MEDICAL/ Health education!

So this month has been amazing! I have been blessed with an amazing opportunity and I pray that I used it to the best of my ability.
I was invited to work with an organization called On-Call Africa for the month of February. On-Call's vision is to take health care to the most remote villages in the southern province of Zambia http://www.oncallafrica.org.uk.
The doctors are from Scotland. They are all really fantastic people and they are very driven and focused on their goal. I appreciate them very much.
The task that I was given while I was in southern province with them was Heath Education. It is a strange concept to people from western civilization to understand, but from the time that we are small we have a basic understanding about how our bodies function and about how to take care of them. However, growing up in a remote village in deepest Africa you might not necessarily understand that if you carry 20 liters of water on your head it will cause you to have a headache or that brushing your teeth will keep them from going rotten. So I was given a very straight forward curriculum to teach. We used examples like shaking hands with flour on the hands to show how infection spreads, telling the creation story to promote a balanced lifestyle of work and rest, asking how many of them had clean hands and then having those who raised their hands wash their hands in a bucket of clean water to show them how dirty it is afterwards. We also did quite a bit of teaching in the schools that were in the villages that we brought the clinic to. With the younger kids we taught them how to wash their hands, how to eat a balanced diet and how to brush their teeth. We took the kids who were above age sixteen and split them into boys and girls and had talks with them about male and female specific health issues. I really enjoyed this part of the teaching. I think that time in a person's life is very vital because that is the time in which you are forming your own opinions, ideas and personality. The general idea is if we can change a few of their attitudes while they are young they can influence those around them for the better.
I think that I have a better understanding now of the culture in which Jesus was living in. I now understand why he used the miracle of healing to show his power. I want you to think for a minute about how you would feel if you had lived your whole life without any form of health care( I know that this will touch a nerve with some of you because health care is such an explosive political issue at the moment). Imagine if you had never been told to brush your teeth? What if you had been promised over and over again by "wise men" and "healers" and "witch doctors" that they would heal you to no avail? What if you had tried every remedy in your grandmothers book to heal yourself? Can you imagine how you would feel towards someone who not only healed you and your family but also promised to bring your soul peace and healing? He is after all the "Great Physician".
I am truly thankful for this experience! I am especially thankful because through this experience God has opened up a pathway for the rest of my life. When I left MSU two years ago I had no idea what I wanted to do or even the path that I needed to take when I finished AIM. It is now becoming abundantly evident that I need to be a nurse/midwife. I have a clear and focused goal and I know that God will and has guided me every step of the way.


Lesson: #1 never take education for granted. even the basic of basics.
#2 there is a Divine thread through out every decision that we make. He will make it evident to you when the time is right.

Passion: Live every moment for the lessons that you will learn. believe me they are there :D


Cally Jane

Your Ways Are Higher Than My Ways

I think that if there was one major lesson that I have learned since I have been in Zambia is "His way is higher" Isn't it funny how God uses frustration to teach you something Divine about His plan?
So as you all most likely know, I have been basically incommunicado for the last few weeks. Due to a complicated problem/misunderstanding with the Internet company, they have downgraded us to outlook email only Internet. I guess you could say that at first I was pretty frustrated. Internet has really been one of my biggest links to home and as some of you know things at home are a bit turbulent at the moment. I think that I had worked up quite a load of worry about all of that stuff at home. Being on the Internet everyday being reminded of it was not help full in the least. I took me a bit to realize that maybe the Internet was gone for a reason. That was when I realized that I was lugging around all of this worry. I realized that it hadn't been something that I trusted to God to resolve. Anyway I have been spending a lot more time in His word and in prayer now that I am not wasting that time worrying about what is going on outside of my reach. God is good! I love how He uses something so seemingly negative for the good of His children.


Lesson: Worrying about things that are out of our control is a human condition. Letting it all go into his capable hands will bring you indescribable peace.

Passion: Live every moment unattached to the world and ATTACH yourself to Yesu! He is after your whole heart!

Cally Jane

Friend Features

This next week I was thinking that it would be fun if I wrote up some profiles of the people that I am closest to here in Zambia. I want to try to give you a glimpse into their stories. I think that their stories are life changing. They challenge me every day to be the best that God has blessed me to be.

