Craaazy last few days!

These last 5 days have been unbelievable. From July 1-2, Josh and I went with Stiv and Pastor Herald to the Copperbelt about 5 hours from Lusaka to visit a few patients. We saw 5 patients total over 2 days.

The first patient was a precious little girl about 4 years old and she had suffered extensive burns all over her arm and her chest. The mother explained that one day she was getting the bath water ready for her husband by boiling some water. This little girl was crying for something to drink, so the mom went outside to fetch some water. While the mom was gone, this little girl stuck her arm and chest in the boiling water, leaving her burned. This little girl went from doctor to doctor, being told everywhere she went that there was nothing they could do about the burn contractures. Her arm was bent as far as it could go at the elbow with her hand completely against her chest.... it would not move from that position. The other doctors did the best they could to fix the burned skin, but they told the mom she would have to be like that the rest of her life. She had heard about Cure from another patient at the hospital where she was at the time, so she made the 5 hour trip to Lusaka to see our doctors. After waiting several months for the plastic surgeon to come to Africa, they got into the clinic and after a few surgeries her arm can now function-- bend, straighten, lift things, play-- the mother's message to other families in similar situations is to not give up because God will take care of you, that no matter what, He has your best interest in mind. He will never abandon those who love Him.

The second patient was a little girl who is 10 years old. She was absolutely precious. She was born with a leg deformity where her knees are bent inwards-- here they call it “knock knees.” I don't remember every detail of her story, but she did not get adequate treatment before she came to CURE. She couldn't walk, play, run, or do chores. Other children at school would make fun of her, and she had very few friends. After her surgeries at CURE, she can now play soccer, go to school, and she says she is not made fun of by anyone at school anymore. Her treatments are not finished, but what an amazing transformation! Her mother is going back to school to be a teacher and her father works in the copper mines. The father attributes her healing all to Christ.

The third follow up we did with a patient was with this beautiful 18 year old girl named Pamela. I don't think I have ever seen such a sweet spirit as I have in her. I didn't sit in on her interview because the room was too small for all of us to fit-- so I don't know her full story. All I know is that her right arm had somehow been completely burned when she was younger. She had gone to other doctors, but they couldn't fix the contractures. Because her arm had been contractured for so long, it is now 3-4 inches shorter than her left arm while completely straight. She eventually came to CURE and the doctors were able to release her muscles from the contractures so it could function again. She can now use that arm in all she does! She said that she will be graduating from high school next year, and after that she wants to become a surgical tech or a nurse and help others like the way CURE helped her. Hopefully I will keep in touch with Pamela through email... I definitely love that girl and will be praying for her, as I know God will use her in marvelous ways. She is so willing for God to use her!

The fourth patient was a little boy who had club foot and can now run and play soccer with his friends. I didn't get to hear his story either because I had taken a walk with Pamela at that time... she showed me around the marketplace and we shared some butterscotch candy. As simple as that time sounds, it is a memory I will treasure all my life. Sometimes it's the simple moments that mean the most.

The fifth patient's name is Priscovia. I believe she is 10 years old... however I can't really remember. This sweet little girl is also a burn victim and her story breaks my heart. At the time of the accident, she was living with her mother and two brothers. I do not know the whereabouts of her father, and neither did Pastor Herald. One night her brother wanted to stay up for a little while, so he lit a candle. The mother left the house for some reason, and while she was gone, as the candle was going out, it caught some blankets on fire and in the next moment the entire house was on fire, with Priscovia and her brothers inside. By the time the neighbors (which are several blocks away) noticed the smoke and flame, Priscovia's brothers had suffocated and died. Priscovia was burned from head to toe. By the time she got to the CURE hospital, she was not only suffering from physical pain, but had extreme emotional pain as well. Her face was so disfigured that her cousins would scream and cry at the sight of her... now the family says that she has the face of Priscovia again... and what a wonderful gift that is. She now lives with her mother, a newborn little sister, several cousins, and her uncle. This village she lives in is several kilometers from the highway, pretty much out in the middle of nowhere. They grow their own food and have their own school. This village is extremely self-sufficient and God has provided this family with a wonderful place to heal. There is no crime, murder, or theft in this village according to the uncle. It is giving Priscovia and her family a home away from the accident to start new, make friends, and learn how to smile again. God showed me through this circumstance that even through disasters, He does not leave us. He will always provide what is best for us. Praise be to Him for comforting this family!

