REAL JOY GUARANTEED!

                Returning to the States after being in the 3^rd world always involves some culture shock.  My very sudden decision to return home meant some major cultural whip-lash.  I quickly went from termite-eating season to the American Christmas season. 

                Zambians celebrate Christmas too, of course.  Christmas day generally involves a family/village community joining together for special long church services worshiping the newborn King.  This will follow with a big feast of nshima and meat if it is available.  I was looking forward to sharing in these traditions and celebrations with some of my Zambian friends, but knew it wouldn’t feel at all like Christmas.

                American Christmas is filled with cultural tradition.  It’s just not Christmas if there’s not an obscenely decorated pine-tree in your living room, ham on the dinner table, and decorated gifts overflowing from every nook and cranny.

I tried explaining what a Christmas tree was to my Zambian friends… I think their reaction to this tradition was pretty similar to my reaction to them telling me about catching, frying, and eating termites.  Why on earth anyone would put a tree inside their house and put lights and other decoration on it is beyond their imagination.

Though I’m glad that I get to do my fair share of Christmas-tree decorating, gift-giving and receiving, and cookie-decorating we need to humbly admit that most of these traditions have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. 

One of the biggest cultural whip-lash moments I had upon returning home happened in Sears.  This is what I saw: 

"Real joy guaranteed"

I had to laugh out loud.  REAL JOY GUARANTEED!?  That just sums up the empty promises of our American Consumerist Christmas traditions doesn’t it?  Buy all this STUFF and give all this STUFF and you’ll find REAL JOY.  I decided that if I buy a washing machine, and bring it back declaring that I didn’t get my guaranteed REAL JOY that it is my American right to demand and receive my money back. And of course keep the washing machine. 

I don’t want to be that person laying on guilt about “Jesus is the reason for the season.”  Sure it’s true, but how many of us can actually claim to not indulge in some of these American traditions?  In my mind, it’s not really anything to be ashamed of.  It is our culture.  It only becomes a problem when we start believing the lie that these American traditions are what deliver “REAL JOY.”

This Christmas I hope you thoroughly indulge in American Christmas traditions.  Spend way too much money on gifts for everyone you love.  Make lots of Christmas cookies and eat lots of them too.  Watch all the good Christmas movie classics and all the terrible new ones.  Sing songs about Santa and his reindeer, and leave cookies, milk and carrots out for them on Christmas Eve.  Deck the halls till you can’t recognize that they’re halls anymore.  Go all out.  But please, don’t get your expectations up.  Yes, I guarantee you’re going to have a lot of fun (and so am I!).  I guarantee that you’re going to make memories and enjoy being with your family.  I guarantee you’re going to eat too much, spend too much, and get too much.  But I also guarantee that these cultural traditions will not give you REAL JOY.

How do I know this?  Well my Zambian friends don’t have any of these things.  They don’t have gifts to give or trees to decorate or cookies to eat let alone ovens to bake cookies in.  But they’re still going to experience REAL JOY on Christmas through worshipping our Savior. 

Christmas is on Sunday this year.  Meaning we get twice the opportunity (Christmas Eve and Christmas day) to worship and celebrate the birth of our savior, our Lord. The One who came to give us life, and life to the full.  I hope you take the opportunity to worship him with your church community. Twice. (At the very least, go to support your pastor who is preaching at least two times within 12 hours on Christmas!)  I hope in the midst of enjoying and indulging in American traditions, you turn your heart towards the One who blessed you with it all.  I hope this year you give the Lord the opportunity to grab your heart with the truth and mystery of how the creator of heaven and earth came to live amongst his creation in order to bring us forgiveness, freedom, and life.   REAL JOY GUARANTEED.  J

This is the awesome Christmas tree I made in my apartment before leaving.  Yes, that is a lamp. :)

Medical Update

Well I've been home for one week, but it feels like about a month has gone by.  I was worried about how it might feel to be home, but mostly it all feels perfectly normal.  Zambia sometimes feels like it was in the distant past, and I'm regularly looking at photos to remind myself of names and memories of my friends there. 

