital when she has the baby. I told her I would buy her KFC if she would let me watch. (KFC is the only American fast food chain in Swaziland and they love it here.) She doesn’t want ANYONE to go with her and she is very difficult to live with sometimes, so although challenging some days, she is still my friend. If she wanted me there at the hospital to help, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I try to give her fruit and veggies whenever I eat them to make sure the baby is getting a balanced diet. I want her to test for HIV/AIDS, but there is so much stigma here that people would rather just live with not knowing so they can keep living like they had. The problem is the infants get it when the moms don’t take the ARVs to decrease the viral load.

I miss you guys everyday. I can’t wait to hear from you. Thank you so much for the letters you’ve given me while I’ve been here. I read them over and over a lot to get me through lonely days. They help. This thanksgiving I am thankful for good friends and family at home. Home is where the heart is right. Well you guys have my heart. Wink. I will try updating you again within the next month. Maybe over Christmas time? Love you guys! Talk to you soon hopefully. Happy holidays.

Hakuna Matata

2008-11-21T23:47:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Another blog update. Twice in a week...holla! I hope you are all well. I also realized I haven't been spell checking to save time. So please don't judge my intellegence level due to spelling errors.

Did I ever tell you guys about how I embarrassed myself at home? Well, than get cozy kids, because Mama Jack is gonna tell you a little bedtime story. Everyday I walk to the pit latrine near the grove to go to the bathroom. Its a natural thing, so I'm not shy to discuss. Somedays maybe I've tested the wrong Swazi foods leaving me to visit the hold in the ground more often than other days, but I usually have schedule of general times of the day I walk out there. Well, the children (there are a lot...there like ants) on my homestead have also learned this schedule. Every night I go out there before bed out of habit and prevention. So the children have started to gather around the square tin echoeing outhouse to wait for me to go. One night I went out, same thing as always, with my red bulbed headlamp strapped to my forehead and toilet paper at hand. The kids come running out of their rooms to gather around the stall I'm occupying. Yeah...well...the audience turned on me a bit as those naughty little poopers began pounding on the tin walls surrounding me with sticks. They began poking under the door of the stall making lots of noise as if it was Jesus' second coming. Yelling from within to "knock it off!" (as if they understand what that means) I finally come out of the toilet with my minor looking hat beaming in the faces of those short legged tallywackers. I softly closed the door behind me and they quickly stopped and watched me walk away. I did give them any ackwoledgement from their poor behavior. They should be ashamed of themsleves, but instead they all bust out laughing while my back is turned and a single tear trails down my cheek. haha JK. All I wanted was to go to the bathroom in peace. Is that too much to ask? The next day they were sitting outside soaking in the sun outside my door. As I walked past one yells, "When are you going to the bathroom?!?" (in broken English) I didn't respond. I walked away to my room and vowed not to visit the toilet until they left for school the next day. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. It was a long night, I may have developed a urinary tract infection, BUT I won the war. I won...(whispered). No one is beating the side of my toilet tonight. Chalk up 1 point for the whitey.

As I walk out of the stall

Its the end of the week which is great, but sad all 30 volunteers are going their seperate ways. Also sad because I've been with 1st languauge English speaking friends all week, eating homecooked meals from bomakes at the convent (a change from popcorn and oranges I make for myself at my homestead), and getting showers/flushing toilets everyday and now I'm leaving that catered life today. We voted for Peer Support Network (PSN) also. You vote on about 5 PSN and 2 Diversity members. They are in charge of changing things to make Peace Corps better and welcoming the new group that will come for training next summer. Its me and 4 other friends on PSN, so its nice to be working with fun people and have another project to work on to keep me from being homesick. :) So back to Lomfa (my village)I go today. Time to find my rightful place among my family in the southern part of Swaziland where I go days without cell phone service, communication, and electricity due to the frequentlightening storms. I miss the flies coming out of the depths of the pit latrine and cooking on my propane tank. haha I might not be that convincing and I might have said that to remind myself of what I am going back to, BUT I am excited to see my little brothers. And my aunt in all her craziness. I also have projects to do and laundry to wash. I'm excited because I have 21 youth signed up from my community to go to an empowerment conference on December 10th. Me and a bunch of hooligans gettin' down and rockin' it out in eNhlangano. I'll let you know what happens. We are trying to get them all to understand how they can help their peers overcome the hardships of HIV/AIDS and pregnancy in their schools. Please pray for this because I really hope it helps me make friends with some of them and get the ball going in my village. Those teenagers can be a handful. I remember those days...all too well. Youth Conferences= boys flirting with girls...and girls fighting over boys. I don't care what culture you are from, its a recipe that is inevitably used wherever boys and girls unite. Where you find puberty, pimples, and ringtones of Jordan Sparks, you will find awkward youngsters searching for love. Boys showing off and girls putting on lipsmackers, but if they think they can just show up for free food and socialize than...well...I don't care. They can. :) I might even do the worm for them...BUT hopefully they will learn at least a few things while they do that and I will be able to build a trust with my group so they feel comfortable talking with me about more serious issues later.

