Hello everybody!!
You may know, but I'm heading to Pemba for my final time as a long-term Missionary there on July 7th! And then im headed on a trip to Asia for the month of August.

This trip is going to be the punctuation mark for everything that I've poured my life into over the last 4 years. All the hugs and kisses on the cheek to beautiful momma's, sitting in the village on grass mats with mozambican friends learning the language, the aha moments when one of the women I was teaching finally got the hand feel of a Jewelery tool or painted a picture that they felt proud of, dancing and singing Makua worship songs, ridiculous times of Makua jokes and laughter over rice and bean lunches,  tearful moments of loss and mourning over lost precious lives, all the dreams visions prophetic words tears and all the love that I could offer has been given to this. And the time has come for the spiritual child God gave me and I loved and cherished to be given back to Him.

I know that we will still be connected for the rest of our lives and I'll be able to visit from time to time. But please be praying for our hearts as we make this transition.

I'm still very short for funds for this trip and the following time in Asia where I'll be visiting and volunteering at different Iris bases including India, Nepal, Thailand and another location that I don't feel at liberty to disclose.

If you feel like you've been involved and connected with me and my momma's over the years, please consider helping me to get back there and close this chapter well. I'm leaving 3 weeks from today!

To donate directly go to PayPal.com and chose to send money. Send it to tcierpke@gmail.com
For tax-deductible donations, go to
IrisGlobal.org, go to "donate", then in the COMMENT BOX write "Tetra Cierpke in Pemba, Mozambique".
Id also so appreciate an email letting me know if you donate this way, as I wont know that the money is coming into my account until next month

Love you all, and I truly feel like so many of you have been with me through every step of my adventures in Mozambique - you have no idea how much I have appreciated it.

