Who knew the rain would be so fun =)

The theme of this blog is RAIN =)

The past couple weeks there have been some amazingly wonderful fun things that have happened and they seem to revolve around the rain.

FIRST….

So it is 11:00 Wednesday night, I am finishing up some homework for a poster presentation that we were doing for our group about the World Health Organization when I was interrupted by the LOUDEST thunder I have ever heard! I ran out of our chalet to see the sky LIGHT up! It was a thunder storm unlike any I have seen! As we are standing outside someone says, lets stay out here all night and watch this. Then someone says, lets lay on the lawn and watch this. Then someone (most likely a boy) say LETS GET THE SLIP AND SLIDE OUT! I thought they were kidding

….o no….so we got the slip and slide out and had the most epic thunder storm slip and slide EVER! It was so much fun! =)

THE NEXT RAINY EVENT….

Saturday was Durban day round two! However the capstone of this day was the semi-final SHARKS rugby game.

My ticket was DD 813…little did we know that DD was literally THE LAST ROW. I am not kidding you guys we were at the last row. =)

As the game started (well it started late because there was as swarm of bees on the field lol) we moved down to closer seats. RUGBY IS CRAZY, every second I thought someone was going to die. It makes American football look so lame and makes the players who wear pads like wimps.

The winner of this game moved on to the cup finals and the game was super intense and kinda close. With 30 minutes left in the second half it started raining…then it started POURING…but the game had to go on =) it was so much fun to be in the rain and watch them play in the rain and then walk back to the van in the rain =) The sharks ended up winning so that was super fun =) First ever rugby game was seriously so much fun =)

THE THUNDER STORMS CONTINUE

For clinical this week I was at Ethembeni again which is the home visiting to HIV/AIDS patients ministry. This week francie and I got to be together and that was such a blessing because this was our first time in Africa being in the same clinical group. =)

We got to go to the rural area called Haza and hang out with some of the same families that I got to work with last time I went there. Francie and I were trying to be cool and balance the maze on our heads lol. well we could barely do it with without using our hands =)

It was super hot in the morning, but the clouds were present. These were those dark ominious clouds that you know are bringing rain. So while we were in a house talking and praying with a patient the sky let loose. =) Thunder was rippling, huge rain drops were dropping. It was crazy/beautiful =) I am so thankful for the chance to work with such a wonderful ministry =)

Another extremely wonderful activity that happened in the rain was DRESS LIKE YOUR ROOMMATE game night! So much fun so many games and SO many laughs! =)

=) Thanks for reading =) love and miss you all =)

This past week I had the opportunity to work at CAPRISA which stands for Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa! www.caprisa.org I had the most wonderful nurse ever. She loved her job. It was extremely refreshing to be in a clinical setting here where the nurse truly cares about her patients. We saw a lot of sick people; the Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks the cells within people’s bodies that maintain their immune system. When you have HIV, you are extremely susceptible to illness like Tuberculosis. The stat is that 70% of the people with HIV are co-infected with TB. It was super encouraging as well to be working with a nurse who was a Christian. When people are working and serving for the honor and glory of the LORD there is a huge difference. Pray that the Lord continues to bless and honor her ministry at CAPRISA.

On Thursday of last week, after seeing a few patients, my nurse turn to me and says, “Let’s make our goal today to have every patient laughing by the time they leave this room.” I was overjoyed because I think that laughter is such a healer. EVERY PERSON at CAPRISA is HIV+. They are so much pain, sickness, shame, and burden. So why not help that with a smile or a laugh. The jokes included anything from how me and Obama are friends, how I am American, and my favorite was when a little girl who was seriously sick with HIV and TB came in and I put on my TB mask (which seriously looks like duck face) and I waddled and quacked around the room and we were all laughing. My nursing professor says often towards many different situations that we have encountered “We laugh because if we don’t then we cry” and this statement rang true this week because it would be so easy to look at all the suffering, pain and sickness and be completely overwhelmed BUT what a testimony to be able to encourage and bring a joy to people who have been stripped of it. My nurse was such an encouragement to me and to each one of her patients! I am thankful that I was able to learn under this sister in Christ!

