Images from married life

Peace on the streets...

The quiet of a Sunday morning.... sitting at our new desk... we can see the gorge from our windows, and our compound speaks of peace and happiness- a new marriage and a new home.

 

Then we're out on the streets as we run an errand together... People yell at us as we drive by, and when we stop to buy hay, we gain a crowd- five young boys and five more teenage boys stop within a foot of me just to stare, a drunk unkept man decides I am interesting and starts commenting, one of the hay loader announces to an old woman that I am his wife, and every passerby stares.

 

Where was that peaceful feeling I just had this morning?  The Bible sure is refreshing when I watch the sun rise and read a Psalm, but what about when it comes to putting the teachings of Jesus into reality when I am on the street and getting lots of verbal harrassment?  My thoughts and attitudes toward the starers are far from benevolent.

 

As I am walking out into Kebele ("neighborhood") 09 almost every day now for our TB project, we are walking through small streets without cars where life happens outside.  Everyone finds the white person interesting, and often their comments are rude.  I am often angry and loose my love for the people.

 

I recognized that this week and said to Brian, "When Jesus said 'pray for those who persecute you' do you think He also meant 'pray for those who harrass you?"  I think I might know the answer.

 

Tim Keller's book on the ministries of mercy (thus titled) has been a great read for me at this point.  He talks about what motivates Christians toward mercy and love.  He says, "...the person who knows that he received mercy while an undeserving enemy of God will have a heart of love for even (and especially!) the most ungrateful and difficult persons."  (pg. 60).

 

I am somewhere on that path to such an internalization of God's grace that I see every sinner differently.  What is it in my flesh that lashes out in anger when the kids call out "give me money," or when I'm driving and there is no drivers etiqutte?  How do I change it?

 

I want the calm I feel here in my home, but I want it out there, too.

Fixing a meal in the village

Tuberculosis Active Case Finding

Public health is so interesting- so different from treating people on a case by case basis!! Here you are dealing with an entire community- and a community problem.

So we are surveying for undiagnosed TB cases. Funny thing is, we have found less than we thought- after 160 surveys, we found 5 active cases. Are the numbers lower than we thought? Are the diagnostics bad? Are people honest about their HIV status? Is the health system working? We are always asking questions.

Our five patients: Alem, Bekelech, Berhanu, Habtam, and Mesfin.

Alem found out she had TB the same time she found out she has HIV. Funny, she's on treatment now and we walk by her house all the time- she beams when she sees us! I think she didn't know why she was sick and must feel a lot better now.

Bekelech is old and really cute. When she got on the scale at the health center, she weighed 40 kg, which is under 90 pounds. She was exTREMEly dramatic about how thin she is, waving her hands around and saying, "I'm not even 50 kg???" Only confirmed in my mind that she really did have TB- consumption- and her body was being consumed away!! She is on treatment now, and has a huge smile every time we come around.

Berhanu has been treated so many times for TB, when he realized he was getting same intensive treatment at the health center instead of going to the TB specialist hospital (the health center ruled out MDR based on his history of meds and negative smears) he was SO disappointed. Amazing to see him- sad, discouraged, pushed around by the health care system so much. He's convinced this round of treatment won't cure him- we've got to keep him encouraged enough not to default off his medications....

Habtam makes her living begging at Mexico, big intersection in Addis. She said, if the people I live with know I have TB, they will kick me out. She also suspects her baby has TB because he is sick, too, so we are getting him checked out. We said we would visit her somewhere else, not at her house, because we don't want to cause problems.

And Mesfin.... came in so sick laying down on the benches outside our office, brought in by his mom. And his mom is crazy, strong personality, with NO desire for anyone from a Christian project to come visit her, just wants her son better. In fact, she has always had a negative view of her HIV positive neighbors, and spreads rumors about them and talks bad about them. How strange that she would come through the gates of our HIV/TB project herself for her son's sake!!