Where In The World Is Carrie Saum?

Love Is Blindness...Or So They Say

2006-10-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the Maine Eye Team has arrived in QuichÃ©, and today marks thefirsts full day of surgeries for them. What's on the docket you ask? About 12 cataract surgeries for a people who have had basically no access to eye care. Its great when sight can be restored with a simple procedure that the Maya would never receive otherwise.

This morning while Lance and I were doing some work around the dorm, a woman from the team, "Jane", came in to get some papers, etc. However, she burst into tears before she could tell us what she needed. "Jane" had just told a Mayan woman that she would never see again, due to advancedglaucomaa. Even though she had worked in the medical field for over 40 years, she had never felt this level of hopelessness or despair. She then commented that this is very hard for "an old atheist". My heart broke for her...its difficult enough to watch this from a faith perspective, knowing that whatever happens, I can have peace because Christ is in this. I do this out of a love for Him, and His people. I cannot imagine what it is like to deal with this type of mission without Him.

That experience also reminded me that the heart of our mission rests with the Guatemalans, but also with the medical teams that come down here. Many of them are, in fact,atheistss, or agnostic. They are a separate mission field unto themselves, and I usually spend more time with them than with the Mayans. Its about loving these professionals in practical ways that speak the love of Christ to them. I've said this before, and I will say it many many times: I'm glad its not my job to save the world. I will gladly leave that up to God, and let Him use me as He may, when He may.

Lance and I are doing great and enjoying our trip so far. I forget how long the days can be here. We are finding jobs to do to keep ourselves occupied and entertained. Later on today, we might venture out to market on bicycle...

Hasta Luego!
Carrie

"Love is blindness
I don't want to see
Won't you wrap the night
Around me
Oh my love
Blindness."
~'Love Is Blindness' U2

Of Course I Said Yes....

2006-10-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

Well, its officially official. Lance and I are engaged! Yay! We went to Crystal Beach on Saturday, and Lance got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was not expecting a proposal since the ring wasn't supposed to be here until November. It was a wonderful, beautiful surprise, and it was the proposal of my dreams. Here is a pic of us from this summer. (I couldn't upload the ring pic, so here is the website if you have any notion to browse .....http://www.topazery.com/antique-jewelry-item-rg1636.htm . And he picked this one out all on his own, folks!) The wedding will be on March 24th, here in Houston at Cherry Hurst Park, and reception at Taft. I hope to see you there!

Love FromThe-Soon-to-be Mrs. Dickson,
Carrie

Movers and Shakers Unite

2006-10-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

So I might actually be the worst blogger of all time.... (its actually been two months, maybe three since my last post)

Dr. Bell and her husband are settled in at their new residence in Guatemala, and doing a fabulous job. We are all so thankful that the organization can continue to function as it was meant to! The Bells work long and difficult days, but they love it so far. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to serve the Maya people of Guatemala.

Lance and I will be headed down to Guate in two weeks for about 10 days. An eye team from Maine is on their way to do surgeries and clinic. After this team, I will (hopefully) be stateside until June. As it is, I get back from Guate on the 28th of October, and move into a new place on the same day. I will keep you updated better while I am there this time...I promise!

For all of my Teen Mania friends, I thought I would be able to make it to GV, but alas, I have a benefit show for Agape and a wedding that weekend. Give all my love to Ron and Dave and the whole family...

Peace,
Carrie

Stateside = Brightside

2006-07-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know I'm back in the States...until Sunday, July 30th. Then its back to Guatemala to get our new doctor and her husband all moved in. I'll keep you posted on details later...

End Of The Line

2006-07-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be absent for so long! We have been without internet for the majority of our time here. Somehow, updating my blog in a "cyber cafe" in a crumbling adobe storefront in Guatemala fell a little bit secondary to other pressing business. But we have hi-speed internet at the dorms now, and it only took 5 weeks! Seriously.

We will be coming home next week, and it has been quite the adventure. We´ve all had our fair share of Guatemala stomach, but mostly, we are all healthy and happy. And, I can safely say, ready to be home again.

So here is a brief glimpse of the last four weeks....

The bio-med repairman, Chuck, came down and we went all over the state of Quiché repairing medical equipment and embarking on all kinds of adventures (like forging two rivers in a pick-up truck to fix an ultrasound machine in the middle of nowhere, manuvering the "road" to Canaja, and braving Saturday traffic in Guatemala city with nothing but a trusty map and a pluck of courage). We had a great time.

We´ve also had three teams down, and the last one is here now. They have all been wonderful and kind, and so helpful. The team that is here now has been fantastic, and we are definitely ending on a high note. Its been so fun to watch their progression over the week...they come with one perspective, and leave with a completely different one. Its great to see a visible change that God begins...