About a 3.5 hour hike from my homestead is a married couple who are also volunteers. They invited me and some others in the region we live in to have a Thanksgiving Supper. We ate a Thanksgiving meal Thursday with everyone this past week too. It made me miss home. Last year I ate KFC with my roomies and friends in costumes of Native Americans and Pilgrims. Sieff, Tina, and I even recited the 1st Thanksgiving poem in our attire. This holiday was different. As I looked down the table at faces I was eating with, I became sad. No Judy or Darlo. No Ang and Mik or nieces and nephews. Not a single person in brass buckled pilgrim shoes or ribal paint. I missed home. I miss home. Better yet, I miss you guys.

Its plowing season, so I've been working in the fields a little bit with my family. We're plowing potatoes. Its awesome because its like the real deal. We have huge cows that pull plowing stuff. Yes, I'm from Iowa, but no I don't no anything about farming equiptment or the cool words and lingo for that stuff. :) Don't judge me.

Love you guys and miss you a lot. Write me letters if you have time. :)

I'd Rather Be Riding

2008-11-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Sorry it took so long! I haven't been able to be in town for a while and so it was difficult to communicate with you guys the past month. I am in the city this week (Manzini) doing a workshop. We are staying at a convent (all 30 volunteers...if you like stained bunk beds and the smell of moth balls then you will love this place). We are talking with Baylor University doctors who are teaching us how to respond to the problems in the community. Its sometimes overwhelming because we play so many roles in our communities. The doctors are sometimes too busy or too far to mave visit into the depths of the rural areas we live in, so volunteers play an important role in giving them medical assistance and/or suggesting where to go and means to get professional help. I'm like Dr. Quin (Medicine Woman). Riding my donkey to each homestead and handing freshly delivered babies to the mothers while finding an herbal cure for hepetitis. :) Maybe I haven't done any of that, but I am learning better ways to acknowledge symptoms of certain common diseases in my community like TB and Malaria. The workshop this week has been really good. The main issues in my community where I live, as well as others, are as follows: H2O, food, and teen pregnancy. Did I mention that they all come from or are related to the 40% unemploymet rate and, of course, HIV/AIDS? So this week I'm learning how to save the world. haha Really, it feels that way and sometimes its overwhelming, but I get really excited because there are tangible ways I can help.

Two HIV positive women talked to us today. We were able to ask a lot of questions openly including why they never tested until it was too late and how people look at them now. HIV/AIDS has only been around since the late 19th/early 20th century. Its crazy how new it is and also strange because the 1st time they actually knew what it was happen to be around when I was born. Such a huge epidemic is taking place now and is still so new. No signs of a cure and being in Africa where it derived from (possibly Congo area) to learn about it is incredible. Especially learning about HIV/AIDS in the convent here and then while walking to the building where we sleep across the road we are probably passing multiple people with it or who are living with someone who has it. Its like a common cold it seems like sometimes. With HIV/AIDS comes TB in most cases and that is just as scarey. Out of every 5 pregnant mothers, 2 are HIV positive. The statistics are eye opening yet walking down the street you can't even tell who is infected and who isn't.
I've been challenged in so many ways these past 2 months especially. I have been trying to integrate into my new life and building relationshiops with a family of around 50 (over half are under the age of 30). I wanted to work at an orphanage, but I realized that I am living at one. About 8 of the kids are orphans and/or vulnerable children. There is so much to do within my family that it can be overwhelming to also try help all the numerous "problems" with the homesteads surrounding me. There are about 450-500 homesteads in my community that I am in charge of. Each homestead has a different amount of orphans, children, mothers, etc. Mine has 50, imagine the number of people in each homestead coming and going. There are a lot of people. My secondary school down the road holds around 700 teenagers. A lot of people around here...and sometimes they all are sick of hearing about HIV/AIDS. They live with it. They go to school with it. They try to escape it by drugs and sleeping with people who "understand" them. Its a difficult cycle and even more difficult to stop.
But really life is good here. There are big issues, but there is still hope and fun. You can't be too serious here because that doesn't help either. I like teaching Silent Night to my brothers on my guitar. We are going to have a Christmas Program in my room for the family. We are going to dress up in costumes (my favorite thing to do) and rock out to Christmas carols! I also want to have a movie night. :) When I get my computer I want to set it up in my room and escort them to a seat on my grass mat with a flashlight and serve them popcorn while we watch the movie "Heavyweights" (props to Sieff). Fat jokes are universal I feel and I know my family loves fat jokes. My aunt and brothers are always saying them to each other...and even at me sometimes. So then I do the "truffle shuffle" or play my stomach like a drum and we move on to the next fat joke. Now its my turn...revenge. But we just laugh and although we say the jokes, we somehow know its with love. Its okay here. If I learned anything, its to not take anything personally. :) We're all different. I've never felt so unique or like a minority in all my life. Its terrific! It was hard at first, uncomfortable and I almost went home (ask Angi), but I realized I didn't come here for me. So why am I focusing on my comfort? Skinny. Fat. Female. Male. White. Black...or even Purple. Who cares?! Just be what you are and have fun with it! The sooner you are comfortable with yourself, the easier for others to be comfomtable with you too. ;)
I'm tahnkful for this experience. God shows his face everytime I need it. I think of you guys a lot. Especially when I am bored. I've found lots of ways to pass time here. I've even tried to invent new ways do something different. Here is my list of bordem stoppers I've tried:
-Watch people play and join in at the climax
-Make a list of fun things I've done in the past and admire them
-Figure out how to get on T.V.
-Snap my fingers to think of a good idea and see if anything happens
-breakdance on my floor
-pretned I have a broken leg
-climb a tree
-hold my breath
-experiment with makeup
-play dead

Love you guys and hope you are well. :) Don't forget about me.

