Counting my blessings...

Today was the sort of day that forces you to evaluate who are you, what you have, and what you can possibly do to change an impossible situation. Myself and few of my fellow volunteers went to a local village about 5 minutes from where we live to visit the homes of people suffering from HIV/AIDS. I can't possibly begin to describe what it was like. We met with a woman that goes by Mama Sarah and she might possibly be the most incredible woman I have ever met. She is the leader of a group of people, all of whom are HIV positive. Mama Sarah is infected herself yet she gives everything she has to support her community of sick and dying people. We met a great deal of people, most of whom are women, who have lost everything that they ever had due to the disease. The first house we visited was a stick and mud hut with no windows, electricity, or running water. She was in her 60's, has lost her husband and children, and is left sick and weak to care for her grandchildren. She was forced to send some of them to an orphange and one was adopted by a local family. All she is left with is a falling down hut and few pictures of the family she has lost. Her situation is no different from any of families in the 6 homes we visited today. It is customary in TZ to take a gift when you visit the sick so our group stopped at a local store and stocked up on things such as soap, flower, sugar, bread, and other essentials that these people have no way of buying. It took everything I had to hold it together but I still couldn't not cry. Many of the people we visited were so grateful for our gifts that they shed tears of appreciation. Every single person we visited talked about their faith and how even though they have nothing, they know Jesus will come for them - they are just waiting. I knew coming here that I would see things like this, but I could never have been prepared to experience it first hand. Before today I thought of TZ as a place I could cross off of my list of places I wanted to visit. Now, I know I will come back to do anything I possible can to help. I feel so moved and so ridiculously blessed for things I have always taken advantage of. Count your blessings and hug your family, because so many people don't have either.I am planning on visiting Mama Sarah and her community at least twice a week while I am here and I am already brainstorming ways I can fundraise back at home. If you have any ideas, please let me know!