Coming off of India and the few short term missions that I have been on, I am solidifying my ideas about short term missions and trips like the one I am on right now. I think that the purpose of short term missions to most countries should be TO ENCOURAGE THE CHURCH. There are amazing things happening in these countries that we go into with our great ideas and good intentions and many times we get lost in our agendas and don’t ask the Lord what his true desire is for us to be there.

While being here, I had in my mind that I was going to go into clinics and use my nursing skills. But there are many times when observation is the key aspect of the day because I don’t speak Zulu, I don’t know their systems, and I don’t have the same scope of practice as the nurses here therefore I have been forced to take a different approach at my time here. There have been many days in which the nurses I have interacted with are bitter, frustrated and in need of renewal. I have had to make my focus pouring into the nurses that I work with because they need it. Please pray that I can love on and encourage these lovely sisters who are serving their communities and are burnt out. =)

God is good.

He is moving!

=)

This past weekend we went on a safari! IT WAS SO GREAT! =)

More pictures are on facebook! =)

Francie and Emily and I made this video blog about it! =)

TALK TO YOU SOON!

=)

Our God Speaks.

This past summer in the Himalayas a theme that was a continual reminder and comfort was “GOD SPEAKS”. He speaks healing, he speaks truth, he speaks love, he speaks promises, and he speaks tenderly.

Last week I was “randomly” reading in John 20 talks about Jesus’ empty tomb. Mary goes to visit the tomb and finds nothing; she runs back to tell the rest of the guys that they got to come see that someone has taken their Jesus. In disbelief the disciples RUN to the tomb, when they saw the empty tomb, they believed her. The disciples left and had to be feeling so discouraged; however, Mary stays at the tomb. Perplexed, confused, and emotionally drained due to the events of the past week, Mary weeps. Then messengers from the Lord appeared and asked her “Woman why are you crying?” and she responds in utter sadness that someone had taken her Lord. Then behind her a man’s voice asks the same question “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

The man speaking these words was Jesus. He knew why she was weeping, he knew who she was looking for: HIM. Mary did not realize it was Jesus until he said it…

(I just imagine Jesus’ face with the smile/smirk of knowing what is about to happen, eyes that are beckoning Mary in the tender way that only a true friend can do, he had to be so excited and bracing himself for the embrace and love that is about to come.)

Then he said it….MARY….He said her name. IMMEDIATELY SHE KNEW IT WAS HER JESUS.

She turns towards him and cries out “Rabboni!” which means teacher in Aramaic. I can only imagine the other words that came out of her mouth when she saw her Savior and Friend who was DEAD, but was now standing before her. If that were me I would be running my mouth a mile a minute. I can only imagine the tears that were just being wept in pain, anguish and hopelessness are now transformed into tears of JOY, EXCITEMENT, and HOPE! Could this really be?

I love though that the turning point of the story is when Jesus speaks Mary’s name.

Our God speaks.

He speaks tenderly, lovingly and in such a way that elicits peace and excitement.

This same voice that calls us my name so tenderly and lovingly is the same voice that is talked about in this beautiful Psalm: the voice that is MIGHTY, POWERFUL AND MAJESTIC!

Psalm 29

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his ^[a] holiness.

³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.

⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion ^[b] like a young wild ox.

⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.

⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks ^[c]
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

¹⁰ The LORD sits ^[d] enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

We serve an amazing God. This God speaks.

This God deserves all the glory, honor and praise.

May you ask the Lord to speak to you. Daily as you put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) may the belt of truth be the words of truth that our God speaks to you.

May you ask the Lord to speak promises to you from his word.

May you find in the craziness of this life to listen to this God who speaks. May your ears and heart be tuned into the voice of our amazing heavenly Abba, Papa, Daddy, Father.