Hello Loved ones!! It's been a long season in the states and I'm thankful for it. I've been a little confused as to what I'm supposed to do since I hadn't gotten a Visa yet to be in Pemba, but I finally feel like I know! Please take a minute.... to let me to express the main details of what God is doing, because it may surprise some of you whom I've maybe been out of communication with and I'd like you to get a full picture! Some of you may know that I've felt for some time that God wants me to take Iris Arts to other Iris bases and that Pemba is the first chapter. You may not know that THIS YEAR has been the year I've felt it's close the chapter in Pemba. I had been hoping to have a few months there to do so, but I haven't had a Visa to go. While I've been waiting Ive been unsure what next step to take. I never want to be someone who "quits" or doesn't follow through with what God has assigned me to do. My question was, am I supposed to keep fighting for a longer ending season in Pemba, or do I need to make it a short one and move forward into the next assignment. I had no idea. But now I know!! God gave me a bullet point plan a week and a half ago preceded by a clear phrase, "A year off from Missions". - I felt that I needed to go to Pemba for just a month on a tourist Visa and close the chapter there (july) - go to Asia for another month and do a scouting trip for what is next (August) -then take "a year", which I actually think means a SCHOOL YEAR at the School of Supernatural Life at Grace Center school! (september through next May!!) The timing for this "A year off from missions" word, was hard to swallow. I felt as if id already "used up" my time off of the mission field in these past months. He responded saying that my heart hasnt been off of the mission field, but invested in Pemba and  expectant to leave at any time. .I usually feel urgent to be DOING missions because I know it's my calling, but God has been speaking to me about that constant need to DO/prove who I am by DOING things. Being a missionary is WHO I am, not what I DO. So if He keeps me in the states longer than I would anticipate, it doesnt mean that I am shirking my calling or not living up to His expectations. I see that now. And Im reminded of His goodness in wanting to take care of me by giving me this "extra" time. And I remembered that I had actually planned to take time to renew my vision once finished in pemba and before going to the next location God sends me! The month amount of time in Pemba made sense to me as I realized that the women are actually doing well without me and I need to relinquish control! I've done what He asked me to do already! It is the Grace of God That He has kept me away long enough to see that and let go of control over the everyday goings on of the Jewelery school. The women and Aline, the missionary taking over the responsibilities of Nathalia, are taking what I've taught and building on it and running the business! I can't even BEGIN to express the pain of leaving my loved ones there (ive been crying a lot whenever I think about it) and I know that I'm not and never will be "finished" with the relationships that He gave me there. But God entrusted me with those relationships for this time for a reason knowing full well that is be leaving them eventually and I therefore trust that He will take care of them. He loves them more than I do. So my final question was, why go to Sosl? And what is it? School of Supernatural Ministry from Grace Center is an amazing 8 month ministry school that has been running for four years under the leadership of Alyn and A.J. Jones that walks through inner healing, going deeper in hearing Gods voice, cultivating boldness in using the gifts of the Spirit, as well as requiring you to serve on the ministry teams at Grace center prophesying and praying for congregation members on Sundays. More info is at: Schoolofsupernaturallife.org In terms of head knowledge I won't learn a ton of new information, but it will be repetitive in the best possible ways. It will be really good to set aside time for me to reset, renew, heal, and listen for the next overseas adventures He has for me , as well as make time for more layers of inner healing. I'm looking forward to being in the community of the School, learning things in my heart that have been prior head knowledge, connecting in a deeper way with the Lord, and remembering how to love ALL PEOPLE, not just the impoverished. Some of the trauma, death of many friends,  tragedies that are normal everyday life on the mission field will have time to be dealt with as well. I'm so excited about this season!!! Finally, God has spoken to me about going to scout out Iris bases to start the second chapter of Iris Arts in Asia for some time, and Im SO excited to do it! Im hoping to go to 5 different bases in a month and catch the heart of the culture and the Iris base, and fall in love with some new and different colored faces and languages!!! At this point im planning on going to Cambodia, Thaliand, Nepal, Tibet, and India. This may change a little bit based on the availability of the bases housing me there and how much money the Lord provides, but for now that's what Im hoping and planning for! So far I've checked out airfare for this leg of the trip and have come up with around 1,500 dollars to fly in between all of those countries which is amazing! A rough budget for housing and food for the trip is another 1,500. So, with this price on top of the usual cost of 2,000 to go to Pemba AND The 3,800 SOSL school, this is one of the craziest adventures I've EVER believed the Lord for totaling somewhere in the 7,500 range!!!! (the School can be paid in increments though, which I plan on doing! so my more immediate needs are looking like 3,200). My faith is rising every time He asks me to believe for giant things such as this, so I cant wait to see Him outdo Himself in footing the Bill for where He has asked me to go this time!!! As always, I'd be so thrilled if you feel God prompting you to help get me to where He is sending me and let me know if you want to give towards this trip please go to IrisGlobal.org, go to donations, then in the COMMENT BOX write "Tetra Cierpke in Pemba, Mozambique". Id also so appreciate an email letting me know if you donate, as I wont know that it's coming into my account until next month! Tcierpke@gmail.com If you dont need it to be tax-deductible and you want it to get to me immediately you can use Paypal.com, click send money to friends and put in my email address Tcierpke@gmail.com I'm going to be moving very quickly on all of this and need to buy a plane ticket to Pemba very soon. Please pray that I can get all this planned and ready very fast so I can leave on July 1st! And also please please pray for my heart that I wont be heartbroken and sad as I say goodbye (for now) to my amazing women in Pemba. This might be one of the hardest things Ive ever had to do, even if it IS really clear that it's Gods plan for me. Thank you and love you all!! Tetra Cierpke Designing Your Email Creating an elegant email is simple Now that you’ve selected a template to work with, drag in content blocks to define the structure of your message. Don’t worry, you can always delete or rearrange blocks as needed. Then click “Design” to define fonts, colors, and styles. Need inspiration for your design? Here’s what other MailChimp users are doing. Copyright © 2015 Independant, All rights reserved. You are recieving this email because you asked to be on my Missions pdate list! Our mailing address is: Independant 131 Hermitage Woods Hermitage, TN  37076 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

Aiming for the Jewelry-School dream!

Many of you know I'm going to Jewelry-making school this year to become a better jeweler for my ministry! If you want to know more about it and how to help, here is all the information!

Why:

-The mamas are ready for new techniques, and so are the people that I'll be teaching in other parts of the world in the future! My dream is to use Techniques and materials that suit the culture I spend time in. The Pemba mamas' coconut techniques would be so much more professional and beautiful with metal and stones! And the next place I believe God is calling me to will be Asia, which has a lot of metal and stone resources!

The mamas are waiting for me to return with new techniques to learn - they have all been praying for me excitedly and have said, "Make us all pretty rings while youre there!" 

- The government in Pemba is also asking for more certification from Iris volunteers, and getting a certification in jewelry-making would likely make it a lot easier for me to get a Visa next year!

-God has been speaking to me since last year about THIS YEAR being the year to go to school. Ive had prophetic word after prophetic word saying, trust Him for changes and new huge things to have faith for in His provision, Ive had words about it being a season for me to get new tools, learn new things, and eat from the table of foods that Ive been preparings and serving to others! Very neat metaphors saying that it's time for me to learn!