We took four-day break (after not having a day off in over a month) and went down to Monterico, which is on the Pacific coast and has all black sand beaches. The accommodations were...rustic, but the experience was one of a kind and totally worth it. Then we went to Lake Atítlan and enjoyed riding the boats, eating exotic foods, interacting with the locals, buying all kinds of fun but useless stuff, and taking in the gorgeous volcanos and sunsets over the lake. I was nearly eaten alive by coffee flies (think mosquitos but so much worse), with 118 bites on my left leg and about 70 on the other. I looked like a leper for a few days, but I am now to the "I don´t really have chicken pox, but it looks like it" stage.

Other things to talk about on a more serious note... Juanito died last month after a very long, difficult bout with leukemia. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for peace and comfort and healing for his family. Praise God that Juanito is home in His arms.

Relationships at the hospital have been great, but the conditions are less than acceptable. A few weeks ago, a baby in ICU died because the incubator stopped heating and the baby´s core body temperature dipped too low. Nobody caught it until it was much too late. Most of the patients share a room in the ICU, and flies cover their faces and bodies because it is an open-air facility and the resources just aren´t available to make things function properly. I witnessed a man bleed out on the surgery table because the suction machine could not keep up with the blood flow and the surgeons couldn´t see well enough to control or stop the bleeding. And there was no blood available to transfuse. These are regular occurances here, but they are still difficult to accept and witness. Its overwhelming and numbing at times, and its a struggle not to feel too much, or completely shut down. Its sometimes hard to strike the balance.

We want so badly to be able to make a lasting difference, to practically share the love of Christ, and build on the foundation that Dr. Street so lovingly laid over the last 10 years. It is sometimes easy to lose sight of the what is important here, especially when the needs are so overwhelming. But God is bigger than the need, and its not up to me to "fix" Guatemala. I will continue to take comfort in that fact, and rely on Him.

It is a privelage to serve and love the Mayans of Quiché. Thank you for your prayers, your love, and your support. I´m coming home soon.

With Joy,
Carrie

The Missionary Life (Week 1)

2006-06-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

This week was... challenging, to say the least.

We had the youth team here from Houston, and they were a great bunch of kids. We were thankful to have such a grounded, joyful group of young people, and I almost didn´t mind sharing my room... that is, until I got sick. Again. This time, it was a bonified parasite, complete with simultaneous vomiting and Big D, while hallucenating and convulsing on the bathroom floor. I haven´t been so ill in a very long time. I managed to completely rid myself of all expendable bodily fluids, and then some. The poor girls who were sharing the room with me were scared that I was going to die, but little did they know that this is not an uncommon experience when you are in a foreign country. I still don´t know where I picked it up, but it hit me really fast. Luckily, the medicine took effect quickly and I am nearly recovered. Too bad for Bethany though... she had to pick up my slack with hosting the team, and I know she must be so tired.

We went to see Jacob earlier in the week, (Jacob is our main contact and Guatemala Agape trustee), and he asked for assistance for one of his former students, Juanito. Juanito is 13, and has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Its a tough disease to beat with the best technology, and nearly impossible with third world social medicine. The doctors have sent Juanito home to die, and his family cannot afford to buy the pain medicine that will make the last weeks of his life bearable. Jacob asked if we (Agape) could buy it for him... I cannot fathom what it must be like not to be able to afford the medicines to numb my child´s terminal pain. I cannot imagine what it is like not to have hope and what it must be bring my child home to die. Those things are more universal, they touch all of us in any culture one way or another... but not being able to buy the medicine? Its unimaginable. Whatever things I seem to be consumed with (hot summer days, parasites, daily stress of living in another country, etc.) somehow seem very trivial when labored in this light. I am also thankful that I operate an organization that is able to ease this child´s suffering, even if we cannot fix it.

Pray for Juanito and his family. May Jesus be with yours and ease the suffering in your hearts tonight.

Peace of Christ,
Carrie

This Is My Mountain

2006-06-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the team is here (a youth team with lots of energy and a great attitude) from The Woodlands. We are having a great time so far. More kids came than expected, so I am sharing my room with three girls, ages 15-17. They are definitely taking me back to my Teen Mania days...

Its raining and thundering and lightening all the time, but it is so beautiful. You can set you clock by the 3:00 downpour that occurs everyday. Its amazing to watch the clouds roll in, gray and white against the dark green mountains. The property next to ours has a magnificent white horse, at least 18 hands high, who stands stoically as the rains fall down.

I am in love with Quiché.

