I met a couple in ministry at dinner tonight. This couple had traveled to America several times and had been blessed every visit. This couple decided to pay the blessing forward by covering transport costs for my friend and I to go to Nakuru national game park. I'll be receiving this blessing on Saturday. Yeah, Visions Concert Saturday.
As glad as I am that I don't have to pay for transport, this blessing is most definitely not about money. It is - in the deepest way - about Jesus. This couple is acknowledging God's generosity and goodness by modeling it. All they want to do is remind us that Jesus is at work. It's so simple, but so very easy to miss. I just needed to take some time to acknowledge that what happens in this world is always, always about God.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I was tested for HIV today
For my last month abroad, I'm working with the Youth Programme at Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK) in Nakuru. The majority of my work is doing voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) outreaches in various neighborhoods in the city. Basically, I approach residents in their homes, on their porches, at storefronts - anywhere people are congregated - and try to convince them to come to our on-site counseling and testing center to get their questions about HIV/AIDS answered and get an HIV test. While being less-than-fluent in KiSwahili is definitely a hurdle, my real problem was being so bold as to try and persuade people to get tested when I hadn't gotten tested myself.
In my defense, I don't engage in "high-risk" activities: I'm a virgin, don't do needle drugs, and I'm pretty certain that my mother doesn't have HIV/AIDS, and therefore, I'm pretty certain I didn't contract the virus while I was still in/coming out of the womb. While I'm "low-risk," classifying myself as such creates a certain distance between "high-risk" individuals and me. It makes me feel like I'm not "one of them."
That feeling definitely disappeared when I was waiting for my test results. Real talk, I freaked out a little: I tried to remember if my pediatrician had swabbed the needles before he gave me shots, if the guys I've kissed had had any cuts in their mouths*, second-guessed whether or not I could get HIV from drinking after someone.
You name the potential risk, and I was thinking about it in the five minutes I had to wait for that test to come back. For a few scary seconds, I thought I had tested positive: The tester told me that each rectanglewould turn red if I was positive, and of course, both rectangles turned red. As he watched my face go into "WTF?!" mode, he clarified: A horizontal red bar would show up in each rectangle if I was positive. I only had one horizontal bar, so I was good.
Even though I was 99.9% sure I wasn't HIV+ before the test, going through the test really brought home the fact that HIV/AIDS does not discriminate. While that's something most people know, I feel like the meaning of that doesn't fully sink in until you're confronted with the possibility that you could be positive. When you're sitting in that chair getting tested, your risk level doesn't matter. You're at risk. You could have HIV/AIDS. Period.
When you're in that chair, HIV/AIDS becomes just another disease. Deadly, but no more difficult to contract than the flu. Gaining this perspective removes all conscious/subconscious value judgments you have about people with HIV/AIDS. As progressive, conscious, etc. as I believe myself to be, those value judgments were definitely there. Simply believing that I just couldn't possibly have HIV/AIDS was judgment enough. Taking that test got rid of that me/them dichotomy with a quickness. ...Only if there was a test like that for every high-and-mighty feeling I have. ::sigh::
*I mean I was thinking, "Did dude bite his jaw while he was eating? Did it have time to heal before we kissed?" Ridiculous, right? But you get an HIV test and tell me you don't have the same thoughts.
In my defense, I don't engage in "high-risk" activities: I'm a virgin, don't do needle drugs, and I'm pretty certain that my mother doesn't have HIV/AIDS, and therefore, I'm pretty certain I didn't contract the virus while I was still in/coming out of the womb. While I'm "low-risk," classifying myself as such creates a certain distance between "high-risk" individuals and me. It makes me feel like I'm not "one of them."
That feeling definitely disappeared when I was waiting for my test results. Real talk, I freaked out a little: I tried to remember if my pediatrician had swabbed the needles before he gave me shots, if the guys I've kissed had had any cuts in their mouths*, second-guessed whether or not I could get HIV from drinking after someone.
You name the potential risk, and I was thinking about it in the five minutes I had to wait for that test to come back. For a few scary seconds, I thought I had tested positive: The tester told me that each rectanglewould turn red if I was positive, and of course, both rectangles turned red. As he watched my face go into "WTF?!" mode, he clarified: A horizontal red bar would show up in each rectangle if I was positive. I only had one horizontal bar, so I was good.
Even though I was 99.9% sure I wasn't HIV+ before the test, going through the test really brought home the fact that HIV/AIDS does not discriminate. While that's something most people know, I feel like the meaning of that doesn't fully sink in until you're confronted with the possibility that you could be positive. When you're sitting in that chair getting tested, your risk level doesn't matter. You're at risk. You could have HIV/AIDS. Period.
When you're in that chair, HIV/AIDS becomes just another disease. Deadly, but no more difficult to contract than the flu. Gaining this perspective removes all conscious/subconscious value judgments you have about people with HIV/AIDS. As progressive, conscious, etc. as I believe myself to be, those value judgments were definitely there. Simply believing that I just couldn't possibly have HIV/AIDS was judgment enough. Taking that test got rid of that me/them dichotomy with a quickness. ...Only if there was a test like that for every high-and-mighty feeling I have. ::sigh::
*I mean I was thinking, "Did dude bite his jaw while he was eating? Did it have time to heal before we kissed?" Ridiculous, right? But you get an HIV test and tell me you don't have the same thoughts.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
slowly returning to the blogosphere... MORE FUN FACTS!!!
