Goodbye Zulu Friends - Until Next Year.

Sawubona!!

It is late. Very late. The sound of Zulu voices is ringing in all our ears. Our dear friends Sabelo, Mcopseni and Manzini joined us tonight for dinner and devotions after our Friday night Bible Study. Adding their voices, along with Mercy and Isaiah and Zomusa's to our singing was an incredible blessing for our last night here in Zulu land. Honestly, words cannot describe the awesome wonder of our experience here these past two weeks. Watching God move in and through these amazing people, hearing God speak to us each in a unique and special way, feeling God's presence around us in every beautiful smile we've seen, warm embrace we've shared and gorgeous day we've been here.

Today was nearly a perfect end - if there can be such a thing to an experience such as this. We awoke late and enjoyed a rather lazy morning. Katie and Cathy prepared another delicious breakfast for us as we prepared for our last day. The docs headed to one of the local government hospitals to visit with the doctors here who have supported our trips. The rest of us sorted the remaining meds to leave for Mercy and the people here - and for our next trip (April 2009!!!!). We all headed to the Indian Ocean around noon for one last chance to soak up some African sun. The water was perfect (no sharks!) and we all played some volleyball and soccer and strolled the shore. We headed home early afternoon to finish sorting the remaining meds and prepare for Bible study and dinner. Rev Rob led another great devotion for us all on the Beatitudes - a wonderful reminder of how God calls us to live and what blessings we receive if we live that way. We finished the night with a delicious dinner and very moving devotions. We laughed and sang and prayed. And even had a bit of a dance party in the living room!

There is no way to describe how this trip has touched each one of us. We will be hard pressed to put into words all that we have seen and learned and shared here. And while we have missed you all a great deal, we are saddened to be leaving this place and unsure of how to process all that God has shown us.

Thank you, all, for your prayers and your support. We know that God has been moving powerfully here, holding us in His hands, and we know that your prayers have been heard. Please continue to pray as we board our plane tomorrow for the long journey home. Pray for safety, pray for peace, pray for continued joy amidst the saddness of leaving. Pray for team unity and encouragement to each other. Pray for those we are leaving behind here.

And, a gentle reminder - we should be arriving in Detroit on Sunday. There should be no customs as we SHOULD do that at Dulles. We look forward to seeing you there to greet us :)

God bless you. We love you. And we will see you all soon!!

The Medical Outreach Team

The Last Days

Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sawubona! nGiyanibingelela nonke egameni lenkosi yethu uJesu Cristu. Siyabonga kikulu. (Hello! We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you very much. ) Today was another marvelous day. We were reminded by Sharon ’s morning devotion that God’s mercies are new every morning. He loves us and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. We can first be reconciled to our Creator, but also through Christ we now can be reconciled one to another. And we were challenged about our own hearts, reminded that God forgives us in just the way we are willing and able to forgive others. Today was our last of the 5 clinics. We went back to Empembeni (the roads were only slightly less awful than yesterday) to find 75 people waiting for us at 8am. We saw 130 adults in the morning then 80 kids from the ACM school across the road. The pediatricians again enjoyed ending on a young note. God impressed upon our hearts again how wonderful these kids are, and how blessed we are with plenty in the States. Most of the kids complained of headaches and stomach aches. We know they all carry worms as a daily burden, but as we asked we learned how most went without lunch and many eat just one meal a day. Yet they were all so very happy to see us, to sing with us, to laugh with us, and to smile for us (and to wait all day to see us). We were reminded again that unless we become like such little children we will never enter God’s kingdom. We all came home tired yet refreshed. God has continued to do wonderful things among our team. Over the last 11 evening devotions we have heard a piece of each person’s life story through special verses and life tokens. We know the enemy prowls about seeking to destroy. We have heard about pain and suffering. And we have heard each person’s story of redemption, of how God has called each one by name and the healing and renewal that came when we chose to follow the voice of our shepherd. God is indeed our good shepherd, calling us each by name. He knows us and loves us and holds us in the palm of his hand. We know that he will be faithful to complete the good work he has begun in us. We have become quite a family in just these past two weeks. It has also been a joy to watch the team fall in love with KwaZulu- Natal and our Zulu brothers and sisters. We have heard just a small piece of Mercy and Isaiah’s story, times when they have “walked through the valley of the shadow of death” and how God has sustained them and blessed this incredible ministry. Now we can join with Sharon and call them Babawathu and Mamawathu (our father and our mother). And the ACM kids - the teenagers who have grown up in their ministry, who attend their schools and after school programs and vacation Bible schools and churches, the kids they have fed and clothed and loved and labored for - they started as our interpreters last week and now we can call them friends. Our hearts will ache for them as we go. We now know what it means for them to have jobs, to get food, to have a hope and a future. The last child we treated lost her mother to HIV/AIDS this past year, has HIV herself, and we gave medicines knowing she will die soon, too soon. We know we are powerless to stop this. But she has been taken in by one of the ACM staff and while she is still with us we know she will be loved with the same incredible love our Father has shown unto us. Our hearts and minds are turning to home. Please continue to pray for us as we do for you! There have been many tears of joy and I know there are more to come. Love to all!

The 2008 Medical Outreach Team

P.S. Some of us wanted to be sure to mention that our flight is still scheduled to arrive in Detroit around 10am, Sunday April 27

The Monday Report

Sawbona from eSikhawini!!

After two days of heavy rain, God blessed us with some sunshine and many bumpy roads. This morning we had a wonderful breakfast of French toast and bacon (cooked by Jamie, Sharon, and Cathy). Soon after breakfast we met our first challenges of the day; showering and driving. With no water pressure, sponge baths were the only option, along with brushing teeth in the kitchen sink. Next, we assisted our fearless drivers (Andy, Rev. Rob, and Sharon) in getting the vans out of the soggy parking area and onto the muddy roads of eSikhawini. We then loaded up the vans and headed to Richard’s Bay and the Indian Ocean .

The weather has been incredibly stormy the past few days and we drove through intermittent rain showers. The winds were blowing pretty strongly but we were able to enjoy an hour of sunshine at the beach. Norberta, Danette and Kate took a long walk along the ocean’s shore. Amita, Prasanth and Brian were playing keep away from the waves that were crashing into the shore because of the storms. Brian actually got caught! Susan, Brooke, Allie and Jill were looking for sea shells and writing messages in the sand. Sharon enjoyed some quite time watching the waves. Kristi, Jamie, Cathy, Sarah, RevRob, Angie, Andy, and Hilda took a walk along the pier trying to avoid the sea spray and watching the crabs enjoy the sun.