Help me God to take what I can do, who I want to be, and use it for a purpose greater than myself. ~Martin Luther King Jr. (this guy knows his stuff)

Phelps!

2008-09-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I am in town for a little bit, so I thought I should check the internet quick. I had quite the experience getting to town. The bus was crowded like usual and stood next to an old Mkhulu (grandpa). Fact, Mkhulu can not control the volume of his voice and must yell in order to communicate. Despite the bus smelling like B.O. and what I can best describe as a "cornnuts" aroma, the bus ride went well. :) I am spending the night at another volunteer's homestead tonight. We are goung to a HIV/AIDS support group tomorrow together. She is actually from Nebraska. A little bit of the midwest here in the Swaz. I am going to do some shopping first today though. I am going to PEP (a grocery store chain in Swaziland) where I made friends with the workers. Whenever I come in they all stop working and talk to me. It feels like a Cheer's episode eveytime I see them. I just somewhere where everyone knows my name...and always glad I came. The people waiting in line for my cashier friend to get back to work (so they can make their purchases) aren't always as welcoming. :) Slowly, I'm determined to win them over.

I decided to work at the clinic on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. It is a busy place, but until my SiSwati is good enough to understand what they need help with I can't do a whole lot. They'd be coming in with heartburn and I'd try to give them an enema. That is miscommunication that I don't want to be responsible for. I've been talking to this guy my age though that goes to my church. He is the youth pastor their. His name in Hlahla (which means Lucky). He said I could help him start a youth club he's wanted to do to promote HIV/AIDS awareness. So I have another thing to seperate my days! Thanks Hlahla! Isn't that "lucky" of me....pun intended! (That was for all of those who miss my lame jokes. haha) The days sometimes do slur together and I am trying to keep myself busy. I try to leave my homestead once a day for sanity reasons. I thankful though because there are good people in my community who seem motivated to make changes. I need to remind myself that I don't need to make big changes here. Sometimes I feel like the people here expect so much from me. My friend Melissa her community thinks she is bringing water. They've been in drought for 8 years and suddenly this 25 yr. old American is suddenly going to change weather conditions and pull a watering hole out of her backpack. haha. It's tough because you want to give hope to the people and help them find alternative ways to get water or solve certain community issues, but you also have to remember that you are one person. Like many, I don't like disappointing people, so its hard for me to make boundries and know what I can do and what I need to leave alone. I've been reading a book called Irresistable Revolution (thanks Emily) and its helped me a lot. I'm going to take this one day at a time. :) I'm excited to help, but I'm also excited what I am learning about people and myself everyday. Whether I'm isolated in my hut or in a crowded clinic waiting room, I'm trying to appreciate these new experiences. I'm learning to share everything I have. Even things I don't have. Sharing when it's taken for granted or not appreciated is something I'm trying to understand. I'm slowly, very slowly, learning not to care so much. Sometimes I have to stop in situations and say,"Jaci...get ahold of youself. Who really cares?" I was so fixated on what people in my community were thinking and saying about me (right in front of me...and laughing while I stood there grinning like an idiot) that I started to lose confidence. I started thinking, "they don't want me here" or "I'm such an inconvenience right now because they have to try speak English and my SiSwati isn't good enough" or "they think I'm a hermet because I'm in my room all the time" or even, "Gogo thinks I'm lazy because I haven't fetched water today." For real, when you have a lot of free time, you think these things. Half the time they are talking about the weather or someone had a wedding, but because you are constantly the center of attention in the community you think everything people say is about you. Sure sometimes they probably are talking about me and maybe commenting on the fact that my fly is open...but is it really that big of a deal? Mother Teresa said, "We are called not to be successful, but to be faithful. We (as humans) can not do great things, just small things with great love. Its not how much you do, but how much love you put into it." I'm learning that I don't need to see the results of who I am affecting here and I don't have to compare what I am doing to what other volunteers are doing. I don't need to be scared of SiSwati. I need to remind myself that I'm only asked to do the best I can. I'm a volunteer. I don't have to be here, but I want to be. Because I know God is working here and I have hope that he will use me because I will show him I am faithful. :)

I got a package from Kates, Teen Bean, and Court the other day. It was wonderful! Thank you very much! I think about everyone at home all the time. I have pictures of you as wallpaper in my room. My family thinks Braden Bradfield and I are married. They are convinced that I have a secret lover in the states. I have no idea why and because their is a picture of the two of us on my wall, well, that translates as a marraige. :) I miss home. Sometimes I wonder how things would be if I didn't come here. I like to think I would be listening to updated music (I wouldn't be sad if I didn't hear Jordon Sparks/Chris Brown "No Air" song ever again from this experience), playing pac man with Sieff and friends, wearing a hand made American Flag Shirt while chanting "Phelps! Phelps! Phelps!" with Tina and Kate with the Olympic channel in the background, and lets face it...probaly wearing a costume. Whether it would be a pregnant lady suit or my Jarrod from Subway costume, lets just take a moment and pretend that I am there. :) Give me a call or write if you want! I would love to hear what's happening at home.