We spent two days in the back of the CURE ambulance to visit these families... God is certainly blessing people through CURE, and seeing it first-hand is an experience that will stay with me forever.

The day after we got back, Josh and I took a bus to Livingstone, Zambia to see the mighty Victoria Falls. It is a 6 hour bus ride one way... I traveled enough in the last 4 days to drive from Texas to Colorado and back. We stayed at a beautiful place inside of Livingstone called Jollyboys Backpackers. The first night I was in a room that had the most wonderful shower I feel like I have ever had... at least in the last 4 weeks! The shower was covered with smooth river stones and didn't have any rust on the shower head... it was such a treat. I kind of felt spoiled. After working and having such a heavy heart and mind this last month for these patients, it was nice to get out and enjoy nature a little bit. The first day we were there Josh and I went on an elephant-back safari! I wasn't planning on doing any safaris on this trip, but how can one go to Africa and not enjoy a safari? I am pretty sure elephants are my favorite animals now... they are not only fun to watch, but they are amazingly huge creatures and so sweet! My elephant's name was Danny and he was 37 years old. The guide told me that elephants can live up to 75-80 years but because they take such good care of them, they can live up to 100 years. That is unbelievable to me! On the one hour Safari, we saw gazelles and lots of birds, and I saw a few bayobeb trees (I have no idea how to spell that). These trees can last up to 700 years-- if you have seen the Lion King, it is the tree Rafiki lived in, the ones with the huge trunks. They are so beautiful! At the end of the ride we had a chance to spend time with our elephants, feeding them and petting them. I want an elephant as my pet at home... they stay small-ish for a few years, so I can have one, right??? :)

The second day Josh treated me to an afternoon of bungee jumping, gorge swinging, and zip lining across the Victoria Falls gorge. The whole time I just kept thinking of what an amazing creation our Father made for us, and what a unique way to experience it. I was in absolute awe. I have a video of the jumps and some pictures, so remind me to show them to you sometime! I will let the pictures speak for themselves... Later in the afternoon we went to the other side of Victoria Falls to walk around the park. We tried to do most of the dry activities first, because once you get to the really wet part of the park, you're cold and wet and ready to go home. We first took the steps to get up to the very top of the falls, where it's a huge river (the Zambezi river, I think) that you can stand and swim in. If the water wasn't so cold I would have played in it for sure! I sat at the top of the falls, looking at the cloud of mist on the other side of the waterfall... knowing if I got in too far I would be swept away and ride the gushes of water down to the very bottom of the falls. Further away from the falls part of the river there were kids and families playing and diving into the river! It was so crazy to see... they would NEVER allow that in America! At this very moment I don't really know what else to say about that trip, so if you have any questions please let me know and I will be more than happy to answer them for you.

On the bus ride back to Lusaka the next day (remember... it's 6 hours) I was sore, exhausted, and feeling completely drained. My patience was running extremely thin because public transportation isn't exactly a piece of cake here. Once the bus got out of town, they put on a movie. I want you to know that on the way to Livingstone, they played episodes WWF Smackdown... for several hours. I was thinking “Oh great. If I have to watch WWF Smackdown one more time I am going to walk the rest of the way home.” The title of the movie came on-- “Fireproof.” My heart stopped. God is so good. My Father knows my needs and provides me with comfort where I expect it the least. I had never seen that movie before, and by the end I was crying my eyes out. God had just reminded me that when my glass is empty, He will make it overflow. I read my Bible the rest of the way home and I felt completely at peace. It was the Godly peace that overwhelms my soul and gives me strength, renewed purpose, and a sound mind. Again, God is SO good. If you have never seen that movie, it is a beautiful story! They definitely won't win any oscars for best actor/actress/picture/director, but if you can get past all that and let your heart get swept away with the message, I promise it will bless your life.

I am now back in Lusaka, enjoying not riding in a car or bus and sleeping in my own bed. Tomorrow I go back to the hospital to work nights for the rest of the week. After this week I only have one left! I can't believe it, I really can't. This time has flown by so fast and I have seen and experienced so much in such a short time. I don't know how God is going to use these experiences when I get home, but I am looking forward to the adventure! God never promised life would be easy, but He did promise that He would never leave those who love and seek Him. As long as I am willing, He will use these experiences for His glory, and I pray for nothing less than that!!! Life with God is the greatest adventure we will ever have!