Tana has captured my heart.

 

The student team is really lucky, bc we are one of the few who actually get to see the town. We spend time travelling to schools (where we do healthcare presentations) and get free time to go to markets (wow, such an experience! and bargaining.. hectic!) it's been GREAT! Chloe always laughs at me in the bus bc I keep going "wow, that's so beautiful!" -about almost everything. But honestly, I've never seen a town this beautiful. The buildings, wow. I wish I could photograph every single one of them. -That I wasn't rushing by in a bus every time I saw them. The colours, the way theyre deteriorating, the doorways... INCREDIBLE. I've never felt this way. I look around as we drive through the village, and my heart feels like it's bursting. I can't help smiling, I almost want to cry at the beauty. The people here are so kind, so friendly. And absolutely gorgeous! The music is so much fun! And what I love about the 'touristy things' here is that it's not just touristy here. The hats, the baskets -it's what the locals wear. We see them all around the hospital, and the colours brighten the area.

[We're SO sure this statue was in the amazingrace at some point!] 

 We have the most breathtaking view from our hotel room! (Please note that Hollywood-style Antananarivo sign.. I didn't until the second day) It's spans so wide, it takes like five landscape photographs to capture it all. And even then it's nowhere near as wonderful as the sight I am blessed with every day. At each time of the day it looks different, and each time seems more beautiful then the last. The hotel is in such a central place. We can literally walk to the hospital in five minutes, and to the biggest market I've ever seen. Ever. (Like, it spans down hundreds of stairs, down a street, up a steep hill and down the otherside.) Rightnow though, I'm going to allow myself to be distracted by even more CNN. -I'm kind of addicted now.- And to fall asleep, yet again, to French TV..

Please have a look at anton's blog. He's a superfun guy, creative director at Saatchi&Saatchi, and his blog is just wonderful! Been reading it all night :) ALSO, David and Nick have the miles for smiles website. up and running! They've been updating it with clips daily! Amazing footage! -Click on the YouTube link to watch them!

[The sunset as we walked back to the hospital today, after being at the Public University of Tana. *so beautiful* With a group of men doing their PhD's in Economic Development. -They're coming to UCT in November, doing research on disaster management! Mom and dad, you're gonna love them!]

Tomorrow we go into the countryside, where the people are apparently much more poor (difficult to imagine) and we will do healthcare presentations and play some games with the kids. The Italians brought a cool volleyball kit, yay! And then to the market again.. Aaaand dinner with the Peace Corps volunteers!

SUPER exciting

Rwanda Video. Watch it.

this is the video from the Rwanda mission this year. watch it. it's fiveminutes that will change your life. make you cry. warm your heart. restore your hope in humanity. and it's set to coldplay's 'fix you' .. you can't go wrong with that! but really. it's an incredible compilation.

Who even IS this kid.

okay seriously this kid is the CUTEST! all the girls are inlove with him, really. and we have no idea what his name is.-he's so mischievious, he's been telling everyone a different name, a different story... haha and he's super naughty! he stole water and broke toys and wouldn't share his soccerball... but then he just comes and hugs you or kisses you or cuddles you, latches on and wont let go, and suddenly everything is forgiven. and ohmygosh he's obsessed with cameras. -taking photos, looking at photos, being in photos... ah he's GREAT* he''s not getting surgery though, i guess he just saw there's a vibe at the hospital he'd like to be a part of... haha. but really.

yes. he is the BIGGEST BOWSSE.

Stories in their eyes.

Firstly, yes chloe and i are both on my hotel bed. both with laptops at 'critical power levels'. one powerpack. much to do on the internet. THIS is life. haha we're really living on the edge, it's hilarious.

Anyway, since it's crazy busy and I'll never be able to say everything I want and feel without being a complete zombie in the morning, I thought I'd share some photos with you from screening.. Screening is the first two days when hundreds of patients (we saw over 400) come to the hospital and get evaluated.. We establish which and how many patients we will be able to operate on this mission. (There's a whole priority system, I'll explain later) We spent most of our time playing outside with kids, going sticker and bubble crazy. And we've really kinda taken on the role of... childlife therapy assistants. Jo (the childlife therapist) is AMAZING! Honestly brilliant. Been learning so much from her. From proper telephone manner to what lifelessons i should learn from an evening with the ambassador..

