Day 9

Tuesday-DAY 9
May 10, 2011

I am sitting here at the mission in Pweto, all packed and ready for my 530am departure tomorrow morning for Moba…we (Mr. Angeleka and I) finally had confirmation last night around 8pm from the Administrator who kindly assisted us in getting transport…we will leave here for Selembe (half-way point between Pweto and Moba) and meet another car there, looking at a good 11-14 hour journey…
This morning I woke-up to another beautiful day feeling a great deal of relief not having to worry about how I am and will get to Moba, it’s not that I don’t like Pweto I just don’t have any work here and I am going crazy!!!!!
After packing-up and doing laundry, I ventured into ‘town’ stopped and had a cold soda, bought some talk-time and observed. Pweto is ever growing and everyone seems so busy busy- there are more motorbikes and even cars than I’ve ever seen here before. There is even an Internet café! Can’t wait for Antoine to get his up and running (with Internet that is).
Walking back to the mission I noticed a man lying on the cement floor below the Virgin Mary. He was praying out-loud, I also noticed he is crippled. When I was in town earlier I saw this same man go by in his makeshift wheel chair made of bicycle wheels and a wheel burrow. He was being assisted by a young boy who would push him over any rocks that stood in his way…I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sadness yet, at the same time I saw beauty in the boy and, I thought of those that made this man his chair- giving him the gift of mobility. Back to the mission…as I passed by the man lying on the floor and his chair, I pulled out any money I had in my pockets and quietly left it on his chair. There is no way the man could have seen me, heard me nor would he know who left the money sitting there, he was alone. I continued on without making a sound and as I approached my room I decided to turn around and take a snap shot of the image I am describing. Again, he didn’t see me but I saw him there looking in awe like this money just appeared from the heavens he had been praying to. I truly can’t even explain into words the feeling this gave me! To provide a few dollars to someone means nothing compared to seeing what those few dollars can DO for someone. What a day, what a memory, what an experience.
I look forward to continuing making a difference in one persons life, and hope to see them make a difference in others…this is the way the world works; sometimes it just takes time for you to realize the importance of ‘stopping to smell the roses’ (thanks dad).
For now,
krista