Being Human

Hi All,



I've been wondering what I wanted my next topic to blog about to be and am struggling maintaing my computer skills and trying to figure out how to do things. This file goes here, click that button, then do this. It all becomes a little confusing to me, but I haven't given up hope yet that I'll get it. I do need to reach out and ask for help or simply sit down and take the time to ... read the instructions in the "how to" section however many times it takes to figure something out.






My lack of skills at blogging caused me to laugh and say to myself... "Hey Rachel... anyone tell you you're a human being not a human doing lately". Of course I smiled and took the moment to simply be in the present.



Summer is coming to an end and everyone is out school shopping. Young adults are preparing to head off to college and I've begun walking with our 3 children in the morning a little earlier each day. Just yesterday I noted that there was a chill in the air as the kids said... "C'mon Mom get in the pool".



Recently I have been able to tell the stories of so many children I met in Africa to others. I am currently working on a shoe drive/collection in the Columbia/Baltimore/DC area and am bringing incrediable awareness to the fact that others truly do not own a pair of shoes. In talking with others, I find that I am able to look at them in the eye and am amazed that we as Americans just sort of forget how good we have it in our country. We get up, many of us get up from a nice bed and have breakfast of a cup of coffee. We get dressed and go about our daily litney of things to do eventually ending the day by going back to our nice bed to re-energize for the next day.

The Thoughts in My Mind Today

Today I woke and still found myself laughing about this picture. I'm so glad that Ben took it. It has given me a constant reminder that it is important to play and laugh.

This is me swinging from a vine in Gombe National Park. It was very hard to hang onto that vine, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. It was one of those "hang on" moments where I said to myself... "you're in for a ride girl!"

After just two days of helping kids I didn't really think I needed to go "chimpanzee treking". But the people at Soles4Souls knew we would need a break and arranged for us to have some play time. Play is important and I really needed the break from seeing so much devastation in little people.

This picture is me sitting with Brandy and simply taking in all the beauty around me. I was completely covered with clothing to avoid mosquito's and my clothes were drenched from the heat, but I'm so glad that I went.

I loved seeing the shoe truck behind us. Yes those shoe were with us everywhere we went and there were always people there to help us with them.

I also really liked playing soccer with the kids. They were really good at it. Note the bottle of water in hand. Some kids that didn't have a soccer ball used old t-shirts and string and stuff that they had found to make a soccer ball. Regardless, we all took turns running and playing with the kids.

Oh how patient the kids would sit and wait. Lines and lines of them.... so many.

Harriet held this little one for the longest time. Sometimes all we need is a hug. It the human connection factor. When things get crazy all many people want is to simply be loved. This picture captured that for a few moments this child got to know love.

Note the fingernail polish. The kids were fascinated with it. I don't know that they had ever seen it. Something so simple put a smile on faces. I think I speak for the group that none of us thought or were worried about getting aids, malaria, or yellow fever when it came to simply showing acts of kindness on this entire trip.

I'll leave you with a favorite image of mine. It has stayed with me for years.

A simple drop of water.

Water is so valuable in Africa. They teach us in elementary school food, water and shelter are the three things you need in order to survive. I like to take it a step further and say that even a drop of water has a ripple effect. It matters to so many others the simple actions of one individual. One can make a difference. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I life the Soles4Souls motto of "changing the world, one pair at a time".

Hugs,

Rachel

ZEBRA'S

ZEBRA's ZEBRA's ZEBRA's

Today's post is for my friend Josh. Josh is 4 or 5 now and has repeatedly asked his Mom where are the pictures of Zebra's from Rachel's trip. So Joshua... this one is for you.

The Zebra's in Kigoma, Tanzania were amazing to watch. We were instructed that if they charged us to raise our hands up and yell... "hey" to make ourselves look bigger. Zebra's run just like a horse and therefore sound just like a horse galloping. So if I heard a galloping horse I would turn around and prepare to see a zebra coming or going someplace quickly. We often would laugh among our group that it was persons job at the hotel to watch the zebra's and make sure they and the people around them were safe. By the time we left the hotel I believe we were all glad that man was there watching those zebra's.

There were 3 on the hotel grounds and I was close enough to touch them, but dared not to. I can hear just fine and I heard the advice from our guide to not come within 10 meters of the zebra's.

Upon leaving the hotel we were told that two of the zebra's were pregnant females and there was one male. I don't remember their names, but I do remember the feeling of coming back to camp and seeing them and thinking... "Ok... I'm home for a while now, I can rest".

I had one encounter with a zebra upon going to dinner one night. I had overslept for mealtime and someone came to make sure I was ok. Upon walking out my bungalow door I was greeted by a black and white striped animal and practiced the "Hey... don't I look bigger" philosophy. It really did work. The zebra ran one way and I ran the other.

I also saw baboon's, chimpanzee's, and African butterflies, and goats. I saw many many birds and remember them following us in the boat. While it was amazing to see all the animals that I saw I want you all to know I went to meet and visit with the people of Africa. They touched my heart, my life, and changed my world forever.

Joshy... I love you buddy. Hope you like the pictures of the zebra's

Hugs

Rachel

The Weight

Today my mind is on Grace. I woke yesterday morning after receiving an e-mail from her. It took me days to figure out who exactly it was. Then yesterday morning I woke and said.... "GRACE".... you did it.