We then headed to the mall in Richard’s Bay – a nearby resort town. Part of the team enjoyed some delicious South African pizza (some with fresh avocado, some with spinach and black olive), others enjoyed some sandwiches and burgers. We visited a Christian book store owned by a friend of the Mafus and visited some other stores to pick up a Zulu/English dictionary for the Mafu’s home. We were a little late getting home due to “rush hour” traffic and a beautiful double rainbow we saw from the parking lot. Amita found a fresh almond tree and found out it’s difficult to break the shell to get to the almond. She’s just too strong!!!

We are now home after a wonderful devotion time and a hilarious and touching poetry “slam”. We are all healthy and pray that we continue to stay healthy so we can finish the work we are here to do. We have a clinic tomorrow and will be leaving here at 6:30 a.m. Mercy expects to see 250 people at the gate when we arrive! We have our final clinic on Thursday and are excited to see more of our new Zulu friends.

Thank you for praying for us and sending us good thoughts. We miss you and will see you all soon!

Amita (and Katie and Sarah) for the team J

The Sunday Report

We greet you in the name of Jesus Christ!!

It began to rain yesterday keeping us in the house and away from Richard’s Bay after church, however we were granted some much needed rest and relaxation, as of the members of the team have come down with a couple of bugs. Nothing serious but we could use prayer for healing to get us through the week The rain continued on and off through the night and in to this morning, although some of us prayed for the rain to cease we can not be too upset that it did not; as we were informed last week we are in the midst of the worst drought for this region in 60 years.

The great need for medical attention among the Zulu people was revealed today, despite the pouring rain, soaking wet Zulu men, women and children were waiting in line for the clinic to open early this morning. Adjustments were made – quick wake up calls and breakfast, tee-shirts and skirts turned into sweatshirts, pants, hats and blankets, the patient waiting room moved inside, coffee and tea provided, and layout adjustments were made to the clinic. There was not one complaint made about the rain (you may be thinking but they don’t know Zulu…you’re right we don’t but you could tell by their faces, excitement and gratitude were shown). Every once in a while we would look up and our eyes caught what it was like outside…pouring rain, a lot of mud and no cars but people continued to come. The people visiting the clinic all walked but who knows how far. Our team went right to work with muc h joy and excitement to serve the neighborhood. Things ran smoothly - patients were seen, meds were given, eye exams completed, and prayer was provided. The prayer team got the chance to pray with many of the clinic visitors, to get to know their desires, large and small. Many simply asked for better health and blessing upon their family, others are in need of jobs, are mourning the loss of their loved ones and yet they are peaceful, gracious and smile with joy beyond our understanding.

Medications that we think of as “staples” – Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Cold and Cough syrup, Multi-Vitamins, and candy - these patients have never had before. There are clinics in the townships for the ill but they are not guaranteed the standard of care in which we are accustom to or would expect in the US . The professional clinics are too expensive for patients to attend so they go to the free clinics where they have a better chance of being diagnosed but there is not greater opportunity to obtain medications. The government has provided buildings for clinics in rural areas but the launch of the facilities are hindered secondary to political issues amongst the government and the traditional people. It is a crazy cycle. Fortunately God’s ways are higher then ours and He continues to send missionaries (Us) into areas like Gubethuka.

Last evening, the team had the unexpected privilege to attend church with and later welcome into the Mafu’s home the Zulu Induna and family (one rank below the tribal chief) he continues to give us his welcoming and blessings to serve the people later this week and for future mission trips. So for us the political strife has enhanced the heart felt desire to serve the people with the utmost respect, care, and love and provide the most excellent medications. Last night Rev. Rob taught that we (as individuals or a team) are apart of something bigger. It’s bigger than just 21 of us, (roll the credits…
Brian, Jamie, Allie, Prasanth, Brooke, Cathy, Amita, Katie, Danette, Kate, Kristie, Susan, Sharon, Sarah, Hilda, Norberta, Jill, Andy, Rev Rob, Megan, Angela, and a special thanks to the Mafus and our ACM staff translators); it is helping Grace Evangelical Church, ACM (Africa Christian Ministries), the local community, the country of South Africa, and the World. Most of all; it is a part of God’s plan to show love and to draw people nearer to Him. We are fulfilling a purpose.

The team together rocked Grace Evangelical Church refreshed by the Michigan like weather (awe a taste of home). We miss you all and are praying for you.

Luggage Buddies,
Angela and Megan.

The Sunday Report - April 20, 2008

Greeting in the Name of Our Lord and Savior,

What an awesome day of praise and worship. Since the team was scheduled to lead Sunday School at the two churches, after dinner last night Kate went over the lesson which was to be based on the Parable of the Mustard Seed. The mustard seed is representation of our faith. With God’s continued love and cultivation we can grow into a huge tree of faith. This tree offers us protection, shelter and hope. To demonstrate the story we had props that allowed the children to experience the story in its fullness. We thank Angela as she was our mustard seed and grew into a large tree….being that she is 6’3” she was an amazing as the large tree. The children watched in awe as Angela grew from a ball on the floor to a large tree…she even taped a felt tree to her chest. The children then colored birds to place on the tree, which they loved….way to go Jaime, Cathy, Megan, Sarah, Dr. Tice, Rev Rob and Angela for all your hard work to make sure that we were prepared for the children. Sarah and Dr Tice taught the same lesson at the Esikhawini Church and they did an equally wonderful job.

We then had worship at both churches filled with awesome singing by the church members and choir….it was singing, acapella at times that could out do any American Idol …we also had praise and worship, more singing, praying and testimonies from individual church members thanking GOD for all that he has done………everyone rejoiced. The goodness of GOD is universal and no matter the language, heartfelt praise is a sweet sweet aroma to our Lord and Savior. Rev Rob then preached a uplifting message on God’s love. His text was I John 4: 7-12. God first and foremost gave his Son, Jesus Christ so that we could be reconciled to himself. Secondly, his love continually allows him to forgive our sins and lastly, we are to continu e to spread God’s love by loving one another. Service then ended with us singing and fellowshipping with one another African style. We start with Baba and Mama Mafu and shake hands with each and every person in attendance. It is beautiful to connect with brothers and sisters of Christ.

