RATED G

So, I’ve been thinking… My posts are probably a bit too morbid. I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that everything here is depressing and horrible. On the contrary, I have never been happier to be somewhere. In fact, it’s hard to not let myself get consumed with thinking about how difficult it will be to leave Sparrow. I still have quite a while here, but it’s already a concern of mine. There are so many things I’d like to implement, but I can’t because I won’t be here to see them through. Anyway, I feel as though I’ve left out a lot of basic details about what my life at Sparrow is like. So, I’ll share with you what a “typical” day for me looks like:
12am-go to bed
1am- fall asleep
5am- wake up
5:15am- wake up
5:45am- wake up
6:30am- wake up
….. [this continues for a while… I think it’s a combination of the malaria pills, inconsistent temperature, dogs barking (there’s an animal shelter nearby… and many of the refugees live in my house), gunshots (don’t worry, there’s a shooting range nearby), and babies crying.]
9am- actually get up (although I’ve been up by 6am the last several days)
10am- eat yogurt with granola
11am- wander around, playing with the toddlers outside… say hello to the adults and kids in the hospice.
12pm- feed the babies in the hospice… get pooped on, spit-up on… yeeeeah.
1pm- eat leftovers or go to the admin break room to be served some curry, stew, or pap ( a tasteless corn-based, grits-like matter)
1:30pm- go to Coronation Hospital to visit the really sick kiddos
3pm- arrive back at Sparrow to help kids during “homework time”… Often, the ‘teachers’ don’t show up, so I get to fill in.
4pm- work specifically with the ones who need extra help, the special needs kids
5pm- play with the kids in the clusters/ yell at kids to stop hurting each other and play nicely
6pm- begin to wonder what I’ll do for supper/ feed babies/ hold babies
7pm- scrounge something up to eat/ go with Corine (the director), Pauline, and Karl (the doctor) to Mimmos Pizza (more like flatbread with weird toppings)
8:30pm- check on the kids to make sure they’re not getting into trouble
9:30pm- finish resolving whatever issue was at hand :O)
10:00pm- discuss the day’s happenings with Pauline (my retired roommate… and a very regular volunteer here, who specializes in many of the non-health issues at Sparrow)/ plan for the next day/ vent and brainstorm about what changes need to be made
11pm- sit outside, look up at the stars, look out at the Johannesburg skyline, process things, cry, and pray
12am- start over

[Of course, the schedule gets a bit more hectic when you add in the weekly: sleepovers, marimba practice, karate practice, swim lessons, field trips, music/ game night (the kids love to sing worship songs), music practice (teaching kids to read music, etc.), shopping for kids’ supplies, admin meetings, student council meetings, movie night, Saturday morning tutoring and art, Sunday church… and a partridge and a pear tree]

Loving the chaos. -stacy