Last night we went to our first church service. They were very appreciative of our being there, and that is a concept that I just don´t understand. How can they possibly be humbled by our presence when we are so in awe of who they are? The Mayans are a people who have endured 20 years of civil fighting and ethnic cleansing, and only in the last 10 years has there been peace. And even still, they are oppressed by the government and extremist Ladinos. To look into anyone´s eyes, who is over the age of 15, and know that they have witnessed the worst sides of humanity, (rape, child enslavement, ethnic cleansing, mutilation, destruction of entire villages and farms, etc...) and still continue to laugh and love and open their arms to us... I cannot fathom the contrast in my un-elastic Western mind. How Christ, when dwelling within the human spirit, can truly cover our worst injustices with His consuming love. It is a broad and dangerous landscape to step into.

This experience is sweet and wonderful and so heart-rending. Being away from Lance is difficult, and I am eager to get home. (I´ve never in my life felt such an ache as I do now.) But I know this is my calling, this is my mountain. So even as I step out my door every morning and look into the distance at other mountains and villages, I feel the Spirit of God comforting my heart, whispering His promises in my ear. I am at peace with this place. I am consumed by His love.

May His love consume you today.

Carrie

The World is Bigger in Quiché

2006-06-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely in Guatemala City on Wednesday afternoon. We had no problems clearing customs. Our driver took us to Antigua where we checked into our hotel, picked up our truck, and drove back to G.C. to do our shopping at PriceSmart, (think Sam´s but not quite). We filled 3 large shopping carts full of groceries and supplies. These teams will eat well this summer…and enjoy Charmin Ultra that they cannot flush down the Guatemalan toilets.

On Thursday, after a great night´s sleep in a small hotel in Antigua, we packed our truck to the brim, changed our money, visited an old friend in the city, and began our trip up the mountains. Its rainy season here, so everything is lush and green and vibrant. The drive is also fun because you never know what you will encounter around the next hairpin turn. We arrived at the dorms about 4 hours later, unpacked the truck, and then the rains began and lasted the rest of the night. The dorms were in pretty bad shape. They haven´t been inhabited since October, and no body has stayed here at all since January. And it looked like it! Cobwebs, dust, dead flies, mice droppings, colonies of ants and families of spiders took over in our absence. We spent the evening cleaning the kitchen and our bedrooms, (pulling furniture out, cleaning and organizing the pantry, washing all of the dishes, putting supplies away, wiping down surfaces…). We definitely have our work cut out for us. Today we did more of the same, and we will finish tomorrow before the first team arrives in the afternoon. We will have three teams back to back during the next three weeks.

I´m doing well, excited to be here, and just enjoying the community. It took 15 minutes for our arrival to be known, and we had three visitors within the first hour we were here. News travels fast…

I cleaned out the pantry, and found a box with a bread maker in it. On the top was a furry little creature, and I yelled ¨rat baby!¨. It was only a dead caterpillar or something. But it made Russell and Bethany laugh. It’s the new catch phrase…

I also caught Russell´s stomach flu, and it hit me at 3:30 this morning. Its been pretty rough for the last 16 hours, but its okay. I think this might actually be an all time record for me…in the country for less than 48 hours and I´m sick. I´m kind of impressed…

Keep us in your prayers. Bethany is pregnant, I´m sick, and poor Russell is getting stuck with the heaviest manual labor (although I will say that yesterday I definitely flexed my muscles). They are both great about everything, but having people here for 21 days straight might challenge our patience. But we are so grateful that we have this time and opportunity. Already God has been giving us favour and mercy…we are so thankful.

I´m off to vacuum and finish my duties for the evening. We have to be up at 6 for the propane guy to fix our pilot light, and then go to the market so we can get a good selection of fruits and veggies for the week.
It feels good to be alive.
Love,Carrie

Time to Travel

2006-05-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for Guatemala. I am very ready to be there and to begin the next several weeks. Here is a loose schedule for my first trip.

Our basic schedule will look like this:

May 31--arrive in Antigua
June 1 --shop for supplies and drive up the mountain to Quiché
June 2 --clean dorms, get ready for first team
June 3--Youth team arrives from Woodlands United Methodist Church
June 10-WUMC Youth depart, Bio-med repairman arrives
June 11-14-Visit Ficker Family in remote mountains (likely out of communication during this time) with Bio-med guy and assist in clinics
June 17-Matt Brouwer and Alma arrive with WUMC group for construction, medical, and vbs
June 23-WUMC leaves, week off to get business and fun done.
July 1 --Third WUMC team arrives, (Enter Joe!) for construction, VBS, and medical
July 8 --WUMC team departs. Russell,Bethany, and Carrie spend two days doing laundry and cleaning dorms.
July 9--Drive to Antigua late afternoon
July 10-Arrive in Houston

Pray for traveling protection and the details...there are so many moving pieces to this that it can be a little overwhelming. I'm so glad that I'm nearly finished packing...