As we walked back from church, drizzles of rain covered our path…..we had plans to go to the beach today but nature’s will is stronger than ours….we had a thunder storm with plenty of rain….it offered us a wonderful evening of fellowship and rest as we had nothing better to do than stay inside. Cathy, Jaime, Andy, Angela, Kate, Jill, Prasanth and Sarah all played a mean game of hearts and speed solitaire. Brooke, Allie, Norberts, Kristi, Brian, Susan, Danette and Katie all took a siesta……aka as a Sunday afternoon nap……….while Megan, Prasanth, Hilda made dinner- spaghetti, green beans and garlic bread. Megan made a vegetarian spaghetti sauce that was yummy and ran the kitchen like a true chef. Another excellent meal that dashes all hope of any of us losing wei ght on this trip. For dessert, Katie made brownies.mmmmJ We thank Angela, Jaime and Andy for after dinner clean-up. Image cleaning up after 24 people it is a full time job.

The end of the day filled with God’s blessings. To finish the night Kate and Rev Rob shared their verses and life tokens. Kate thanking God for the blessings of her two daughters and how important it is for us all to continue to be good stewards over the earth God has given us. Rev Rob talking about his journey to be “called” to a lifetime of ministry as a pastor. His ministry focus has been on love and how we are to continually share the good news of the kingdom of heaven. That as God’s ambassadors we should strive to become more like Jesus. We thank God for his laboring as a shepherd over God’s people for 40+ years

So, we end the night here as we have an adult/ Family Clinic tomorrow, the last in Esikhawini. We prayed for those that will come to be seen, for our physical strength and that God will heal. We are sure it will be a wonderful day. We just must remember it is his work we do and not our own. Touching lives and being touched.

Many blessings, Norberta and Hilda with the teamJ

The Saturday Report – Day 9 April 19

Saubona -

Sianibingelela nonke egameni lenkosi yethu Jesu Cristu(we greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ)

Today was a good day. It was the first morning we didn’t have the scheduled power outage between 7-8 am and we must say the coffee drinkers were praising God! (Andy still doesn’t understand the coffee thing. It remains a consistent 80s by day and it hovers around 80 in the guys’ room at night. Who needs a hot cup of coffee?!) A good start to the day was a very good thing because today was also our second clinic, the one just for the roughly 600 kids who participate in the ACM youth ministry. We set out at 7:30 with four vans and a truck to pick up as many kids as we could. We passed twenty kids already at the gate to the church as we headed out. Abou t 70 kids were waiting at one of the schools and they all erupted in cheers and “Hallo!” as we arrived. Brooke’s van won the “most kids” contest as she squeezed 18 inside. Andy took second with 17. The ride back was a lot of fun with kids singing, yelling, and hanging out of all the windows. The vans went out several more times to bring the kids in. Considering the ministry works with approximately 600 local children, we did a pretty good job to see 178 today. They serenaded us with several Zulu songs before the clinic started. What a joy to see the impact of this ministry. As we watched Isaiah hugging kids and Mercy laughing wi th them, we realized again what a critical ministry they have in this area. With so many dying from AIDS, Baba and Mama Mafu are the only parents some of these kids will ever know. And through this ministry they are first loved as dear children, then given the hope of a future. Over the past five years, several team members have seen the teens grow into small group leaders and through ACM support even attend college. The Mafus tell us that many adults are hearing about Jesus for the first time because the children bring their stories and their songs and their infectious laughter back to the homes! (We discovered that a semester of college here costs 700 Rand – or about $100 – so one year costs less than $200! Now that we’v e met the teens in the ACM ministry, many of us felt our hearts burning with a desire to help!)

Overall the clinic went very well. Things went better here at the church compared to the controlled chaos of the mountain top. Cathy helped keep the pharmacy running smoothly. Sarah, Jill, and Megan already had a good system in place. Rev Rob, Allie, and Brian continued work with the glasses, and commented on how there were way fewer cataract patients today!!! Brian continues to improve his excellent Zulu, I’m sure he will be filling in as a translator before long! Kate prayed and “played” triage nurse (drawing faces on their fingers as the kids waited. Angela prayed, played, and handed out meds. Katie, Susan, Amita, and Kristi irrigated ears and debrided toes, doing an excellent job as usual. Norberta was in charge of the ever popular deworming/Vitamin station. (We noticed that very few kids mentioned worms as a complaint, but I guess if you live with them your whole life it isn’t something you necessary complain about to the “winter doctors”.)

Our pediatric doctors Sharon, Brooke, and Andy, were finally in their element and thoroughly enjoyed the day of all kids, no adults! Hilda, Danette, Jamie, Prasanth did an excellent job with medicine on a smaller scale. On a bittersweet note, so many kids did evoke a little homesickness in many of us.

While most kids were pretty healthy other than the typical case of worms, a couple kids really broke our hearts. Jamie saw one with huge swollen lymph nodes in his neck and severe ringworm of the scalp. Apparently he’s had it quite a while and the kids tease him a lot. We had a pediatric grand rounds, gathering everyone to help sort it out. With Sharon ’s guidance, our best guess was fungal, with tuberculosis and lymphoma being possibilities as well. Lacking blood tests and means to do a biopsy, we did the best we could, giving a long course of an antif ungal, an antibiotic, and pain meds. He ended up coming back later asking for traditional healing marks – open slashes over the enlarged nodes – to “let out the evil vapors”. He said he hoped the marks would make the kids stop teasing him L. What a great opportunity for the power of prayer, a kid that probably only God can heal, and we prayed God would heal him. Another child had a severe whole body rash that again puzzled the crew (Jamie’s patient again). Lots of impetigo, some ear infections, headach es, allergies, and a few with asthma. It was a good day and we think we were able to help most of the kids. We were all mightily impressed with how well-behaved 178 kids can be. NO parents to chaperone, but they all sat quietly and listened attentively. None of us could imagine this ever happening back home, even with ADD meds!

We are looking forward to tomorrow. We are scheduled to lead Sunday School at the two churches. Then a trip to the Indian Ocean for fun, relaxation, and some swimming for the very brave. We remain incredibly well-fed. Norberta and Hilda are wonderful cooks! Last night Hilda baked endless loaves of banana bread. Prasanth added delicious brownies. Andy has gladly traded his night to cook for an extra turn at the dishes!

We have three clinics remaining so we continue to request your prayers. The team is really coming together. It’s a real blessing to see how God is at work in each of our lives.

Siyabonga kakulu (thank you very much) for all your support.
Sala hathle (stay well).

Jamie and Andy for the team.

The Friday Report – Day 8 April 18

Saubonna -

A day truly God’s gift – warm and sunny with soft breezes that helped ease us into a day of counting and packaging medications for the upcoming clinics. After yesterday’s detailed personalized report, today’s recounting of our continuing adventure in faith and trust will be general in application. We were up a bit later, and breakfasted at an individual pace. Sharon gathered us for an extended morning devotional focused on the consistent Biblical theme of God’s love – each of us was assigned verses out of a hat that we then read as a way through a Biblical journey highlighting various ways and circumstances God’s love is present in our lives – and through our lives. We then prayed our way into the day of sorting.

