i want you between me and the feeling i get when i miss you...

Blogging...i've started blogging on a new blog, the url is reflectwhatyoubelieve.blogspot.com

although you should still keep checking this one cause as I "process"(whatver that means) africa i will post stories that i havent yet.

Love

something on the road...

as i was sitting on the plane starting to slightly freak out, i felt it so clearly being pointed out to me that i had love coming at me from every direction.

Dear Hands family
every day I realize more and more how much you blessed me.
(heart)
-Lacey

its weird being home and its only getting weirded...i had a odd sobbing attack today in starbucks that was totally unexpected and my first real emotional experiance since being back, so we will see what continues to unfold but yeah, I said confidently that Jesus has africa covered and i believe that, now i just need to continue to remind my heart that and see whats next.

but yeah
i dont make sense anymore.

love love love love

debating

11/March

Its funny how, like nothing is going to be as real as "the moment". I will not be able to accurately explain emotion and the things going through my head and the pictures i take will not fully capture the beauty and "feeling" of its object.

Today i went to cork and I'm so glad i went even though it cost me a day at the hospice and i really wasn't that into the idea.

we arrived at the home base care center and greeted each volunteer with a hand shake and a hug and started to sing as we sang one of the volunteers, Priscella, set up two benches and brought the children out of a class room.

I've never been so struck by beauty as i was with these little ones who crowded each other, giggled and whispered in there mother tongue.
They where told "we are praying" and they all stood up and closed there eyes, i watched them and there was this one little girl who kept getting distracted and looking around and then suddenly remembering they where praying and squeezing her eyes closed so tightly.

I at first thought i would go on home base care but there little ones drew me to them and i decided to stay with the,. Priscella told me it was "class time" and they sat in a little semi circle and sang a song that said "i want to be like Jesus" (its funny cause they dont even know what it means) and then Priscella told them the story of "AAdam and Eva"
I sat beside her and watched one little boy who was getting kind of antsy and his chair was eventually moved near mine, after several minutes i ended up holding his hand "the African way" which is my left in his gripping his thumb with his gripping mine, as i looked down at his little hand i remembered how just last night i pictured myself holding hands like that with Jesus, just as the thought floated through my head the little boy kissed my thumb and i nearly bawled.
As we continued the teacher had them repeating Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" and they went through and said it individually, it was really more of a screaming compatition and it took several children for me to realize what the they where actually saying, when one would sit down the teacher would tell me their name and situauon and what she was telling me reminded me of this album called "beauty in destruction" how can these beautiful (screaming) children exsist in this destruction of their familits, their country...maybe their future?

love

Dear Africa

Happy one year anniversary!I love you!

this year has been such a strange mix of joy and heartbreak but...so incrediable...im so appreciative of where God's brought me and where i have met him....

ngi yaku tzandza kuhulu!

-Lacey

Goodnight and go

There are many many many things i appreciate about africa...peri peri chips, the fact that i havent worn shoes for like 3 weeks,big eyes, being called "skim" and "shuma", riding in the back of bakkie (pick up trucks) for two hours as i said...many things.

One thing i really really appreciate though is, the community of volunteers and how through this experiance i have met soo many different people! so many different cool people!

and i want to introduce you to some of them through there blogs.

start at the start and keep time ever time...

Dara, Laura and Callan, where my first roomates and in the same intake as me, Dara and Laura spent 9 months in mozimbique and callan stayed here!
sadly they have all gone home but its good to read back on what they have written



I had many Roomates Between them and the next batch of blogs, Karen from USA, Mary from ont. Byron from calgary, Hendri from holland, Darryl from canada, Morgan from Canada

So around aug the new footprinters arrived and it was myself, Heather from calgary, Alisha from outside edmonton, and two american Emily and Jessie
Heather has gone home and im so excited to hang out with her when im back

Alisha and Emily went to Zambia
(Alisha doesnt like to write stuff but she does take alot of pictures!)
(emily has recently become involved with a little boy who was very sick, the story is def something to check out)

sadly Jessie (who is currently my roomate) does not have a blog but she does write many stories on the hands website in the news room, on this page you will be able to find many stories from volunteers with hands across africa and also a blog for George (the CEO) a month after Jessie and the girls arrived a new arrival joined there intake,
Hannah
/ is currently in mozimbique

some where amidst this all Kristal arrived from saskatoon to work with Darryl in the forward education program


recently Louise also from saskatoon has arrived:

she has written a blog about her community stay in bushbuck ridge that really breaks my heart, and i know we all want to have broken hearts so please check it out.

along with Louise arrived Mike from saskatoon...whats up with this? and Danny from england...(neither have blogs)

we also can not forget about Brooke and Jed, a couple with peace corp (i wish canada had peace corp)


Laura's Blog (different laura) is also full of stories that will inspire you
we havent been in africa at the same time but im sure it will happen sooner or later...

now please go meet these people who i love

everyone look whats going down

looking back..

Nov 27

I don't know if this is going to be a over spiritual-i-zation of a completely normal even but here i go.

I have completely lost my voice, i can only speak in the smallest whisper, my throat doesn't hurt i just can not speak.
Stanley was being so sweet, every time i tried to speak he would put his arm around my shoulder and lean his ear close so i wouldn't have to strain to much,
Anyway So I'm thinking about "the voiceless" and how the Bible says we must be a voice for the voiceless, but im thinking we have to add to this idea, we also have to actively crane our necks to hear that voice because for some reason this hugely important message is only communicated in a whisper so easily drowned out by other things...

4 seasons in one day

Its strange...Im blinking back tears of joy over making a bed, organizing a linen closet and peeling vegetables.
The past two Wednesdays i have been volunteering at ACTS Hospice...and i come back so happy.

When i was there last week I visited with two patients imparticular and i told them i would bring them a postcard of Calgary and a picture of snow to show them this week...i guess i wasn't thinking...apparently patient turn over happens very quickly...i was devastated when i walked in this morning and i didn't know anyone...
"know wherever this is comfort there is pain"
i guess it was due to my own silly ness but yeah...i dont know...i dont even know what i am talking about anymore...

Africa is cool and Jesus...well the guy is my best friend, and he is SO cool.
Pray for me