The New Beginning in the End

This last week marked seven months since my arrival in Zambia. That is half of the required time to stay on the field in order to graduate AIM. I sometimes can't believe how good God is all of the time.

These last year and a half has been the most tumultuous time of life. I am not all together sure that is a bad thing ;)

Team Zambia started out as six stubborn girls who were all determined to go to Zambia and live in a hut and show God's crazy love to the Zambian people. We hit a few speed bumps on the way...well that is a bit of an understatement... our time as a team in Lubbock was very difficult from day one (Remember the scavenger hunt girls? ). None of us were very open to each other at first, hurtful things were said, people (including myself) were unbendable and strong willed. However, something had to give. We started to slowly thaw towards each other. We started to learn how to love each other in spite of our many differing opinions. I think this was due largely to the fantastic AIM staff and their love for God's people and for what they do. I truly believe that God always opens doors even when we think that they are padlocked, boarded up and painted over.

When we came to Zambia each one of us had something wonderful to give to the people here we all started to carve out our places in this new exciting world. That first few months seemed to go wonderfully. It is one of the best times of my life and I will look back on it fondly for the rest of my life. Not because everything was perfect..by a long run, but because I was surrounded by my sisters doing what I love the most. Loving God's people.

I hope that you all understand that people will always be people no matter where they are. Whether they are living in suburban America, or whether they are missionaries in Africa. I also hope that you understand that every missionary field is not for every missionary. About a month after our coordinators went on their sabbatical, our first two teammates felt like they needed to be in a different place. After they left. The team had quite an adjustment to make. I think we all felt like there was a pretty big hole left in our team and there was a lot of healing that needed to be done. I continued to throw myself into the work that I was doing, into building relationships with the people and into learning about the culture. In October two more of our teammates decided that they didn't feel like they were being used, and that they needed to move on. That left me and Sam. Shortly after Whitney and Susan left, Sam and I took a trip to Scotland to attend the Europe AIM retreat. It was so amazing. However, it truly put the difficulty of Zambia into contrast with other AIM fields. I believe we experienced a small taste of what reverse culture shock is going to be like. Sam decided, while she we were in Scotland, that she wanted to move on also.

So here I am. It has been almost a week. It has also been very quiet around here which has given me a lot of time to think. I think that I have come to a final realization of the end of my team. At first all of this made me so angry. I don't feel like I ever struggled in the same way that the other girls did and because of that I had a hard time being sympathetic with them. I was angry that they didn't fight to stay. Then I realized something. Anger solves nothing and it definitely is not productive in helping me establish myself and move on. So so I spent some time in prayer over it. I was feeling pretty ridiculous. I was upset at myself for letting myself be angry. I also realized that I am pretty scared. After Sam left, a lot of questions were running through my head "Am I really doing any good here?" "Am I going to be able to make a difference on my own?" "Am I going to be able to survive this on my own?". Then suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks CALLY YOU ARE REDICULOUS! The answer to those questions is a resounding NO! I haven't done a single thing here on my own. Every step of my way God has been one step ahead preparing the path. He knows that I am a foolish, stubborn person, riddled with selfishness. What gives me great joy is the fact that He works in spite of my weakness! He is the onw who has prepared the hearts of the people that I am touching. He is the on bringing about these incredible things that have been happening to me. I am so grateful for my Jesus who has sustained me through all these crazy times. I am so astonished at the growth that He has worked in my heart and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me. Not only in the coming months in Zambia but for the rest of my life!

Lesson: I am very sad that team Zambia is no more. I miss those girls with all my heart and they have taught me so much. My time with them was precious and I will always treasure it. However, despite my sadness I have an overwhelming sense of peace about what the next few months will hold. I know that it will be above and beyond anything that I could ever ask or imagine! I praise Him for a new beginning in the end.

PRAISE YESU!!!

Passion: "Since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak towards you, but mighty in you. For indeed he was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of GOD. For we also are weak in Him, yet we shall live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you" ~2Corinthians 13:3-4

Cally Jane

Vacation Bible School

A couple of weeks ago Mr Thomas Simubali came to me with a job for me. He told me that the Primary school aged kids were about to get out of school for their vacation. He asked me if I would like to put together something for the kids to do in the mornings just for fun and so that they could maybe learn a little bit about the Bible. I was so excited an honored that he would ask me to organize something like this. I was also very nervous. I have never even been to a VBS let alone organized one. Mr Simubali said that I cold probably expect about fifteen to twenty kids....no big deal right? Well the first day rolled around and FORTY kids came!! I was astonished! It was a really good thing that my friend Nzoe was able to help me out. Also I had no idea how to entertain forty kids at the same time but GOD is good and the day turned out to be a success. So we sang a lot of songs, played a game, made a craft and then I told a story. That has been the pattern for the last week.

