Dear Friends and Family,
One of the best experiences I've had since I've been in Guyana has been celebrating Phagwah, or Holi! It is the celebration of Spring and the beautiful colors of nature. On Phagwah one can walk around the street and see people with powdered dye covering their whole body. My Phagwah day started out wonderfully because Sarah and Audrey went to a church service later than mine and when they came home I heard them say: "No one Phagwahs before 12 eh?" (Which is what I had hear the night before) As they walked up the stairs I could see the dye smeared across their face. I laughed so hard! Then we went up to the orphanage and played with the boys for a little bit. They were going to play Phagwah but not until later that afternoon.
It wasn't until later that we went out with one of our friends. We met up with a group of people and that is where it all began. Within minutes I was completely covered in dye, glitter, and water!! It was like we were all children again. A bunch of young adults running around covering each other in dye. It was a ton of fun. We did this in two different areas of the city until we went to the national stadium where there was a GIANT Phagwah party. It was sponsored by GT&T and therefore they gave out free blue powder which is the company's color. We stayed their for a long time. It wasn't just smearing dye but also there music and other family friendly entertainment. We spent the afternoon dancing and having fun. Afterwords we drove down to the creek to jump in the water and wash off. I decided not to jump in because I was too cold. I wasn't alone - Audrey also didn't want to go in.
Overall it was a wonderful day. At the end of the day I was tired and happy. It was a pain to try and scrub all the dye off of my skin. My hair is still pink as a result from all of the dye. We were all pretty sad that our cameras had been stolen earlier this year so we weren't able to take any pictures. One of our friends that we saw took a picture of us and e-mailed it to me. Hopefully by sunday night I will be able to put it up.
Well other than that my week was pretty normal. We are about to leave on retreat soon, in an hour so I won't be around this weekend.
I guess I titled this blog the best and the worst because I had an experience that was terrible. One of my beloved girls is in the hospital with pneumonia. It is even worse than that because she already has complicated sickle cell anemia. She has received so much blood already they don't know if her body can take any more. My other girls wanted to go see her and the other teachers said it was fine so I took some of them to the hospital to visit her. Not only was the hospital itself a culture shock, but seeing someone you love there is even worse. The hospital is always packed full of people, one big long room for women. I saw a bed with two women in it because they are out of beds. When you see this it is easy to distance yourself from them as a coping mechanism. However, when you see someone you truly care about lying in a bed with other people lying around... it breaks you. Her breathing was so rapid and shallow she couldn't speak with us. Her entire face and limbs were swollen from an assumed lack of oxygen. I wish I could say that its going to get better for her, but its likely that it won't.
Guyana is still a developing nation and the lack of health care affects thousands of lives each year. Its the sad reality of life here. I kept thinking about how one of the hardest moments in my life was seeing my uncle slowly fade away in the hospital and then saying goodbye. I realize that moment wasn't so bad now... he had lived a full wonderful life, he was always surrounded by friends and family, and he knew he was loved. This girl has come from a broken home, she has had more pains than joys, and she was alone. We stayed for a while and the girls didn't know what to say or how to handle it. I encouraged them to talk to her even if she couldn't talk back. At one point my girl Lashawna asked me to pray with Chelsea. So we all held hands and prayed over her. After that we went to go and buy her some juice and then some family of hers came so it was our time to leave.
This was one of the hardest things I've had to do, to look at someone and know that if this were a different place or a different time things could possibly have a better outcome. However, this is how it is, so I ask God to make the best of the situation and to help all involved see the good in things. I ask for your prayers for her. I will update you on her condition. She needs a miracle to make it through this, but anything is possible.
Well, I am off to go to a much needed retreat. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and week. Know of my prayers for you as I ask for your prayers. May your lent be full of a knowledge that God's mercy is waiting for us all we need to do is repent.
While you are preaching peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. - St. Franscis of Assisi
Love,
Ashley Ann
Whatsoever you do to the least of My people, that you do unto Me.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The sun will come out tomorrow*
Hello and Good Day Family and Friends,
I am glad to tell you that we had some sunshine this week! I was getting a little sick of all the rain. I am still sick of the rain as we still had some rain this week but I was glad we got some sunshine. When it is raining the water to our house, and therefore our shower, becomes VERY cold. This week the three of us would dread taking a shower. One day I even heated up some water on the stove and "bathed" (as the Guyanese would say), because I couldn't handle the constant cold water. One of my roommates made it three days without a shower... I was pretty impressed by this.