Keep looking for updates...

Much Love,
Carrie

Summer Schedule Take 3 (I give up on the title)

2006-04-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

I compiled my summer excursions, and here is what my schedule will look like. Your prayers are very much appreciated.

May 31, 9:35 am-Leave for Guatemala to host several missions teams in Santa Cruz del Quiché
July 10, 4:25 pm-Return Home to H-town
July 31-Leave for Guatemala to host medical team and move AIA's new doctor to Quiché
August 20-Return to H-town

*No Africa trip...releived and saddened all at the same time, but this is best for everyone.

October 5-Leave for Guatemala to take medicines and medical teams to Quiché
October 29-Return to H-town for the rest of the year

So, as you can see, it will be a busy summer, but full of fun and hard work and adventure. I'm excited about spending such a large amount of time in Guatemala and getting to know the culture better.

Instead going to Zambia, I'm going to try to compile an AIDS educational DVD to be presented at the conference. This is both cost effective and versatile. We'll see what happens...time will be my biggest constraint.

More questions? Let me know and I will continue to tweak the schedule and give you more details about the summer as they become available.

Much love,
Carrie

Back To The Grindstone

2006-03-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

It is a relief to be home. After 44 hours of travel, it feels good to be in my own bed, in my own space. I'm still unpacking, getting laundry done, and trying to get back to my sleep cycle. (I've been waking up consistently at 5:30 am every morning.) Thank you for your prayers.

As always, traveling brings about much thought and contemplation inside of my heart and mind. I'm still mulling over my time in Zambia, as well as the paradox of Western civilization in light of the third world. I'm so thankful that I was able to have my Zambian experience, and I would like to go back. Next time, though, I will do everything I can to see my brother in Kenya. It was hard to be so close and not see his face.

So, I will sign off for now and say that its good to be stationary for a couple of months...don't expect much between now and the end of May when its off to Guatemala for a few weeks. I plan on being in Houston for the most part, except for Boston in April and Dallas in May. Otherwise, look for me in H-town.

Much love,
Carrie

24 Hours and Counting

2006-03-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it safely to London. It feels good to be back in Europe. For whatever reason, I feel really at home here. I miss the lifestyle, I ain't gonna lie. :)

We still have 24 hours left in our journey...it seems like its been FOREVER. This has been a challening trip in many ways, beyond the ones I expected (like AIDS, street children, etc.) Its been a growth experience and I'm thankful for the opportunity to set myself aside and just let someone else take control.

This is the first trip that I have just been ready to be home...aching to be so. 24 hours to go and they can't pass quickly enough. Its an odd feeling, since I usually am anxious to stay abroad, and sad to come home. Maybe I'm developing roots after all...

I made it the whole trip without getting sick...that is, until Sunday. Since Sunday night, I've used every conceivable bathroom available. God gave me some traveling mercy on the plane...only got sick once, and it wasn't very bad. I even felt much better until we got on the ground and started moving again. Whatever. I'm in London. I'm loving it.

Time's up for me here. I will see or speak to you all soon. Thank you for your faithful prayers.

With homecoming anticipation,
Carrie

Orphan Girl

2006-03-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are sensetive to graphic details of difficult situations, this post may not be for you.

Today, the severity of Zambian life hit home. Of course, poverty and unemployment (50% national unemployment rate) are everywhere, but we toured the city in desolate places first hand.

I went to a government-run clinic where one nurse sees and treats 150 patients daily. A doctor comes one day a week, and sees only the most severe cases. Their "medical charts" are blank student essay booklets stacked all over a small room which also serves as a lobby. Sick and crying babies hang on the skirts of weary mothers as one man seeks to help them all with few resources and limited medical knowledge.

We also visited an orphanage run by Polish nuns on the outskirts of Lusaka. They house 250 orphans, 60 of which have AIDS. They assist about 200 other orphans in the outlying communites as well. The sisters take in any orphan who comes to them (some walk all the way from the city, which is about 20 miles), and refuse help to no one. Their youngest child is two weeks old...her mother was refused medical treatment at the hospital because the staff had no gloves. She gave birth to twins in a ditch...one died and the other was abandonded. The Sisters found the surviving twin and rescued her. She is underweight, unresponsive, and fear is in her eyes.

At the orphanage. they have made a quilt that hangs in the foyer of the AIDS wing. On this quilt are written names and ages of the children who have died. They draw pictures or attach small objects to the quilt that the chilren loved so the others remember them vividly. Everyday is a struggle. And they work through their pain with art and Christ and counseling...but the grief falls on everyone's shoulders.

