Monday I rested, Tuesday, my roommate and I caught a taxi to the market place and went shopping for different fabric to take to the tailors to make a shirt/skirt/purse. It was not as overwhelming as I thought it could be! Although some vendors are more persistant than others. I really like fabric shopping! Its so weird to me to come over a hill and see buildings that were destroyed by a bomb. Even though the war is over, you can still see some of the devastation. Just being here and seeing how much of the world lives with dirt streets and no sewage and water in little baggies on the street to drink is a whole experience in itself. I feel so much more thankful for what I have.
Tuesday night I watched a video of how Liberia was founded and some of the events leading up to the civil war. I was suprised to see how big a role America had or at least they had a lot of communication with America during the pre-war time. It was pretty violent and I'm not sure if I can watch the video about the war. It makes me so sad to see the pain that these people went through. To think that some of my patients were affected or definately had family members affected... God is not suprised by the evils of the world, but I am sometimes!
It reminds me of the verse in Matthew where God says in the last days, the love of many will grow cold... and it also reminds me that God is a consuming fire, and can melt the coldness of any heart. He did not go to the cross for nothing, but to save humanity.
I was on the VVF ward again yesterday and loving it! One of my patients gave me a bracelet she made on the ward. It was nice! Later I found out she told my roommate she was making it for her :) Sunday there is a dress ceremony, where the women who are dry(no longer leaking urine, successful surgery) get new dresses and say a few words about the change. There is lots of music and dancing. I can't wait!!
Tuesday morning I went to a dress ceremony and only one of my patients was in it. But it was still so touching! One woman started crying, saying she never believed she would be dry, and that she gives praise to God. Another woman said she lived far away and had to travel alone to the ship. Her family told her not to go but to stay home with them, since she didn't know anyone who lived around the ship. But she said, "If I go, God will be with me, He will take care of me". Now she is not leaking anymore and can return and tell her family God was with her! Then, at the dress ceremony the counselor shares a short message from the bible, telling the women that God loves them, that we would never force or push them to turn to God, but that we want to present the truth to them as well as provide medical care. Isaiah 61:3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
Some of the younger women must have only been teenagers or children during the war.
I also learned some things about the culture in a class I went to. Cold climate cultures vs. Hot Climate Cultures...
Cold: individualisitic, values independence, correct accurate information, time and effectiveness, getting to the point, not wasting peoples time, spending time alone, task oriented, privacy
Hot: values interpersonal relationships over time and tasks, leans toward "feel good" information in coversation even if not 100% accurate, must have relationship established to do buisness, community oriented, spending time alone is not desirable.
So that explains a lot!
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