Never too old to color

It's amazing how fast time goes by. I feel like I say this a lot. Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything, a picture would probably suffice, but some days the effort of getting the picture from my camera to computer then on my blog is just too much!

We are halfway through the second week of the fistula surgeries, and there isn't really a word to describe how it's going. Heart wrenching, difficult, and defeating are some words that immediately come to mind. These past two weeks have been a constant reminder that God is in control, and outcomes are his domain.  Sometimes I get a little focused on outcomes, and lose sight of who we are helping. God gently reminded me this past week that it’s not about the outcomes. It’s about the individual. It’s about loving these ladies that have scarcely been shown what love is.  It’s not about wet or dry, it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the individual, it's about love and acceptance.

One of the ladies told me that she’s been mistreated by the nurses in the fistula program at a local hospital.  The nurse told her that her condition is a result of God being angry at her; that she sinned and brought this on herself.
Wow.
How can someone say that!

Realizing that many of the ladies on the ward had been treated at this same facility, I figured out that many had been told this same lie.  So we sat them all down, told them how much God loves them, how it is not their fault, and we set out to explain what really happened to them.
It’s amazing how thirsty these women are for education. I pulled out a big poster of a woman about 9 months pregnant, and within a second had about 10 women surrounding me all eager to hear what I had to say.  Through a translator (thank God for her!) we explained what happened during childbirth, and why they leaked urine after.  They were in awe! They all thought it was their husband’s fault! hahaha we’ll work on that another day and time.
That’s all for now.

P.S. my favorite memory from this week...
I turned from my computer to find 3 grown women sitting very proper in bed, coloring in coloring books; they all wore the same serious, focused looks on their faces. hilarious.
you're never too old to color in a coloring book.