When! And How to give:

I know He always makes a way for the promises He gives, and I truly believe He will make a way for me to be there NEXT MONTH (Oct. 13th). Right now I still dont have all my tuition costs, or plane ticket to get there. At the moment I'm lacking something like 6,500 dollars. This burden is not on you or me, it's on God. But if you hear Him saying to give towards this, I am happy to see that being one of the ways He provides for me to get there.The way my life is set up, it's hard for me to save much money or work for long periods of time. Ive managed to save a litle, but I still need a lot. 

Another way to help is to be praying that I get the scholarship that I applied for! 

- You can donate through Paypal to tcierpke@gmail.com, or push this handy little button to go straight to the donation page:

- I am selling paintings of my mommas, and am also happy to be hired out for odd jobs if you need some gutters cleaned or gardens weeded (if I can arrange a way to get there)!!

If you are buying a painting through paypal, please contact me through email and I will mail it to you!! The prints I will frame for you and I'm suggesting about 15 dollars, the small original paintings Im suggesting for 50 or more, and Im working on some bigger originals that Im suggesting for about 200 dollars. 

Back story:

For 7 years I've had the dream to learn Metal Jewelry-making, ever since I took a college course in Florence, Italy through a Study abroad program and fell in love with the technique. It was an "aha" moment when I saw that this form of creativity suited my passions and talents perfectly and seemed destined for me to learn! 

I was going to go to Revere Academy in 2009, the year after I graduated college, and learn amazing Metal Work techniques, but I didnt have enough money, and didnt get the scholarship I applied for. At the same time God was speaking in huge, incredible ways about loving poor and hurting people, and He spoke to me more clearly than Id ever heard before about me being someone that was made to GO to third world countries. 

I put my Jewelry School dream on pause, and I WENT to the poor! I then, ironically, began teaching Jewelry-making to widows and ladies who had been abandoned by their husbands over there in Mozambique - and the desire to do metal never left, but has grown stronger. God has said Now is the time and Im going for it!

I hope that my life smells nice.

Ive been thinking about sacrifice. I was singing a song the other day to God: "Youre worthy of it all", and the words were becoming so real to me - My daily challenges and sacrifices came to mind and I could say,with tears in my eyes, that He is worthy of all that Ive given and done. Thinking through the sacrifice of distance from loved ones, deaths of Mozambican friends and their children, cultural confusions, hurts, and misunderstandings, floods, worms in the toes and parasites in the tummy, ants, rats, and snakes, heat rash and sunburns, power and water-outages, lonely times, overwhelmed-by-people times, missed

opportunities for work and doing or eating "normal" American things...He is worthy of all that I do and I do it because I love Him. Being in the middle of the place He carved out for me and my talents, and pouring my love out for Him in the ways He perfectly created for me is all I want to do. It hurts and isn't fun sometimes, but it fills me with such joy to think what my life must smell like to God, with the sacrifices it includes. 

Women’s day

     (First thing I need to say is that yesterday was a monumental day: I carried a bucket of water on my head for the first time and walked a good 5 minutes with it without problems!!!!!! ...I AM NOW MOZAMBICAN OFFICIALLY!) And onto the blogpost:

Women’s day  - fun and difficult.(sorry Ill have no pictures for a while!)

April 7^th was the holiday, Women’s Day. This was the most fun and difficult day of my year here so far.

Fun; because this holiday celebrates the beautiful women of Mozambique who are so close to my heart. All women were wearing kapulanas and headwraps even a lot of the white Missionaries, including myself (just the kapulana- can’t quite get the headwrap tied correctly). We danced in church and were celebrated. After our church service we had a party for the women involving dancing, cheering for women, singing songs I’ve never heard but are apparently normal for the holiday with words like,” Who has the children? Women! Who washes clothes? Women! Who cooks food and carries water?! WOMEN!?” And other fun things like this. I, of course joined in the circle dance they were doing, even though I didn’t know the moves. My friends helped me, and also retied my Kapulana when it would repreatedly fall off! HA! I don’t understand how they keep them tied on and do everything that they do. Anyway, my heart was FULL to bursting with Joy and love for my ladies on this day and during these festivities.