(The crowd on surgery announcement day. The most hearbreaking of them all. When we announce those who will be getting surgery this week -FLIP their faces when they hear their names, the parents' excitement sparkles in their eyes!! a light shines through like none ive seen before- and which people can't get surgery this year, but will definitely be first next mission.. Jo and Carin (psychologist) have counselling sessions with them after the announcement to console them and answer any questions. It's slightly easier here in Madagascar bc people know us here, and they know we actually will come back. And they know beforehand that it's not confirmed that they'll get surgery. It's still difficult though. It still makes your heart ache when this little girl's mom was pleading in a language I couldn't understand, for her daughter to be operated on. Bc many people who had been scheduled hadn't arrived today, she said. Bc she travelled from another town days before and had no where to stay. Bc she only had this one lil bag (the size of an A4 page, maximum 2inches deep..) of their belongings.. And bc it breaks her heart for her child to live like this.. She began to cry and all I could do was hug her. All I could do was smile at her daughter, make her feel like everything would be okay.. Like the delicious lolipop that her mom told us "she can only lick" is all that matters rightnow, that someday things would change.

Tamlin handled it wonderfully. She organised with Lilena (YouthForChrist and translator co-ordinator) for them to stay at the patient accomodation we arrange, and for her daughter to get an obturator.. to atleast provide temporary relief. She always says how important it is to make every person feel heard, and cared for.

So many of these kids arrive, like this little girl in her most wonderful princess dress, with her filthy tattered clothes underneath.. It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The life of poverty from which they come is devastating. Yet the fact that her mom put on her best dress for this gives us insight into how much this surgery, the possibility we present for them, really means to them.

Feel it. It is here. (cheesy, but true)

how AMAZING is this ball? im obsessed. it's sparkly and bouncy and superfun! Aaand it's one of my cool toys for the mission. Ialso got these cute teacher stickers..

some of my other favourites are a cool blue skipping rope, Ben10 playing cards, colourful chalk and looong balloons (hope chloe knows how to make actual balloon animals, else we're gonna have hundreds of balloon snales crawlin round haha) oh and i got the cutest notepads from ali ali ali. they have cute lil phrases on them like

"relax and enjoy life. know that whatever you need to know is revealed to you in the perfect time and space"

"the work you are doing within yourself is not a goal, it's a process. -a lifetime process. enjoy the process"

"when good comes into our lives and we deny it by saying 'i dont believe it' we literally push our good away"

i mean, seriously, can u get cuter? -and so profound. thanks ali!!!!

this is one of my favourite photos from the recent DRC mission. (there are hundreds! shouldve posted more.. oh well, madagascar ones will come soon. TOMORROW! aaaah!) it's crazy! aaah im getting butterflies just thinking about it. i CANNOT believe it HERE. aaaah. those of you that know me will know that 'aah' is literally happening. im screaming. and smiling. and jumping up and down like crazy!! aaaaah i cant stop i cant stop. okay *breathe*

what else? im sorta packed. oh wait let me take a photo of my bag quick...

okay seriously. I LOVE TECHNOLOGY. how EPIC is it that i just took this photo, im staring at my bag on the floor infront of me, and now its.. aaah haha maybe im just being a lil dramatic, but we live in such a cool time, guys!

okay yes. that is a LV bag. DONT JUDGE. *i know Scarlett will when she sees me at the airport --and I will ALWAYS be the girl who came on a mission with her LV bag gooosssshhh* BUT you see, being clumsy me, i may or may not have broken the rolly thing of my first bag. and then the alternative just failed on me. so hello, lifesaving-and-coincidentally-stylish bag. the world must just accept you bc youre filled with everything i need. as we learnt at Mission Training in Virginia last year (can't believe it was a year ago.. feels like yesterday..) everything is in my carryon. (incase my checkin luggage doesnt arrive) yes indeed. it's a miracle, everything. the weight fluctuates from 7-9kgs (haha math lit) but either way, it's all good. yes even those extra four pairs of cargo shorts i DEFINITELY dont need but i figure if i gonna rock the cargo short look i might as well do it in a variety of colours and styles (omg i sound like sucha barbie.- im not, i swear) are in there. oh i still have my case though...