Also, thanks to all of you who were praying for my family this past weekend with my Grandma Schaap's funeral. I know my family appreciated it.

DJ Nice

2008-09-18T01:57:00.001-07:00

I am sorry its been so long! I don't even know where to begin. I've settled into my place. It has been nuts. Like I've said before, I have a a HUGE family. Once I get one group to leave, the next batch comes in and I have to try get them to leave in broken SiSwati so I can take a bath. I painted my room white...creative, I know. I've been reading a lot and working in the clinic every morning. Everyday I am learning something. Somedays crawl...other days I can't wait to sleep. :) I walked 12 miles to my Kagogo center the other day (6 mi each way) and it was harder than I thought. I like walking, but in the mountains in the heat...it was difficult. People constantly stopping me to talk in Siswati or wanting to give me a ride. By the end of the day all I wanted was some water and to avoid conversations at all costs to avoid delaying my trip even longer. I stumbled into a store and bought a fanta. I guzzled it down while the teenage boys at the desk watched. I so badly wanted to smash the can on my forehead and let out a big burp since I had such an attentive audience. But I decided to place it in the trash can instead.

I am officially a volunteer. We had a swear in meeting and one of the King's wives came and made a speech. It was at the ambassador's house. It was great and two of my friends were elected to give the speech. One in SiSwait and the other in English. We spent the whole night before (nothing like waiting til the last minute) to write the speech. It was fun and after we all went out on the town (30 of us) and enjoyed each other's company. A few of us took a taxi and the driver insisted that I picked the music for the drive. I always confirmed that the music choice is what he wanted, so he called me "DJ Nice" and now some of the volunteers call me that. If he was handing out gangster names, I would have prefered something like "Ice" or "Slither"...I guess I'll settle for "DJ Nice". He just best be not callin' me dat on the streets.

I walked to the clinic the other day. I am the pharmacist actually. Scarey. I know. I also weigh babies and mothers. Its about a 15-20 min walk from my house. I take this simple dirt path straight there and pass the same homesteads each morning. I wave at the same people and use the same limited siswati everyday. Kids come outside to watch me walk past. I feel like I'm in a parade or something. Like I need shriners in go carts circling me while I throw out candy. Well, anyway, one morning in particular it was foggy. Real foggy. As I stumbled though the path squinting my eyes with my big puffy hot orange raincoat on, I saw a dog. A mean dog. Black, so it was wasy to see in the fog. As I got closer, we locked eyes. I gave him the look that says, "Touch me...and you die." I looked around for anything to throw as it began to bark. I found an empty fanta can as my ammunition...weak. As I slowly walked around the dog letting see that I wasn't scared, we continued to gaze into each other's eyes. Thats when it happened. Its like we had a connection. An understanding. A mutal respect. That's when I suddenly realized. So this is what Kevin Cosner felt in Dances With Wolves. When he would encounter that mysterious wolf and they had a respect for each other. Who knew that movie was so deep. It took me years to understand. A trip to Africa. I so badly wanted a Kevin Cosner voice to narrate my thoughts while I walked. When I continued walking, I looked back hoping the dog hadn't suddenly decided to attack and jump on my back, but to my suprise it was gone...and I didn't even get to say goodbye. haha

Anyways, I hope all is well. I don't have a lot of time but I miss you all and hope to hear from you soon. I love you guys! A lot.

That's What She Said

2008-08-17T01:27:00.000-07:00

Its pitch black outside and the African stars are really bright. It gets dark early here. If I walk out to the pit latrine to go to the bathroom right now, the glow from the moon and stars light up the path so much that I don’t have to take a flashlight! It’s kind of cool. My butt also probably glows in the dark, but I'm only telling you that to give you a visual.

I had my site visit and it was great. My family there is fun. I hope it wasn’t just some joke that they tried to make me think they were cool and liked me and when I return at the end of August it will be much different. Another polygamous family which explains is gigantic size. My grandpa is the indvuna (taking the place of the Chief), one of his wives is a rural health motivator, and another wife (a lady he takes care of because it was his brother’s wife and he died) has HIV. I live with all of them, so I am going to learn a lot. There are some projects I could do in the community. Water is a need here, but I don’t know how to even begin helping with that problem and world vision is trying to develop something. I’m thinking of helping with a youth project that’s been requested. So many youth are having problems filling their time there and so they engage in negative activities. After high school, they wait until they are excepted into college or find a job or get married. Colleges are few and hard to get into, so while they wait, pregnancy is high during this time, STIs, and HIV. The area I live in is the highest populated area for HIV and orphans in Swaziland. I can see their struggle though. Especially for the youth. It would be boring living on a homestead where your friends are few and far between with a few public buildings within the area. There is a bible college near my homestead. It is fenced in, but they gave us permission to use the court for activities if we take care of it and provide our own equipment. The youth director (he’s already working on it) and I are trying to get a grant from the Swaziland Tennis Association to donate a net and rackets/balls. The court is not well kept. The soccer pitch is also sketchy and the volleyball court is in need of repairs….and a net….and a court. Basically everything. Haha Actually, they were used a little before and then kids started bringing drugs to the activities and vandalizing the gates to the bible college. Then started using the place as a “hook up” place for teenage boys and girls, so the Bible College had to stop letting them use the place. They have agreed to give it another chance. The youth is so important to focus on here because the adults are almost too hard to reach with HIV/AIDS prevention. They are traditional and have their ideas about the virus already. Some use traditional healers instead of taking ARVs. Some think its witch craft put on them from a jealous wife....so many theories. It’s interesting to watch the culture and traditions of Swaziland still play an important role in their lives everyday like herbal healing and cutting for diseases like AIDS.

