Palmer K Harston: December 2008

Dear Friends,
Things are changing drastically this month at Lily of the Valley. At the beginning of the month we had 12 fulltime international volunteers and now we are down to five, and with 114 children, we are definitely stretched to the limit. Furthermore, while we are normally only charged with the care of the nursery aged children during the day since the older children are at school, due to school holiday we now have all of them all day long. Time for planning, cleaning, and paperwork is non-existent yet desperately needed at this point. Having so many children in one place at one time with such few staff members to look after them, often leaves all of us exhausted and frustrated as we can never dedicate enough time and attention to each child. With so few resources it seems that our jobs currently lie more in the realm of crisis managers than caregivers.

THIS MONTH AT LILY:
I have recently spent a good portion of my time making hospital visits with children. Since we have roughly 100 HIV+ children here, there is literally almost a child a day that needs to go to the hospital for one reason or another. The hospital that we primarily take children to is in Petermeritzburg, about an hour and a half from Lily. It is overcrowded, understaffed, and wouldn’t meet even the most basic standards of cleanliness in the States. The average wait time that we experience there (even though we have an appointment) is six hours. One day while waiting with a child, I journaled some of the things I witnessed, which included massive cockroaches, raw sewage in the hallways, and people in hospital beds outside because they had run out of room inside the building. It sickens me to think that our precious children who deserve the world, are subjected to such pathetic healthcare.
In addition to my hospital duties, I have spent much of my time in the past month honing my domestic skills as the chief costume and set designer for the Lily of the Valley nativity play. With roughly 50 costumes to design and sew by hand, I had my work cut out for me. Additionally, I was the choreographer and coach of the now famous “Angel Dance,” in which ten little girls fluttered and twirled their way across the stage for three minutes. This may not seem like a considerable amount of time, but when you are attempting to teach these moves to a group of six year old girls with severe behavioral issues it sometimes felt like an eternity. All of the work that was poured into the play, however, was well worth the outcome. The children preformed the play for local churches receiving rave reviews.

CHRISTMAS:
As the Christmas season approaches we here at Lily are gearing up for the holiday. Since we are isolated here in Mophela, our Christmas decorations are limited. However, those of you who know me well know that I have a deep love for the holiday which cannot be extinguished by a mere lack of resources. My roommates and I have become creative, converting scraps of material and paper into full-fledged decorations. In fact, the house of male volunteers has challenged our house to a Christmas decoration war. I pity them, though, because going into the dare they were unaware of the intensity of my Christmas spirit! I will keep you posted on the results, which are to be decided upon by several of the children.
Another facet of Christmas here involved several of the children leaving Lily to return to their extended families for the holidays. Although, at first glance it would seem that this should be a welcome event as the children get to return to some normalcy at least for a few weeks, it is actually something that causes us much anxiety. Most of our children’s health is so fragile, that the idea that they will be returned to the same families who neglected them in the first place is a scary thought. In past years, many of our children have returned from a break and have to be immediately admitted to the hospital because their families failed to give them any medication at all, even though the ARV’s that they are on require 99% compliance to the drug to be affective at all. The children are, however, technically property of the state so we have little to no jurisdiction on custody decisions. We are left with our hands tied, watching the children we love so much leave to go into environments that we know are literally life threatening.

NEXT MONTH:
On December 28th I will be heading to Rwanda for two weeks to serve alongside a small mission team from a local church here in KwaZulu Natal. We will be working with street ministries, sitting in on peace and reconciliation talks, as well as working with the refugees who are currently flooding in from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is currently in the midst of a devastating civil war. I am not sure exactly what to expect while I am there, but am eager to get a glimpse into how God is working in the country post-genocide. Being the International Relations nerd that I am, I have studied the Rwanda conflict in-depth all throughout college, so the prospect of visiting the nation is very exciting to me. In addition, I will also get to celebrate New Years in Rwanda, and cannot wait to see what that festivity will look like there!

I apologize if my blogs and emails seem to be convulsive- jerking from extreme highs to extreme lows, but that seems to emulate my life here. On the one hand, I recognize the blessings that I have here in that I get to work with and love on these children on a daily basis. Their laughter is infectious. While on the other hand, in the midst of their joy I am simultaneously faced with the reality of their circumstances and am left angry and overwhelmed. It is a strange dichotomy in which I find myself now, and I am daily seeking to reconcile the extreme emotions to which I am subject here.
That’s it from this side of the world for now. Have a very merry Christmas and please keep us in your prayers this holiday season!

In Christian Love,
Palmer

“For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13

Lily Prayer Requests:
• Justice and healing for our newest child N, who is the victim of severe abuse perpetrated by a member of her own family.
• That the right people will be raised up to join our staff, and that the leadership of Lily will have wisdom in making management decisions.
• Strength and patience for a staff and volunteer force that is currently severely understaffed.
• That the children who are allowed to visit family members over the holiday will remain healthy and safe while they are away.
• That the children who will remain at Lily over Christmas will feel at home there and will begin to understand the true meaning of Christmas.
• There have been many deaths in the families of several of our staff members this month due to disease and violence. Please pray for the families of Ma Margaret, Ma Little Margaret, Ma Monica, and Emanuel as they mourn the loss of loved ones.
• That the volunteers and staff members will have the words to say and the hearts to deal with the ongoing trauma our children face daily as a result of their past abuse and neglect
• My Rwanda team as we head to the country December 28th- Januray 11th.

Palmer K Harston

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas in Africa

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

A Day in the Life of Lily

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