This week was a busy week at the hospital. It seemed as if all of the patients waited until this week to come in for their HIV appointments and counseling. I had many full days. Part of my job is doing HIV testing. One time this week someone came in to be tested right before I was about to leave for the day. I did all of the pre-test work with him and then sent him to the lab. Before I started this all I warned him that another counselor would be giving him the results. Before I sent him to the lab he kindly asked me if I could stay the extra hour to give him his results. He told me that he couldn't bear to hear them from anyone else, and since the man was old enough to be my grandfather my heart went out to him and I stayed. At the end when he was talking with me he reminded me to stay as sweet as I was. This was a moment that reminded me of why I came to Guyana. It reminded me that it is about going the extra mile. Its about willing the good of someone else above yourself to show them that even though you don't know them... you still love them as Christ did. The man thought I was doing him a favor but really he was doing me the favor.
School this week was quiet which is always a GOOD thing. My students are busy creating a PowerPoint presentation about anything that they want. Many of them have a hard time reading and writing so I pair them together to help each other out. I must admit that teaching children the computer when reading levels are extremely low can be quite difficult, but it has taught me much patience.
One of my students was exceptionally compliant this week and kind. He hangs out with a really rough crowd and often times I think he gets lost in the mix. I took him aside this week to thank him for all the hard work that he did and for the extra work that he did cleaning for me. Some of the other teachers even commented on his improved behavior. This has reminded me that the situations and the company we put ourselves in really do shape who we are. If we choose to hang out with a rough crowd, we will be associated with them even if we ourselves are not the same. If you look like, act like, and hang out with certain people it's easy for others to judge that you are the same. This can make it difficult to show people the truth and goodness inside of you. It takes a whole lot of courage to walk away from the people and things in life which we find familiar... but until we do the association will never be lost. So I guess this is my prayer for my students that they are able find the courage to make the correct choices. Sometimes its easier to choose the wrong thing and fit in rather than being the one to stand out.
I've really enjoyed lent this year because our community has decided to pray together every night. I find a lot of joy in our diverse ways of praying. At first I thought it would be difficult because we are all super busy. Then we just decided that why not take 15 minutes and do something simple. We all gave input on what we would do on the different nights of the week, this way each person gets input and yet there is still some type of routine. I often think of the phrase "The family that prays together, stays together". Our "family" is already seeing fruits of praying together as it helps us to focus our lives on Christ and improve our relations with one another.
I've realized that I have missed some important birthdays this month...
Earlier this month it was my cousin Nick's birthday. Nick and I have not always been close. When we were growing up I didn't see very much of him and when we did see each other although we got along I would never have considered him a close friend or anything. As time went on and the older we became the more I realized that I appreciated Nick. He started to spend more time with us and eventually we started having small conversations. Small conversations led to larger conversations and all of a sudden he wasn't just my cousin but my good friend. At one point while I was in college he made a suggestion that we just don't call each other randomly but rather that we make a point to call each other regularly. And then it was set that we would call each other every three weeks. Now - I am not going to say that it actually happened every three weeks but for the past couple years I would say that I talked to my cousin at least once a month or once every month and a half. Earlier this summer I went to go see him and spend the night at his house in Mankato. We ended up staying up and having a conversation that I never thought I would ever be able to have with anyone. It was great to have such an honest open conversation with someone and it really helped me to make it through my crazy summer of transitions. Its hard not talking to Nick and I miss hearing about his life. There are days here when I think of him and know that he could make me laugh or help me understand a situation. I will forever be grateful for the friendship that I have found in my cousin and I know that I will be close with him for a long time. Being close with family is a beautiful thing.