Two nights ago, Annie (a friend on the team) and I were driving home. We came to a stoplight and a boy, maybe 5 years old, begged us for money. This child is abused, helpless and abandonded, as nearly 1 million children in this country are. I wanted nothing more than to roll down my window, put money in his hand and give him a safe place to sleep. However, it isn't possible. The older boys would see us giving the younger one money, steal it, mob our car, beat us then steal anything they could. It is difficult to put my personal safety above the well being of the orphaned and oppressed. I know these are acts of desperation, and it is nearly overwhelming to encounter.

In order to escape from their difficult realities, the street children sniff glue or gasoline (out in the open, no sense in hiding it). Their eyes glaze over, dead on the inside, and their bodies go limp. For the children who are very very desperate to escape and cannot afford the chemicals, they seal human excrement in a bag for a week and then inhale the toxic fumes. It used to be that mostly boys would be living on the streets like this, but there is an alarming number of girls who are doing this as well. And they are so suseptable to predators...

It is enough to overwhelm me and tears are always rising in my throat.

I'm glad that it isn't up to me to fix Africa. But we can work to help one child at a time. Christ is in that, of this I am sure.

On another level, I recognize the spiritual significance of what I am encountering...just as that baby girl was abandoned in a ditch, we are no better off. If not for the humbling, saving mercy of Jesus, we would perish in the mire.

"My God has come to save me. I will trust Him and not be afraid." He will save Africa as well. Pray for us all.

Love from Lusaka,
Carrie

Its A Wonder

2006-03-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

Today, we saw Victoria Falls. As one of the seven wonders of the known world, I can understand the magnetic pull even more now. There are no words to describe the pure power and wildness and wonder of the water. Rainbows frame the falls constantly, and it is beyond breathtaking. I will try to post pix when I get home. Sadly, we were running behind schedule, so I couldn't go bungee jumping. Its just as well...

Tuesday, I spoke at a pastor's conference on AIDS. I thought that I might be under-qualified to speak, but I shouldn't have worried. They still know so little about the disease. AIDS propaganda is everywhere, but the facts are so skewed (I cannot tell you the number of times I had to reiterate that HIV is in fact passed through semen and that sex with a virgin will NOT cure it. Seriously.) Some people truly believe they have found the cure, (casting out the AIDS demon, fasting for 40 days, drinking only Coca-cola for one year), and the disheartening thing about it is they are getting this information from local medical doctors and mystical healers. ARRRRGH! I want to shake sense into them, even as my heart is rent to pieces for their struggle.

As I was answering these questions, which seem so simple and obvious to my western mind, it occurred to me that if we can get pastors on board to fight this disease from the inside, it will be much more effective. The government has been fairly unsuccessful thus far in properly educating these people, and even then, they tell people to put their faith in condoms. But if we can educate and train pastors in communities to facilitate local forums on the subject...all I keep thinking is revolution begins in grass roots efforts...growing it from the ground up. Americans can spout off AIDS trivia to the Zambians all they want, but if that information doesn't come from an internal source, our efforts won't make a difference. Its kind of the same with missions... I guess the bottom line is if we can influence community leaders and help them to understand the medical facts, they will be able to reach far more people than the Western World (ie Bono) can ever hope.

That's my ramble. And a dream. I also love Bono and the ONE campaign.

Yesteray, I bathed in sewage water. I got eaten alive by chiggers in my clothes that were laid out to dry in tall grass. My nose ring fell out. I slept on a bed that had a metal bar running across the middle of it. I got snubbed by a monkey. And I laughed the whole time. :) Somehow, these things just aren't that bad. Its only what is to be expected. Honestly. Have you ever met anyone more humorously afflicted?

The internet cafe is closing so I must sign off. Keep me in your prayers...

Tomorrow is clinic day, Saturday is orphanage day, Sunday is church day, Monday is last minute packing day, and Tuesday...we leave. Soooo sad.

Wear your red ribbon.
Carrie

Homecoming

2006-03-12T05:13:00.000-08:00

Made it safe to Lusaka, Zambia yesterday morning. All is well. It was a long journey (bad turbulance all the way to London), and our plane to Zambia was delayed for a few hours, but we arrived in one piece. I was even able to sleep on the second leg!

We are staying at a farm, just outside of the city. Mrs. Mwzamba is hosting us, and we formed an immediate bond. I call her "mama" and she calls me "my daughter". Such a precious woman. To tell the truth, its been like that for most of the time so far... the people are very hospitable and welcoming. It feels like home.

The weather is warm and humid, but not bad. It cools off at night and you can see the stars so well! No running water for showers, but its no big deal. I'm just glad we can bathe!