My new family is fun though and I think God knew what I needed during my visit because some of my family was able to open up to me a little bit. It wasn’t always awkward. “Always” being the key word. They played around with each other and made fun of each other. They made fun of me…I made fun of them. We all laughed. It felt like home. They would call me the umlungu meaning “whitie” instead of my name. They thought it was funny. My new permanent name is Sihle Kunene. It’s a family of about 50 people, but I have my own room. Its huge and they love to come in and stare at me. Haha. Sometimes I dance on my way to the toilet or walk funny because I know they are watching. Often times I hear little kids giggling and then I know they were watching. It makes it kind of fun to do really abnormal things because people think I’m nuts and I think I’m hilarious. A good friend always told me something his dad taught him, “You can let them know you’re crazy, just don’t show them your nuts.” Haha Touché.

I carried my auntie up a mountain the other day. She had a cold (fyi: always hide your carmex in case your auntie finds it and starts shoving the chap stick up her nose…needless to say, I told her she could keep it). Her breathing was heavy and we had gone down the mountain to get some bread at a store for gogo. On our way back she had to keep stopping. I told her to jump on my back and I would carry her. A) Because she needed help. B) It would be hilarious to tell people. C) I wanted to see if she would do it. She about 30 years old and bigger than me. She jumped on my back with delight. My sisi couldn’t get a grip she thought it was so funny. My auntie began kicking my sides like a horse…abusing my services if you ask me. I about passed out once I got to the top, but my butt was burning like I had done a buns of steel tape numerous times in a row. I felt like Rocky. Like I could do anything…as soon as I caught my breath.

I miss everyone. My new family has two orphan boys who are 18 and 19 yr. old brothers. I asked them if they would take me on an adventure, so instead of going to church we went looking in caves and for lizards. Their mom died in ’03 and so after the hike they showed me where their mom’s grave was. I can tell it’s still a little tough for them. They don’t know their dad. They live with the Sibandze family, my new family. They are the only two with the last name “Kunene” on our side of the mountain and surrounding villages. They told me they didn’t have a sister and I told them I didn’t have any brothers, so we adopted each other and now my name is Sihle Kunene (unless the elders ask my name, then I say Sihle Sibandze). I am an orphan with them They are really cool kids. They asked me the other day if I had to leave once the 2 yrs was over. I could maybe see a little kid asking that, but it surprised me that two 18/19 yr old boys cared if I stayed or not. That's when I made a new goal. I want to focus just as much of my attention on my family and the orphans living with me rather than on just the community. I want them to at least feel like there is someone they can talk to or help take care of them...and want to. Not because I have to, but because I want to. I just need to take it one day at a time. Just thinking that God goes through that heartache everyday for those kids on my homestead and than multiplying it times all the other kids in Swaziland and all the other orphans in the whole world is incomprehensible. I hope I can be the person God needs in this place right now and with this family and this village.

Sorry so long! I will write one/two more times before my training is over and then I won't have access to internet. I will be moving with my family. I miss you guys!
I