The second birthday that I missed was that of my friend Zach Roberts. Zach was my first close friend at UMM and he helped me make it through the some tough transitions from high school to college. It was during that first year that Zach and I realized we think very similarly. We now refer to each other as the "other half of our minds" because he always understand what I am trying to explain even if others are lost. However, it is not this connection that makes our friendship so beautiful but the fact that we were able to overcome some very huge obstacles together. Some people know this but Zach and I once were on bad terms for close to 7 months. We would argue and bicker over everything and there were times when we just couldn't stand each other. Many times I wanted just to give up on our friendship but Zach taught me how to forgive and forget. Before graduating UMM we had a discussion about that year and everything that went wrong and I remember thinking to myself that we wasted so much time mad at each other. I also remember how both of us grew so much from that experience. We both grew up a little bit as we realized the wrongs we had done against one another. Maybe that is the best part about our friendship, that we helped each other to learn some really important life lessons and although there was turmoil, in the end there was a beautiful result. I will always be grateful for Zach in my life. Zach has more strength than any other 23 year old I know. He is a great man of God and I know that his life will bear much fruit.
To end I would like to share with you a quote that I read in the paper this week from Martin Luther King Jr:
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people"
Don't let yourself be a silent good person. Speak up for what you believe and for those without a voice.
Well, Tomorrow is a Hindu holiday and I am excited to celebrate and tell you all about it for next week... May God bless your week and please send me some mail! I have gone an ENTIRE MONTH without a single letter... so for all of those who read this - I'm asking you to send me some encouragement back. Even if you don't like to write go to target or walmart and find a funny or amusing card. Send me a picture or a sketch you do when your bored. Any and everything will be very appreciated!
Love and prayers,
Ashley Ann
I am glad to tell you that we had some sunshine this week! I was getting a little sick of all the rain. I am still sick of the rain as we still had some rain this week but I was glad we got some sunshine. When it is raining the water to our house, and therefore our shower, becomes VERY cold. This week the three of us would dread taking a shower. One day I even heated up some water on the stove and "bathed" (as the Guyanese would say), because I couldn't handle the constant cold water. One of my roommates made it three days without a shower... I was pretty impressed by this.
This week was a busy week at the hospital. It seemed as if all of the patients waited until this week to come in for their HIV appointments and counseling. I had many full days. Part of my job is doing HIV testing. One time this week someone came in to be tested right before I was about to leave for the day. I did all of the pre-test work with him and then sent him to the lab. Before I started this all I warned him that another counselor would be giving him the results. Before I sent him to the lab he kindly asked me if I could stay the extra hour to give him his results. He told me that he couldn't bear to hear them from anyone else, and since the man was old enough to be my grandfather my heart went out to him and I stayed. At the end when he was talking with me he reminded me to stay as sweet as I was. This was a moment that reminded me of why I came to Guyana. It reminded me that it is about going the extra mile. Its about willing the good of someone else above yourself to show them that even though you don't know them... you still love them as Christ did. The man thought I was doing him a favor but really he was doing me the favor.
School this week was quiet which is always a GOOD thing. My students are busy creating a PowerPoint presentation about anything that they want. Many of them have a hard time reading and writing so I pair them together to help each other out. I must admit that teaching children the computer when reading levels are extremely low can be quite difficult, but it has taught me much patience.
One of my students was exceptionally compliant this week and kind. He hangs out with a really rough crowd and often times I think he gets lost in the mix. I took him aside this week to thank him for all the hard work that he did and for the extra work that he did cleaning for me. Some of the other teachers even commented on his improved behavior. This has reminded me that the situations and the company we put ourselves in really do shape who we are. If we choose to hang out with a rough crowd, we will be associated with them even if we ourselves are not the same. If you look like, act like, and hang out with certain people it's easy for others to judge that you are the same. This can make it difficult to show people the truth and goodness inside of you. It takes a whole lot of courage to walk away from the people and things in life which we find familiar... but until we do the association will never be lost. So I guess this is my prayer for my students that they are able find the courage to make the correct choices. Sometimes its easier to choose the wrong thing and fit in rather than being the one to stand out.
I've really enjoyed lent this year because our community has decided to pray together every night. I find a lot of joy in our diverse ways of praying. At first I thought it would be difficult because we are all super busy. Then we just decided that why not take 15 minutes and do something simple. We all gave input on what we would do on the different nights of the week, this way each person gets input and yet there is still some type of routine. I often think of the phrase "The family that prays together, stays together". Our "family" is already seeing fruits of praying together as it helps us to focus our lives on Christ and improve our relations with one another.
I've realized that I have missed some important birthdays this month...