I am constantly astonished by God's children. He have them such a sense of wonder and excitement. I was really really happy because after the third day of VBS, during a grocrey shopping trip, I found some water color paint pallets! Here in Zambia you rarely find paints and things of that nature so it was an exciting find. The next day we learned about Cain and Able and how we need to love our brothers and sisters. I gave everyone a piece of paper... and then I broke out the paints :) It was like Christmas morning! There weren't enough paint pallets to go around so groups of six or seven shared one. Seeing the joy on their faces humbled me. It was amazing to see how something so small could bring such great big happiness. On top of that as we were walking home Friday, Nzoe stopped me and said " Cally you are a beautiful woman and I look up to you so much. Thank you for letting me teach with you. I am learning so much! I have never had this kind of responsibility before." I was dumbstruck. I never even thought about the impact that VBS would have on Nzoe! AAAHHH!! GOD IS SO SO GOOD! I love how He works in spite of me :)

I pray that I will be able to make an impact on all of these kids. Rather I pray that God's word will make an impact on their lives. And I know that it will :)

Lesson: Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong!

"Let the little children come unto me"

"Unless you become like one of these..."

Passion: Let your heart return to those days when God's word was so new and exciting. to David and the Giant, to Noah and the very first rainbow! God's word is filled to the brim with His love for you!

Cally Jane

VBS

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Old lesson...New perspective.

So today I woke up at about six without an alarm :) I really love when that happens. It's always kind of a reminder to me to spend a little extra time with God getting ready for the day. I couldn't seem to concentrate however. My train of thought kept wandering to other things. I read the entire book of Philippians but it was one of those things where I didn't really get any of it. I quickly finished up and went about getting ready for church. Checked my email. Said hello to Skype and ran up the hill to church. I love God because He has a sense of humor. The first song that was lead in this morning's service was "Did you think to pray?" ....Nope I totally forgot. Which would definitely explain why I wasn't tuned in.

Mr. Thomas Simubali was the speaker today. He is a great man of God and I truly look up to him. He is one of the people that has been active in my spiritual growth here in Zambia.

He brought a lesson on Luke chapter 12. Growing up in the church I have heard several lessons on this perticular passage. However, hearing it from the plank benches of our tiny brick church in the company of some truly destitute people gave me an entirely new perspective.

Luke 12:16-32

¹⁶And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' ¹⁸And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' ²⁰But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' ²¹So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.²²And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁶If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you,O you of little faith! ²⁹And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.³⁰For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.³¹Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

³² "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Now...the lessons that I have heard on this subject before usually focused on worry and how it can be unhealthy and how God doesn't want us to. Great. I guess after hearing it in the context that I did this morning I realized that I have never truly had to worry about anything in my life. I have always had a warm home, food, clothes and education. Sitting in church this morning I realized the gravity of what Jesus was saying in that scripture. The people surrounding me actually have something to worry about. They have no assurance that they will have a meal tomorrow. They have barely enough money to feed their children properly. They may or may not have a job. They might very easily lose a loved one soon or even fall ill themselves from things that we can't even imagine being a problem such as diarrhea, the flu, or fevers. Jesus is asking these people to step out on faith. He says "Don't worry little flock" give it over into my hands. he assures them that there is a greater power at work in their lives.

Lesson: My faith was challenged today. I have always known that God is my provider. Ever since I was small My parents taught me that He is taking care of me. But I have never had to sit down in a little grass hut at a table with barely enough food on it and thank Him for providing. I have never had to wonder if I would have enough money literally to survive. Just seeing the shear faith that these beautiful people has challenged me. I pray that I can learn even a tiny measure of that and put it into practice in my life.

Passion: Take time to thank Him! You are nothing without him. Nothing is possible outside of Him! His love endures forever! Psalms 136:1-9

Cally Jane