Zimbabwe...what's going on?

When people hear that I'm going to Zimbabwe, I'm often asked things like: "Is it safe?", "Isn't there something going on there?", or "Is that the one that's going crazy?"

Well, I thought I'd do a very simple and to-the-point breakdown of what's been going on in Zimbabwe:

1. Political turmoil: A long and complicated history goes back on this one but, basically there have been problems with government for a while now. A leader in the country has not been held in favor by the people there, nor has he held the economy in anything near a stable state (to put is very lightly!). Recently, an election was thought to possibly change some things there, but that ended up falling through and, despite more efforts to remedy things, a lot remains the same.

2. Economic instability: Inflation, inflation, inflation!!! less than a year ago, inflation hit a new high of 231m per cent!! Again, the basics are: money is worth less and less these days which leads to...

3. Hunger: Money is worth less --> buys less food. Crops are still recovering: last year a flood destroyed crops which was then followed by an incredible drought that prevented crop production again! The country has gone back and forth in allowing aid to the many hungry people from banning food staple distribution all together to allowing all basic food staples to enter the country for free (customs costs can get extremely pricey)

People of Zimbabwe line up waiting for food distributions.

Workers distributing food staples

So, you may not be an expert from reading this, but at least there's the basic rundown. But to answer some of the FAQs I get:


Q: "Isn't there stuff going on there?"

A: Yes. There's "stuff" going on all over the world. But, as my experience has gone, we can't always consider ourselves "well-informed" from what we hear on the news over here. A bad past has lead them to a difficult present; a present that they are trying to work through to a brighter future.




Q: "Is it safe?"

A: hmmm...tough question.
Some define "safe" as keeping your routine, sticking with what you know, staying in your area of the world where you can predict and manage your risk. With that definition, I'd have to say "No".
But then again, another definition of "safe" may be that you've weighed your goals against your risks. You've counted what you have on your side (the words and advice of those who've been where you're going, the opinions of those who love you, the absolute, unaltered facts of the matter, and (most importantly) the command, assurance, and person of the master you follow) and looked at what's against you and chosen with an eternal mindset. That's how I define "safe", and, no, I don't exactly will happen, there's still a lot of unknown, but, at the same time; yes, this is most certainly a "safe" choice.



Q: "So, why are you going again?"

A: I am not going to Zimbabwe to be involved in anything political. I am not going out of pity for them or a sense of guilt of the life I have verses the life they have. I am going because this is the right place at this time in my life to serve. I am going to help meet a hurting people's physical needs (as the one I follow did) as well as help them with their spiritual ones. I am going to help those that serve Him full time overseas. And, I am going to serve in any way I can; serve the people that HE loves.

Momma

10 things I love about her...

10. The way she changes meals, just a little, to cater them to what my brothers, dad, and I really love

9. The look on her face when she's really listening to you. (even if its boring, whiny, and/or kinda dumb ;-)

8. Her "handy-woman" status; she is always confident in her ability to take on any task that presents itself around the house; painting, lawn care, pool stuff, fixing appliances, plumbing, electrical problems, auto mechanics...you name it! (I've always admired this about her, she can do so many really useful, not as easy as you might think, things!)

7. Her unwavering support in all my endeavors; social or academic, domestic or international, smart or well, less thought out, she's always my #1 supporter.

6. The way she dresses! Though she likes to hold on to a few of the oldies, she is always in style and always willing to share her cute outfits with me.

5. Her confidence and determination to take on anything new; she can learn and adapt to any role put in front of her!

4. The way she folds tacos just right, the amazing ice cream cakes she makes from scratch, her "better than the blue box" macaroni and cheese, the way she mixes just the right amount of enchiladas sauce and cheese, just about everything she makes!


3. Her commitment to and love for my dad. She is and has always been such a great example of a what a great wife should be.


2. Her creativeness; the amazing paintings of hers that now hang on my wall, the best "tell me a dream" stories she told us at bedtime as kids, the craft projects I grew up doing, down to the "artwork" of the decorations and wall paintings in our house.