Sort, count, pack. Sort, count, pack. Until 2 for lunch. Then the same routine until 5:30 – with counting by some out in the delightful sun and shade of the Church yard – the rest to the sound of Prashan’s music, interspersed with some great music from Amita – who knew their hearts and ear for songs of faith. Norberta, Hilda, Sharon , and Mercy did a major shopping run. A good day of accomplishment – all meds fully counted!

Bible Study at 6 – focused by Rev Rob (translated by our Zulu friend Gungu) on God – God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness – as Sharon pointed out – mercy, not getting what we deserve, grace, getting what we don’t deserve, and forgiveness, forgiving and forgetting, and giving us ever new ways in which to praise and please God.

We prayed with and for each other. Mercy closed and we walked home under a starlit nearly full moon sky. Hilda and Norberta spread a meal of choices that more than satisfied.

Devotions with songs new and old led by Andy, and a look into Brian’s heart through his gift of guitar and song writing and singing. Life Bible verses and life tokens shared by Hilda and Susan that moved us by the depth of their individual faith journeys – capped a very good day with a further deepened awareness of God’s presence and graceful loving work among us.

Encouraged to sleep early by the 6:30 breakfast call, we look forward to the clinic tomorrow focused on the children in the ACM program.

Thank you for your constant upholding of us in prayer. How good our God has been.Faithfully for the Team – In His Name - Rev. Rob and the Team

uNkulunkulu muhle! (God is SO good!)

From high atop the mountain of Ingwavuma , we greet you in the name of the Lord, your friends, Brooke and Susan (buddies)…
As we drove up the mountain and enjoyed the amazing beauty of God’s creation, we saw many people walking, but to where we were uncertain.
We arrived at the clinic where many were already awaiting our clinic, their once yearly visit to the medical team. We quickly unpacked and set up our clinic in an empty concrete building with an earthen foundation. Prayers and introductions were made by Sharon with Mercy translating in Zulu to those who had waited hours already for our arrival. Laughs went round the Zulu crowd as Susan introduced herself. We were all perplexed and thought maybe it was her blonde hair that was such a big hit, but learned quickly that her name sounds like the Zulu word for “passing gas.”
Clinic began, with a line up of beautiful Zulu people, many with warm smiles, others showing pain and despair. Our ACM helpers called them in by name and they were greeted by our nursing team of kind-hearted Katie (who is not the charge nurse), soft-spoken and loving Amita (who was at one point speaking her native language, not realizing she was with Zulus and Americans only), charismatic Kristi (with a world of knowledge from past mission trips and contagious laugh, helped keep us going), and Swedish Susan Mary (who wanted to open an ICU bed and couldn’t keep out of the docs rooms to assist them in any way possible). Our nursing team reached out with a warm touch and welcoming “Sawubona!” while checking blood pressures and triaging our visitors. Outside their partitioned off rooms made of white sheets with only a cot, medical supplies, and a chair, doctors awaited the first patients who were accompanied by an ACM translator. Compassionate Kate (who is changing the world one person at a time), our director of operations, would gently escort the patients one by one to the “best” doctors. At that moment, our busy and exhausting yet fulfilling day began!
After the doctors’ evaluation, the patients were then directed either to the eyeglass factory or to the pharmacy. The vision team was run by radiant Reverend Robertson (our umfundisi and baba) and assisted by brawny Brian (with his many talents), and fantastic and fabulous Allie. It was amazing to experience that first patient who was given the gift of sight. Allie’s smile was as precious as the patients, and she received many kisses from our Zulu friends. Brian has amazed us by his already nearly native Zulu tongue. In the pharmacy all patients received vitamins and mebendazole, as well as their prescribed medications. Pharmacy support staff consisted of creative Cathy (who exudes love and peace), our fearless leader, stupendous Sarah (without whom we would not have made it on the first airplane), amazing Megan (who will be starting a physical therapy clinic on next year’s trip), and awesome Angela (who is requesting more dietary consults). What a joy it was to see God’s fulfillment of our mission when we received Zulu hugs and many thanks.
Before exiting our clinic, each patient received prayer by our prayer team of generous Jill (our Safari tour guide) and no nonsense Norberta (the Queen of Hush). Thanks to the two of them, they helped keep organization and order throughout the clinic.
The doctors were a consulting team of different specialties. In the pediatric corner, were Andy, Brooke, and Prasanth. Enjoyable Andy (the jokester and team minstral who most enjoys naps and eating) initially got stuck with the DO’s. Breath-taking Brooke (who has been driving Zulu-style: a manual van on the LEFT side of the road) and peppy Prasanth (who keeps the group grinning) attempted OMT on their adult patients while God answered Brooke’s prayers for guidance in caring for the adult Zulu population. From the OB/GYN department, gentle Jamie (who can shop like a rock star and get things done), caring Cathy, and our delightful Danette (nurse midwife extraordinaire), were ready to deliver any Zulu baby at any moment’s time.&n bsp; Humble Hilda, our family practice physician, was able to easily manage all patients of any age or medical problem (THANK YOU, Hilda!). Of course, super-hero Sharon (our lead doctor, who began this clinic many years ago) has amazing skills in all aspects of the Zulu culture. Without Sharon and Mercy, this clinic would not exist for the Zulu people of the mountain. It is so refreshing and inspiring to see them work together with God and as dearest friends to serve these incredible people!
As the sun went down, lanterns and pen lights came out, not to mention the bats that only our medical team feared, but brought tears of laughter to the Zulus, as they saw our frantic state as we were not prepared for a bat bite! Through the windows, you could see the children playing soccer with peels of laughter, even as they hadn’t and perhaps wouldn’t eat dinner that night, not to mention their long walk home.
After our final patient was cared for and prayed for, we reflected upon our ability to communicate without knowing the same language, as radiant smiles and a soft touch are universal. Only God could provide such an expression of love!
Exiting Ingwavuma Medical Clinic, most of us silent, only then realized the mountain we were driving down was the same mountain our friends had been climbing up all day to see us. We pray that we may return to serve God and his people again next year, or even sooner, as He wills.
Siakuthanda, siabonga! (We LOVE you, we thank you!)
Brooke, Susan, and the team!!!

Team Greeting (Monday)

Sawubona!

Today was another beautiful, yet exhausting day under the warm South African sun. We worked hard all day packing and sorting medicines to prepare for our first clinic tomorrow! We’ll be trekking nearly three hours up a mountain to Inguavuma to care for the sick and tired, who faithfully await our arrival.