The last week has been a crazy week.  My first night home began with a trip to the Emergency Department due to waking up with a violently upset stomach.  The bad side of this was of course being violently sick, but the good side was it put a jump start to the process of many lab tests. This was Sunday AM. 

Tuesday AM I got in to see my General Physician, for the sole purpose of him saying "yes you're sick, go see an Infectious Disease Specialist."  Duh, we knew this, yet the system requires his referral. 

Thankfully, we got an appointment Wednesday with an Infectious Disease specialist at Strong.  Though a very nice man, I felt like I knew more about malaria than he did.  Thankfully, he didnt charge us for the appointment and  he also made a phone call to Dr Shelly, the other Infectious Disease specialist in town.

Due to a cancelation by the Lord's grace, we were able to get an appointment with Dr Shelly on Friday morning. (They couldnt get us in for over two weeks).  In his office yesterday, my mom and I felt like we were finally with someone who knows what he's talking about.  So that's the good news.

The less good news, though not necessarily bad news, is that my blood work shows absolutely no signs that I've ever had malaria.  Though the doctor isnt completely ruling out malaria, he's not focusing on it.  Meaning a lot more blood work is in process right now, trying to come up with an answer. 

Why did I test 'positive' 3 times in Zambia?  Well, since malaria is so prevalent there, doctors/lab technicians tend to blanket diagnose people based on their symptoms.  If someone is sick, they need medicine.  If it seems like malaria, give them the medicine.  Since we dont have resources to do further testing to find out what is actually causing their symptoms, treat them for malaria.  The medical system deserves a blog post all to itself, and yes that will someday come.  The mystery is that I did in fact have blood smears done which the lab technicians diagnosed with malaria.  Because of the weakness of the medical system and possible faulty testing techniques, as well as my current blood work, the doctor and I are now questioning these diagnoses. 

Besides these doctors appointments, I've been sleeping for about 10-14 hours at night, and then 2-6 hours during the day.  My head feels like its going to explode.  Thankfully today, Saturday, I've managed to stay awake all day long and my head feels a teensy bit better. 

The good news about this is these test results make us suspicious of any positive malaria tests which Cindy and Mike have been diagnosed with, and they will be heading to South Africa this coming week for tests.   Also, people have been sick in Jembo recently with similar symptoms but not testing positive for malaria.  Meaning, something is up.  Perhaps me having to come home for testing will help solve the mystery. 

Thank you everyone for your prayers.  I know so many of you are very concerned and praying for me.  It means so much to know that you're beside me in prayer.  Now the prayers need to be directed in a bit of a different direction- for wisdom, guidance, and answers.  And of course, for healing. 

In the meantime, the doctor's orders included that my mother pamper me. I'm taking full advantage of that order :)  Really though, I'm so so very thankful that I'm home feeling this miserable with my wonderful parents taking care of me and that I'm finally in the hands of a good medical professional.  I'm missing Zambia every day, however, and sad for the plans I had to cancel this month.

I know that the Lord has good things in store during this trial (He promises us good! :) ).  Some of that good will surely include seeing some of you :)  However, with the way I'm feeling, I appreciate your patience in waiting till I'm significantly recovered...which the timing is of course very uncertain... I really dont think you want to watch me sleep anyway :)

Very gratefully Dr Shelly is keeping a close watch on me, and I have another appointment with him on Tuesday to go over the most recent lab results taken yesterday and discuss further testing.  So I'll keep you updated as things progress and as my energy allows.  Thanks for praying! God has answered so many prayers throughout this last week, I know he will continue to do so.

Prince Gilbert

Prince Gilbert is a frog.  When I arrived in Zambia, he was living in my bathroom.  After a few weeks of having this regular guest in my shower, I decided he needed a name.  Anne of Green Gables was the most recent love story I had been watching and therefore Gilbert Blithe the most recent 'prince' character in my life.  Therefore, Prince Gilbert the Frog.  He's disappeared recently, I suspect the rainy season and large quantity of insects have drawn him out into the real world.  But for a few months, he provided a great photography subject... as well as someone to talk to :)  This blog post is in his honor.