Patrick Swaziland 2

2008-08-09T01:30:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Oh goodness. Thanks for being patient! I know it has been a while, so I’m sure its fun to see that I finally wrote again! Sorry! I got a letter from Lacey a couple days ago and today I got my debit card and three letters from my mom! THANK YOU SO MUCH to both of you! I loved reading about what’s going on. I let other people read my letters too sometimes if they didn’t get anything, so they thank you too. :) I realized today that I have been writing letters to Lacey, Mom/Dad, my sisters, Kate and Tina, and Sieff but never wrote United States on the envelope! “Oops..I forgot.” I hope you guys get them or have gotten them! That would stink if you didn’t. They hopefully are coming soon! :)
I’m slowly becoming a vegetarian. Swazis love meat. They carry raw meat around and flop it all over the place. I’ve resulted to rice, grilled cheese, popcorn, apples, tomatoes and oranges. The Swazi food pyramid.
A LOT has happened since I wrote last. I can’t believe its August! I took my mock SiSwati language test yesterday. We had to meet with three hired SiSwati speakers and hold a 20 min conversation with them while they tape recorded it. My lady was great and really patient. I was concentrating so hard on what she was saying that I almost began holding my breath to ensure no distractions. haha It was tough. She said I did a good job, but she was just nice. I know that I stunk…it’s not a secret. And you know what? That’s okay with me. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
The toughest part this week is that my iPod synced to my laptop (it doesn’t have iTunes), so it deleted ALL my music! It was bad. I can’t go very long with out my tunes, so I will figure something out. I’ll get the shakes from withdrawal.  I’ve been reading a lot now which is good and studying my notes. Plus, it gets me out of my room and gives me time to hang with the family. I taught the little girls how to swing dance, showed my make (mom) how to do a cartwheel HAHA, and did it all with an infant tied to my back. :) Seriously. They tie their babies to their backs here, so I asked if I could borrow a kid to tie to my back too. Social services would have a hay day here. But I thought, “anything to be accepted”. Even if that means negligence. haha The baby eventually fell asleep on my back and I put her down for a nap after a couple of hours. I forgot she was still on my back. “Mother of the Year” award winner? I’d like to think yes.
We got our cell phones today! Please, you can call my mom or sister one to get my number. Use a phone card!! I would LOVE to hear from you. I also know my new site! I swear in as a volunteer in 2 weeks. I will be in a place called the “Mbabane Community” which is northeast of Hlatikulu. I don’t know much about it yet. It’s in the south central region of Swaziland. There is a clinic and two schools I can walk to all within an hour probably. I am going to go with my counterpart on Saturday until Wednesday to see the Chief in my community, government officials I will be working with, and NGOs. It’ll give us time to assess potential areas we have interest in working with and meet our host family. It’ll be nuts.
I think a mouse tried to get into my room last night! The four other volunteers near me in my language group have mice, so either I am paranoid or those mice can smell Americans.
I will leave all of you with this last mental image. So we met our counterparts yesterday. It took me 7 hours and two staff members to give me a gender. It was sad and I felt bad because I didn’t know. Short, stocky, short hair, really young looking, but is 25. All of us had one on one time with our counterparts in the morning to ask questions about our permenant site and the issues in our communities we will be moving to. Somehow I got roped into pointing out on a map I had drawn on my notebook (to show where Iowa is) where celebrities in the US are living. At first I thought it was just one musical artist of interest that my counterpart wanted to know about, so I thought I would just guess where JaRule lived. But the questions continued. Where does Kanye live? Where does JLo live? I pointed out NYC because of her song Jenny from the block. Than where does Chris Brown live? Will Smith…I circled Florida from his song “Welcome to Miami.” I don’t know…I suddenly knew this would continue if I didn’t stop it. I remembered looking up at one moment and seeing my friend Connor talking intensely to his counterpart about HIV/AIDS probably. People were getting useful info about their communities and what projects were going on while I gave directions to P Diddy’s house…
I am leaving with Swazi, his name, today until Wednesday to my new site to visit the clinics and my family. Please call me…I will alone the first couple days in my unfurnished room! I love you guys and can’t wait to hear about what’s happening at home! Thank you for the package mom! I gave the suckers to my host family and they loved it. :) You’re too good to me.

Patrick Swaziland

2008-07-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to catch you up quick on some things that are going on! First, I shadowed a girl named Allie who has been in the peace corps for a year now. She works at a school in the rural parts of Swaziland. The headmaster just started his job there and is related to the king. Swaziland is the last African monarchy…and maybe the last one in the world I think. The people are governed by tradition and culture which has close ties to the King and Christianity mixed with past witch craft. I live next to a traditional healer if that tells you anything. My friend is staying in my room tonight because her family’s grandfather, mhkulu in siSwati, died 2 years ago today and all the relatives are staying up all night to have a night vigil. Its very common. Funerals are another story, but I haven’t had to go to one with my family yet. The Zion church is influencial here too. There are different types and they were different colors, but the red group are a little more aggressive and scare me. One volunteer from a past group went to one of their services and they started pulling her hair. They are known for beating each other up and themselves by biting and hitting. I don’t fully understand why, but they scare me and I try to stay clear.
I have visited some kagogo centers (community centers) and also some clinics. We are going to be interviewed soon for placement. We also have our siSwati test coming up and we have to be at a level 4 this year. Previous years volunteers have only had to pass a level 3, so I’m a little nervous. The language has a lot of clicks and stuff, so its difficult to remember.
My community doesn’t seem to have a high number of HIV/AIDS victims. That is only by the naked eye though and its difficult to tell. We went to the school in my village though and 80% of the kids we talked to knew someone or was living with someone with it. That’s nuts. They are polygamous here which doesn’t seem to help. I live with one of the wives of my Babe (father pronounced in Spanish vowels). Its surreal sometimes when I look around and think that I am actually here…and alone! It’ll be good for me though and it will give me time to think about future plans, personal goals, etc. A girl as young as 11 yrs. Came to the clinic in the nearest town to be tested for HIV/AIDS because of sexual activity. It’s really sad. We’ve been interviewing kids to find out when their freetime is to try target those times to do activities to keep them out of trouble. It seems like HIV/AIDS has affected so many people, you don’t really know where to start. All I want is to be useful. I don’t want to waste this time by not being effective at all. My hope is to help at least one young teenager in my area or mentor someone or anything at all to make me feel like I helped even a fraction of what’s going on.
I was getting water from the watering hole the other day with another volunteer. We had our buckets. A bunch of kids were filling their buckets too. I know limited siSwati but the kids love it when we try. I yelled Jiyva (which means dance) to a little girl who was dancing around the water spring. She laughed and soon I formed a circle of little kids and made them clap their hands to a beat. When someone would get in the middle we would sing, “Sinenhlanhla likes to dance. Oh she likes to dance. Who will dance for me!” And then I’d pick someone. The kids were really good dancers and they loved to see me try. They were all ages. For the finale, I did the robot. Needless to say…it was a hit. The robot is universal. It’ll always be a good idea. When in doubt…do the robot.
Lastly, I confirm again and again how irreplaceable my friends and family are. It would be nice to be able to talk to you guys during all this. Maybe God wants to use this time to help me recognize and appreciate the relationships he gave me while I lived at home.
We listened to Mariah Carey in a taxi on our way to town yesterday. It made me happy because A) it was a piece of America and B) it reminds me of friends: singing til my vocal chords almost exploded with kate trying to hit the high notes on our way to see Melinda and thinking of sieff’s little mini crush on Mrs. Mariah Carey Cannon…I miss you all!
One more thing...I went to a church today that was amazing. Chuch usually lasts 4hrs. around here so it gets long. When you are white, its hard to sneak out...so you don't. It was good though and it was translated into English. The usher invited me because I met him at a store earlier this week and he helped me find the rice krispies because I am making bars for my family. They requested them. :)
Write me letters! Get the address from my mom or sister! Its so hard to check my emails and really expensive. It’s about $5 US to use this and I get money to keep me living at the standards of the area around me…so not much. I would love to get a letter though because I can re-read them over and over again in my room at home if I am homesick. I think of you all often and have pictures that I show everyone.