Our group spent the greater part of today tirelessly counting more Ibuprofen, vitamins, etc. then you could shake a stick at…and we’ve only just begun! However, all our diligence paid off as we enjoyed an inspiring Bible study and fabulous meal. Reverend Robertson led Bible study in the eSikhawini church, where we partook in traditional Zulu hymns and took prayer requests from all members of our group. Then off to a fantastic dinner prepared by Hilda, Norberta, Angela, and Bob (a visitor from the states).

Some fun aspects of our day included: Prasanth getting reamed out by a house full of early risers for making Folgers coffee as opposed to Starbucks and Sarah and Sharon blowing the electricity in the middle of cooking dinner. Never a dull moment in the Mafu’s home!

I’d like to ask all of you to keep us in your prayers this evening. Tomorrow will be trying physically, emotionally, and spiritually as we serve the weak and weary. The least and last of Inguavuma are the first and foremost in God’s heart. Also, I just wanted to remind you all that we will be at the game park Tuesday and Wednesday night, so your next message won’t arrive until Thursday. So no panic attacks…

Until our next email…Siakuthanda! (We Love You!)

All my love,
Allie & The Team

Team Greeting (Sunday)

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Hello to all family, friends and supporters!

What a day! Our first full day in South Africa started with Sunday service with the Mafu’s at both Empembeni and eSikhawini. The African singing and music was filled with spirit and quite inspirational. We were all touched by a special prayer offered for Sharon Tice’s father and mother…..they truly consider her a member of their family.

In the afternoon we began the process of counting/sorting medications to be used in the clinics which will start on Tuesday. Mercy and her daughter prepared a filling meal to end our day. We listened to the Mafu’s story of how their ministry came to be along with a cultural overview of this area, including the daily challenges they face in serving their people in the name of Jesus. Their personal sacrifice is amazing to see and experience!

Everyone is healthy, although recovering from jet lag. Prasanth happened to see some cut ‘puppies’ out the van window riding from church this morning……only to be told they were goats!!! We are all learning about the wildlife here!

Tomorrow starts our first full day of the work of the mission…. Lots of medication sorting and preparing to treat the many people we expect to see at our first clinic.

Please continue to pray for us as we do for you!

Love to all!

Danette & Cathy & and the Team

They've Made It to eSikhawini!

Sawubona!!

We are here! Safe and sound. God was at work in a HUGE way today. Well – I guess it’s the past two days at this point!

At present, everyone is safely at home in the Mafus house. We are lying (some of us sleeping) in our beds after having eaten a delicious meal of lasagna, salad and chocolate chip cookies. EVERY bag made it here safely. EVERY person made it here in good spirits and good health. We know that every step of our safe journey was because of the grace and faithfulness of God, and we thank you for keeping us in your prayers.

I’m off to bed. We will definitely write more tomorrow after church with our new Zulu friends and an afternoon/evening of packing meds.

We love you – we miss you – we are praying for you – and we thank you for praying for us.

In Him,
Sarah (for the team)

This is the Day!

Hello!

Or, as they say in Zulu - sawubona! This is the day that the Lord has made. And I am rejoicing and very glad to be in it. Because today I fly to South Africa. Hard to believe it's finally here. So many packing days. So many meds. So many hours planning and preparing. But, we are about to take off. And so I ask for your prayers. Prayers for safe travel during the next two days. Prayers for the arrival of all of our bags - intact!! Prayers for team unity among the 21 of us only just now starting to get to know each other. Prayers for those we leave behind who are anxious about our leaving. Prayers for joy as we serve our brothers and sisters in South Africa.

I hope to be able to e-mail by Saturday evening to let you know we are there safe and sound. But if I can't, don't worry. Sometimes there's just no power over there :) We'll be in touch as often as we can.

Thank you, again, for your support of this trip. We are excited to see what God has in store for us all!

In Him,
Sarah

Yes, Without a Doubt, Yes

"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is
missing." Isaiah 40: 26

I chose this quote last year, because it reminded me that God wasn't surprised that I went to serve His people of eSikhawini, South Africa. He knew each and every person, who was of greatest need, and directed us to share God's love with them. That was His divine purpose for us, and it was the mission in which we accomplished. I didn't go to eSikhawini for personal reasons, it was just where I knew that God needed me to be.

While preparing for our trip, a co-worker once asked, "Do you really think that you can make a difference in their lives, in just two weeks?" My answer was, "Yes, absolutely, without a doubt, yes." We might be the only medical professionals that these people see for a year, or ever. But God just needs their attention of a moment, to share His eternal love. And on this mission, I believe that our team was the vessel for carrying such a message of God's love.

Once in eSikhawini, South Africa, I found it to be a truly remarkable place; they have seen war, terror, famine, drought, and death, yet they still lift their eyes to heaven, and raise their voices singing songs of praise to God. Truth be told, we have so much more to learn from the people of eSikhawini. It is for these reasons, that eSikhawini will always hold a special place in my heart, and it is why I am returning in 2008.

For every person who has made the statement, "Some day I want to do something like that." I encourage you to, "Get up and Go!" Don't just sit around waiting for the opportunities to come to you, go out and find where God needs you to be. Trust me, He won't be surprised at where you end up. He will be grateful that your there serving His people.

-Truly-
Katie
Medical Outreach Team 2007 & 2008
eSikhawini, South Africa

A Warm Welcome Home

It was so wonderful to be greeted by familiar - smiling faces - knowing that we had been prayed for and thought about for for over the past two weeks. Our final leg of the trip started early Friday morning in eSikhawini - we awoke to no water - not a drop - but God's love was overflowing. We had to part with our dear friends and it did cause us to shed a tear or two. We drove to Durban - returned the vans - and speedily checked in as a group. We hopped on the plane at 10:25 am and took off at 10:30! Whew - that was close. We landed in Johannesburg shortly after and had a long layover - we shopped, ate, slept, and reminisced with our teammates. Later that evening we hopped on an 11 hour flight to London Heathrow. We were all antsy by the time we started circling in air around London. We saw all of the "sights" - Big Ben, the Eye, the Palace, etc. from the air. We weren't allowed to land until the airport was officially open after it had been shut down due to the bomb threats. We of course - thought that it was quite silly that the airport was closed - but we had no idea about what had happened they day before - we have been "out of the loop" on world events. Security was TIGHT in London and several of us were searched - but we all made it through. We spent some time doing our final shopping at the duty free stores - gathering up Aerobars (shelly shared hers with me on the plane - thank you) - and taking a showers for a mere 3 pounds! We gathered together for a final prayer - and then took our last flight into Detroit Metro. We arrived at the McNamara Building and spent quite a bit of time working our way through passport control, collecting our luggage, and U.S. customs. When we came through the doors we were greeted by our friends and families. I felt myself begin to tear up as the last two weeks hit me in the chest - yes -GOD had DONE a work through us and in us. He is FAITHFUL to the end.

