DAY 2 IN KAOMA, ZAMBIA

Today I went with an african woman doing home health care visits to sick people who have been in the hospital. One of her clients died yesterday so we stopped at that house. They were in mourning, so the women were sitting in a circle on the floor of the hut, we came in and sat with them. The young woman who died was only 21 years old. She had a 2 month old baby whom they passed around for me to see. It was a beautiful little girl. She had a cough, so I think the baby was sick too. The sisters have been giving them milk so the baby would have something to eat.

We, also, visited a home where both husband and wife have aids and are sick and on medication. They have 8 children one of whom couldn't have been more than 1 year old.

We stopped at a shelter where families stay who have someone in the hospital. The shelter is just several grey brick buildings sitting next to each other...no doors, windows, or furniture. There are so many families there that not everyone fits into the buildings. You see suitcases, and all their belonging sitting in the sand next to where they are settled. A couple of people were lying in the sand, sleeping in the shade. There are several spots around the shelter where they have built camp fires for cooking (when they can find food). One elderly woman stopped me and the translater told me that she said..."Sister, I came a long way to bring my daughter to the hospital. I have no food. I am dying." There are so many of them everywhere you look.

More on a fun note...
I went to Mass last night. I was sitting in the pew praying before Mass, when one of the sisters' dogs "socks" (a black lab) came trotting up the center aisle and laid down in the aisle beside me. I wasn't sure if the dog should be in the church or not, so I looked around. Nobody seemed to have a reaction, so I let the dog sleep there during the whole Mass. People stepped over him to go to communion. After Mass I asked Sr. Angela if "Socks" usually goes to Mass. She said "yes" he usually comes. So I guess the sisters' dog is a Catholic!
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