Beth Bounds, OneWay Intern:<\/p>\n
Wow! Technology\u2026 I almost forgot all about you. And you people at home\u2026 Well, I haven\u2019t forgotten about you. I do not, however, wish to be in America right now. I\u2019m rather content here in Maun, Botswana. We were greeted with so much love at the airport. I can hardly believe it. Why on Earth do they LOVE so much better in other countries?<\/p>\n
We spent yesterday at the orphanage\/school after a fired up devotional at the school of missions with SUPER loud singing. I mean I assumed that there were like 100 people when really there were only like 40 people. We went to the orphan center and had a rather hectic time. One little girl seemed to stick by my side and so many of the children just wanted to be cuddled.\u00a0 Others wanted to talk, but that was a little more difficult. None of us went anywhere without a little child (or 5) to accompany us anywhere.\u00a0 The children would respond with \u201cAye-mah!\u201d when they understood something, which means Yes, Ma\u2019am.\u00a0 If they didn\u2019t or wanted something, just like Emily said, \u201cTee-cha!\u201d was more commonly heard.<\/p>\n
After a wonderful night of dancing around the fire and singing with more passion that I\u2019ve probably ever heard in my life, I felt ready to take on the world again today. Man do these people sing out! I recall one of the boys with us, Jake I think saying,\u00a0 \u201cMan! When are they going to stop singing?\u201d I responded with \u201cProbably not until the fire goes out\u201d. We laughed and that\u2019s about how it actually happened. Emily, Hannah and I even joined in some dancing and singing. I had to quit early though because one of those treacherous migraines began. I ate two fatcakes (fried dough balls) for dinner and went right to bed when we got home. I woke up ready to take on the world yet again!!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s almost noon at home but it\u2019s evening here and our stomachs are grumbling. They aren\u2019t grumbles like the one little guy had this morning though. We spent yesterday and today at the Maun Counseling Center. As you have already read, I assume, this is a center for children who are orphans or \u201cvulnerable\u201d of some sort. Anyways, this little guy had eyes full of tears and a bloated tummy. When one of the Batswana women talked to him, she finally got him to say that his tummy hurt. It was almost breakfast time at the center and he continued to cry until after he ate. I felt so terrible for him. At least I knew that he was getting a breakfast and a lunch at the center.<\/p>\n
It amazes me how two ladies teach these fifty orphan children everyday with little guidance and little funds. Another two ladies cook for them. One of the teachers told me that they follow different lessons and do an art project every day. Whoa. What dedication. (Mom, you thought your job was hard at home? Try children with the same problems and no one help you in the process of diagnosing them or managing them. It\u2019s you versus the world. Literally! I admire what you do, but MAN I can hardly believe what those two women do every day.)<\/p>\n
The funding comes from the government but they still need more. We left them with many many bars of soap (Thank you Best Western in Naperville!) for the bathroom. We noticed the day before that the children came out of the bathroom with just as dirty hands and that they didn\u2019t have soap.\u00a0 I wish that we could have left more, but it was difficult because we knew that we were going to a different school on Thursday and Friday and needed supplies.\u00a0 I will probably go back to the Maun Center next week when the rest of the team leaves. Hopefully I can help and leave some things with the children.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re going out a village like 2 hours away tomorrow and then spending time at a new school on Thursday and Friday. The following week when I\u2019ll be staying here after the team goes home, hmm, I don\u2019t think anyone knows the plan for that, and you know what, I\u2019m pretty fine with that.<\/p>\n
All in all, we\u2019re doing well. As for prayer requests, please pray for all of our spirits and energy. I don\u2019t understand why these headaches have been coming, but they have continued in Africa too. Oh the rain too! Please pray that it stops. It\u2019s wintertime and it\u2019s not supposed to be raining and for tonight, it has stopped our going out to another village. Thank you for following along with all we\u2019re doing. Thanks for your support and love.<\/p>\n
~Beth Bounds<\/p>\n
PS I\u2019m not so sure I can get used to not waking up under my thatched roof or the smell of my rainy thatched roof! And as for taking a shower with bugs and living with some lizard in my hut? I couldn\u2019t be more content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beth Bounds, OneWay Intern: Wow! Technology\u2026 I almost forgot all about you. And you people at home\u2026 Well, I haven\u2019t forgotten about you. I do not, however, wish to be in America right now. I\u2019m rather content here in Maun, Botswana. We were greeted with so much love at the airport. I can hardly believe … Continue reading An Intern in Africa<\/span>