And the crazy things is that the Lord wants to speak through you and me. Just as we as believers are called to be his hands and feet in this world we are also called to be his mouth piece. There are people who are hurting, who like Mary are weeping in desperation and hopelessness.

May we be ones who speak truth and love to this world so that they can be drawn into a relationship with this mighty amazing God who speaks.

Lets Mix it up a bit =)

Happy October Everyone!

..

U

Instead of having you read about what happened this week.....

..

U

How about you WATCH what happened this week in Francie and I's life here is SOUTH AFRICA!

..

U

THANKS!

LOVE YOU ALL!

..

U

Top Ten From Week Two =)

Top Ten from Week Two

(ps I cannot believe it is only week two =) praise the lord time is going by kinda slow)

1. I had an amazing clinical experience at Ethembeni. Ethembeni is a hospice home visiting organization. Tuesday I was able to go up to Haza which is a very rural part of the town Mpopemeni. We handed out food to people who had very little. Then once they have been given food they are encouraged them to come to bible study after. MAN O MAN that was a powerful time with the Body of Christ. These men and women affected by HIV have had lives transformed by the father. I understood very little of what was being said but I FELT and I knew that they were testifying about the goodness of the Lord through their pain. Thursday I had a chance to do home visits to patients that were in town. After giving the food we would do bible study and pray in her homes. The verse that the lord continued to lay on my heart was Ephesians 3 and though these patients were wasting away in their physical bodies I pray that their inner beings will be renewed so that they can grasp the intensive love that God has for them. It was powerful and many tears were shed: tears of joy and tears of pain and sadness. But there is joy and passion that is rooted in the Lord. I am so thankful that I was able to be in a room full of Zulu men and women and experience the Zulu side of our God. He is so awesome and so big. And one of my favorites parts was getting to end my day at the family center. There are about 50+ kids that have all had parents that have been affected by HIV/AIDS meaning many of them are orphans who do not have one or both of their parents because they have died of AIDS. These kids have so much joy and are so amazing! I got to read stories, sing song and dance my heart out with these babies! I loved it.
2. Got to go to chapel on Monday and take communion and Joey Convertino had a beautiful description of what communion is. We always talk about remembering what the Lord did but he took an approach that we must RE- MEMBER like become a member of the body of Christ and by partaking in this communion we are re-membering ourselves into this body that thousands have done before us over the years. It was a wonderful reminder.
3. Joey Convertino and I are going to be leading a D-group which is a small group and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for us! =)
4. Got to get a little dressed up and go out with the nursing girls to an Italian restaurant called Pesto and it was GREAT!
5. Opened a letter from Kelsey that was labeled “open this when you are sick of doing homework” and made my day cuz it had rand in it to purchase art supplies and I can’t wait to do art! =)
6. We went to see paintings draw by the Bushmen and got to hike around the mountain! =)
7. Got to skype with awesome people this week such as including my amazing family! =)
8. We had Mexican food for dinner last night! =)
9. I am sad that I missed Kelsey and Jeremy and Karla and Daniel’s weddings but I am so happy for them! =)
10. Church this morning was amazing. I am going to an Indian church called New Life Centre and it is seriously such a blessing to me. The pastor is so passionate and the youth are extremely vibrate and so encouraging. I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with this place. =)

Can’t wait to see what week three holds! =)

I will keep you posted!

Thanks for the prayers! They are felt! =)

Week One =) wow =)

Week One: OMG THIS IS REAL LIFE!

So wow.

That just happened!

I am going to break down what the week looked like!

Friday we arrived at the most beautiful place ever! African Enterprise Campus is amazing. This is where we live. Amazing!

Saturday we had our first south African history class and it was so interesting. I love our professors here! Then we went to the birds of prey exhibit down the road. So scary but such a testimony of the beauty and creativity of the LORD.