1. Her love for the HIM. She has such a beautiful heart for Him; always seeking to know Him better and to dig into His word. She is a constant witness to His glory at work and with her friends and is so in tune to the opportunities He presents her to share what she has found in Him.

Happy Mothers Day to all the Moms out there, but an extra special one to my momma; She has been given the opportunity to shape our lives and has done an amazing job! She has given her all to my brothers and I. She is our superhero!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

I bought a plane ticket today!

I'll be leaving July 17th (at 5:30am!!), flying to Washington DC, then across the Atlantic for a quick refueling stop in Rome, then to Ethiopia, change planes, head down south, make another quick stop in the Dem. Republic of the Congo for refueling, and end up in Harare, Zimbabwe by 2:30 pm the next day :-). That makes for a quick 27hr and 5 min flight over, and a 29hr and 6min flight back home on the 15th of August!

(If you didn't quite catch all that, no worries, it's all mapped out below)

So I'm not quite "Leaving on a Jet Plane" yet, but it's just a matter of time!

Stress Relief

It's mid-finals week at my school, so my life has consisted of little outside of studying these past 2 weeks or so, but, every now and then, you need a little stress relief.

You know, a laugh, a lunch break, cranking up Lion King and "dancing it out", finding "packmen" on campus and taking pictures with them...the usual...

But never worry, finals will be over around 1430 (2:30) Monday afternoon...there is a light at the end of the tunnel!! And I am (obviously) not letting myself get too too stressed...

But I will be purchasing a plane ticket very soon...ah...there's no better way to relieve stress than buying a ticked to Africa! (besides the slight reversal of that "stress relief" when the credit card bill arrives...but that's weeks down the road!!)** ;-)

**the credit card thing is definately a joke! We have an excellent steward as a Father and He has yet to let me down!!

Busy studying...Video!!

Progress...

Due to some requests from some blog readers, I'm posting and update on the progress of a few things...


Kitchen construction
The new kitchen is slowly but surely pushing forward. We've added cabinets, a new refrigerator, microwave, oven (a double oven even!), a few tiles, and, one of my dad's favorite things, energy saving lights!! Yes, we're going (slightly) green! Now, I can't tell you all about these light bulbs, though I've heard it from my dad many a time, but apparently, for just a little more money spent on the bulbs, we're getting a brighter room, using MUCH less energy, and, ultimately, saving on our electric bill! (Yes, he is very proud of himself ;-)

Our kitchen is now at least semi functional, the "kitchenette" in the foyer is gone, and we've begun to see the light at the end of the tunnel...

Still missing, however, is most of the flooring, kitchen sink (dished are now done in the bathtub or shower), dishwasher, stove top (OK, we actually have that, but I don't count it since it's sitting in a box in the garage and not on the counter), counter tops, and paint on the walls...

School

School is pushing on too, I'm just 2.5 weeks away from finishing my 2nd semester of nursing school (the hardest one, I hear!), and I might just pull through with a couple As and some Bs!! (I'm not going to get too cocky on that one, because it is far from over until finals week rears it's ugly face ;-) but it's a possibility...

But, I've loved my pediatric rotation and, despite my previous outlook, am currently enjoying OB (pregnant women and babies and stuff) so, basically, I'm opening up my future perspective job markets a little!

Family

Most recently, little bro is not so little anymore! He turned 17 yesterday, though we celebrated earlier in the week since he is currently in Ohio performing with his percussion group and, as of his last phone call is doing very well!

Little bro and his cookies and cream cake...what else!?

And new headphones for the trip

This is from one of his previous competitions. (he's on the right side, on the keyboards, pointing to the sky- the theme of their show is bomb dropping or something like that) It's a pretty well known, elite group made up mostly of college guys and a few lucky high schoolers!

We also celebrated Easter together, with lunch, the traditional scavenger hunt (no, apparently we aren't too old yet ;-) and a trip to Seaworld.