Earlier this month it was my cousin Nick's birthday. Nick and I have not always been close. When we were growing up I didn't see very much of him and when we did see each other although we got along I would never have considered him a close friend or anything. As time went on and the older we became the more I realized that I appreciated Nick. He started to spend more time with us and eventually we started having small conversations. Small conversations led to larger conversations and all of a sudden he wasn't just my cousin but my good friend. At one point while I was in college he made a suggestion that we just don't call each other randomly but rather that we make a point to call each other regularly. And then it was set that we would call each other every three weeks. Now - I am not going to say that it actually happened every three weeks but for the past couple years I would say that I talked to my cousin at least once a month or once every month and a half. Earlier this summer I went to go see him and spend the night at his house in Mankato. We ended up staying up and having a conversation that I never thought I would ever be able to have with anyone. It was great to have such an honest open conversation with someone and it really helped me to make it through my crazy summer of transitions. Its hard not talking to Nick and I miss hearing about his life. There are days here when I think of him and know that he could make me laugh or help me understand a situation. I will forever be grateful for the friendship that I have found in my cousin and I know that I will be close with him for a long time. Being close with family is a beautiful thing.
The second birthday that I missed was that of my friend Zach Roberts. Zach was my first close friend at UMM and he helped me make it through the some tough transitions from high school to college. It was during that first year that Zach and I realized we think very similarly. We now refer to each other as the "other half of our minds" because he always understand what I am trying to explain even if others are lost. However, it is not this connection that makes our friendship so beautiful but the fact that we were able to overcome some very huge obstacles together. Some people know this but Zach and I once were on bad terms for close to 7 months. We would argue and bicker over everything and there were times when we just couldn't stand each other. Many times I wanted just to give up on our friendship but Zach taught me how to forgive and forget. Before graduating UMM we had a discussion about that year and everything that went wrong and I remember thinking to myself that we wasted so much time mad at each other. I also remember how both of us grew so much from that experience. We both grew up a little bit as we realized the wrongs we had done against one another. Maybe that is the best part about our friendship, that we helped each other to learn some really important life lessons and although there was turmoil, in the end there was a beautiful result. I will always be grateful for Zach in my life. Zach has more strength than any other 23 year old I know. He is a great man of God and I know that his life will bear much fruit.
To end I would like to share with you a quote that I read in the paper this week from Martin Luther King Jr:
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people"
Don't let yourself be a silent good person. Speak up for what you believe and for those without a voice.
Well, Tomorrow is a Hindu holiday and I am excited to celebrate and tell you all about it for next week... May God bless your week and please send me some mail! I have gone an ENTIRE MONTH without a single letter... so for all of those who read this - I'm asking you to send me some encouragement back. Even if you don't like to write go to target or walmart and find a funny or amusing card. Send me a picture or a sketch you do when your bored. Any and everything will be very appreciated!
Love and prayers,
Ashley Ann
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Rain Rain Go Away
Dear Friends and Family,
Hello - I hope that you had a good week. My week has been exceptionally normal. I am realizing how I am really starting to get sick of the rain. It has been raining for this entire weekend. On friday night we all thought about going out but the fact that it was raining here made us all want to stay inside. When it rains here no one wants to go out. Part of the reason for this is that fact that most activities take place outside at least a little bit.
One exciting thing that did happen this week was we had a group of volunteers come from the States for a week. We took them out for ice cream and then later on in the week ended up going to the one bowling alley in town with them. It was a good experience. After being here for six months it was really interesting to hear the questions that they would ask and then be able to respond properly. We saw a lot of ourselves when we first came to Guyana and had much confusion and a lack of knowledge. Having them come also made us all realize how our english has become rather terrible. I have a hard time remember how to describe things without using Guyanese phrases and I confused the volunteers a couple of times... opps! :)
Anyway - I was thinking about how the volunteers were associating Guyana with Latin America when really Guyana is mostly associated with the Caribbean. Being an english speaking former British colony most of the relations are done with the Caribbean, and Guyana is considered part of the Caribbean. I've always enjoyed this upbeat energetic yet laid back part of the culture.
