Dear Beloved,
I can hardly believe another week has past. This morning, I woke to cool air on my face, and the realization that I was pulling my sleeping bag up tightly around my neck. At last, cool weather, I smiled to myself, rolled over, and slipped back into sleep. This week has been seemingly uneventful, and yet pivotal at the same time. It began with a long awaited break through. I have truly loved this place and these people, but up until this past week, I didn't feel like I had truly given my heart to them. I hadn't claimed them as my own, I hadn't given my heart completely, and often found myself counting the days until India. I was broken, wondering if I had lost my heart for this amazing part of the world. And then, it happened... in a single moment, it happened. We had gone into a part of our neighborhood most of us were a bit hesitant to go to. Since last time of our girls got groped, and one of our men got hit by a motor bike. But we felt like we were supposed to go back in, and we did. We started out talking to this beautiful woman who is currently mothering eight orphans, and pregnant with her first baby. We talked to her about danger signs in pregnancy, nutrition, and about the eye infections some of the children had. We then moved on, walking rather aimlessly, searching for people to talk to. She seemingly came out of nowhere, I'm not even sure how it happened, but one minute we were walking down this narrow street, the next moment we were sitting in chairs talking to this beautiful women whose name in English is "mother of Mohammad". She was not pregnant, nor did she have any health ailments we could help her with. So why were we there? The conversation progressed, and before we knew it her brother and another man were sitting with us, inviting us to come eat fish with them. We kindly declined, as we already had plans for dinner, and they proceeded to ask again, as is custom here. A joke was made, the conversation continued, everyone began to laugh all around me, Muslims, Christians, men, women, old, and young, laughing. Everything around me seemed to fade as I focused in on these beautiful dark, weathered faces. Then, the wind began to blow, the leaves above us began to tremble, then slowly fall. I sat back, somewhat lost in this beautiful picture. Leaves falling gently on laughing faces sharing a moment that would change a life forever. Such different pasts, such different futures, but for one moment, one brief, beautiful moment, we were all the same. It was then that they became mine. It was in that moment I realized there was no where else on earth I would rather be than on that chair, with those people, laughing. The walk home was different that day. I didn't look down towards the ground, nor was I leery of every passing little boy. I was now looking for more tiny little dirty hands to shake, more veiled women to great. Even the air wasn't as potent as usual. This place had transformed.

The week went on, we went to a Coptic Convent to teach health care workers about danger signs in pregnancy. I got to teach on anemia. It was amazing. I love teaching, especially health care workers, who are so eager to learn. It's beautiful. What a gift to share what you've been given. It was quite a journey to get there, but well worth it. A micro bus that felt like a sardine can, a jammed packed metro train, and a truck bed filled with 17 people. PTL.
We spent a lot of time this week at the Mother Teresa orphanage in our neighborhood. It's heartbreaking, and somewhat over whelming to walk into a room filled with babies, all crying, or screaming, or laughing, or jabbering, but I've really enjoyed our time there. Each day we've gotten there just at dinner time, and it's nice to be able to help the sisters get all the little loves fed. Needless to say, I've fallen in love with the babies, and the sisters. One is from India, the other from Italy. It hasn't been good for my dream of "sisterhood". They are so amazing, doing a job so large they have no other option than to trust Him for strength. I admire, and honor them. I only dream of being so willing and humble. To Him must the glory be given. Amen.
We went back to the clinic for Sudanese Refugees. I really love it there. It's amazing to be able to do antenatal checks on your own patients. Wild, but amazing. I feel so incompetent, and yet, so capable. It's strange, I love being forced to rise up to a challenge. Forced to practice things I know I know, but am scared to practice. It was even more amazing to see one of my patients from the clinic come into the hospital we were volunteering at in labour! We got to be with her through out the whole thing, sadly we missed the actual delivery, but it was incredible to stand by her rubbing her back, her belly, holding her hand... labouring woman are so beautiful, sweat, groans, attitudes and all. There's nothing else like it in the world. And I've made a very important decision... I've decided that I think Sudanese babies are the most beautiful babies ever. There were two other women in the room along with the labouring mother. All Sudanese. They shared with us the need in Sudan, and told us we should go there next time. My heart lept.
I saw King Tut's tomb today, along with thousands of other things dating back thousands of years. It was incredible.
Please think of this place, of these people. Remember them in your pr.ayers, and thoughts. It is a beautiful place, these are beautiful people, but there is still much pain, much poverty, much emptiness, much hopelessness. As anywhere in the world. It simply needs Love. At the end of the day, we all do.
Bless you,
B