Too much to blog, so little time

It's Friday evening around 10PM. It does not seem possible that we've been here for one week. It seems like forever, and it seems like only a minute, at the same time. We're battling a cold that is making it around the house.

The week has been amazing with lots of highs and a couple of lows. It is quite impossible to capture everything in this blog as commitments, requests for more help, and the need for sleep constantly call. I'm keeping a set of notes that I'll hopefully be able to mold into a coherent, interesting story but feel woefully inadequate in not being able to share everything with friends and family.

The people of Botswana have been gracious, loving, open, warm, and wonderful hosts for us. Unfortunately, their Ministry of Health and Immigration/Customs people have not been so helpful! Our medical supplies (everything from gauze pads to stethoscopes to blood pressure cuffs to medication) are being held for "the right form". Each time we think we're done, another roadblock comes up. I think I've found the last missing piece and hopefully we'll be able to get things squared away by the middle of next week. If not, we'll take our medications home and get them to people who both want and have a need for the supplies. I've been feeling beat up and defeated by the experience but once I learned that the Ministry of Health returned drugs supplied by the World Health Organization because they weren't the right brand, I felt a little better. These things happen for a reason and I'm being led to where I need to be. It may not look like what I think it should, or what I want it to, but me (and our supplies) will move forward.

I had a great week with the kids out at Kamogelo (a day care/orphanage), the Block 2 clinic, Mmopani, and meeting with Fr. Tony, Fr. William, and Bishop Valentine. The commitment of the people to managing HIV/AIDS is incredible and is only surpassed by their desire to do well for all of Botswana and her people. This is a place where community nursing is working extremely well - out of necessity, of commitment, and tradition. It has also been wonderful to finally begin to meet some of the people with whom I worked on a Palliative Care seminar/conference in June: me in Philadelphia, them here. It really was an amazing event and I'm starting to see the changes in thought process and disease management begin to filter into the communities surrounding Gaborone.

Every day is an adventure. Every day brings learning experiences for me as a nurse and as a member of the global community. I am often humbled, and continually inspired and amazed. A piece of my spirituality is being tapped - and I didn't expect that to happen. But it is all good.

Well, time for cold medications and bed. It's raining here and it sounds so soothing and rhythmic. The rain smells smoky and sweet at the same time. I'm sure it will help lull me to sleep.

More later...