The hard parts included: For the two weeks before the holiday, my ladies in each class were not only jokingly asking me what things I was going buy for them, and telling their lists of requests to which I would respond that I, personally, wasn’t providing the gifts for their Holiday party ( there are 95 women in our class and 350 in Mercy ministries’ program and I didn’t feel God tell me to spend the hundreds of dollars need for that). They were also speaking of this one item that they didn’t want: “Kashka”. This means a kapulana that’s lower quality. I’ve learned this year that Mercy ministries usually buys kashka. I had no idea that there were different types of kapulana until this experience, but I now know this fact very well. I responded to the ladies saying I would look into what gifts Mercy was buying  and see if they could get a different type of kapulana. I talked to Mercy about it; they’d been given a budget for gifts but it was enough to buy Kashka kapulanas – to buy high quality for 350 women would cost 20,000 meticais more (700 USD). This made me sad, but we agreed it’s still a good gift that brings beauty to their life – even if it’s not the best quality.

So I reported this news to my classes. I said I’d heard their requests but unfortunately Mercy Ministries can’t do a different gift but the gift is still nice and FREE! The responses were as such: “We don’t have husbands, you are our husband and you need to buy us good kapulanas”, “this type of kapulana is so stiff it can cut baby’s neck when you use it”, “We call that type of kapulana ‘careful with fire’, because it catches fire easily.” They were somewhat joking, but it was also…heartbreaking to see where their hearts were about the gifts Mercy was wanting to bless them with. Finally I tried and explain to them that this attitude was amiss. I used an example saying, “What if you had a party and you bought sodas for everyone (this is a common thing for a party, but would be expensive for them), and everyone that came said that they didn’t like the flavor that you bought. How would you feel? You would think, ‘why did I buy these at all?’” And you’d feel like buying the gift was pointless. They seemed to hear that and quieted down.

But the day of the giving out of the kapulanas was a different story: there was a slight riot over getting their “kashka” kapulanas that they had said they don’t  like. I know some of the older women really wanted and needed these kapulanas, but even some of my jewelry ladies who had been vocal were being ugly over getting their gifts. I felt so disappointed and was wondering how they haven’t figured out how to think of others before themselves after all the times that Heidi has preached to them about being Samaritans to our friends and neighbors.

Also, at the party we had big plates of rice with chicken cabbage, bon bons and sodas. After the food was done, some of my best friends and women with usually great character started yelling because they wanted to take leftovers home with them and were saying the food they got wasn’t enough. They were still hungry and they had children at home to feed.

This all hit me hard. I see the women being incredibly selfless in some areas: they invite people to their homes and share the little food they have, they never have enough food for themselves because theyre always sharing with their family and even neighbors. They make it a point to visit people when theyre sick. If I give someone a bread roll, they usually split it up and give part of it to their neighbor or a nearby child. And yet, whenever there are free gifts from Iris I see this ugly thing in their hearts show itself. It surprises me every time. I’ve been thinking a lot about it and here is what God has put on my heart to do about it:

I want to start talking about the differences between our cultures vs. the culture of God’s Kingdom –We don’t aim to be American, Colombian, or Mozambican - we aim to be like Jesus. I started talking about it last week in my classes, starting with the scripture Philippians 2:3-7: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant…”

I think it’s easy for me to have pity on them because of their poverty and dire situations and therefore excuse ingratitude and selfishness. I’m getting the guts to realize that this isn’t ok – Jesus himself lead a low income lifestyle but didn’t act like He had the RIGHT to be selfish. Rather, He became a servant for others. This has been a hard one for me to have boldness about but I think it’s going to be amazing for us to remember who Jesus is. I don’t think a lot of them really truly know what Jesus is like. I want to explore this with them.

         

Christmas thought

Christmas thought:
 I've been really enjoying giving presents for Christmas this year
because theres a rapture that comes from giving to people who truly
NEED things! Most of my friends here get excited about things like:
one of my old skirts, a plate that I don't need, forks and knives
(that they have to learn how to use because they usually eat with
their hands), a bottle of toothpaste, packets of chicken stock, their
first pair of tennis shoes....things that to us we can find duplicates
and duplicates of lying around in our houses or kitchens.
It makes you shake your head and want to ask "Why?", doesn't it? God,
why do some have so much and some have so little? Yet, I think for us
it's easy for that thought to bring shame, which is equally not a
burden for us to carry. Yet, it's SO important for us, friends, to
REMEMBER that people like my friend Emilta, who I just gave a water
bucket to this morning because she has no running water and nothing to
carry water in from the wells for her and her 5 kids, EXIST. And
remember that there are ways to give to people like her instead of
give your neice a 30 dollar BRATZ doll like Oxfam who can provide
goats or ways or school books etc. to people who have nothing or
Project Ak-47 who provides for kids who have been rescued from being
Child soldiers. Or even IRIS Ministries who is about to give christmas
presents to hundreds of children all over the world including Pemba
and feeds thousands of hungray children every day!
But  there's even more to this issue...I think my real point is this,
friends: Don't get taken away by the stuff - remember that we can
exist without the "STUFF" of this world. While I'm so happy to bless
my friends here with stuff, I'm even more happy to see that THEY HAVE
BEEN LIVING WITHOUT STUFF that we often feel we can't I live without
and are even...HAPPY! And for me Christmas always fills me with joy
over remembering that it's possible to have what Jesus died for:
ABUNDANT LIFE, with or without the "stuff". IT IS POSSIBLE to have
joy, contentment, and ABUNDANT LIFE through HIM who gave it all for
us.
And that's enough for me. I pray you find it too if you haven't.

