Last Friday was exciting for me as rather than joining in the usual LSE (Life Skills Educators) planning meeting I joined in with the counselors in an AIDS/HIV training workshop presented by The Metropolitan Foundation. It was an all day workshop and while boring at times I really left feeling like I’d learned a lot and connected with the counselors there. Saturday was spent sleeping on the beach and fellowshipping with a few of the other volunteers. Sunday we went to Masiphumelele Baptist Church in the morning for a nice long service in Xhosa (Pronounced ‘Cosa’) after which I gave Amy her first Manual Car Driving Lesson. That afternoon we went to Hillsong Church which was as uplifting as ever. It was their Vision Sunday for 2010 and we were both very excited to hear that one of their biggest visions for 2010 is to plant a Hillsong Church in New York City!!!
Monday morning I began touring the health clinics with one of the counselors named Hilary. She showed me where they all were and explained a little bit about each. That afternoon kids club was canceled because of a meeting running late so Amy went for a run on the beach and afterward we both relaxed at home. Tuesday morning I again went to the Health Clinics though spent a majority of my time in Seawinds Clinic where I analyzed one of the counselors as she gave a presentation to a group of patients. We then had Kids Club in the afternoon. Wednesday morning Amy joined me at the Living Hope Main Campus where I got caught up on some work in the resource center and Amy attended a meeting for a new sports ministry. We then went to Kids Club in the afternoon where we helped act out a skit on the resurrection… it was really funny but the kids seemed to really enjoy it and most importantly understood the message.
Finally, today has been, for me at least, the most exhausting day of the week so far. I began my morning by dropping Amy off at 8 then high-tailing it over to the other side of the mountain to meet Hilary at Muizenberg Clinic which was full of patients already picking up their medicine (many ARVs) for the day. She finished up the paperwork she was working on then we drove over to the Hospital in Takai (I can never remember the official name, sorry). Having been to the hospital before, though later in the day, I wasn’t expecting to need to wear a surgical mask (as pictured)
to walk around but because it was earlier there were many more patients out of their wards for medications. While HIV/AIDS is not airborne, many of the patients there suffer from TB as well as other ailments which may be airborne making the mask a necessity. Once properly attired we met up with the clinic’s Living Hope Counselor Billson. After finishing up some work he invited me to follow him around as he visited the wards and spoke with various patients. It was a very moving experience! I found myself thinking how many medical students would give a limb to do what I was doing and I didn’t understand half the medical terms and paperwork Billson showed me and patiently explained. Learning about the patients via bedside visits and medical records really provided me with an intimate look at how AIDS/HIV and TB affects individuals as well as a society as a whole. There were multiple times during the follow I had to pray for God’s strength to get me through and to put a reassuring smile in my eyes. I really felt him moving through all the suffering and I believe the experience will remain with me for the rest of my life, forever changing my comprehension of the world of HIV/AIDS and TB.
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