Beautiful India

(This was my first missionary trip to India...I should have shared this with you all sooner. I am planning on serving again very soon)

10/26/2011

A Short Walk

Dateline October 19, 2011
Cheebo
LaKishia D. McCain

One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 22:16.  It simply says this:

“He defended the cause of the poor and needy,  and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the LORD”.  My entire outlook of traveling thousands of miles away from my family, friends and comfort of my own home has always been reassured by this scripture.  The Lord had brought us safely to India, pass the “Customs situation” and now we were finally on our way to our first village, Cheebo.

According to our itinerary, Cheebo was only a three mile drive away from Kalimpong.  Now, for most Americans three miles is a very short trip yet, I found out very quickly that three miles of driving on any road in India is more like taking a “joy ride” on a roller coaster while playing a game of “chicken”.  My Uncle Byron and fellow team member, Andy laughed at my nervous response to the constant swerving, loud horns, sudden stops and spontaneous lane changes.  To be honest, there are no lanes in India. The drivers blow their horns to signal or warn  that they are going to pass the other car and go for it.  The fact that most of the roads are either “washed out” from the previous Monsoon season or what many Americans would classify as a one lane road, has nothing to do with speed.  The vehicles are so close that it is quite possible to touch the passing cars.  After looking out the window and discovering just how high up we really were, I decided to try to force myself to go to sleep.  The view of the long descent down and missing guard rails was more than I could take at the moment.  I closed my eyes and prayed that we would arrive at Cheebo very soon.

We were told that the jeeps would not be able to make it up the hills that led into Cheebo.  This meant that we would have to take a “short walk” into the village.  As   I mentioned before, nothing is what it seems to be in India.  So, I braced myself for the short walk.  For brevity, the “short walk” included walking up and down washed out terrain.  I guess something was really funny because many people were laughing.  Our friend and translator, Anup asked me if he should carry me along with the luggage.  I had to remind myself of the scripture to keep from crying. 

The friendly people of Cheebo, greeted us with hot tea and warm smiles.   There were two Indian doctors who were working with us for the day.  Everyone was eager to set up our “make shift” medical facility.  The villagers had cleaned out a three room building for us.  They covered the outside area so that we could work in  the under the shade. Anu, Pastor Nandu’s wife and I were assigned to Wound Care and quickly began to unpack and set up the area. I was really surprised that there were not a lot of people who needed to have their wounds treated.  In retrospect of our entire time here, I have seen more cases of scabies, possible MRSA, psoriasis, and other types of dermal fungal infections.   
 
Mike and Byron were assigned to Triage.  Andy made sure the children were kept happy by offering them candy and balloons while Sarah and Charles “floated”.  One of the Indian doctors evaluated and the other worked in the Pharmacy.

Half way through our day the villagers offered the doctors and team a hot meal.  As, I said before....nothing is simple in India.  Anu had showed me where and how the meals are prepared.  No electricity was used to cook the meal.  The chicken, rice and potatoes were all cooked by fire.

Despite the rough time that I had walking up to Cheebo, I felt really honored to be able to take part in this mission.  In comparison to other medical teams, we are a very small team of  only six people.  But, somehow the Master Physician has handpicked each one of us and given us orders. Unsure and honestly a bit scared of the walk back, the unsteady roads we had to drive, I was determined to follow His orders. We were able to assess 68 people in Cheebo all in the name of God’s love and grace!   We had three more  villages to go! As we drove back to our home, I closed my eyes and smiled for a few seconds because... “all went well”. 

Tired of hearing people say...

I am so  tired of hearing people say, "It is what it is."  I realize that there are different definitions of this phrase but, I am disgusted with the people who use it as an excuse to justify their narcissitic behavior.  In my opinion, those five little words are some of the most selfish words ever put together in one sentence.  I don't know if this phrase is used in any other part of the world, but in many urban American cities, this is a very common phrase.  People are saying it in our schools, stores, churches and just about every place in between.  Let me explain how it is used.
Some sources define the phrase, "it is what it is" as a phrase that seems to simply state the obvious but actually means "it will be what it is," as in "it ain't gonna change, so deal with it or don't." (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=It+is+what+it+Is).  If most people were using it like that I could digest that a little easier yet, many people are using this phrase to be dismissive or as a way to excuse their unacceptable behavior.  For example, your friend is very late for a very important meeting and you ask them why didn't they make the proper preparation to be on time. Your friend's response? "I don't know...it is what it is."  I have personally heard people belt out this phrase instead of "owning" up to their faults way too many times.  America, let's stop this "it is what it is mindset"  and start being accountable for our choices!  We have the power to make things the way it should be!

Memorial Day 2012

Woke up this morning and immediately had to give thanks. First, to God because I just believe that He is the One who allowed me to wake up to another day. Then, I had to thank my fellow  countrymen (of course women too) for the unselfish deeds that they did for me. Actually, not just me, but for my children and future generations.
Today is Memorial Day! Today in America, we will celebrate and  honor all of our men and women who have exchanged their lives for our freedom. We honor our fallen soldiers on this day. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. 
 Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer!
Like myself, many Americans did not have to go to work on this federal holiday. So, the most American thing to do on a paid day off is to get a few extra hours of sleep or break out the grill.  That may sound a bit odd to some folks but, I say this without any guilt  because I work really hard. Not only do I work but, I also spend hours upon hours volunteering.
So, today we took our time and enjoyed this  beautiful day. Gave thanks to God for all of our blessings!  Cooked outdoors on the grill  and watched a good movie.  I talked with the kids about the men and women in my family who served this country. When the sun sets we will light up some fireworks and continue to thank God for the men & women who served.

Happy Memorial Day!

Obama became the first U.S. president to back the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry, a reversal from views expressed during the 2008 campaign, when he said he opposed same-sex marriage but favored civil unions as an alternative.

(Photo Credit: AP)
(I will share my thoughts later....this is an excerpt from ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/amendment-one-north-carolina-anti-gay-marriage-measure-passes/
A proposed amendment to North Carolina’s constitution which would make marriage between a man and woman the only legal union recognized by the state passed a statewide vote on Tuesday.

The referendum- North Carolina Amendment One- goes a step beyond outlawing same-sex marriage, which was already illegal in the state. The law states that “marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State”- meaning that civil unions and potentially other types of domestic partnerships will no longer be legally recognized.
With 99.9 percent of precincts reporting, support for the amendment was strong- with about 61 percent of North Carolina voters casting their ballots in favor of the amendment, and roughly 39 percent voting against it, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.