in the Hands of the Potter: May 2006

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

hello from Africa

As I was about to get into bed about 2 seconds ago, I heard all this rustling coming from behind my door. So I flung it open, and there was a cute little lizard just hanging out on the back of my door! I tried to take his picture so I could introduce him to all of you out there, but he ran away.

Better luck next time.

I barely know where to begin writing. What should I write about first? The smells. The people. The weather. The food. The houses. The roads. The customs that I'm not familiar with. The people I'm staying with. The clinic. Where to begin?

I guess I'll start with the clinic. I haven't been there yet. So there isn't much to tell. It is a clinic run by this Baptist mission, and hopefully I'll get to go tomorrow. Today we figured I should see a little of the towns around here, so I went around with Lorna (the woman who runs things around here). We went to the post office to exchange my money. The currency here is kwacha; there are about 3000 kwacha per 1 US dollar. We met the Chief of the tribe (I don't know the name of the tribe) and talked with him at his Palace. It was an honor to be invited into his palace, apparently. :) We had lunch at a local restaurant - I'm putting in a link about Zambian food so that I don't have to write it all out. So if you want to check out the food, go to this site:
http://www.bridgewater.edu/~mtembo/nshimachapter1.htm

The roads are interesting. Everyone drives on the left, which is different for me. There are no speed limits, and the roads are full of potholes (some more than others). Drivers use their turn signals for many things other than turning ... for example, when you are driving on a road without a street light and there is a car coming toward you in the right lane, you put your right blinker on so that he knows you are on the left side of the street. He also puts his blinker on. Another use: when you are passing someone, you put your blinker on the whole time you are passing them. This is so other cars around know that you are still in the right lane and they shouldn't try to get over too.

I don't want to write too much, so I guess I'll stop there. Maybe I should quickly talk about where I'm staying? The place is a Baptist mission; they run the clinic and a Bible school here. There are two Americans that have been here for 12 years and another couple that has been here for 2 years. They each have a house. There's an office building and two other house buildings where other Americans stay when they come. I'm staying in a house with a girl from Kansas City, and there are two boys in the other house. Tonight we played a game called Farkle (I'm guessing on the spelling...) at the boys' house. It's a game where you roll dice and get points, but that really has nothing to do with Zambian culture. :o)

Here is a picture of the living room and kitchen of my house. Mostly because I haven't taken any other good ones. Maybe I'll put one up of my room, too.

posted by emily @ 6:02 PM 9 comments

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Craziness

I feel like one of those chickens running around with its head cut off. Or like one of those arcade games where you're supposed to punch those little plastic things, but they just keep popping up.
Just so much to do. So much to remember to take care of ... pack. apply for jobs. pack for Philly when I get back from Africa. buy the things I probably won't be able to get over there. call people I need to talk to. pay all my bills before they're due. etc.
I have this list of things to do, but no sooner do I write something down, than I forget three other things that I was supposed to write down!
Ah well. Thus is life.

In spite of the sure fact that I know I will forget to do/bring something important, I am so excited to go to Zambia on Monday. I find myself in shock that this whole thing has worked out. I think back to the first time that I thought about it - I asked my program director if students ever did rotations overseas. He said no. So I thought I'd just give up, after talking to my clinical coordinator one more time just to make sure it really wasn't an option.
A few months later, a physician who taught some classes went on a missions trip with the Christian Medical and Dental Association, and I asked him what he thought about me using a trip like that as a clinical rotation. He was so enthusiastic about it that I approached my clinical coordinator again - and this time, she said yes! Since it was something that I obviously was seriously interested in, she thought we could work something out.
Through a lot of searching and emailing, I decided I wanted to go somewhere for the whole 6 weeks (a two-week missions trip is not enough). My first rotation was at an HIV clinic in downtown Philadelphia, and I really loved it. Because Africa is an area that has a particular problem with HIV/AIDS, I felt that it would be beneficial to me to see a different aspect of the disease and its care. So I chose a clinic in Africa that deals with these problems.
So that's basically how it all worked out. Through it all, I can't help but see the hand of God in everything. I look back and wonder how on earth all of this actually happened. I do know this - it is obviously where the Lord wants me to be, and I am so excited to see what He has in store for me while I'm there.

I guess I should stop writing and get to work on all those things I need to do.

posted by emily @ 9:03 AM 4 comments

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

Which way is up?

Lately, I have found myself without a sense of direction for my future. Up until this point in my life, I haven't had to face major decisions. It seems as though I have simply sailed through those decision-making times by the grace of God, feeling His leading wherever I went. Although I may have wondered about a decision, or worried that I may not have direction, there was never any agonizing. God has always provided an answer to those dilemmas without any decision-making on my part. All I've had to do was follow.

Now, however, I find that I'm in one of those agonizing situations. I find myself worrying about my future.
Where should I work?
What kind of medicine do I want to work in? Inpatient? Outpatient?
Do I want to live somewhere by myself?
Or should I move back home for a while to pay off loans?

If I look back at my relatively short existence so far, all I see is God's faithfulness and provision. He has even taken into account the fact that I'm not very good at making decisions, and He has made my decisions for me. So why do I agonize now? Why do I worry?

Sometimes I forget that "sitting back and letting God handle things" doesn't mean doing nothing to facilitate an answer. If I don't go look for a job, He isn't going to plop one into my lap. If I don't make the effort to build relationships, they won't simply happen. Life doesn't work that way. It takes action on my part.
I'm reminded of David, when he was considering building the temple for the Lord. He felt that it was something that was supposed to be done, but when he started it, God stopped him. It was a job that Solomon was supposed to take care of. God said, I want this done, but I don't want you to do it.
When I take a step forward in faith, even if it may not be the right direction, God will lead me. He will turn me in the direction that He wants me to go, close doors that He doesn't want me to open, and open the doors that He wants me to go through.

As long as I take that step of faith, He will lead. So what am I doing sitting still?

posted by emily @ 9:23 PM 0 comments

about me

: Name: emily; Location: United States

Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

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