World AIDS; Every Day...

MBABANE (AFP) - Nearly a third of Swaziland's children are considered orphaned and vulnerable as AIDS takes its toll on the country, a study commissioned by the state's emergency response council said Friday.

"There are currently 130,000 OVCs (orphaned and vulnerable children) in the country, which represents 31.1 percent of all children countrywide," the study said.

"However, it is projected that the OVC figure could rise to 200,000 by the year 2010."

It added: "HIV and AIDS is permanently altering the structure of Swazi society. It is expected that by 2025 there will be a thinning of the older age groups and the very young."

Life expectancy in the country dropped from 60 years in 1997 to the world's lowest of 31.3 in 2004, while the mortality rate has sharply increased across the entire population over the past 15 years, the report added.

According to UNICEF's website, HIV prevalence among 20 to 30-year-olds is nearing 50 percent, higher than the national adult average.

In Swaziland, close to 40 percent of adults are living with HIV and AIDS, the highest infection rate anywhere in the world, UNICEF said.

Spinning, spinning...

Do you know what a coin funnel is?


I used to see them occasionally at malls, huge funnels that you can toss your coins into. You get a quarter started at the top, and watch it make slow, looping circles. As it begins to descend through the funnel, it spins faster and faster into a vibrating hum until it finally drops through the hole at the bottom. Even as an adult, I can't help but watch, mesmerized, as the coin makes it final descent.

(If my description leaves you unsatisfied, click here for a video clip of the thing.)

Sometimes I feel as if my brain approaches thoughts the same way. I may come across an idea in something I read, or have a memorable conversation with someone, and it's as if a quarter has been set in motion.

Perhaps a week later, the same topic comes up in another article, a sermon illustration, a different conversation. The quarter is picking up some speed. Now, it's got my attention. Perhaps its a new idea to explore, or a problem to solve.

Then suddenly, it's everywhere at once. I've had several conversations, I've thought it through. I'm ready to move on. I'm no longer interested, I'm annoyed. Tired of talking, tired of thinking. The quarter is spinning so fast I can't even focus on it anymore. I couldn't catch it if I tried. All one can do is wait for it to run its course.

This is where I am now. My mind is buzzing, and I'm desperately tired of it. Depression, relationships, identity, disappointments, hope. My place in the world, and among the people who inhabit it. Spinning, spinning, no rest, no peace. I try to slow down, but I don't feel refreshed, just behind.

I both envy and disdain people who can shelve their struggles in the depths of their subconscious; then I feel guilty for good measure. That just wouldn't work for me, anwyays. I need something more real, more final. An epiphany, perhaps. Springtime of the soul. A new week. I don't know.

What I do recognize is that the peace I seek, true peace, won't be found outside the loving arms of my Father. He will hold me, He will guide me, He will help me make the best sense I can of this crazy world. I must remind myself that I'm not alone; He is with me and He understands. This is something I can hold on to and accept.

Selah.

Sigh. Whine. Complain.

Unbelievable. After a year of good health, I have managed to come down with my second cold in two weeks. Great. Last week I woke up with the worst sore throat I've ever had, on Thanksgiving Day no less.

Today, our day off, G-Dub and I had planned to string the house with Christmas lights, then spend time with a friend this evening. I've been looking forward to it all week, but this morning I woke up with that stuffiness and yuckiness that tells me I won't be doing very much today.

Yay, winter.

Ode to an Icon

Farewell, Heather.

Thank you for making America's Next Top Model the best show of the season. We believed in you from the beginning, and you've proven you have what it takes.

Thank you for being okay with being a "geeky" girl. Who knew awkward could be so charming?

Thank you for teaching America about your Asperger's. You call it a disability, but it didn't stop you from taking slammin' photos.

Your ride may be ending a little early, but I believe we haven't seen the last of you. Rock on.

It's knitting needles you want, not iPhones

Believe it or not, we had the knitting class (see previous post) in the works before finding this article.

Apparently a study called D-Code was just released, an annual survey that tracks youth culture. According to the study,

"Young people's circuits are overloaded. They can't keep on top of their email, surf their Facebook, handle their Second Life avatar and upload their Flickr. They find all this technology that is designed to connect them is in fact disconnecting them. They are actually in multimedia meltdown."

The result is a knee-jerk reaction towards the less sophisticated, as young people seek temporary salvation from the cutting edge. They are being driven to activities reminiscent of their childhood and more familiar with their parents' generation. Out goes MySpace, PS2s and iPhones, and in comes knitting clubs, craft fairs and cloud appreciation societies.

..."But this is not a fight against technology – youths want to be at the leading edge, but they also need a time for back to basics, where analogue living provides some respite."

Perhaps this hunger for the tangible explains the popularity of the knitting Sunday School class. When signups began, I had expected that class to garner less interest, but so far the first ten signups have been for knitting, including three very active 6th grade boys! I am very curious to see how the class plays out over the next four weeks.

If all goes well, perhaps we should consider starting our own 'cloud appreciation society'...

Coming Attractions

Last Sunday, we concluded our second round of Sunday School "Reimagined" classes.

Instead of trying to create some 'one size fits all' program to meet the needs of all junior or senior highers (it does continue to boggle my mind that 6th grade boys and 8th grade girls are the same species, much less the same age group!), we have created various Sunday School options that students can pick from.

This past month was a shortened four week cycle, that gave students choices such as "Volleyball & Values", "JH Drama Workshop" (creating a short film for an upcoming worship night), "Guys Only / Girls Only", and "Hungry for the Kingdom" (overview on world hunger plus preparing for our upcoming 30 Hour Famine).

This Sunday we kick off our next round of classes:

Fighting Temptation: Kick Sin in the Shin

Don’t let the Devil pick on you, fight back! Find out how junior highers can deal with temptation in their lives.

In Stitches: Knit & Crochet to Warm Up America

Learn a new skill while helping those in need! We will be turning balls of yarn into 7 x 9 squares that will be joined together to make warm afghan blankets! Bring your yarn, knitting needles or hooks if ya got ‘em!

What the Heck, God? Talking to God When You’re Upset

Fact: Life is hard sometimes. Fact: God can handle our emotions. Join Pastor Gary in an exploration of some very honest Psalms.

Heaven’s Kitchen: Cooking with Donna G.

Does your gourmet cooking taste like honey and locusts? Get comfortable in the kitchen as Donna shares her insider’s secrets.

World Race 06 Video

This week marks the ONE YEAR anniversary since Gary and I arrived home from our mission trip around the world. It blows me away how quickly the time has flown by.

When we first returned to the states, we shared a slideshow with pictures from our trip at a special dinner with our supporters in Sacramento. For those of you that weren't able to join us, I finally posted our slideshow video on Youtube for all to enjoy.

Here's our video:

Breathe Africa

Here's a way to support women and children in Swaziland while getting your Christmas shopping done:

Check out Breathe Africa.

In May 2007, members of Breathe Africa found almost 40 orphans in Nsoko, Swaziland. The children had been without food for about a week. These are the poorest of the poor, the worst we’ve seen in Swaziland. It was at that moment that we knew we needed to do something…. Presently we are helping to make sure that the children have enough food, as well as working on getting them all clothed.

We also have long term goals, as we are working on building a children’s village – it will have a community center, gardens, fish ponds, 6 – 8 homes that will house double orphans and have a mother and father in it to care for the children, a home for a gogo (grandmother), lodge (to house teams that want to come and serve), a market and café (there will be sustainability projects, so that they do not need to always rely on the support of others but can provide much of the money for themselves).

Purchasing items from Breathe Africa allows us to continue to move forward in our endeavors to provide, protect, and encourage these children and others like them.