Logistically, things have been a little bit rough. The schedule, though expected to change often and unexpectedly, has changed completely. We are also having a hard time with procuring water and food when we are away from the farm. Please pray for patience and clarity in this...

This morning, I was asked to preach at a pentecostal church...you can imagine how fun that was! And it truly was enjoyable. Its been a while since I was in that kind of worship environment though. :)

Tuesday we are going to Victoria Falls in Livingston...and I get to go bungee jumping! (Don't tell my parents!)

Wheeeeee!

Parasite Free and Happy,
Carrie

Off Into The Unknown

2006-03-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Leaving today at 5pm. Yay! A new country, a new group of people to get to know and I couldn't be happier. There is something inside of me that is sparked by traveling...indeed, by the mere thought of unknown adventure. And what better place than Africa?

Just to clearly tell you what I will be doing and who I will be traveling with: Spring Taberanacle has been given 500 acres of land by the Zambian government to build orphanages. Russell, my business partner and head of our sister organization, New Beginning Resources, and I are going to get the lay of the land and see if this is something that we can get on board with. We need discernment in all of this, mostly because we want to make a wise decision, even if it means turning down this amazing opportunity to partner with this church. While we are there, we will be ministering to a group of about 300 Zambian pastors, in addition to touring the area and (hopefully) signing land deed papers. Russell will teach on worship-leading (he is a very gifted musician), and I will teach on basic health-care challenges and solutions, focusing primarily on child and infant dehydration and AIDS prevention and ministry.

Most of all, I don't think that they need us to tell them how to be pastors. If anything, I think that they should teach us. They understand sacrifice and faith and joy and grief on such different levels than most of us are exposed to in the US. It is nothing but a privelage to share this time with them. I hope they will be encouraged, as I know I will be.

Pray for safe travel. We're supposed to have thunderstorms during take-off today, and thunderstorms when we land in Zambia on Saturday. We will be returning to Houston on the 21st...I'll try to find some time to write before then.

Love,
Carrie

"Beauty is a manifestation of secret natural laws, which otherwise would have been hidden from us forever."
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Afri-Can

2006-03-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

After months of planning and dreaming and working, my trip to Zambia is almost here! We depart Thursday at 4pm, and arrive in Zambia on Saturday morning. I'm starting to get excited...and overwhelmed. I forgot how much work it takes to travel across the globe.

I was asked to speak at a pastoral conference in Lusaka, where over 300 pastors from all over the country will congregate. Its hard to know what to say to them. Really, when you think about it, we can learn so much more from them than they can learn from us. Their lives are a continuous testimony to Christ and his abounding faithfulness. In our western ways of life and thinking, how can we possibly grasp this the way they can? I am deeply humbled to even consider encouraging them. All I really want to do is hug them, share Christ in a meaningful, tangible way.

Last night, my church, Ecclesia, prayed over me and sent me out. It is such a sweet and sacred place to be...lifted up by the Bride, hearing their whispered prayers as they came, one by one, wrapped their arms around me and asked for God's favor and protection. It was stunning. I am such a lucky girl.

My pictures are now up at Xnihlio Gallery. I actually got the opening date wrong. I thought it was last Friday (3rd), but no, its this Friday. So, I will miss my own opening for my Africa exhibit while I am traveling to Africa...the irony is not lost on me. It will be up through the end of the month, and possibly until Easter, but don't quote me on that....2115 Taft St., Houston. I would love it if you want to check it out. For those of you who can't make it, you can look at them online @ http://www.mpix.com/Customer/ViewAlbum.aspx?a=543089&c=qerolicsh66it75b9g5g (hope the link works!)

Continue to keep my brother Mike, and his family in your prayers. Kenya is experiencing some gov't uneasiness, and the freedom that the Kenyan people have known for the last 15 years is in jeopardy. They are also on the cusp of a crippling drought, and although it has been raining for the last week, it hasn't rained in the last three years and the damage has already been done. In all of this, my sister-in-law, Kim, has just entered her 7th month of her pregnancy, and the baby is breech. Its uncomfortable all the time, and she could really use your prayers. She is such a brave and precious woman. And a great mother and wife. Pray for relief and comfort for all of them.

I'll post again before I go...

Love,
Carrie

Xnhillio Gallery

2006-02-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

Next Friday, I will be participating in "PhotoFest", which is a national photography exhibit that will be making a stop in Houston. The theme this year is "Earth" and I've put 10 pieces in the show. I'm excited to rediscover my photography roots again. The pictures I selected were from my last trip to Africa, focusing mainly on the Prombu and Masai tribes in Kenya. Ironically enough, the show will be hanging while I am in Africa.

The address to the gallery is 2115 Taft St., Houston, Tx. Taft St. Coffee is right next door, so grab a fair-trade cup of coffee and puruse 20 photographers' perception of our planet.

