8-30-2001

1:15 PM

Good afternoon. I’m feeling very fatigued and drained, sore throat comes and goes and headache and fever also intermittent. Billy is the same way. It’s like we went from a V8 engine to a 4 cylinder almost over night.

The sound system did fry…I don’t know what we will do now for the big concert on Saturday…what we were using was the bulk of the main system…It’s not in our hands at this point. Billy, Junar, Rich and Travis are heading out to a compound, not the one we originally thought we would be at, to play acoustic guitars and minister that way.

This whole plan of mini-concerts was to be in conjunction with the medical brigade, but the medical brigade was shut down when we found out the manifest of medicines was useless in the field. No brigade has or will take place. The concerts are now the only thing in motion and those have been slowed to a crawl via electronics and sickness.

I’m so tired, it’s hard to keep my eyes open and write. Matt’s playing his Gameboy he brought. I think I will get my CD player and shut my eyes and listen to some music.

I plan to write down my observations on what has happened in me since leaving and things I have now considered. My guitars, my instruments, my skills, how I can help, all of these things. We went to the market place again today, looked in an African clothing store called “YOU & I” which had gorgeous things, full outfits for men and women, traditional from head to toe

I really want to come home to my family. It’s 1:30…chill time.

It’s 2:00…no chilling took place. Just after writing the above, Bonnie ordered some fries for Matt and me and Matt then went to get them. He came back in to say that Francis was here and he overheard Francis telling Rich that Francis’s sister, Francesca, just died from what we believe to be complications from AIDS. Ron, Debbie and Dr. T had been with her last night and taken her from her home to the hospital because she was getting weaker and Francis’ younger sister and brother had been looking after her as best they could, but could no longer taker care of her. I don’t know the details past that.

We had prayer this morning that if God does not bring her healing, that he would take her quietly and quickly, so I guess this is an answer to prayer, though not the one we wanted, but then this trip has been nothing about what we wanted, not even from the beginning, except for having good flights and arrangements therein.

Death surrounds everyone here, in this country. The average maximum age is about 37 and we see children everywhere caring other children, which we thought was siblings caring…10, 11, 12, 13 and up are having children, apparently as soon as the body can, it does. It’s heartbreaking from that standpoint, as well as from several thousand other standpoints. Everyone that we have come in to contact with has lost at least one family member recently and they show little sign of emotional reaction to it, numbed I guess.

Matt’s feeling much better and is heading out to the compound to join the others out there. I’m staying to rest and feel better. I know I could go and play, but I don’t think I’m doing anyone any favors by doing so, but it is a struggle, I feel like if I can navigate, I should, but my strength is reasonably diminished, so here I stay.

I’m going to rest and try to organize my stuff so I know where everything is.
Quite a trip.
I love you