ive got a bunch of stuff thatd be nice to have but arent like NEEDS. extra coloured paper... jeans.. a skirt... coloured markers.. an aliceband (ya i literally found that rightnow, i think i wore it last in like.. ninth grade, but hey you never know, i could need it haha.) .. a couple of tanktops and a lightweight warmtop... yeah.. oh other toliteries...ziploc bags..and much space for stuff ill be buying :) YAY BUYING STUFF! that book. SO GREAT. Jack Reacher is amazing, i want to be him. But he's busy investigating some stuff that just... I dont need in my head while I'm on the journey haha.

(got a lil carried away with the photo taking..) this is my 'im wearing you tomorrow so i wont pack you' pile. with a yummyyummy almond and cranberry bar, all on my camprock blanket. which i may bring with, we'll see.

OHMYGOSH i havent told u guys where we're staying. have i? i dno? but wow. it's amazing! not just for a mission, in general, wow.

okay it's already tomorrow aka THE DAY. I have been stalking Lisa Adachi's missionblog and advice and aaah (so sad i didnt get to skype with you before i left...) I am bursting with anticipation! I just realised that, as much as I am like.. I dno, I've been waiting for this day for two years. I feel emotionally prepared, I mean ofcourse there'll be tears and I can't even begin to imagine what's gonna hit me.  But I feel ready. And I've realised, it's so much bigger than me. My family and friends have been so great about it all. I kinda... sometimes forget they're in this equation, too. I guess, I take it for granted how much they care. How much I mean to them. SO thank you, all of you. You really do mean the world to me, and I hope I make you feel that way. Please know you're always in my heart. Someone wise once said that "you've made such an impression on people that when they cross the borders of distant countries they take you with them" -And in a couple of hours you'll be in Tana :) I'm going on this trip and I will make you proud, grow in ways beyond expectation, and make a difference that will last a lifetime. Bc that's what I'm called to do. This is where my heart lies. I am completely certain. And completely EXCITED!

Mission Meeting.

This evening we had a meeting about our mission at the opsmile headoffice. I met our student sponsor, Andries, for the first time. He went to Madagascar last year, so it's really helpful that he knows the area we'll be working in well. In response to my 'what do we really need, specifically in Madagascar, question, he said: "Toothbrushes. Lots of toothbrushes. And bubbles! Bubbles are the answer to world peace." (*hint hint nudge nudge* donations always welcome. We need 1000 toothbrushes. And we'll be seeing around 300 kids, who will all love bubbles -because theyre awesum!- so we'll be needing lots of stuff.) Scarlett's mom, Jo, told us she is bringing these cool bubbles which last for an hour without popping! How cool is that?! And she was telling us alll about the cool new activities we'll be running during the mission. (She's an Occupational Therapist, and the Child Life Therapist on the mission) They're all these really cool games to develop hand-eye coordination and teach the children about colours and shapes.. and we'll be getting their parents involved with activity books and story-telling. Oh, we played with this supercool playparachute (which Meagan and I now both want!) I'm SO excited!!! We're going mission shopping soon, at this huuuuge warehouse. Haha everyone at the office is already warning me to calm down.. They know me so well :) It was good to be back in the office. It's only been two days since my internship ended but it's still strange not going in every morning, not seeing them all every day. They've become family, so it's natural that I'd miss them.. But it's not long til Madagascar where I'll see them allll day and night for ten days! Haha we'll really know each other well after everything on the mission. Can't wait!

yes i am a stalker.

so i'm designing tshirts for the mission and stalking photos at the same time and wow i am getting more and more excited :) the symbols we're using for the tshirts, apparently good representations of the country: baobab tree. lemurs. orchids. (i just found out vanilla pods come from orchids! wow!) been reading mission stories, like my dear friend rose's one from her mission in india, and realising how i am going to experience and learn things i cannot even begin to imagine! yay!

DRC Mission 2009: My favourites*