"Today I finally overcame trying to see the world inside a picure frame..."-John Mayer

~Cs

Goethe Said It Best

2006-02-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men". Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

That's all I've got.

Love,
Carrie

Recovering

2006-02-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

Last week, (Wednesday), marked the official countdown to Zambia. Russell and I commemorated the countdown by getting our immunizations. Russell needed three, and luckily, I only needed one. Unluckily however, I had a severe allergic reaction to my one shot (typhoid), and was out for the rest of the week. Fever, vomiting, sore throat, itchy/swollen face and hands. Apparently, only 1 in 500 have my kind of reaction. It figures. :)

True to my "against all odds" mantra (the 1 in 500 theory carried through), I received my paperwork back from the Zambian Embassy. The only hitch? I forgot to actually send my passport. I sent them everything else, I even brought my passport to work and scanned it into my computer. Somehow, it never made it in the envelope...The embassy sent back the paper work and hi-lited the missing items. Nothing says "we think you're an idiot and you might not be allowed into our country after a stunt like this" like a yellow marker on "Attach PASSPORT to application for VISA STAMP" section of the application directions. Additionally, they underlined it in red, just incase I missed the hi-lighting.

And for my family and friends who want specific dates, we will be leaving on March 9th, flying to London first, and connecting there for our 11 hour flight to Lusaka, Zambia. We will arrive home on the 22nd...providing I can actually remember to take my passport.

Keep my brother, Mike, and his wife, Kim, in your prayers. Kim is 6 months pregnant and the baby is breech right now. She is delivering the baby c-section, in Nairobi, Kenya. Her doctor has moved up the delivery date by a week, and the new baby Saum will most likely have jaundice. Lots of stress for them as they continue to serve faithfully as missionaries...

"Its a long way from the shadows in my cave up to your reality to watch the sunlight taking over...take me over." --Home by John Foreman, Switchfoot

~Cs

27 and Counting

2006-02-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

So, today is my 27th birthday. At precisely 7:26 a.m., a giant thunderclap sounded so loudly that it shook me out of my coma-like birthday slumber. Rain and dreary clouds all day...but it doesn't change my mood. I'm cheerful and optimistic, excited about my birthday weekend. Also, I'm okay with getting closer to 30...I was very encouraged yesterday when I had coffee with Matt Brouwer, mostly because he will hit the 30 landmark this month. It made me feel slightly better to know that one of my dear friends will pioneer his 30's before I do. I'm hoping he can lead the way for the rest of us who might not yet be so brave...

If anyone had told me 10 years ago that I would be weirded out by aging, I would have laughed at them. I couldn't wait to grow up, leave West Texas and explore life. Well, I did grow up, indulged my gypsy soul by traipsing all over the world, and now I am working in a job that feels more like a life and a calling than work. I was so anxious to get older, be an adult, and now I'm here and I feel more like a kid than ever before. I wonder what I'll be like in 10 more years. Five more clinics in other parts of the world? A housewife with 5 children? An author? A solitary, quiet life working at a convenience store in Colorado? Who knows? My 20's have been great, and I am looking forward to what my 30's might hold, even though they sometimes seem to loom in the background like a thundercloud.

And to all my singleton friends, waiting and actively seeking someone to share their lives with, I lift my glass to you and revel in the freedom of our 20's. This time will never come again. Thank you for journeying with me so far...

With love and anticipation,
Carrie

"My head is weak, my heart always speaks before I know what it will say."--Death Cab for Cutie

LIfestyles of the Rich and Not Famous

2006-02-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

I just got back into town from Austin, where I spent the last three days with Lauran and Abby. We were graciously hosted at the Four Seasons hotel by Abby's employers, the Burkharts. They booked us a room and footed the bill for the whole weekend, as a nice gesture for Abby, who takes care of their 6 year old son, Garrett. It was much different than last weekend in Guatemala, but it was still nice. I will admit though, I got tired of having everything done for me. The hotel has valet, room service, maid service, turn down service, picnic lunch service, door service...you get the idea. It was fun to be pampered a bit. However, by Sunday, I was ready to carry my own bag and park my own car. :) Its a different life altogether.

So, we hit 6th street on Friday night, ate a great dinner, had a glass of wine, and drifted in and out of music venues every 15 minutes or so. We had fun doing it, but by midnight we were all exhausted. For the rest of the weekend, we stayed close to the hotel and helped Abby entertain Garrett, which is no small task. Garrett asked me yesterday if I would go to college with him, which I think is a compliment. Hey, he's 6! College is a long way away for him still.