June 29 Greetings from South Africa

Dear Friends and Family,
One final "Sawubona" from South Africa -- we leave for Durban within the hour.
There are many thoughts running through my head as we prepare to leave -- this is my second home and I always head "home" with very mixed feelings. This has been a great trip. We've seen over 700 patients and we've forged friendships that will be lifelong. This is a great team. I'm grateful to each one.
I always tell each team that the work we do is important, but the people we meet is what we will remember. As we saw patients in the clinics, I wrote down a few names whose stories really touched me -- representative, I think, of the people of eSikhawini and Ingwavuma.
Josta Mpanza -- a 62 year old grandma who cares for 6 orphans -- several of whom are HIV positive.
Bongiwe Dladla -- a 44 year old woman whose husband was shot and killed in 2004 as she watched. She came with headaches -- and in tears -- as she remembered his death.
Hlengiwe (her name means "Redeemed") -- a 14 year old who came with marked weight loss -- her mother is sick with AIDS and her father has died.
Masibonge Hadebe -- a two month old infant who was near death from starvation (her young mother was wrongly mixing her formula) -- we gave her formula and fluids and she returned the next day with her mother -- smiling and happy.
We want to thank you for your partnership with us. These dear folks and many like them were cared for because of your kind and faithful support.
One final friend that I will remember is Elsie Nkosi. Elsie is 70 years old -- she was my translator for many of the clinics. Her husband of 46 years died last December -- she has one 30 year old son who is paraplegic and wheelchair bound (gunshot wound in 1998) and lives with her. Another son and his wife have recently died of AIDS -- and left her to care for their 11 year old son who is on treatment for AIDS. She also cares for 7 other grandchildren. When I asked her how she copes, she said "God has given me courage."
I pray that I, and perhaps you, will remember Mrs.Nkosi, and take courage when we face the challenges that God has placed before us.
God bless you and we'll see you soon.
Sharon for the 2007 Medical Outrech Team.

June 28 Greetings from South Africa

Greetings friends and family.
I write to you all only hours before the 2007 South Africa Medical Missions Team heads home to Michigan. We have all just finished a spectacular dinner prepared by our leaders Tracy and Sarah. This by far was the best meal as many of our Zulu friends joined us as our guests for our last meal at the Mafu's. We were blessed with acapella Zulu after dinner. As of right now the team is packing and preparing for our early departure.
Today was a day of leisure that started a little later than usual (I am sure that we all slept well through the constant storming during the night). The morning started with a marvelous breakfast then we headed to Richard's Bay to the beach for one last view. Despite the strong winds wiping and sand blowing, we remained on the beach for some time reflecting and praying. I stood in awe on the coast as the surf crashed against the sand. I was reminded of God's strength beauty and nature. The weather—although strong—brought peace to many of us.
After we all shook sand from our hair we preceded to the mall to do some last minute gift shopping and exploration of the South Africa culture. Since we were diligently focused much of the trip on serving, some of the team felt that they missed out on experiencing the culture. Unfortunately, the mall is much like ours at home. I began to really look at the homes and streets as we drove home I realized we did not miss as much as I thought. What we experienced was even more important. We served many of the Mafus' community and worked alongside some of the most faithful and amazing Christians. They are always joyful, smiling and willing to share or teach us their language and music.
The storm last night; although a blessing and relief from the draught in the area; also flooded many yards and the wind actually took one home down nearby. There are also reports of deaths due to drowning, please pray for these families that are feeling a loss. I wonder how some of the Zulu people make it through a storm; many of the homes are made of sticks and rock others of blocks and tin roofs.
We have seen much of the habits of the nationals but I personally have not paid close attention until today. There are many woman and children on the side of the road at make shift stands selling fruit, or carvings. There are people all over the streets waiting for buses, taxis or walking to their destinations. Our vans have been mistaken for taxis many times. There is also roaming live stock and poultry along the roads. Down the dirt path back to the Mafu's home we find people tending to their gardens, yards and laundry. Today some people are digging trenches to drain their yards. In the end we retreat to a warm comfortable home that we are grateful for.
We have just ended the night now that it is nearly 1200 AM with prayer and praise in Zulu and English and saying goodbye to our new but good friends in eSikhawini. Please pray that we have safe travel the next couple days and for the Mafus and ACM as another team arrives shortly after we depart. The team looks forward to seeing our families and friends soon.

The Medical Outreach Team!

June 27 Greetings from South Africa

Hello, from all of us here in SA!
We are ready to be reunited with all of you, but I have to admit that it is bitter sweet. The bitter is, today was our last clinic, the sweet is, today was our last clinic. We are exhausted, but overwhelmed by the thought of coming home. There are so many people left to see and it seems like we¡¦ve just begun, it is going to be very hard to say goodbye.
Today started a little later than usual, which was nice since it was raining. It was a special clinic, in that we took care of all the people that have been tirelessly helping us translate since we have been here. The span of people being seen was from young teenagers to members of the royal family. They are all such beautiful people and I think that I can speak for us all when I say that we have been blessed by them all. They have showered us with affection and told us how grateful they are that we came to help them, but the feeling is more than mutual.
Our docs, Alex, and Sharon, were very relieved to see that there wasn¡¦t a ¡§Cedar Point¡¨ sized line to work through, and the nurses, Kristi, Katie and Megan V. were equally glad . With Cheryl on the Mebendazole station and Shelly, Adam, and Ian manning the prayer circles, with great vigor, we had another clinic that went off without a hitch. The pharmacy, that consisted of Sarah, Robyn, Megan O, and Tracy, had a new member, John DO. He was feeling a little under the weather today, so the other docs decided to cut him a little slack. He picked right up and offered his expertise in a capacity that didn¡¦t require quite as much talking, great job John!
Having the Royal family at our clinic today was a bit daunting, but they were very gracious, and were also grateful that we were there to serve them. The good Rev. Rob talked with them and prayed over them before they left and also took over the vitamin station while Richard was away. Richard went to school with Zomusa, Mercy and Isiaah¡¦s daughter, and spoke to them about nutrition. He is the go-to guy when it comes to matters of nutrition, so I¡¦m sure he did a great job.
We ate well again today, but it was very hard to stay warm. The rain has been much needed here, but with it came some very cold weather. It is still raining very hard and the sound of the rain is being accompanied by thunder and lightening, great weather for sleeping. Today has been full of ¡§lasts,¡¨ and one of those has been the Wed. night prayer meeting. Pastor Robertson spoke again tonight on God and His holiness and the meeting went out with dancing. One person in particular stands out in this song with a dance move that will not to quickly be forgotten, you know who you are and my God be with you hamstring ƒº
We have wrapped up the day with time spent together and life tokens shared. Tonight were Megan V., Robyn, Richard, Melissa and Sharon. It is always so nice to hear where people are going, where they¡¦ve been and the things that God has taught them since we¡¦ve been here is SA. We are looking forward to a good nights sleep and hopefully, weather willing, another trip to Richard¡¦s Bay. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We have each felt the closeness of the Holy Spirit and have been blessed through your praying. Until tomorrow, this is Kristi telling you good night.
In Christ!
Sarah