Us at the underwater dolphin exhibit...In my defense, I was already sitting there when everyone else decided to gather around for the picture...I'm not that lazy ;-)

Zimbabwe

And, last, but not least, Zimbabwe. Plans are slowly moving forward. I think I've chosen my airline ticket: If I get the one I'm looking at, I'll be flying Orlando to Washington D.C. to Ethiopia to Zimbabwe. It's the one with the shortest layovers (most of the others have 12, 14, or even 19 hours spent in South Africa or somewhere!!!) So, soon the final decision will be made and a ticket will be bought!!

So, consider yourself caught up!

Zimbabwe...Here I Come!!

OK, so it's "Blog-Official"!!

I've been praying about if for some time and have heard confirmation...I'm heading to Zimbabwe this summer! And, despite the slow leaking of the news to a few friends and family here and there, I haven't made it public information yet, but, with the arrival of my new, renewed passport in the mail the other day, I've decided that it's time to make my plans known :-)

My new passport!

(and of course my old one that I requested be sent back to me. It's, unlike the new one, filled with entry stamps, customs checks and visas to Brazil, Canada, Kenya, the Bahamas, and Senegal)

So, the trip. First of all ...Where is Zimbabwe? it should be no surprise that I'm heading back to Africa, but this time to the south!

If you know your climatology, you should be thinking; "but Kari, isn't it cold during the summer in the southern hemisphere?" and the answer is: YES!

Zimbabwe, in late July, can run anywhere from the upper 50s to the lower 70s during the day and dipping way down to the 40s or upper 30s at night! I will still be packing my long skirts, but this time, I will also have jackets, longer sleeved shirts, and no flip-flops this time! (OK, I'll probably still bring one pair; I'm a southern girl at heart)

I'll be around Bulawayo, though I'll most likely fly into it's capital, Harare. So, I'll be way down south near Botswana, South Africa, and Mozambique.

Finally, What am I doing there? Well, the answer to that question, I don't quite know. Basically, I'm going down to work with some friends of mine. D and T moved down there about a year and a half ago. They've been involved with all kinds of things; beginning contact with an unreached people group, helping start a medical clinic, leading volunteer teams, and with the recent economical "crisis", distributing food staples to the needy people. And I will be spending a month there helping them with whatever they are up to at the time, learning about Zimbabwe and it's people, learning from the workers down there, and, of course, sharing who He is with those who don't know.

D and T were team leaders on my first trip to Africa (Kenya) back in 2007. They are the first two on the left.

So, there it is; heading to Zimbabwe, shouldn't be too surprising; Have you ever known me to be one to stay in one place for too long?

As the trip approaches, I will be in communication with the workers down there to see what they may need as far as supplies, or simple comforts from home. Let me know if you would like to be involved in collecting those things for them! Other than that, I invite you to begin speaking with me for the people and my time down there. Stay tuned; more to come!!

Pockets

I've always been amazed by what a nurse can pull out of their pockets. They've always seemed to have exactly what they need, not just available, but physically on them! (and you'd never expect it, they don't have bags or bulging pockets or anything...) I've never known how they know what they'll need that day, but, as time goes by, my pockets are starting to bear the load...I've been working on pediatric special care units and in the ER this week, and I've been quite surprised by the amount of different thing's my full pockets have been prepared for.

So, I thought I'd give a look at just what is in all those pockets nurses have....well, what's in a nursing student's pockets at least...



And the daily list includes:
- stethoscope
- bandage scissors
- clamps
- alcohol wipes
- sharpie (for labeling bandages)
- pen light
- pad of paper
- pens (black of course, and at least 1 backup)
- cell phone
- watch
- medical tape
- calculator (for calculating med dosages)
- ID badges
- Vick's vapor rub (lol, to put on your nose for smelly rooms ;-)
- tic tacks (same reason)
- chapstick
- extra gloves
- RN notes (everything you need to know about labs, tests, meds, vitals, etc...)
- hand sanitizer
- extra hair tie
- and (not pictured) things you may pick up in the hospital depending what floor you're on like stickers, bandaids, syringes, needles, saline, thermometer, diapers, and the list goes on and on...)

and see, we don't even look like we're toting that much! (this is from lab last semester)

Nurses and their pockets; we're ready for anything! Ok, they're ready for anything and I will be...give it a year or two ;-)