I/We are so Blessed!

I/We are so blessed!

This week, 2 events brought home to me how blessed you and I are.
1. Brenda, the very young woman who cleans the school complained of
her tooth hurting. After several days, I asked if I could look in her
mouth. My uneducated observation was that it was a wisdom tooth
coming in, already with some decay, and very much still in the gum
area.
I discovered for a fact what I had thought was true. If your
tooth is giving you trouble, you go and have it pulled. People here
have the most beautiful teeth, and usually so straight. But if a
tooth gives you problems, out it comes.
In Brenda's case it looked more like a case of "oral surgery" and I
have no idea if they are prepared for that at the local hospital.
Yesterday they did remove it and she was given 2 days of "bed rest"
which means not reporting to work.
As I think about the 4 crowns on my teeth, I realize that if I lived
here in Zambia, several of my molars would be missing, and my ability
to eat some foods would very much be hampered.
People here are shocked to learn that we spend hundreds of
dollars trying to save our teeth!

2. One of the young women who was part of our conservation farming
program in the past, came to see me. She practically begged me for
work. She wants money for her family and to send some to a younger
sister who is not able to go to school because she doesn't have the
fees. She also said, "I'm so bored. I'll just do anything, auntie;
wash the floor, wash your shoes."
I think of all the things we have to do. First of all,
until grade 12 it is never a question of being able to go to school.
It is free education. Secondly, most people are able to get food for
their families. And finally, if you really want to be productive, you
can always go to the library for free reading and teaching events or
volunteer someplace.

I guess I'm becoming like so many people who live and serve in poor
countries, i.e. seeing all the ways that we spend money in the US on
things we don't need when just a little would go so far over here;
give someone a job, help kids be able to go to school, etc. etc. I
know my family this year will not get much in the way of Christmas
presents. I love them so much, but I know they need almost nothing
and there are many I now know who have so little.