You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea. Real World Swaziland.

2008-07-10T02:03:00.000-07:00

So this post might be a little random and all over the place, but I don't have very much time to write! :) I wanted to let you guys know what's going on now that I am here! It's been crazy. We've been everywhere so far. We flew into J'burg, South Africa about two weeks ago. It was interesting and the hotel was really nice. We drove into Swaziland which didn't take too long (about 4hrs). It looked a lot like South dakota actually. There were fields and everything. :) We got up into the mountains though and it was beautiful. We stayed in the capital for a few days. We've been having language class every morning and then culture and first aid classes in the afternoon. Mon-Sat. When I was in the capital we were doing medical classes and briefly talking about HIV/AIDS. We've been getting lots of shots and taking malaria pills. I was waiting for my shot outside of the building since we had to go in one at a time and a monkey ran past and up the avocado tree about 20 ft away. It was so weird that this is a part of my life now. Omaha zoo has got nothin' on this place.
The language is hard. I am trying, but it's tough. I just have to keep practicing! The majority of the people just speak SiSwati and rarely speak English unless they are annoyed with trying to make you understand what they are saying. They cave in eventually. :)
My host family picked me up last friday. My name now is Sinehlahla Zulu. I am part of the Zulu family in one of the communities in south swaziland. I have electricity at this home, but there is no running water. i get it from a spring near the home. fill my bucket and go. I have a water filter and then I have to put chlorox in it to kill what wasn't filtered. Needless to say it tastes horrible, but I don't want to have more parisites than what I have to. I eat with my family every night after class and cut the food, help cook, saw the wood for the stove, and wash the dishes in the basin. It feels so weird. I've done things like this before, but its a lot more work here because I try do it for my family too so doubles the task. :) I haven't done my laundry yet....I have a lot.
I helped cook food my first night. A bat flew into the kitchen. If you know me....you know my bat phobia. I could barely move but I had to keep making the food because my family sat there watching me....yes, uncomfortable when they watch. :) The bat kept swooping by my head. I was wigging out. I pretended I was bent down to tie my show. My mom "Make" took her towel after a little bit once she saw I was scared and towel snapped the bat to the floor. The bat landed next to my foot. All I thought is "I'm going to die in Africa." haha I went to my room and went to bed. It was like 8pm. The sun goes down at 5:30pm here so if you don't have electricity you go to bed after supper. If you do have electricity you sit in your room by yoursefl until you are tired and crawl in bed. haha. I am happy to be here usually, but it's tough at night when I am by myself or when I am with my family at supper and they are talking about me in SiSwati. Everyone watches everything you do, so you have to be careful what you say or do.
The group that came a year ago and are serving there last year now already made a nickname up for me. They call me Jenna Bush. Its funny. They are really nice to me though so its good to see them.
I have a little boy at my homestead. He is 2 yrs. and doesn't ever wear pants. During class he came into the room and another kid in my language class (4 of us) kept cracking jokes like, "Just hanging around." and I sang "free falling." Those moments where I can laugh really hard at something that really isn't that funny are the moments that keep me sane.:) That little boy is really cute though, but cries when I leave for school in the morning. It kind of makes me feel good...at his expense I guess. haha Just because he likes me so much that he cries when I go makes me feel like he cares that I am there, ya know? God is really humbling me while I am here and I am really thankful for what he is going to do.
I took another bucket bath last night. Our room is 3x4 meters. I do everything in that room and next week I will start cooking in there too. I took my bath in a small bright blue basin. I tried to find a way to wash my body when my hair was done. I sat in the basin thinking I was a genius because my legs could dangle out. I forgot that with water in the basin there isn't room in it for a whole mid section of the body too. I plopped in and all the water gushed over the sides splashing out like the Niagra Falls. I spent last night mopping my whole room up with dirty wash cloths. :)
I miss all of you very very much. I am going to mail some of you soon. I hope some of you can come visit!! Think about it... I will call as soon as I can. Love you all!