I am always amazed at the depth of my friendship with Lauran and Abby. We comment all the time about how lucky we are to have each other. Somehow, when we are all together, a little bit of magic happens and all is set right with the world, even if its only for a little while. Its comforting to have friends who have seen you in every life-stage, temprament, and geographical setting and love you more as you go on. They are more like sisters than anything else..."friend" doesn't do them justice.

Friday is my birthday, and I'm looking forward to spending it with just a few friends. I think I'm adventured out for now. :) It will be good to stick close to home for a while and get caught up on laundry and house stuff. Not that I'm complaining...

"The friends thou hast...grapple them to thy chest with hoops of steel." ~William Shakespeare

Love,
Carrie

VISA-Its For Everywhere I Want To Be

2006-02-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

Today is the day to send out my visa app for Zambia. It always makes me nervous sending off my passport in the mail. Granted, its easy to track with FedEx, but still...There is something unsettling about putting it in an envelope and just hoping that it makes its way back to you. :)

On the application, Zambia only gives US citizens the option of getting a multiple entry visa. The good news is, its valid for two years. The bad news is its over three times as much as what everyone else in the world pays to for a six month visa. Pretty smart, seeing as how Americans are the number one group of tourists to Zambia.

Regardless, its worth it. Timothy Vowell, a pastor here in H-town, has been granted 500 acres by the Zambian gov't to build orphanages for AIDs children (both victims and patients), Christian schools, and medical clinics. 16% of Zambia is infected with the AIDs or HIV. (In the US, less than 1% of our population is infected.) Keep in mind, it is extremely shameful to die of this disease, so families and victims will go undiagnosed and their death certificates will be altered so as not to bring disgrace or exile to their families. According to TIME magazine, for every one case that is diagnosed, four to six are not. That is an overwhelming number if you consider it.

This land grant, in and of itself, is a miracle. In general, African governments are hesitant to grant land to any one outside of their culture because of past exploitations of their people and resources by the western world. We are honored to be able to go in and offer our assistance in getting an operation established and running. We aren't going to save the Zambians. They don't need us to play hero. But we are going to help them in their need, and work towards getting them to a place of independence.

Peace of Christ,
Carrie

Words I Wish were Mine

2006-02-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

I came across these lyrics today and was struck by the imagery. The song is by an indie band named Anathallo. I hope they move you as well.

"I could not look Him in the face, so I stood revarnishing the floor with my eyes. He stared into them with this love so offended and profound. He tore the center of my shirt and red ws bleeding through from underneath the white clothes that I wore. The fire of devotion was only an ember. Alarmed at this sign of decay, my legs gave out because there was no self left to stand on. Thus, my heart was grieved, vexed in my mind, still Your banner over me was love. My walls are ever before You, still Your banner over me is love. But it was Your kind arms cradling me, a criminal. But it was your kind arms cradling me, a criminal. Oh wretched worm of a man that I am, on Thy kind arms I fall."
** I'm just a man. I'm just a criminal.
**From the gravestone of William Carey, reading only, "A wretched, poor, and helpless worm, On Thy kind arms I fall"

Where In The World Is Carrie Saum?

2006-01-31T13:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, after many conversations with friends and family, I have decided to open up a blog. I'm doing this so you all know where I am physically...and sometimes otherwise.

So, last week I was in Guatemala. It is a beautiful contry, and the people are precious. The Mayans are a very peaceful people for the most part, even with the civil war.

I travelled with my parnters, Russell and Bethany Leatherman who run my sister organization New Beginning Resources, the current doctor, Jim Street, who runs the rural clinics in Quiche, the new doctor, Heidi Bell and her husband Matt, who will be taking over for Dr. Street in August, Roy Simmons, who is on our Board of Directors, and Alma Curry, who helped us translate.

Things went smoothly for the most part, but we did have a few close calls on the roads. More specifically, on a muddy mountain road at 5:30 am in dense fog. I've realized that I have a complete peace when I am faced with my own mortality...my guardian angel was working overtime. :)

We had full days, short nights, and lots of tortillas! Antigua is breathtakingly beautiful. The culture there is rich and diverse, and the volcanoes are always smoking. It was very much worth the time and effort to spend an afternoon in the city. I will post photos later this week.

So, I'm stateside for the next 6 weeks. Then its off to Lusaka, Zambia (just south and a little east of the French Congo), to scout out a possible location for another clinic for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see my brother Mike, who is a missionary in Kenya. The plane tix were nearly $1,000. So sad!

On a personal note, I'm headed to Austin with Lauran this weekend to meet up with our best friend, Abby. It will be a good time to unwind and be refreshed. Abby's employers, the Burkeharts, have reserved the Govenor's Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, and have graciously given us a room next to theirs. I have no complaints!

Start as you mean to go on...
Carrie