1. Kenya recognizes Easter Monday as a national holiday. Why? To justify taking the Monday after Easter off.
2. Jinga is KiSwahili for ignant.
3. Toyotas are EVERYWHERE.
4. I've yet to see a house with carpet. (It makes sense though: Valuing clean floors + walking most places = tile floor b/c they're easier to clean.)
5. 2Pac is really popular.
6. Why did I see JaRule on the back of a matatu?
7. Kenyans prefer hot milk on cereals like Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, etc.
8. Every so often, you'll hear the GucciMane "AYE!" for no reason
9. As much as merchants try to hustle and strangers point when they see mzungus walking down the street, Kenyans absolutely do NOT put up with public, obvious physical harassment of foreigners.
10. Folks'll ask for your email address before your phone number
11. Spoon > Fork
12. People say, "I'm coming" when they're leaving a place.
13. Rembo is KiSwahili for beautiful. Rembo doesn't have an antonym. If you want to call someone ugly, you must say "Wewe si rembo" (You are not beautiful). Therefore, you can only be the negation of beautiful. ...Ouch Swahili!
14. Houses are usually divided by cement walls.
15. The cement walls have broken bottles at the top to keep burglars from getting in.
16. The elevation of a child's slide and handicap ramps are near equal.
17. Matatus usually have Pimp My Ride-esque TVs in them to entertain/draw passengers.
18. People don't really crank up the base in their cars.
19. People's first names are usually out of the Bible. (I mean DEEP out the Bible. Like Josaphat and Rhesa.)
20. There're more wigs, weaves, and perms than fros.
2. Jinga is KiSwahili for ignant.
3. Toyotas are EVERYWHERE.
4. I've yet to see a house with carpet. (It makes sense though: Valuing clean floors + walking most places = tile floor b/c they're easier to clean.)
5. 2Pac is really popular.
6. Why did I see JaRule on the back of a matatu?
7. Kenyans prefer hot milk on cereals like Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, etc.
8. Every so often, you'll hear the GucciMane "AYE!" for no reason
9. As much as merchants try to hustle and strangers point when they see mzungus walking down the street, Kenyans absolutely do NOT put up with public, obvious physical harassment of foreigners.
10. Folks'll ask for your email address before your phone number
11. Spoon > Fork
12. People say, "I'm coming" when they're leaving a place.
13. Rembo is KiSwahili for beautiful. Rembo doesn't have an antonym. If you want to call someone ugly, you must say "Wewe si rembo" (You are not beautiful). Therefore, you can only be the negation of beautiful. ...Ouch Swahili!
14. Houses are usually divided by cement walls.
15. The cement walls have broken bottles at the top to keep burglars from getting in.
16. The elevation of a child's slide and handicap ramps are near equal.
17. Matatus usually have Pimp My Ride-esque TVs in them to entertain/draw passengers.
18. People don't really crank up the base in their cars.
19. People's first names are usually out of the Bible. (I mean DEEP out the Bible. Like Josaphat and Rhesa.)
20. There're more wigs, weaves, and perms than fros.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
It's a Texas thing.
In the last month, I've been on safari, to the beach, returned to a broken laptop that refused to be fixed, had a flooded bathroom that officially did my laptop in, written 3 papers, packed for a month-long stay in a new city, acclimated to that new city and started a 9-5 job, and started outlining a 15-page paper.
Clearly, I have good reason for not posting. I promise to start writing regularly again/update you guys on the cool ish that's been happening, but until then...
Texas pops up in THE randomest places here: Dallas Cowboys jackets in 80 degree heat, walking down the street and seeing that unmistakable burnt orange on a passerby, men in cowboy boots and hats to show they're important/powerful people, my Swahili teacher throwing up dem horns, etc., etc. Unfortunately, I don't have the pictures to prove it. ::sigh:: Anyway, all the Texas love in Kenya inspired me to rep in a variety of places...
In a tide pool on the Indian Ocean
At the top of Mt. Longonot
Still on top of Mt. Longonot... (I wasn't satisfied reppin sitting down... had to stand up for Texas =))
In a random barn in Meru
I think there are more pics of me reppin, but I have waaaaaaaay too many to pick through them. Anywhos, a little proof of the Texas-Kenya love affair:
Random club down the street from our compound in Nairobi
And has anyone noticed that Kenya looks like an upside down, distorted Texas?
Told ya.
Okay. I'm done. ...But you know I just had to dedicate a post to Texas.
Clearly, I have good reason for not posting. I promise to start writing regularly again/update you guys on the cool ish that's been happening, but until then...
Texas pops up in THE randomest places here: Dallas Cowboys jackets in 80 degree heat, walking down the street and seeing that unmistakable burnt orange on a passerby, men in cowboy boots and hats to show they're important/powerful people, my Swahili teacher throwing up dem horns, etc., etc. Unfortunately, I don't have the pictures to prove it. ::sigh:: Anyway, all the Texas love in Kenya inspired me to rep in a variety of places...
In a tide pool on the Indian Ocean
At the top of Mt. Longonot
Still on top of Mt. Longonot... (I wasn't satisfied reppin sitting down... had to stand up for Texas =))
In a random barn in Meru
I think there are more pics of me reppin, but I have waaaaaaaay too many to pick through them. Anywhos, a little proof of the Texas-Kenya love affair:
Random club down the street from our compound in Nairobi
And has anyone noticed that Kenya looks like an upside down, distorted Texas?
Told ya.
Okay. I'm done. ...But you know I just had to dedicate a post to Texas.
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