God's Window

Today we went to do some sightseeing near White River. South Africa is so beautiful. I don’t know what I expected it to look like but it is much more magnificent than I imagined! I find no better way to see God than to adore His creation.
The first picture is at God’s Window and a wild lily- ah, thanks God for giving us wildflowers!
The second is our group- from left to right: Lacy from Canada, Dustin also from Canada (he’s just here for 3 mos), Laura- Canada, Callan from South Africa and me!
The third is Laura and me- she’ll be the other pea in my pod for the next 12 months. We continue to be so grateful that God called us here together. What a bonus and blessing it has and will continue to be to share this experience together.
The last picture- me enjoying the view!

Awareness

Sawubona! Hello in Siswati.
While I was staying in the "community" I had a conversation with a junior high aged young man. I asked him what he knew or had learned about America in school. This was his response: "The Eiffel Tower is there isn't it?" "Mexico and Australia?" He did know that New York City was in America and also commented on Celine Dion (she's from Canada isn't she?) and 50Cent. After talking to him I felt sad. I felt bad that 50Cent is who this young African man knows about. But then, after more thinking, I started to thing what we in the USA know about Africa. How informed are we? How small each of our world views can be whether we live in the US or in South Africa. How about this? Did you know that 6,000 children are orphaned each day (I believe that is in South Africa)? And that 30,000 children die each day? How about this? 94% of the evangelical church is not doing anything about orphans or widows- a biblical mandate to be caring for them. Or this...23% of children in Zambia are orphaned and by 2020 there will be an estimated 40 million orphans- the number of school children in the States. Aids/Hiv is a global crisis. I challenge you to pray about what God may want you to do about this. Also, if you haven't, take a few minutes to look at the Hands at Work website. www.handsatwork.org I am daily impressed and honored to be working with such an organization.
On a lighter note:
I just left my "house" because I was laying on my bed reading when I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye. That is never good. So I look to catch a 6-8 inch lizard/gecko type thing scurrying across our bedroom floor. Ish. I screamed for Laura and she came and we tried to chase it out the window but he didn't seem to know how to go up the wall. So, after he ran through Laura's drawer and disappeared we built him a ramp with shoes and a suitcase to try to assist him out the window:) Icky!!! I wish I knew he was out before I go to bed tonight:)

A different world

Imagine, if you will, a different place. A different life. A place like nothing you have seen in the States. A life you may have only imagined in a movie.
Imagine being a 21 year woman living with your 3 year old daughter. You live in a small house that you now own after your mother died. You don't get along with your stepfather because he was drunk and didn't even go to your mothers funeral. You are trying to get through high school and you dream of being a nurse but with no one available to assist and advocate for you it is unlikely that you will be able to get any kind of further education. You currently don't have any electricity in your home because the man than has attempted to rape you in the past recently came to your home and cut your electricity line to sell the copper to get some money. You live off of 200 rand (approximately $25) a month- grant money from the goverment because of having a child. You live a life of fear and survivial. You go to church and you feel good while there but when you leave you don't feel the Lord's presense you often wonder where God is in your life.
This is a brief summary of my last 5 days. I ate, slept, and lived this life. It was wonderful, hopeless, frustrating, lonely and scary. BUT, it's reality! It is a life that most in Africa live. Living hand to mouth, not seeing past tomorrow. Greeting each other with a response to "how are you?" meaning in English- "I am here (I made it through another day)".
As part of my training here so far we are attempting to understand the culture. It has been humbling not "doing" what I think I can do (using my nursing skills) but I also understand that in order to be at all effective these cultural experiences are essential. So, Tuesday afternoon the 5 of us "Footprinters" (the Hands at Work program I am part of) were reunited and are now back at ASM (Africa School for Missions). It is pretty incredible that after knowing these other 4 for only a week it felt SO great to be back together and at our little West Mount Cottage together. We all had stories to tell and experiences to share. We all called dibs on the shower- after taking a bucket bath in about 2 inches of water for 5 days and sweating A LOT we were pretty pumped to feel human again! It was wonderful to sleep well last night. It was a curse for me to have a thermometer on my alarm clock (while in the community) and knowing that it was 88 degrees when I layed down at night and then feeling like it had really cooled off by morning, down to 80 degrees (with high humidity)! Which by the way we went to bed at about 730pm and got about 530-600am each day. Those of you who know me know that the 800pm to bed is okay but the early morning- not really me!
Well, I apologize if this message is a bit scattered. I am at an internet cafe and feel a bit pressured for time....Thank you all for your messages. It is such a great feeling to hear from you after no comminication- even for a week. I am loving where I am and have 100% peace of being here but do know there is a long road ahead. I am finding it pure priveledge to be able to pray for you. I may not know exactly what is going on in your lives but when you are on my heart I am praying! I love and miss you all. I am sorry I don't have more time to write more personal messages. I will do my best as time allows. Take care- love you.
One last thing...I woke this morning to hear from Lacy, as I was staggering to the bathroom in our house, that there is a frog in our toilet. She had tried to flush him but he didn't go down! So I had to stick my hand in the toilet (with a plastic bag) and grab him out. With the little guy in hand I RAN outside and threw the whole bag out the door. I did this all as Callan (the 18 year old guy from South Africa) supportively watched!

