Back home and remembering

I'm home (as most of you know)! After 48 hours of travel time, I was in one bad mood when the plane finally hit the tarmac. I had a 24 hour layover in Singapore and slept a lot of it in a hotel room despite my grand ideas of getting out into Singapore. Thankfully, I've been before, because all I saw was the back of my eyelids. On my flight from Tokyo to SF, this poor woman behind me lost her lunch all over the seat and let's just say that was not a good flight. :)

Being home has been nice. But it is cold here! Wow.

I wanted to write a few more things on my blog, because I wasn't able to during my last couple weeks in Kandy. I had a few experiences that have stuck with me and wanted to share them. Also, I wanted to give an update on Anna Greta because a few of you have asked about her condition. She is still not doing well and they have moved her to a different hospital. Things are quite grim so please pray for her and her husband. This infection has got the better of her. It's been a month now that she has been in the hospital, and all for a simple gall bladder removal.

On my first day back to Kandy after the New Year, I went on some CBR housecalls with its director, Galle (nicest man ever). CBR is a part of Fridsro and stands for Community Based Rehabilitation. I'm not totally sure on the background of how this started with Fridsro, but basically the idea is to teach communities that they must care for their disabled neighbours. These disabilities can range from being severely mentally or physically disabled to something small that we might see everyday but don't realize (like an hearing impairment). But in Sri Lanka, disability has been ignored and shunned. And, there is a lot of it. Galle has done tons of research on this and has figured in the factor that first cousins frequently marry each other which may play a role in the high numbers. As well as creating this awareness, Galle's mission has been to require the government and small communities to find their disabled and give them rights and a means for a way of life. This probably all sounds so vague, but I'll give a couple examples of people we had to find (in the backroads of Sri Lanka) and then met! The biggest thing here is teaching the Sri Lankans that these people deserve equality.

First, we went down many twisty muddy roads to find a village, and then had to walk down a muddy path to a shack. Inside was a 75 year old man who was completely blind and from what I could tell, definitely had Parkinsons Disease. He was so sweet and offered us a chair. But let me describe this house. :( (I started tearing which was hard to hold in.) It was a cement floor, 3 small rooms (each was the size of my bathroom), and the ceiling was just metal sheets. There was no bathroom. They had a hole in the yard outside that was used as a toilet. He had a 20 year old son who is mentally ill. This man's wife left him a few year's back when he started to go blind perhaps because she couldn't cope and well... I don't know. His state of life was so sad. I didnt even know what to feel. It made no sense that someone lives like this. Galle has arranged to build them a proper bathroom with funds from Fridsro as a starting point to giving them a better life.

Next, we visited a husband and wife who had a young son who was born with half an arm. Somehow the community had discovered this couple, and learned that they were living in cave. Fridsro built them a house with $2,000-. And, the son now goes to school. These people are very simple minded and have a terrible understanding of how to use money, but Galle is watching over them and teaching them, so that the boy will profit and one day, hopefully have a more normal (by our standards) life.

Last, we visited a village that Galle had never been to. We drove and drove. :) The scenery was unbelievably gorgeous. Beautiful mountains and surreal green rice fields. As you all know, I hate being near wildlife. I don't mind admiring them from the safety of a car. But if I'm in their territory, I'm a complete paranoid idiot. So, Galle and I had to walk through rice fields to find a disabled man that the government had told him about. Rice fields means snakes. And I was wearing flip flops. I just kept praying and praying, and whispering to myself a mantra: I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. As we walked, people went down paths on bikes with nothing but green green green behind them. It was so gorgeous and I just smiled. No snakes came out to say 'hi' that day.

We finally reached this man's house which was surrounded by banana trees and we came upon it as he was taking his bath outside (wearing a sarong thankfully). He had no legs. He finished his bath while his sister fetched us two king coconuts to drink. Once he came to join us, rolling up in his wheelchair, Galle interviewed him on his situation and how it came to pass. His sister's young daughters stared at me the whole time as I tried to tell small ants not to crawl up my feet. Galle translated for me: this man once was a logger and a tree fell on him years ago. He was unconscious for two months and both legs were amputated. His dream was to start a chicken farm to support the rest of his family. His wife left to be a maid in the Middle East some years ago and never came back. He was heart broken.

Galle told him that he would come back to visit in one week. By then, the man was supposed to have put together a business proposal for his farm. And then, Galle would supply him with a certain amount of chickens and supplies to help him start it. This was so exciting. I left so happy and went back through the rice fields with no fear of snakes. :)

The next day, I went with Pieter (Jake & Julie's South African friend) who had started a girls' home for the sexually abused with his wife, Luise. Pieter and Luise became good friends in those five weeks and I hope to have them in my life forever. Pieter took me to the girls' home he started 10 years ago and which he called Refuge. Sixteen girls live there and most had been abused by family members. Refuge is a self-sustainable farm with one maitron who watches over the girls. The girls' ages range from 8 to 18 years old. I cannot describe the feeling that I had being surrounded by 16 woman who had been raped multiple times. I do not even really know what to say. I wanted to hug them all, but felt distant from them for having no idea what they have gone through. Pieter has become such a special light in their life and their father figure. He has thought about everything he does. He even hugs them in a very particular way so that he never brushes their breasts. And, he has to talk with some of them about the medicine they need for their damaged female parts. He is a wonderful man. A true example of Christ. I was so touched to be with him. I didnt deserve it. I had nothing to give those girls. But, I did play cards with them! It was cute.

Refuge is up on a hill and looks over Victoria Lake - a massive lake which stretches through the misty mountains. And the girls have all learned to garden, and the place was meticulously freckled with flowers, fruits, chillies and vegetables. And, they had a couple goats. And lots of fish in huge ponds. So beautiful. If you feel the desire to support Pieter and Luise, just pop me an email.

For the next 3 days, I attended the leadership conference put on for his staff. We watched DVD after DVD of amazing speakers, one of which was Bono, and I'm trying to get a copy so that I can play it for you. It impacted me. I realized that it is my responsibility to care for those who have needs.

Then I left for India for 3 days to visit my dear friend and surrogate mother, Priscilla. I truly love this woman. I have only spent a month total of my whole life with her, but she is my Indian mom. And it's funny, her birthday is in October as was my mother's and they were born in the same year. For 3 days, Priscilla and I just caught up on the last 8 years, ate wonderful curry, drank wonderful chai, and did some shopping. I bought a white wedding sari.

Priscilla is a woman who never worries. Never. She is so strong and just trusts. Being a worry-wart, I just soaked up this part of her.

And, now I'm home in Oakland. It's a bit strange, but I am trying hard to keep this trip with me in my heart. Thank you all so much for praying for me. And thanks for putting up with my emails. Lastly, I wanted to write down things I observed or learned and want to remember:

1. Stop worrying about money. It's not mine anyway.
2. To much is given, much is expected. And this goes beyond the physical things...
3. The more of the world that I see, the more I realize I do not know.
4. God didn't ask me to love my neighbour, God commanded it of me. Yikes!
5. Life within a family is so fun! Living with the Perera's was lovely. And, I love my precious family more than I could ever describe. I love you Dad, Mark and Becky.
6. Nutrition during pregnancy is sooooo important! It determines the rest of ones' life. As does a healthy labour!
7. I am so thankful for my education. Thank you Dad so much.

And the most important:
8. Matthew 25: 31-46 "...Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me..."

Oh, and stay tuned for a lovely website for WorldROC (World Relief Organization for Children)... I attached a couple images of the prototype.

Kisses, Gerilyn