This week was Ash Wednesday which means it is now officially the beginning of lent. I am excited for lent as a time to reconnect my life with my faith. I went to Mass at the Cathedral on Ash Wednesday and the Bishop began his homily talking about how people are starting to predict the end of the world. He talked about how when they do this they start to think more seriously about how they want to change their lives. He then continued on to talk about how people who are near death or have a near death experience do the same things. People in these situations take time to rethink things and make changes in their lives, but why does it take an experience like this to think about these things? This Lenten season can the catalyst for us to do be the same thing. It can be a time for us to rethink the sinful nature that we have and turn our hearts to the Lord. In all generations the Lord has been there with compassion and mercy for those who turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness. Sometimes it can be so difficult to ask for forgiveness because then we have to admit to the fact that we are wrong... really, who wants to admit to the fact that we are wrong.
I'm making an extra effort this lent to try and focus more on the Lord rather than the external things in my life. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the world around me that I actually forget what my purpose is here. The thing is I need to remember that each day is a chance to start again... and this season of lent is a great time to work on that. I often think some of life's best advice can be found in the Disney movie The Lion King. Specifically when Rafiki talks about how the past is in the past and we can't change it. Rafiki hits Simba and when Simba said ouch that hurts Rafiki says "Who cares its in the past". Yes we still care about the pain but forgiving ourselves and others would be much easier if we were able to let go of the past a little bit. I know this is true for me, and it would help me on my Lenten journey. I have made many mistakes since coming to Guyana but here I am with a chance to try again.
If at first you don't succeed.... maybe sky diving isn't for you! :)
Well anyway - Wishing you all the best. Know of my prayers for you.
Love,
Ashley Ann
Hello - I hope that you had a good week. My week has been exceptionally normal. I am realizing how I am really starting to get sick of the rain. It has been raining for this entire weekend. On friday night we all thought about going out but the fact that it was raining here made us all want to stay inside. When it rains here no one wants to go out. Part of the reason for this is that fact that most activities take place outside at least a little bit.
One exciting thing that did happen this week was we had a group of volunteers come from the States for a week. We took them out for ice cream and then later on in the week ended up going to the one bowling alley in town with them. It was a good experience. After being here for six months it was really interesting to hear the questions that they would ask and then be able to respond properly. We saw a lot of ourselves when we first came to Guyana and had much confusion and a lack of knowledge. Having them come also made us all realize how our english has become rather terrible. I have a hard time remember how to describe things without using Guyanese phrases and I confused the volunteers a couple of times... opps! :)
Anyway - I was thinking about how the volunteers were associating Guyana with Latin America when really Guyana is mostly associated with the Caribbean. Being an english speaking former British colony most of the relations are done with the Caribbean, and Guyana is considered part of the Caribbean. I've always enjoyed this upbeat energetic yet laid back part of the culture.
This week was Ash Wednesday which means it is now officially the beginning of lent. I am excited for lent as a time to reconnect my life with my faith. I went to Mass at the Cathedral on Ash Wednesday and the Bishop began his homily talking about how people are starting to predict the end of the world. He talked about how when they do this they start to think more seriously about how they want to change their lives. He then continued on to talk about how people who are near death or have a near death experience do the same things. People in these situations take time to rethink things and make changes in their lives, but why does it take an experience like this to think about these things? This Lenten season can the catalyst for us to do be the same thing. It can be a time for us to rethink the sinful nature that we have and turn our hearts to the Lord. In all generations the Lord has been there with compassion and mercy for those who turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness. Sometimes it can be so difficult to ask for forgiveness because then we have to admit to the fact that we are wrong... really, who wants to admit to the fact that we are wrong.
I'm making an extra effort this lent to try and focus more on the Lord rather than the external things in my life. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the world around me that I actually forget what my purpose is here. The thing is I need to remember that each day is a chance to start again... and this season of lent is a great time to work on that. I often think some of life's best advice can be found in the Disney movie The Lion King. Specifically when Rafiki talks about how the past is in the past and we can't change it. Rafiki hits Simba and when Simba said ouch that hurts Rafiki says "Who cares its in the past". Yes we still care about the pain but forgiving ourselves and others would be much easier if we were able to let go of the past a little bit. I know this is true for me, and it would help me on my Lenten journey. I have made many mistakes since coming to Guyana but here I am with a chance to try again.
If at first you don't succeed.... maybe sky diving isn't for you! :)
Well anyway - Wishing you all the best. Know of my prayers for you.
Love,
Ashley Ann
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