June 26 Greetings from South Africa

Sabona (hello in Zulu), Delicious coffee cake that Shelly prepared along with a fine cup ofcoffee that Kristi made is just about the best way to cap off a greatday! It is Tuesday night and the team is about to have our nightly meeting but for now we are spending some well deserved down time.Everyone is in high spirits as we have successfully completed our lastlarge clinic.Today was the second clinic that we held at the ACM church in Empembeni. As we drove up to the church this morning there were 225people already waiting in line to be seen by the doctors. Mercy hadthe unfortunate job of telling many of them that we could only seeabout 150 people today. Still the day was a success as we were privileged to be able to meet and treat many people including some ofthe members of the Zulu Royal family. Sharon acted as our U.S.ambassador, and took care of the Royal needs and requests, and might Iadd she is a tremendous diplomat. The clinic ran smoothly today due to the amazing helpers andtranslators that have been working with us every step of the way. Infact as I was drinking my coffee a minute ago; Sharon, Sarah, Tracyand Alex were talking about how amazing our nurses have been. Katie, Kristi and Megan V. have done a great job and have helped to makethese clinics run swimmingly. (I'll be right back…) Well, we just had our team meeting for the night. It was really good,I am telling you that God has brought this team together! –Enough said. A couple of us have colds and some others have some allergyissues, so please pray for them. Prayer has been the last 'station' that people go through at theclinic. It has been a lot of fun to watch Rev. Rob, Shelly, Melissa, Cheryl, Richard, Robyn, Ian and I pray for people's concerns. I haverealized that Death is a major part of life here. A lady came backtoday to tell the people who prayed for her that she had had a fullnight's sleep last night. We prayed for her on Monday because sheasked that she would be able to sleep without being bothered by evilspirits. I don't know what you believe about God and Satan but I cantell you that God is at work with the Mafu's, with this team, in thisclinic, and most of all in these people! Every week ACM teaching over 600 children in after school bibleprograms. Many of the leaders have been our translators. Today Ian and I went with Mercy and Sabalo to pick up 40 kids to bring to theclinic. As I was driving down a dirt path with about 16 kids in theback of the rental van, yelling at everyone in the neighborhood, I hada strong sense of God's peace. The van was piercingly loud as I wastrying to shift gears around a kid trying to climb on the seat to lookout the window. But there was a strange, Redeeming, Joyful, Peaceabout bringing sick kids to see a doctor. Yesterday there was a two month old baby that was noticeablymalnourished and it captured the hearts of our team. This morning thebaby was brought back and had a noticeable improvement. This was ablessing to everyone on our team because we were able to see some of the positive effects of our efforts. Pat and Megan O. did a great job playing with the kids in line andleading people to the right places in the clinic. John and Richardplayed a bit of soccer after the clinic with some of the guys as we waited to clean everything up and head back to eSikhawini. On our wayhome it began to rain and we began to thank God that he had held backthe rain for all of our clinics. Tomorrow we will be holding another clinic and hopefully attend some of the after school bible studies. We are looking forward to theselast couple of days and we all appreciate your prayers. Please prayfor the Mafu's and for the other young leaders of ACM because theyhave had to put up with us for over a week now and I think we have worn them out! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers! Adam

June 25 Greetings from South Africa

Greetings to family and friends back home!

I was asked to write one of our daily e-mail messages to get the "medical doctor" perspective of our medical mission here in South Africa.

We all woke up to another gorgeous morning of blue and sunny skies. Today was our 3rd clinic that was held in the church at Empembeni which Melissa mentioned in yesterday's e-mail letter. Shelly and Melissa left early in the morning to go grocery shopping since we were definitely low on the food supplies. The rest of the team made their way to Empembeni. As we approached with our caravan, having passed through several sugar cane fields, we came upon the church (which Ian and Adam had built in 2001 and is still standing strong) with at least 70 people already waiting, listening as Isaiah Mafu was giving his opening sermon before beginning each of our clinics. More patients we had passed along the way, making their way to the church/ clinic. What I noted initially as we made our way into the church was that those standing in the crowd were mostly women and young children. I remember a remark that Sharon made yesterday that the young population we were noticing was due to the deaths of the adults from HIV/AIDS.

Our Zulu brothers and sisters in Christ helped us set up the clinic inside the church building. After our pre-clinic group prayer and song, we got our clinic up and running. Us doctors Sharon, John, and myself along with our most helpful and efficient nursing team of Kristi, Katie and Megan V. saw some patients who really needed our help. Sharon saw a malnourished child from poor protein intake in the diet which we term kwashiorkor. Another 2 month old baby who was moderately dehydrated bordering on severe dehydration. Fortunately, we had some oral rehydration salts that we were able to formulate for the baby. I had a misfortunate boy who had a really severe case of impetigo, a bacterial rash around his mouth extending down his neck. Later in the day, I had a family with a severe case of scabies with some of the rash becoming infected already. Kristi and Katie had their adventures in washing out ear wax and even finding an ant come out with one of their ear lavages!

All of us doctors continue to experience the "laundry list" of physical complaints that our patients present with which I think is due to the fact that we may be the only doctors these people will see for the year. Furthermore, the whole country of South Africa proceeds into its 3 rd week of a labor strike of government service workers – including the teachers and nurses. So some of our patients inform us that they cannot go to the local clinics because they are closed. (We continue to pray for this nation-wide situation) We also continue to go through the often-times humorous and sometimes tiresome process of determining what "chest pain", "kidney pain", and "eye pain" actually means. I think even our Zulu translators who have been most helpful for us physicians are becoming aware of the common ailments we are diagnosing: upper respiratory infections, ringworm, allergies (which I think may be due to the local methods of waste disposal by burning trash), conjunctivitis, diarrhea, arthritis and headaches.

