"Impossible" just means it will be more exciting when it happens.

It was a little over a month ago, that my good friend, Katherine, asked me to go check out a rehabilitation center with her.

Katherine has been to Tanzania twice and will soon be returning for a third time. She volunteers at a school called Hillcrest (shown above). Katherine is now back home in North Carolina. She is currently working on building a school for the Hillcrest kids and has inspired me many times over with the devotion that she has for these children.

So anyway, about a month ago, Katherine asked me to come check out a rehab center for one of her students, Rosie, who has Spina Bifida and club foot. I said I would come with her and check it out.

We went to the Usa River Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Centre. It's a magical place where they serve up massive helpings of HOPE! They said that they offered free physiotherapy for kids. Katherine was about to go home, so she couldn't take Rosie, so I said I would bring her every week. Before that, I had only met Rosie once or twice, and I knew that I didn't have the money to pay for cabs to Usa every week (it's really far) but I just knew that I was supposed to step up in this situation.

I've been taking Rosie to physio once a week, with the help of my friend/angel, Sharla. Sharla is a nurse from Canada, who is currently volunteering as a teacher at Rosie's school. Sharla comes to physio with us every week and then implements the exercises at school when possible. Sharla has also been helping me pay for the trips to the rehab center. She's incredible. When I said that I would take Rosie, I did not know how I would possibly manage. Like I said, the physio is free, but the cab ride to Usa every week is quite pricey. I don't know why I EVER doubt. Ever. Things always work out. I am so glad that Sharla was sent to me and that I have her to love and lean on through this process, because it is not always easy to go through rehab with a five year old. 

Last week, an expert physiotherapist came out from Germany to work with the patients here. She assessed Rosie and said that it will possible for her to walk one day! It will not be an easy road to get there, and even if she does walk, she will need crutches, but she can WALK! From the beginning, we were told she wouldn't walk, she could learn to be independent, but would never walk. I did not want to believe that. Towards the beginning of my time with Rosie, I was talking to my friend Terence, and he asked me what I wanted to come out of this situation. I said, "I want to see Rosie walk." He asked if that was even possible. I said "No, but I want it to happen anyway."  In order for her to walk, she will need a surgery to straighten her legs and LOTS and lots of intense physiotherapy. There is a group of orthopedic surgeons from Germany coming next month to do free surgeries. The doctor said that their Operating Room schedule is full and its not likely for them to be able to fit Rosie in, but its possible.

In my opinion, "not likely, but possible" means "definitely going to happen". Yesterday, they casted both of Rosie's legs, just in case they are able to fit her in for a surgery. They doctor asked us to distract her while they casted her legs so she wouldn't be scared, so that's why there are stickers all over her face. Because I believe that a reasonable way to distract people is to put things on their faces. 

This girl is incredible. She is five. FIVE YEARS OLD, PEOPLE! She has faced so many trials and tribulations in her five short years, but is already beating them and coming through strong on the other side. She's amazing, sometimes I look at her and have trouble breathing because I just feel so excited for her future. This girl is going to do incredible things in her life, I promise you. Just wait and see.

Rosie is stronger than she seems,

and Braver than she believes.

There is BIG news in this one. And I mean GINORMOUS.

Warning: I've been having a really difficult time deciding what to blog about, so this post will most likely be scatter-brained, disorganized, and probably neither particularly funny or heart-wrenching. Get over it, it's allowed.

Well, I did switch to a new school a few weeks ago. It's a special needs school and I love it. It's extremely difficult some of the time. Most of my students either have Down Syndrome or Autism. It's a whole different type of teaching, which includes a lot of "play-learning". I spend a lot of time playing catch with the kids and helping them write numbers and letters. Sometimes, they'll bite me or hit me or eachother. Sometimes the kids have episodes and I simply don't know the best way to help them, because I was never trained. But I'm so in love with them. In the past few weeks these kids have taught me so much about love and laughter. Oh, the laughter! I have one student named Husna who literally does not know how to stop laughing. We'll be tracing numbers, or playing with blocks, or singing our ABC's, or I'll be putting her shoes on, and she'll just look at me and CRACK UP. The first few times she did this, I just looked at her funny, but it's become contagious. She'll laugh and all of a sudden, I'm on the floor in stitches fighting for breath because I can't stop laughing. My kids know how to laugh SO WELL. Yesterday, one of my girls, named Salbaha, got in my lap, put her head on my shoulder and went right to sleep. I let her stay there for a good half hour. How does a person steal your whole heart so quickly without your knowledge? I feel like my heart has stretched more than the Grinch's. I don't know how all of the love that I feel can physically fit inside my body.

