Wednesday, February 13, 2008



TRYING TO PUT IT IN WORDS
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I guess I feel like if I really try to tell all about our trip to Swaziland, I'll never be able to stop. It was such a full 12 days. We saw so much, met so many, did so much...and we'll never be the same again.
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Erin Wilson over at Biscotti Brain has been sharing some of her thoughts on the trip. She did such a great job of succinctly communicating some of what we experienced that I asked her if I could share some of her writings here at Graceland. She graciously agreed.
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SWAZILAND: BIG BEND CARE POINT
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As hot as I have ever felt.

Sun baked ground,

crubby brush with thorns,

grass laced with thorns;

thorns enough to crown every head.
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Children arrive from every direction
seemingly from nowhere to nowhere.
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Eight poles and the last remaining
shreds of tarp form the only shade
around for miles.
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Hands of children and mothers
clutch crayons and colour photocopied sheets;
Baby Jesus' hair in waxy shades of
blue, red and orange.
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And Gogo feeds them all.
She chuckles when we come near,
so glad we've come to visit.
I tell her she does such wonderful work there.
Again she chuckles.
"Nothing special" she says.
"Nothing special."
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"Wisps of smoke come from
the shack of cinderblock and tin
as today's one meal cooks in iron pots;
pap and beans.
The older ones feed the younger.
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A fortified orange drink
miraculously multiplied
until the last child drinks
the very last drops from the bucket.
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A scrawny dog pants in the shade.
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http://biscotti_brain.blogspot.com/
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3 comments:

Karen Deborah said...

Elyssa, just start sharing, your full from being there. We are actually the poor naked and blind. The Lord will help you share your experience. Don't you feel honored to be used by Him? We go to help and come back full to overflowing with the blessing. People need to know so that they too will go and give, and find out for themselves that "you can't outgive God", is not just a cliche.

Shauna said...

Thanks for sharing your impressions and photos! Compassion International currently has a team of bloggers (I wish I were with them!) reporting on their experiences in Uganda. I'm sure you can relate to the things they're sharing.

Erin said...

I am so, so happy to see those Big Bend faces!!!