Sunday: =) I had the amazing opportunity to go to church at New Life Centre in Northdale. New Life is a church with primary Indian South Africans and it is a place where the spirit dwells and is active and moving. I am excited to get to know the congregation better.

Monday: well we spent the WHOLE day in class. I am taking Nursing Ethics, Community Health Nursing History and Culture of South Africa and Intro to Zulu. So I wake up at 6:30 then breakfast at like 730ish then Chapel, then class, then tea time (SO GREAT) then class then lunch, then class then tea, then class, then dinner then class. NO JOKE!

But it is awesome because we are in Africa.

Tuesday: FIRST DAY OF CLINICAL! I was at Mason Clinic in Haniville. SO AMAZING! This clinic has a chronic unit, an HIV/AIDs building, and an Acute Clinic.

I spent my Tuesday in the acute clinic. Patients would come in and get assessed my the Zulu Sister (all nurses are called sisters) and then we would treat as necessary. There are no doctors at this clinic. The nurses in SA are trained basically as a combination between an RN and a Nurse Practioner. It was such an eye opener and a great introduction into health care and clinics here. We had everything from common cold to TB patients to little babies with pneumonia to HIV+ patients needing additional medications and women figuring out if they are pregnant. Unreal experience.

Wednesday: we had a MUCH NEEDED Sabbath. We have this day off as nursing majors and I used this day to rest, read, and explore this beautiful campus! O ya and NBD (no big deal) We saw four zebras on our afternoon run =) TIA(THIS IS AFRICA) .....PTL (praise the lord)

Thursday: Back to Mason Clinic. Today I was in the HIV/AIDS portion of the clinic. We hadded our the patient’s ARV (anti retro vial) medications that are used to counter the effects of HIV. Unreal experience. The most powerful part of the day was being involved in the testing of a 18 month old baby boy. His mother is HIV+ and he was in the clinic to check his status. So sobering to have been playing with this beautiful boy and then to have finger be pricked, his blood placed into a rapid tester and wait for the results.

One line is negative.

Two lines means positive.

By the grace of God, only one line showed up. We rejoice. However, we know that the battle is not over for this dear one. We pray. We treat. We encourage. We continue to do what the LORD calls us to do.

Friday has a similar schedule to Monday CLASSES! But I love it! TIA=THIS IS AFRICA.

Saturday was spent in DURBAN at the Beach swimming in the Indian Ocean =)

God is good.

God is Faithful.

So when we were in Johannesburg I was praying that the Lord would give me something to claim as my theme passage for the trip and He said Ephesians 3:16-21. And then when I arrived at AE my dear friend Kelsey had written me a note that I was meant to open my first night here and guess what passage was written in it. Yup, Ephesians 3 =) And then on Sunday I went to a church in the evening with a friend and the special passage during worship was Ephesians 3. So my friends I guess the Lord is trying to tell me something ;)

Know that I love and Miss you all and would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear from each of you! God is faithful!

Ephesians 3 is also my prayer for you all. Be Blessed.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

WE MADE IT! =)

WE MADE IT!
After meeting at apu at 145 am and flying from LAX to Washington DC with a little layover, getting on a plane that took us 7 hours to Dakar Senagal to refuel and stop for an hour and then 8 and half more hours to Johannesburg, South Africa! Being up for like 48 hours is totally worth it when you realize that we get to LIVE IN AFRICA FOR 3 ½ MONTHS! =)
I got to spend my 22 birthday in an airplane. However it is one of my most memorable birthdays ever! God blessed me with some amazing south African friends that sat next to me on the horrible long flight and they were seriously awesome and so much fun! They asked the flight attendant in Afrikaans to wish Christina and I a happy birthday over the loud speaker! So then like the whole plan sang to me and Christina! So great! And then we got to go to dinner at this really cool place right by our hotel and have a wee birthday dinner! I got some amazing notes and gifts from friends back home that I found in my bag =) I love you all! Thank you!