Philly Cheesesteak

2008-06-23T15:37:00.001-07:00

I have free internet in my hotel room in Philly for tonight and tomorrow! What a blessing! I left this morning. Man, was that rough or what. Most my family came and some of my best friends. It was maybe the hardest thing I've ever done. I got on the plane and read notes and looked through pictures that were given to me. The people next to me probably thought I was crazy because I was the last one on the plane and I stumbled into the airplane full of bags with a puffy eyed face. haha God really showed himself to me though once I got to Philidelphia. A lady at baggage claim talked to me while we waited for our luggage. She asked me why I was here. I told her about the Peace Corps and what I was doing and this younger girl about 28 yrs. old entered the conversation. She said she just got back from Kenya working with the Peace Corps a year ago. She might have been a hippie if it was the 60's. She happened to be going the same direction I was, so she should me how to get to the subway and paid for most of my ticket to ride since they couldn't break a $100 bill. Oops...How was I supposed to know. haha She did it joyfully though and then used her cab ride to drop me off at the hotel which was in the opposite direction she was going. She paid for it and everything. A similar experience happened when I went to the Dominican Republic. I feel like God is really trying to keep me encouraged. I really needed it today. From the hotel I went right to the conference room running on the 2 hours of sleep I got last night. It was really uncomfortable at first b/c I didn't know anyone. The room was full of people. I realized then that all 30 of them were going with me to Swaziland! What?!? A lot of this isn't what I expected. I am talking to people though and trying to get to know them. I am really uncomfortable. My roommate, who looks like Stephanie Tanner (except swears a lot more and is from Boston haha), is going to go with me to get something to eat and use our debit cards. It's just all so overwhelming right now. Strange circumstance. Strange people. Strange city. The first day is done and I can't believe it. Although I know this is going to be a crazy ride, I have hope. I think its because I can still feel God's presence with me tonight even with these anxieties. It encourages me to see what's next. Many times today I thought, "Jaci. You are nuts. What have you gotten yourself into?" But then I take a deep breath and I am curious to see what tomorrow brings. I think tomorrow will be better. :) I just need some sleep. Thank you for your prayers through all this.

Well, I drive to New York tomorrow to fly out to J'burg, South Africa. We will sleep over there and drive to Swaziland the following day.

Getting Ready to Go...

2008-05-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a blog for my family and friends to keep them updated while I am in Swaziland! All of you are so important to me, so if you want to know what I am doing feel free to read this as often as you want. Also, I want to hear from you! Email! Call...maybe! I'll let you know when I know what I'll be able to use!

We should all assume that the next time you all see me I will have loin cloth tanlines and have painted on my own tribal tattoos like, "Mswati's Girl"...or some tribal slang on my arm. haha I don't want to ruin the surprise though, so what I will tell you is that I will be leaving June 23rd from Sioux Falls. I need to check into staging in Philadelphia that afternoon. Afterwards, I will official be in Swaziland the 26th doing pre-service training until the end of August. Later I will be placed somewhere in the country for the rest of the time. My title is a community health educator. From what I've gathered, I think I will do a lot of HIV/AIDS prevention and just helping out (working with clinics, schools and whoever needs help I guess). Swaziland is known for having the lowest life expectancy rate in the world (40% below average) at 39 yrs. Its hard to imagine something like this since its 2008 and still a problem. I am sure I am going to learn a lot and I hope to make a lot of Swazi friends. So they can teach me swear words in SiSwati...just kidding!!! (unless they will)

We had a graduation campfire last weekend and some of the best friends a girl could ask for were able to make it! We jumped on the trampoline, enjoyed Alex and Sieff's entertainment up on the deck, and made fun of Matt Lauterbach's leather jacket. :) A question I get a lot is if I am scared. I guess scared doesn't seem like the right word. I guess I am more sad. The main thing that is hard is thinking that if I were able to spend time with everyone that's important to me everyday until I left, it still wouldn't be enough time to satisfy me for the length of time I'll be gone. I don't want to miss out on birthdays or weddings or just normal inside jokes that happen each day. I want everyone to come with me. I don't think that's much to ask. :) Most of my joy comes from the wonderful people around me. I want to output hope and joy to the people I meet in Swaziland, but at the same time I need to make sure I am finding ways to have hope and joy inputed into me. My friends and family at home are good at supplying that for me.

One thing that makes me feel better is that I get a sense of peace when I think of how much I've grown through the past month with the thought of leaving. Just the idea of it all has challeged me. Imagine what God can do with that once I start actually doing it. So to answer the question if I am scared... I guess no. I'm a sad, yes, but that's because its difficult and aren't those the most rewarding experiences anyways?

At least I know what I need to do now to prepare myself. I will have to learn to keep myself accountable, entertain myself and stay motivated. I've always been pretty good about laughing at my own jokes. Sometimes even before I say them...so that should kill a few hours each day. :)

I was reading this book Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski. He said, "We aren't supposed to expect circumstances to be easy or safe just because we pray about them. We're only supposed to go into them knowing that we'll be given what we need when we need it." I need to remind myself of that. I know for me this is not an easy experience that I am doing, but that's why i am doing it. God has been working there before I even knew these people existed (and will continue long after I leave). I wonder how I could possibly begin to help in this huge plan He has for them?

Next time I write...I may qualify as an African American. :) Maybe not, but I can pretend. (wink)