On Fridays, I'm still at Cheti with my original kids, who I'm obsessed with! Angel's there, and I am telling you that little girl has me wrapped around her little, perfect finger. They still need sponsors, so anyone interested, please contact me. You can message me on Facebook or email me at katrinahkathryn@gmail.com

Once a week, I take a little girl named Rosie to physiotherapy. She has Spina Bifida and is wheelchair bound. I don't know what results will come out of this. They can teach her how to work with her body. Build her arm strength, help her learn how to use her chair on her own, but I wish there was more. Tomorrow, we're meeting with a specialist who's coming over from Germany and doing a consultation with her for free. In March, there will be a team of German surgeons doing free surgeries, and they're schedule is full, but we're hoping and praying that they would be able to fit Rosie in. She is an unbelievable kid. When I first met her, she was pretty reserved and kept to herself, which is not surprising from a five year old stuck in a wheel chair who can't get out and play with the kids. Now, she does not stop smiling, she is excited at school, when she smiles, her entire face lights up like the morning sky. She is so precious, and her life is so precious, and I want to help her make the most of it.

It's strange living in a house with thirty people, I love it! There's so much community, there's always someone to talk to, someone to turn to, someone to laugh or cry with (I do plenty of both). Every two weeks, a new orientation group gets here. The people in these groups stay anywhere from 1 week to 6 months. It's great to get to meet new people all the time, but on the other hand, people are always leaving. When you live with someone in such a different place, like Africa, you form bonds with them. You love them, even if they're only around for a month. Because they're more than just a friend or coworker, you literally live with them. You wake up to their ugly mug, spend all day with them, and fall asleep to their whispers and laughter. You love them, you can't help it. I've probably said goodbye to at least thirty people since I've been here, I've stopped keeping track. Over the next few weeks, most of my closest friends will be heading back home. I do not know how I am going to handle that.

I've got eleven weeks left. I'm halfway through. Part of me is so ready to jump on a plane, hug my dog, and go get some enchilada soup from Chili's. Part of me, is ready to tie myself to the fence and sing "we shall not be moved". All of me wants to leave all my clothes and stuff behind and fill my suitcases with children, but apparently that's like frowned upon or something.

I've been doing a lot of self reflection lately. I was hoping that being here would open up my eyes to what I want in life, and in some ways it has, but in more ways, I've learned more about myself as I am right now. I've learned that I need to be more decisive. I'm usually cool with just letting others make decisions and going along with them. I know that I possess leadership capabilities, but for some reason, I'm usually content with just following others. I am so not going to change the world that way, and why would I waste my time on this Earth, if I'm not going to leave it a little bit better than when I got here.

There has been one major change in my life. And I mean MAJOR.
If you don't know me very well, this change will seem like nothing, but if you know me well, you may have a heart attack.

I,
Katrinah,
am. not. afraid. of. bugs.

I am not afraid of bugs.

Well, actually, I'm still afraid of bugs.

But now I just sit silently in my fear rather than SCREAMING AND CRYING.

This is a big deal, people. I'm an entomophobe. We're talking literal tears when there are bugs. I've almost crashed the car when there's been a spider on my windshield. Like its super weird how scared I am. The people close to me know that they are not even allowed to utter the word cockroach. I still don't like to even type it, it's taking everything within me not to backspace and delete that word. But I see them EVERYDAY. And do you know what I do? I flick them away, and try not let anyone know that I'm hyperventilating inside. I think it just takes getting out of your comfort zone to realize what's important and what's not.

So there's nothing huge going on around here, just my normal, everyday activities. But I love the changes I see in myself. I am learning more patience, I'm getting emotionally stronger, and I am becoming
Braver than I believe.