Light overcomes dark

Im realizing that Ive been somewhat avoiding or ignoring writing nd sharing about life here, and Im trying to analyze why. I believe part of it is that living here is...mote likfe regular life than ever before and its harder for my mind to isolate stories or thoughts to compress into a blog post. ! The other part is that Ive had some really trying experiences and realizations in this season that I subconciously am not desiring to share. God, restore to me that love of sharing life on the Mission Field with others!

My friends, this place Has some very real darkness. It is heartbreaking. Ive had some sobering situations , challenging realizations and come face to face with yucky realities of the area that have made me feel...that I need God to be the source of my hope for change in the women and the culture I love here. Yet I know Im bringing light.

DARK:The hardest thing for me has been a realization of how deeply sexual sin affects this culture. Starting with my close friend who sexually contracted AIDS even though she has been incredibly mature and passionate for Jesus as long as Ive known her, learning more about Ceremonies, which is a non-optional (except for kids that have the blessing of getting a ceremony through Iris) time of preteen girls getting often times raped as well as taught about the "wisdom" of having more than one man in their life because of reasons like having more financial support, and finally seeing how many of the single, husband-less mothers I know are getting pregnant. People actually believe, and doctors sometimes subscribe, having sex is good for your health and you can get sick if you dont do it regularly.

I have a precious and sweet naivete in regard to these sexal issues that Im not embarrassed to have but am rather thankful for. It took me a long time to learn or believe that these things happen underneath the surface of the amazing culture and beautiful people I interact with and love so deeply. But the realization has sunk in.

Ive been wondering how My life experience can be used to affect this culture - my  mind doesnt naturally..go there or understand the level of attachment one can have in a society that's so sexual, because by God's grace Im a virgin who's never been raped or sexually abused. My world doesnt involve a struggle to stay abstinent, and my first thought is how can I speak into lives of peoplewho I cant relate to at all. But surely it would be an amazing thing for them tohear my testimony of abstinence. Im not sure if they would even believe it! Im going to pray and think about how to talk about it, please pray with me for this.

And pray for my heart that sometimes feels discourged and wonders how to know if I know what I think I know to be true about my friends and daughters here. Or if any progress is being made in our discipleship.

LIGHT!!: last saturday night I went to the beach at NIGHT for the FIRST time ever since Ive been here!! Ahh sigh it was So wonderful. I have always loved the beach at night, and somehow Ive never even thought of it as a possibility to go to this Pemb bech at night over these two years. Why? Because "you dont" go anywhere outside of your house at night. mozambicans dont either. Its actually not very wise. Some parts of the beach are apparrently where prostitutes will go to do their business after being purchased. There are "banditos" out at night (robbers). Etc etc etc. And somehow, Ive become more fearful than remembering that...I LIVE in Pemba. 

How did I get there - harvest students went in a group (of 5 or more) to have some worship. Oh my goodness, I cant tell you whwt this did for me. Its the most beutifl, awe-strickening sight to stare into the ocean at night with the moon reflecting and the waters rushing toward you, dark but very present. We didnt see any "banditos" any prostitutes, or any partyers. We BROUGHT the presence of the Lord to that place, claiming territory, we saw angels hovering over the waters, and we changed the atmosphere there, AS WE SHOULD BE, instead of hiding away in our little western style homes. By the end of the evening I felt a freedom that was bursting out of me. I started skipping along the water edge and eventually just purposely fell flat on my back, fully clothed, at the shoreline letting the dark waves crash over me. Ah! Haha! I started laughing like a crazy person and having a blast - letting go of all things that I think I "know" about life, especially how to live here in this place. I welcome more uncomfortable things, Lord. I welcome less cushion. I welcome a loss of control in this culture and life here Jesus. 