Sarah, Tracy, Robyn, and Megan O. continued to run our little pharmacy with efficiency and they continue to keep up in interpreting medical abbreviations from us docs with their crash course in medical shorthand, even as the doctors (John and I) were reverting to our shorthand unknowingly. Pat continued to do an excellent job as the traffic controller, especially today when we were all a little more space-limited. Cheryl manned our mebendazole station, as we have been providing this medication used to de-worm patients; since this condition/ infestation is quite prevalent in the community. David continued to dispense our limited number of glasses but as we noted later, God was still faithful in providing just the right amount for the right number of people who were in need (despite the fact that one of our missing boxes from London remains to be the glasses). Richard continued to be our nutrition counselor dispensing our vitamins to our patients. Adam and Melissa was our prayer warriors for our patients who continue to seek our prayers for their health and hopefully will have understanding of God's power and grace. Ian was our camerman turned reality-TV videographer getting his photos and footage of our clinic in action.

We were blessed to have this clinic day finish at a good reasonable time. And though we did have to turn away some patients so as not to be overwhelmed, we at least were able to tell patients that we would be returning tomorrow to hopefully see those who were not seen.

But this day had more blessings in store for us. Most of us attended the prayer meeting at Grace Evangelical Church where David reminded us of the Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God. After a dinner prepared by Shelly, Richard, Ian and Adam, we were graced to hear the testimony of our wonderful hosts The Mafus- Isaiah and Mercy. The floor was theirs for this time when we were able to hear of God's faithfulness in their lives and the struggles they faced as they established the African Christian Ministry from South Africa to the United States and back again. We continued to hear heart-warming stories of the life tokens from Shelly, Kristi, Adam and David and how God has been faithful and present in their lives.

So today was a very blessed day not only for the patients whom we were able to serve but also for the team. We are over half-way done with our stay here in South Africa and I believe God is working in each of us to move His Will forward, not only here in South Africa but when we return to the United States.

God Bless,
Alex, MD

June 22 Greetings from South Africa

Sawubona!
We are back at the Mafus' house after an incredible journey. The past two days have been jam packed with work, adventure, fun and service to our Lord Jesus Christ.
We woke early Wednesday morning and were on our way to Ingwavuma by 7:30. After a 3+ hour drive, we arrived at Mercy's mother's house to set up for our 1st clinic. The people were already waiting patiently for us, so the team quickly set up for the clinic with the help of Isaiah and our translators and began seeing patients in record time. Our team is truly amazing. We worked together like a finely tuned machine, each of us setting aside our own desires for the good of the people we were serving. John, Sharon and Alex worked tirelessly, serving 152 patients in about 6 hours with the assistance of our Zulu translators. Their tenacity and dedication were apparent as they continued to work after dark, in a building with no electricity so that they could see all of the people who had waited so patiently for the entire day. Thankfully, we had enough lamps and flashlights to go around. Katie, Kristi, Megan V. and Pat worked triage, doing everythin g from taking blood pressure to bandaging up a little girl's finger (a terrifying experience for the child to be sure). One of their most daunting challenges being trying to pronounce the patients' names. Richard made himself a table out of cinder blocks and set up a vitamin dispensing station, making good use of his nutrition degree by offering much needed healthy living tips to the people that he served. Robyn, Megan O., Sarah and Tracy ran the pharmacy with precision and grace, explaining directions and offering sympathy. Rev. Rob and Ian did the vision testing and fitted people with new reading glasses. They found it especialy fullfilling to see the look on the people's faces when they could finally read something after having found the proper prescription. Adam and Cheryl headed up the prayer station, tirelessly praying specifically with each and every person who came through the clinic. Shelly and Melissa organized the many children who were waiting for parents or to be seen by the docs. They also entertained adults and children alike (as well as some of the team) with their shameless participation in the games. Duck, Duck, Goose was a particular favorite, as was the Hokey Pokey. The team work was truly impressive. Proof positive that God is at work in our team and that He has called each one of us to do this work here.
We left Ingwavuma and drove down to Hluhluwe for a delicious dinner and a much needed shower. It was a stark contrast to the poverty that we left on the mountain and surely many of us felt some guilt and all of us had much gratitude for God's blessings in our own lives. We all went to bed with full stomachs and grateful hearts for some much needed rest.
The team (with the exception of Pat who decided to savor some time alone) left for the game park at 9:30 Thursday morning to take a drive around the game park. Sharon, Rev. Rob., and Tracy have been our main drivers for the trip, braving the left side of the road as well as baboons, South African drivers and a police woman who's elbow was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thanks go out to all of them for keeping us moving and keeping us safe. We were blessed to see a lot of animals that morning, particularly exciting was the very large family of baboons who decided to hang out with us for quite some time. We did a bit of shopping at the gift shop and then headed out for our guided safari. The team split up into three jeeps and we all had fantastic animal experiences. The elephants were particularly exciting, a large bull decided he'd had enough of us watching him and scared the bejeezus out of Shelly and Ian as he came within a foot of us with his gleaming, three foot long tusks and a look in his eyes that said, "Don't mess with me!" This event was captured on tape by Alex who was on the opposite side of the jeep and therefore able to maintain his composure. Another group including Kristi, Megan O., Tracy, Megan V., Richard, Cheryl, Sarah, Craig and Kristin (guests of Adam) found themselves surrounded by a herd of mother elephants and their babies. Quite a scare for them as the guide told them to prepare for a charge. We all made it back safely however and gave much deserved praise to God for all of his amazing creatures that we were so fortunate to be able to encounter that day.
We left this morning to head back to the Mafus' house. We stopped at a couple of markets for some shopping. Everyone had a great time looking at all of the wonderful local art and buying gifts for family and friends. We arrived back at the Mafus' this afternoon and most of the team heading over to the church to continue sorting meds while Alex got in the driver's seat to take the ACM staff over to teach after school bible studies and Pat, Sharon, Shelly and Ian went with Mercy to do a little grocery shopping and to say goodbye to Katie Gurzie, a missionary here in South Africa and friend of Sharon and Mercy. She is retiring after 50 years of serving God by witnessing to the Zulu people and visiting many people in need. A truly amazing person who will be sorely missed here.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We have another clinic tomorrow so your continued prayers are crucial to our success. Please pray for grace, guidance, patience, and especially for all of us to be examples of Christ to the people we serve tomorrow. Know that you are all in our prayers as well as we all miss and love you very much. You can rest well knowing that God is taking good care of us. That has been apparent in every moment we have been here.
Love in Christ,
Shelly