I made it!

Greetings from South Africa! I had a wonderful, uneventful trip and am now happily stationed at the Africa School of Missions near White River, South Africa. I am one of 5 young people going through this program. We have a very comfortable, small house we are all living in. Today was our first day of orientation. The majority of this week we will just be learning about the area and the mission of Hands at Work. Later this week I will go out and stay with a community family to really see how they live and function. That will be wonderfully interesting!
I was a bit nervous flying from London to SA but I have had complete peace since being here. I am very eager to get with the people and start learning and using things that God has blessed me with that I can share with these people.
I should be able to have quite regular access to the internet while here in South Africa. So please feel free to email regularly:) It's a highlight to hear from you! I do miss you all and think of you so often. I miss the ability of being able to pick up my phone and call anyone, anytime I would like. That will be a struggle that I am praying about.
Okay, I am feeling a bit of pressure to get off the computer so I better scram. I will try to write more in the near future. Take care. Cheers!

Off to South Africa

I am waiting for Adriel to get home from work and then we will start the long trek from Brighton back to Heathrow for my flight tonight. I feel a bit butterflyish today. I am pretty comfortable here in England with Joel and Adriel so the journey today is the real thing- I am on my way!
I had a wonderful day yesterday with Adriel and Hannah. Hannah was my roommate on Mercy Ships. She lives here in England so she took the 3 1/2 hour train trip down to Brighton to spend the day with me. It was so great to see her and be encouraged with someone whom I have experienced great things with! It was a splendid day!
Well, I better make sure my bags are packed...

In the UK...

Greetings from England! I just want to leave a brief message to let you know that I have arrived safely in England. My flight was great and my luggage arrived intact. After a couple weeks of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion I slept almost the entire flight from Phoenix- even slept through the offer for dinner. I smelt it once but decided to continue sleeping.
Tomorrow I will spend the day with Joel and Adriel and then Friday afternoon will be on my way to S Africa. Next time you hear from me will be from Africa- not sure when I will have access to the internet there but I will write as soon as I get the opportunity!
Thanks for the prayers that have carried me and given me the strength to take this step. Keep praying as the unknown still lies ahead. Even so, I go with complete certainty and am excited! Blessings!

Beyond Blessed

These days have been filled with sweetness. Busy days of packing, cleaning, running errands, tieing up ends in order to be able to be away for 1 year- all have caused stress, showed my greatest weaknesses and humbled me to tears. In the midst of the busy tasks I have scheduled my days around lunches and coffee, snacks and chats with so many- so many- special people in my life. I have been so blessed over the last two weeks. All these blessing confirming that, in obedience, I AM headed right where God has called me for this season of my life. Although after Tues I will be walking in a land of unknown I do not go there without incredible certainty that among this land of unknown there is a constant that I never need to doubt. I have all the tools that I need to go and be any where God chooses to send me. No matter where this is, now or in the future, I'll be okay. With my eyes fixed on the Lord's face I have the freedom to go in any direction confidently and joyfully.
I need to thank so many people for your kindness, thoughtfulness and support. One of the many things on my to do list has been to write thank you notes to many of you who have treated me to lunch, dinner, given me support in many ways (money, shopping, prayers, words, love) but as the time is ticking and it is 11pm the night before I leave I don't think I am going to get to my list of thank you notes. So please accept this as a sincere thank you to all of you who have loved me in such special ways. Your faith in me and this journey is what keeps me going and has readied me to be at this place. I remember writing last time I was in Africa about how impressive African communities are as the whole community takes part in raising a child. Well, I feel my life is also an example of that...I am blessed to have many communities- here in AZ, back in MN and ND- all supporting, encouraging me and being a part of preparing me to take off on this adventure! So, I go in faith...tomorrow I will be on my way. I am scaried silly at times, so excited and also so tired of my heart breaking as I say "so long" to all of you. I look forward to communicating in a different way and sharing what God has in store- I can only imagine! But I do know this- It is going to be good!