Grace and I had great conversations in Africa. It is my hope to possibly sponsor her so she can go on to continue her education. She wants to become a doctor I believe. Grace is 16 and has two more years left in the orphanage she was at. When I asked her to teach me how to walk with water on my head she tried. Many of the children laughed hysterically when I tried. One thing I will say is that those girls and women have extremely strong necks. That bucket wasn't even 5 gallons and it was heavy. Look at the picture... I look like I have NO neck, because it was heavy. Yet the women and girls walk around with everything on their heads so that their hands are free to keep up with little ones or hold something else.

Grace and I sat and talked for a long time. I was facinated at how I wasn't sure what to do and all the young girls came to me to simply talk and try communicating with me. We exchanged words, smiles, hugs, and a whole lot of love. They were all beautiful. Grace's english language skills were very impressive and I admired her incredibly.

To the left is a picture of a woman walking down the street. She has a baby on her back, he laundry on her head, along with her big black bag and a bag in her hands. She was wondering what we were doing there. This was a comon sight in Tanzania. I was mesmerized at how easily they can carry so much. When I strugged so much with just one thing.
We are truly blessed with all that we have. Today I will attempt to make contact with Grace and continue working on my goals. I will smile and know that I can only control my own actions. I will never forget the weight I have to carry is much less than those others must carry in order to survive.



Hugs,
Rachel

Mufia

Some things stay in your mind forever. So it is with Mufia. Mufia was a child that was sort of peeking out from behind another person at one of the orphanages I visited in Africa with Soles4Souls. I asked Todd to take this picture for me because I wanted to remember her.

Mufia is a small tiny girl that is courious about so much, yet wouldn't dare ask. She wears a cute top that reminded me of the kind I wore when I was a little girl. Gently Mufia held onto my hand and looked into my eyes and smiled. It was a smile that warmed my heart and spoke without words. I didn't want to let go of her hand that day and I hope to never let go of the memory she left engraved in my mind.

Kindness knows no skin color, hope has no name or age, and peace is possible despite language barriers. Thank you Mufia for letting me share with you a special day. You will always be in my thoughts. It took me forever to get your name down and when I finally associated it with "Mu-fa-sa" in the Lion King... I knew a little girl like her would be a queen in my eyes if only for a few hours. And.. thanks Todd the picture means so much to me.

Hugs
Kumbatia Mufia
Rachel

SHOES

Shoes.

They still speak to my heart in so many ways. At the beach with family and went for a walk on the sand dunes. Everyone here just leaves their shoes in a little pile and walks. Shoes.... something so simple.

What do your shoes say about you?

Are you ready to take on the world? Are you successfull? Are you tired?

Today I think I will wear none. I will enjoy the sand between my toes and think about the kids that have never owned a pair and how fortunate I am to have the choice today in somthing so simple as wearing or not wearing shoes.

Hugs

Rachel

Processing Information

This morning I woke to spend some time to read a book that I have found very interesting, informative and can relate to. The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz. Something just jumped out at me and and I said.... "That's me... ding ding ding. That's it in a nutshell". I've been trying to figure out for a few days how I can go back to Africa and raise a family in America. Young children that will someday hopefully go to college and running a home require some organization and love. I always say... why ask for a hut when you can have a mansion. Let me first quote what I read and maybe you'll understand more.

" Still, I longed for the colors of Africa, the smells of cooking over an open fire......I missed the simple way that people embraced one another, the way they always asked about your family, you day, your health before discussing business, the way children waved their hands back and forth, like little Japanese fans aflutter. I missed bargaining for everything. I missed the optimism and resilency of so many Africans I knew. I missed finding beauty in everyday things I even missed the rotten roads in Rwanda, as my frined Ginette had predicted as she drove me to the airort in Kigali on bumpy, muddy streets full of potholes Most of all, I missed feeling useful."

So... I humbly reached out to Africans and Africa touched my heart beyond what words can possibly describe. We have an incredible abundance here in America and we take so much for granted that others truly do not have.

I am going to host a shoe drive in an attempt to collect the most pairs of shoes for the next 5 months. So, if you have old shoes... get them to me. My goal is 50,000 pair in the next 5 months. I've got lots of ideas and many people have said you'll never do it. I say... watch me.

Why old shoes? Disease is spread in Africa because many times people simply do not own a pair of shoes. Soles 4 Souls believes in micro-business. What happens is Soles 4 Souls allows Africans to make their own investment in shoes and repay shoe distributors after they sell them for a fraction of the cost. The African people then learn that they can make a living working instead of waiting for charity organizations to hand out. I've also heard it referred to as a "Hand Up not a Hand Out".

So... I've got my list in hand of people and place to contact here in the US and I'm going for it. If I can collect the most shoes for Soles 4 Souls in the next five months, then I can go back to Africa on another shoe distribution trip. I'm still working on how to market the news, but I believe this is going to be my full time job for the next few months. God says you can move mountains, but you better bring a shovel. So, I've got my shovel in hand and I'm going to ask my friends to help me move a mountain.

I feel energized and recharged. Have a great weekend all.

Hugs

Rachel