HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Where have the years gone? And where have the last two months gone??? It has been a whirlwind since I left home in September. I toured through Israel and Egypt, volunteered and safari’d my way through Kenya and South Africa, and now I am (thankfully) unpacking in Australia, where I’ll be staying for a few months! Now that I am able to breathe a bit easier, you should be hearing from me more.

In fact, as a birthday present to myself, I am taking the day to update my personal journals and blog site. So here I am, officially old today (which was yesterday, in Australia)… the big 2-6. I have passed that great 1^st quarter century… and am now in the 25-50 quarter… Having a hard time with that one. Farewell youth! It’s been real. It’s been fun. And it’s been real fun.

At the same time, age is just a number, right? And getting older doesn’t mean that the adventure is over—On the contrary, it is just beginning! That’s what this year is about: clinging to the adventure of life! Instead of spending my time and money on simply improving my stuff, I’m exchanging it for real experiences… Ones that will leave me forever changed. Speaking of Forever Changed, if you want to hear the lyrics of my heart right now, go here (http://www.purevolume.com/foreverchanged), find the playlist at the top, scroll down to the song Knowledge, and listen. I pray that you are all reminded, as I am, that there is so much more to this life than the things that we so easily entangle ourselves with on a daily basis. Why were you put on this earth? That is one of the many questions I am asking people as I travel around the world this year… self, included.

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This phenomenal (haha) post is dedicated to the many wonderful people who have sent me birthday well-wishes… especially all the poor Facebook friends who are not able to post on my disabled wall and have to send me special messages!

I must also send HEAPS of thank-you’s to my dear Aussie friends who have given me an unbelievable birthday, complete with trips to the mountains, the rainforests, the ocean, the mall, the best chocolate shops in the world, and Chinatown (where I also celebrated my 21^st birthday, five years ago!) That doesn’t even include all the gifts I’ve been spoiled with… Including my theatre tickets to see Jersey Boys tonight! [Appropriately, in the words of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (and my girl, Lauryn Hill), “You’re just too good to be true…”]

~Cheers, mateys!

Sands & Seas—The Stacy World Tour

So... this “blogspot” was originally meant to continue on after my experience at Sparrow Village. However, some unexpected circumstances held me back from sharing my life journey with others for quite a while. [I was a bit stunted when I returned from my experience in South Africa—as I should have been… and then I experienced my own personal loss later in the year (2007).] It has been nearly 3 years since my last entry… which, for me, is very hard to believe. Three years seems like so much when you are younger; as I get older [a quarter-century now!], I can see how time slips right through one’s fingers. I cannot imagine it passing by any faster than it is now, but I know that this will happen. Often times, I would just like life to stand still. Maybe that is why I am embarking on this new journey…. Well, at least that is part of it, I’m sure.

This “new journey” is really just the next chapter for me. I am traveling around the world for one year (God willing). I am trying to separate myself as much as possible, rip myself out of my comfort zone, and simply go with God… to every continent.

In reality, going around the world for a year is going to breeze past me, I’m sure. It may very well be the quickest year of my life. However, in choosing to remove myself from the hustle and bustle of life… to slow down, seek God, and explore His creation… I think that the quality of sand will slow the hourglass.

Many people have asked me about the purpose of this trip. There are many reasons for this trip (a few of which are stated above)… One reason this trip will be good is that I feel it is in God’s timing…and purpose for me, of course. I have wanted to do this for a long time. (Actually, I feel that God began whispering this in my heart when I was a teenager.) However, the time was not right.

The last couple of years have especially been about waiting on God. My father died exactly two years ago today [something that my heart still struggles to accept]. I do not like hearing myself say that it has been two years—that is two years too long—but I have peace because the relationship continues. [It’s hard to explain.] And I continually understand and feel the love of my Heavenly Father more each day. Anyway, I had been torn between feeling the urge to both go and stay, at the same time. I was waiting on a peace that I was not sure would come. Well, after two important years of staying—I just know that now is the time. I know that I know. We shall see what will become of it… or come from it???

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Nothing too earth-shattering in the above post—Just wanted to let you know what I am doing. I feel that my words here have been far too simple and not made much grammatical sense—or at least could have been phrased much better. I’m just going to attribute that to listening to broken English for a week, as I am already on the first leg of this crazy world tour—Israel.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year- Sparrow Style

a colorful christmas dinner, in pretty much every way.

a christmas present herself; this precious little gift was dropped off at sparrow just this week... merry christmas?

seeing these faces on christmas morning was the greatest gift i could have ever received


adult patients and caregivers. note the beds lining the tent, for those who are too ill to sit and eat at the table. this is community, church.

yes, those are braids (a long & funny story). and this is nomathemba. she had a silent christmas...as she is deaf (yet another surprising effect of HIV)...but that did NOT stop her from leading music at chapel on christmas eve. it's so beautiful when our deaf kids start songs... the others just join right in.


trash bag gift wrapping, "father christmas" and black baby Jesus in a manger: the kids were often reminded of the true gift of christmas... and they acted it out in the most wonderful nativity play i've ever seen. so simple and so zulu. they made the story their own.


just too tempting

oh, christmas tree: cindy laughs at our tree and wrapping as her daughter (visiting) chews on a litche... a strictly african fruit that resembles an eyeball when peeled

kids, fireworks, and bare feet... a great way to bring in this new year. 2007.

more kids

the kids

sorry! i just spent 3 hours downloading a bunch of photos... and then deleted them all. i don't have enough time to try again... i need to get some sleep. here's two for now:

note the circles under the eyes :O)

Countryside (from the train)

My favourite pics...

Here are just a few of the heaps of photos I've taken here. I thought I'd put some up (for your viewing pleasure) before I leave for Capetown for a week!! With the exception of the overnight safari I took last week, this is the first break I've had since I've been here. Living here really makes this a 24/7 job. You can't take nights and weekends off... because there are kids needing to be taken care of. It's like a never-ending (less entertaining) summer camp. Without being able to drive, I have rarely even left Sparrow. Dealing with such stressful issues while being trapped inside a fence is enough to make any person crazy. I'm coping with this scenario much better now, but it will still be nice to have some time off. Although, it's so hard to leave the kids. I can hardly handle leaving them for a week-- How am I going to be able to say goodbye in a few weeks?? Where has the time gone?

Diana & Lilian

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Too bad I'm not 'the tough.' It's also unfortunate that I'm surrounded by the tough, who truly do get going (and not in a good way) when things get tough. To put it mildly, the kids can be very hardened... the staff can be very hardened. This has been one of my greatest struggles here. Another one of my huge struggles is realizing that, in a 1st world-3rd world country (this is how I refer to South Africa), something like AIDS doesn't just pop up out of no where... smack dab in the middle of a happy home. Here, AIDS is usually tied to poverty, which is often tied to hate, abuse, and so many other deep-rooted issues. I recently had a conversation that went something like this:

"no one could possibly understand the depth of this destruction
satan has his hold...
and the roots go far too deep
not too deep for God
but i have no idea where to start digging."

This is a poor attempt to explain my loss for words lately. When I, myself, am able to wrap my mind around all of this... You'll be the first to know. (It may be a while.)

In Memoriam

On World AIDS Day, I would like to honor my [beloved] personal statistic, Nothando Sithole... For those of you who feel distant from this crisis, here is a way for you to feel very close:

NOTHANDO SITHOLE
13 October 2004-
31 October 2006

Her name means "loved one"... and that, she was.