Finances

Many people have asked how I am doing financially for this adventure. So here is my least favorite entry of talking about money...
I anticipate needing approximately $12,000 for the year. Currently I have about $8,000 of support available to me. Here's the rough breakdown of how my money is going to be spent:
Flight to South Africa $2,500
3 months in SA for training
-tuition, accommodations, food $2,000
Transport to Mozambique, Visa $1,200
Food, housing, transport in Moz $3,000
Health Insurance $ 700
Medications, medical supplies $2,000
Incidental expenses
-(prophylactic malaria medications) $ 600
Total $12,000

If you do feel so called to be part of my ministry financially you can mail checks to Highlands Church, 9050 E Pinnacle Peak Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Make checks payable to Highlands Church and write Hands at Work on the memo line.
More importantly than finances I ask that you continue to pray and encourage me. I am fully aware that there are going to be hard times in this next year. I also know that couldn't be doing this without the prayers, support and encouragement from my many family, friends and church! As I have experienced in the past hearing from those of you "back home" is encouragmement and often brings enough joy to keep going on the tough days. So, please pray and write as often as possible! Also, please share with me what is going on in your lives and your prayer requests. Never think that because I am off doing something different and exciting that I don't care about life back here. I desperately want to be kept up to date as to what is going on in your lives. My culture shock on the return will be difficult enough. If I am clueless as to what I have missed out on I will be a mess:) So, start the emails coming:) More soon...the adventure is about to begin!

Bless the patients

It has been difficult for me to tell some of my hospice patients that I will no longer be their nurse. After seeing a few of them numerous times a week for over 6 months, quite a relationship has been built! A couple of the cute comments have been:
"Oh, Dara, don't get eaten by a lion! Oh, you won't. You are too nice to die!"
"Hmm, I thought you were going to say you are getting married. Instead you are running away for the chance for the next 12 months." (I should add this pt has been married numerous times- a fan of marriage!:)
Others have been quite parental and are concerned for my safety. They have also felt for my family in saying, "what do your parents think of this?"
They are funny! It has been such a pleasure to learn from them over the last 6 months.
Loving my job here does make it more difficult to leave, although, my patients here will get a new nurse after I go. My heart breaks for those who have no nurse- no one to care for them. No one who cares.

One month...

One month from yesterday and I will be on my way!!! Unbelievable! The blessings keep flowing through my life which keeps me grounded in knowing that yes, indeed, this is all being orchestrated by the Lord. I am continuously assured that, in obedience,I am doing just exactly what I am supposed to. Moment by moment I go through emotions of thinking "WHAT exactly am I doing and for HOW long???" and the next instance I will be grinning as I dream of holding that sick orphan or rubbing the back of the abandoned widow. Please pray for me as this is always a very difficult time for me. The time when I am fully in the Western world preparing to go to the third world is scary, uncertain and at times...crazy. Saying goodbye to people feels like it breaks my heart a bit more each time I do it but I need to change my thinking to a realization that my heart will soon be mended. With each sacrifice I give here there is going to be greater blessing there!

Here is my schedule thus far:
Feb 19 730pm fly from Phoenix direct to London
Feb 20-22 Spend time with Adriel in London/Brighton :)
Feb 22 Meet up with Laura at London Heathrow and fly to Johannesburg, S. Africa
Feb 23 Arrive in Johannesburg, SA and fly on to Kruger, Mpumalanga- a short 40 min flight
Feb 25 Start Hands at Work training at the Africa School of Missions

The support that I have here through my friends, family, work and church friends is incredible. I truely believe that without each of your encouragement I would never be able to do this. Because I value the part you play and KNOW the value in your prayers I ask that you join in being a Prayer Warrior over the next year. I believe praying is a way of releasing God's blessing and work- something I want to continue to grow in. So, for today to you Prayer Warriors-
*Peace in my preparation- packing, storing, selling my things
*Wrapping up at work- telling my patients I am leaving
*Strength to look ahead rather than dwell on what I am leaving behind

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.