FRIENDS!:

My amazing Russian friend from my Harvest School, Eugenia, is here and it's been an immense blessing for my heart. We've been talking about our last two years of life. I loved hearing about her experiences, because they were difficult just as mine have been in some ways, but her outlook hs been amaxing. I remembered the thing that so impressed me about the russian friends thwt were in my Harvest school was that they truly have difficult life scenarios and have to live with incredibly huge faith to be travellingand living the missionary lifestyle that Im also living. Everyone Eugenia knows is low income and yet they share and give to each other. I remember inmthe hwrvest school they would always give out of thelittle they had. 

Eugenia went on to tell me a story about how recently she had gotten an email from one of our Iris missionaries in the Congo who had some refugee children come to him asking for food and he didnt have enough for them. She said she only had 30 dollars at the time, but with tears decided to send most of her 30 dollars to feed these kids. She mentioned it also on a blog or something online, as well as to her other Iris Russia friends, and by the end of the week people of their own accord and out of their little also donated and they had about 1000 dollars! 

SELF SACRIFICE:

Confrontation with people who truly live in selfless sacrifice is one of the most encouraging and refreshing thing. I sometimes blame my culture that I grew up in for my selfishness and clinging to "my" stuff, but I think in reality I have the choice to include sacrifice in my life. If I truly listen to my Lord speak, He is often asking me to do things that involve selfless, uncomfortable, sacrifice. God, let me relearn how to be uncomfortable wnd sacrificing. Some of my happiest and most content times in my life have been when Ive been obedient to do something that I really didnt want to do.

PASSION:

Eugenia also reminded me of the passion I had in my Harvest school and reminded me of how I got a group together on one saturday to help one of my friends build her house. She had materials but no laborers, so we went and helped. I completely forgot that I had thought of organizing such a sweet event. I think of how I now work with the people that help organize work for our ladies' houses and how most of the ladies have to wait so long to have their houes built...If a harvest stuent organized doing something like that under my watch Id be so incredibly thankful and blessed. God,thank you for using me - will you help me not forget my passion that I started with! 

VICTORIA:

I visited her yesterday - A few weeks ago she was close to death and her cheeks and temples were hollow. I had been wearing myself out trying to figure out ways I could help her, wading through cultural issues eith her family, figuring out if she was getting all the medecine she needed, seeing at she was running out of hope and joy. I brought a nurse from Iris to see her a few times and we got her ome medecine for CANDIDA that was causing sores in her mouth and stomach which made her not want to eat. She hadnt eaten for four days the first time we went to visit her together. W knew the medecine would help, but My nurse friend said that coming out of her malnourishment would truly need a miracle.

I was considering getting her to  maputo hospital or paying to have live-in nurse because she was so extremely close to death. I kept thinking, if this were one of my friends at home dying in front of me! I wouldnt be satisfied until I did all I could to help her. 

Then something miraculous happened, and it truly is mirculous. I made these arrangements to bring her to  wedding of one of the Iris missionaries whom she had had a close relationship with and I felt it would really cheer her up, though I was nervous bout her getting overheted. I was finding an umbrella, finding smething for her to spit in (becuse she needed to spit every few minutes), and was going to bring a ton of ice water ne only birng her for half an hour. It was a bit of a scary but important thing I was trying to do for her. But last minute my car I had arranged fell through. I prayed and decideed the best thing would be for me to visit her insted of go to the wedding. So I bought some chicken and fries, ketchup, cookies, and brought a friends laptop that had some movies on it nd walked through the village 30 minutes to her house. I was amazed to see that she ate some of the chicken and one of the cookies. This was  huge difference for her. The nurse friend of mine had said we should try bringing her food she likes so that shell at least try to eat (she hadnt been wanting to eat and would sometimes throw up whatever she got down). After that saturday something has dramtically changed to where she has gotten her apetite back and I believe it was miraculous. A few days after I was getting messges from her saying that she was hungry all the time and wanting to eat chicken every day. She has been eating really well since then and is actually gaining a little weight! I brought a whole chicken to her yesterday and will continue doing so as much as I can. She actually has her personality and I felt like I was spending time with my friend yesterday and not  hollow shell of her. Hallelujah!

Im going to see if I can spend the night at her house next week! Im excited over the thought and she got very excited too!! Itll be my first time to sleep in the village and its something Ive been wanting to do for a long time.