medical clinic, day two.

Today we went to one of the villages outside Libreville with the mobile medical clinics. Kelli got to be a lot more hands-on today, and definitely saw a lot more patients. Along with Anna, Tim, and a few of the Gabonese who run these clinics, I walked throughout the village, letting people know that the clinic was here.

There is so much poverty everywhere, on a level I've never seen personally before. The houses are small, often one room and made with slatted boards and a tin roof. There's literally trash everywhere you look. Kelli says she has noticed a scent since we landed, though its not trash that she's smelling. I don't notice it, except a small handful of times - so this is a reason to be grateful that I don't have a strong sense of smell!

I've been trying to process why all of the poor living conditions aren't shocking to me. I expected to be surprised, not just by the level of poverty, but how prevalent it is. Then today, I remember my friend Kelly saying that on her short-term missions trip to Peru last year, she didn't experience culture shock until she got back. I imagine that will be true for me when I get back to the US, as well.

The church ladies from the village prepared a meal for us - manioc, red beans, and an eggplant dish. We had been warned that we needed to eat everything on our plates, so for that reason, we had a pretty light lunch. There are definitely Gabonese foods that we've tried that are good - fried bananas and sweet potatoes, bean sandwiches, and a chicken and rice dish last night.

While we were eating lunch, a few of the villagers started a fire in the dead brush nearby (to clear it out). So we ate the last part of a meal through a haze of smoke, and maybe some falling ashes. Kelli asked about the s'mores - but I think I'm content to wait until we can enjoy a bonfire at Katie's house.

One of the things that Tim has been involved with here in Gabon in Operation Christmas Child (shoebox Christmas gifts). These are distributed through the local churches, and in addition to the shoeboxes themselves, provide for continuing discipleship for the kids. One church now has 50-100 kids that attend each week because of this (which is especially amazing because there are only about 15 adults attending!)

Up until a month ago, the church met under a couple of mango trees, but now they actually have a structure to meet in. The floor itself is dirt and grass, but is surrounded by a cement border. There is a metal roof, with a handful of beams holding the structure up. As Kelli pointed out, what would be considered an abandoned building in the US represents a new beginning for the church.

On the agenda for tomorrow - more medical clinics in the morning, then Hope House in the afternoon (when we're delivering soccer balls).