So day one of South Africa was spent in Johannesburg and we went to the apartheid museum and a town called Soweto. Soweto is a town within JoBurg that was a place of extreme unrest during apartheid and it home to Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. Below is my relfection from my time at the museum :

The Apartheid Museum

Having been to South Africa before and spending some time studying and reading about the pain and struggle of apartheid I have a sliver of knowledge walking into this museum. However, no matter how much you know about something, understanding and a true grasp of the magnitude of an event take more than just knowledge. I will never know the pains of a “nei-blankes” or”non-whites” as my ticket classified me as. I am a white person; this means the people with my skin color were the ones who inflicted this oppression.

Growing up in California, in this generation, with the family that I have, racial acceptance and diversity is a common and celebrated. At APU and in my life, racial differences, diversity, and acceptance are frequent topics of conversation. It is so frustrating for me, someone who has tried so hard to have a mindset that includes and embraces all cultures and colors to see people who look like me continue in the stereotype. While looking at the pictures of blacks being servants to the white people elicited the irritation that color of skin is such a divider between people. Almost immediately after, I was reminded of my time in Northern Ireland. The English came over to Ireland and took over (which they seem to be so in the habit of doing) the northern part of the country and brought their culture and religion. Of course the Irish did not want this so they resisted. “The Troubles” were times in the history of Northern Ireland were many lives were lost, many bombs were thrown and many bullets shot. “The Troubles” took place in the past 20 years. This is just an example of man’s depravity because there was no physical difference or color difference between the Irish and English, but if it is not race that separates it will be religion.

The room that took my breath away was the one that had nooses hanging from the ceiling, the pictures of a few of those who were killed in the fight for freedom, and has examples of solitary confinement rooms. Is freedom free? Is the peaceful approach possible? As I was reading many of the signs, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief and annoyance and ponder “there has got to be another way to freedom, peace, and equality.” Why on earth has history repeated itself so many times? Have we as human not learned from each other? The holocaust? Have we forgotten that segregation and oppression has never really successfully worked well? I am not naïve I know that “birds of a feather flock together” but it is a matter of human rights. As I write this though I am reminded that my country is in war in the Middle East killing people, why is violence is so part of being human just as loving is party of humanity?

A picture of a man covering his face with a bible stated “When the Europeans came they had the bibles and we had the land, now we have the bibles and they have our land.” I think that this quote hit me so hard because people number one who look like me, number two who read the same bible I do have done things in the “name of God” that have hurt and oppressed so many people. It is hard for me to reconcile.

Approaching this day I was trying to prepare myself emotionally. I don’t think you can be emotionally prepared to hear and see and learn about these kinds of things. The part that brought me to tears was the final line in the final sign of the museum for the Veld Garden. The sign encouraged us to ponder what we just saw, to contemplate apartheid, then it ends with “And walk away free.” Even now as I write this I am in tears. I will never truly understand, but with all of my heart I am moved with compassion. I pray that the Lord will give me strength to look at His children through HIS EYES. I pray that I can be an emissary of true reconciliation towards God and between his people, true freedom that is found in Christ, and equality that is found in the Body of Christ.

Who knew that day one of South Africa would be so powerful.

I pray that we can learn from history.
Please look into south African history, learn about apartheid, learn about those who lost their lives in the fight for equality and freedom. May we remember.

So then today we flew from Joburg to Durban! And again the Lord blessed me with an amazing travel buddy from Durban! I love talking to people! =) the flight is like traveling from LA to San Fran!

From durban we drove an hour to our new home in South Africa: the African Enterprise Campus in Pietermaritzburg. OMG SOOOOOO NICE! I will put pics up asap! But this place is beautiful and amazing and I am so honored to be here! We start classes tomorrow! I CANNOT WAIT!
God is so good and I am so humbled to be here!

=) PICTURES AND more to come asap! =)

IN HIS GRIP,
Megan Frew