Different eyes

Over the last few weeks while on the way to hospital appointments with the kids I have been observing local villagers working in the fields as we drive along the road. I am constantly amazed at how hard people work here. There seems to be no let up for them and everything I have seen them do appears so physically demanding and draining on their time.

On our drive we have passed many men, women, children and jaja’s (grandmothers) working hard in the fields, on their land, washing clothes, cooking on small fires. Walking from the water pump with heavy loads balanced on their heads. From dawn till dusk they are working in order to get enough money to feed their families, pay for school fees and survive each day.

This has made me reflect on how ‘hard’ we work in the western world. I know it’s a different sort of work. Our work is more about time restraints, moneymaking, stress, appointments, paying bills, paying for holidays etc however, we generally don’t have to physically labour every day in every aspect of our day to day lives. We wake up and boil the kettle for a drink and heat up some porridge in the microwave/on the stove. Here the staff at GSF have to wake up at around 4.30 in the morning to light the fires so that the children’s porridge is ready for when they get up. Each meal will take ages to prepare here as everything is cooked on small charcoal fires and people do sit for hours cooking. At home, we will get in our car/jump on the train to go to work. Here people walk everywhere. Some of the children will walk for an hour and a half to get here for school, which starts at 8am. We ‘pop’ to Tesco’s when we need some groceries. Here food is grown and many families have their own plots of land. If there has not been a good harvest or not enough rain, their food supply is directly affected in that they do not have enough to eat or sell. I have seen disposable nappies reused here in the orphanage. If the baby has only wet them they are dried out in the sun and then used again.  We will pay childminders/nannies/nurseries to care for children whilst we are at work. Here children are cared for by children whilst their parents/families labour during the day.

I am struck by how hard life is on those here and how little people have. We have so much at our convenience, and during our week become so protective of ‘our’ time and what it is being used up by. I know that I was one who would stress that I had already done too much in my week, that I was too busy or getting too tired and would become selfish about what I chose to do and give my time to. Looking at that now I can see with different eyes what a blessing it is to have so much in the way of possessions and to be able to choose what we do with our time which here would be taken up with collecting water, walking, farming, cooking. For me, I pray that when I do return home to my luxuries in a year, that I remember how blessed I am to have so much. When I am using my car I will try and remember what a privilege that is and how I can bless others with it. I will try not to grumble about dropping others home after an event.  So what if I would get home half an hour later than normal; I have a car, I didn’t have to walk anywhere and would have the luxury of being out anyway!! I pray that I will see through different eyes how I can share better the things that I have both in possessions and with my time and gifts.

I am also praying that for this week, that I will be able to give generously with my skills and time that I have. This week I have felt tired. I had been eased in gently to nursing life here thanks to Sarah, to the fantastic handover she gave me and to the support I have had from the team. Sarah left on Tuesday to return to the states and I am now the responsible nurse for all of the children and staff at GSF and those that attend the school. On Tuesday just after Sarah drove away everything went pear shaped! We have had a nasty virus type illnesses spreading through the orphanage and there has been so many sick children everywhere I turn. Each morning and every evening over the last couple of weeks I have been shattered. I’m thinking its probably to do with adjusting to life in a new place, having my senses saturated every day and adjusting to living with a new routine, different people and lots of new nursing things to learn about each day.  However as I start my journey here at GSF I am praying that god will soften my heart towards these children that I am serving and that I will learn to lean away from my natural ‘me’ attitude and to give as much as I physically can. When someone knocks on my door during lunch I want to be able to leap up and help no matter how tired I am feeling or how much work I feel that I may have already done that day. And I pray that when my energy is depleted and I am out of steam that I will be able to lean on the One who gives strength and refreshment to those that are weary and in need of support.

Nurse Katie and Nurse Sarah

Isaiah 40:28- 31  “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”